PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 71, 17 December 1917, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

The local attacks which the enomy is making at different points in tho Western theatre aro possibly loading up to bigger events, but at the moment there is no definite indication to that effect. Sir Dougus Haio to-day reports an attack in which the enemy gained a British trench on a front of about 300 yards east 'of Ypres, an area in which he has now been dislodged from nearly all the high ground. Poldcrhoek Chateau, however, stands on the main ridge at a point whero a spur (still hold by tho Germans) strikes east. On a short front in this locality the contending forces are on something like even terms so far as ground ib concerned, and it was hero that the enemy developed his local attack. It was not particularly successful in the first instance, and already there is news that a considerable part of the captured trench has been recovered.

Mb. Frank Simonds has gained a considerable reputation as a war commentator, but it clop not necessarily follow that he is in a position to pronounce with authority the confident judgment upon late events on tho Cambrai front which appears in his name to-day. • Information transmitted to this country indicates that the only failure on tho British (side occurred _ on tho southern flank of the salient ad 1 vanccd towards Cambrai. What authority Mr. Simonds has for his statement that General Byng neglected his Hanks on tho Scheldt in an attempt to enlarge his success is not shown, nor is tlie statement in harmony with such accounts of the battle as aro available here. Tho facts which command attention arc that the British offensive has had tho effect of seriously weakening the enemy's line at a vital point and that it compelled him to pass from an economical to an exceedingly costly defence, and to freely squander his reserves in counter-attacks. It seems quite as likely that Mi:. Simonds's observations are an example of American sensationalism as that _ they are based on special information. # * if #

According to Colonel Repinqton the Germans ha.ve at present 150 divisions in the Western theatre, and in the Eastern theatre 79 divisions which have been denuded of men between tho ages of 19 and 35. The 150 divisions in the Western theatre probably represent about 2,000,000 men, and may represent less in view of the reduction in the strength of Gorman divisions. This number, Colonel Hepington thinks, Germany will be able to increase by

half a million. The- British armies in Franco and Flanders have a strength of approximately two millions. The French have a larger I number in the field, and there arc also the Belgians and Portuguese to bo taken into account. Even if Colonel Repington has somewhat under-estimated the enemy's strength it would seem that nothing short of the complete collapse of Italy would enable him to approach a numerical equality with the Allies in France and Flanders. It is, of course, ;j material point that Britain stiu has great reserves to draw upon, and that France is, relatively, distinctly better oft than the enemy in the matter of reserves. Colonel Reiungton names the oxhaustion of Germany's reserves as the factor that may compel her to strike "more quickly than we think." Considering the conditions in which such an attempt as he postulates would bo made, full weight must be given to the fact that the Germans have- been much less successful than the Allies in attack, and have time and again paid a big and disproportionate price for inconsiderable gains. No doubt they could win a certain amount of ground on almost any part of the front by incurring the necessary sacrifice, but they have no visible prospect of achieving advantage in this way.

# * # * At the end of last week news from Russia pointed to an improving tendoncy. To-day's reports, as far as they are in handat time of writing, take an opposite direction. It is stated that Kokniloff's troops have been defeated, that Kaledin has been arrested, and that negotiations between the Bolsheviki and the enemy are making headway. This is a budget of extremely bad news if it is true. Kaledin's arrest would bo a particularly menacing development, for it would imply that the Cossa-cks had either become infected with the disorders of the revolution or had been ovorcome. It will bo noticed, however, that all the messages in question are of Bolshovik or enemy origin. They are, therefore,_ suspect and at least need confirmation.

Meeting- Mr. Balfouk's recent revelation of a Gorman peace overture to Britain through a neutral channol, the Germans proffer _an explanation which explains nothing, and is in itself a further exposure of Germany's methods and lack of principle. The allegation that Germany received an indication that Britain desired to negotiate is obviously false, since if the German communication to which Mit. Balfour referred had been in the nature of a reply instead of an overture that'fact would necessarily have been plain to the Britisn Foreign Office. There is no need to fall back on such evidence, however. All the world, except that part which Germany holds in thrall, will accept Mk. Balfour's statement as that of a statesman of untarnished honour and the German explanation as the unsorupulous invention it undoubtedly is. The explanation serves one useful purpose. It definitely establishes the fact that the overture transmitted to Britain by a neutral agency originated with the German Government.