PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 122, 9 February 1918, Page 6

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Presumably" some hundreds of thousands of American troops have already, been conveyed.to .France, but the torpedoing of an American transport (the Tuscania), reported to-day, is the first event of its kind. One report states that 267 lives were lost, while according to another the number does not exceed 100. There does not seem to be any doubt thaji a very large proportion of the troops survived. It is not suggested that the Germans have succeeded in organising a special pttack on American transports. The Tuscania was attacked on a frequented route and may easily havobecn singled out by chance.

The possibility of a campaign in Northern Russia is now being ac : tively canvassed by the , German newspapers, and it seems not unlikely that such a move is actually in contemplation. The news is interesting on : t\vo grounds. One is that if they undertake a campaign in. Northern Eussia. involving the occupation- of Petrograd. the; Germans will be apt to incur military responsibilities which will appreciably limit their possible concentration in the. Western theatre. An advance on Petrograd would presumably not be undertaken by the Germans for its own sake, but as a step, towards gaining command of the grain-producing areas in; other parts of Russia, and the total demands of such an enterprise—even if it is true that the Ukraine is •prepared to 'conclude peace, and. this seems at present extremely doubtful—might be considerable. This apart, an extension of the invasion of Russia may .accentuate internal problems in Germany, and Austria. The fact that"the' fi'orlh German Gazette is seeking to popularise the idea that an extended invasion of Russia is desired by the Russian, population .and is necessary in their interests suggests that the.attitude of the .German.proletariat .is regarded'with-uneasiness. If the' demand for .peace without annexations has been pressed ' as insistently..in Germany as recent reports declare, the Government ob-viously-would invite serious domestic troubles by undertaking a further invasion of Russia. At present the.situation-'is in all aspects, obscure, -.and .'the ' 'facts ,will -"hardly come plainly, to light 5 'unless the current predictions of- further, military action" against Russia' are verified by events. Suggestions are still coining..through, however, that Germany's domestic troubles are far from having been suppressed Yesterday the Wolff Press Agency, admittedly not a reliable authority, was credited • with • the statement that 270,000 strikers in.Berlin- had not resumed work, and the ' Stockholm correspondent of the Morning Post states in a message published to-day that Germany is preventing the escape of news of her domestic troubles. As a whole it seems distinctly possible that Germany is by no means as free to concentrate her energies on operations in the' Western theatre as she lately seemed, likely to be.

How.far the' German and Austrian Minority Socialists have succeeded in extending their influence during the war period it is impossible to sayj.but events ..like the im-' prisonment 1 of Herr.Dittjian.suggest that they arc' a force,to bio.reckonecl s with. The attitude'of the Austrian •■ Minority' '.Socialists' is defined in a ■ manifesto' which was printed secretly and circulated in different parts of Austria by Socialist women, who volunteered to risk their liberty in order to spread this revolutionary message among the people. The terms- of the manifesto suggest that the Austrian Minority Socialists desire such a peace as the Entente is pledged to enforce. It reads in part: "The Minority Socialists of Austria denounce Scheidemann and.' David and EberTj the leaders of tho Majority Socialists in Germany, and Adler and Renner and' Seitz, the leaders of the Majority Socialists in Austria, who have ceased to be honest democrats and conscientious revolutionists. Just as we desire to' settle accounts with the Imperial Governments which are guilty of having provoked this war, so we sire also to settle accounts with their Socialist accomplices. For the Majority Socialists'in Germany-and in Austria, who have been the slavish servitors of the Imperial Goveruments'of'these'eountries, we have no pardon. We cannot forget their offence against Socialism, aud_ there crin be no question of reconciliation with them. The. Austrian Majority Socialist, Karl Renner, applauded the invasion of Belgium and the violation of Belgian neutrality. Ren? ner and Seitz and Victor Aiiler not only applauded the invasion of Belgium, but approved the 'annexation of Belgium by Germany ._ Another Austrian Majority Socialist, WiLHELii Ellekbogen, has advocat- < ed the annexation of Serbia by Austria. The future peace of Europe can only be assured by two methods, the creation of States based, on tho principle of nationalities or by purely'democratic States organised on Federal principles. Austria _is neither a country based on the principle of nationalities nor a democratic country. It is for these reasons that it is a 'matter, of indifference- whether or not Austria remains intact at the end of the war. If Austria cannot be organised as a purely democratic State, and this is an absolute impossibility under tho Habsburg dynasty, it must lie divided into a number- of States grouped according to nationalities;-' The zeal of the Majority Socialists of Germany and Austria for the maintenance 6f, the integrity of Austria and of Turkey is another proof that they are merely the instruments of German and Austrian Imperialism. The integrity of Austria and Turkey is not an ideal for which the German and Austrian peoples ought to be asked to sacrifice their, lives."'