PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 123, 11 February 1918, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

President Wilson's declaration that America is determined to spend every ounce of its energy in prosecuting; the war and that the Allies a.e facing the final phase ot the great struggle with Germany is admirably seconded by the official announcement that the United States now has 2,139,000 men under arms. This obviously means that a second compulsory draft has been sent into camp. The first draft consisted of over 600,000 men, but it was expect ed that the second and subsequent draFts would'number each Fialf a million men. America already ha 3 tho numbers in training which should enable her to fulfil the recent prediction of her Secretary for War that 1,500,000 men will bo transported to France this year. Just what fores the United States will be , ablo to place on the battlefront during tho present year's campaign is still a matter of somewhat open conjecture, but it seems to be definitely assured that her armies will add formidably to the Allied strength in the Western theatre. * * # ■ # The serious strike reported in the Argentine is probably German-in-spired, and may reasonably be regarded as an attempt to avert or postpone- the definite break with Germany which was lately declared to be imminent. German and proGerman agents wore active in promoting similar upheavals a month or ; two ago, and their latest enterprise seems to have been well prepared and in its opening stages to have fully realised expectations. The Government, howoyer, is expected to take drastic action, and if it acts with due energy the enemy plotters may'find that they have hastened the event they are anxious to postpone. *'.. * * »' According to a Berne report the Germans are planning a new method of attacking American convoys by sending groups of powerful submarines to various points in mid-At-lantic, where rescue operations are difficult. The grouping of the submarines is the natural retort to the system of protected convoys which the Allies have adopted, but otherwise this messago is somewhat discredited by the recent announcement of the First Lord of the Admiralty that submarines arc being destroyed as fast a? they arc built, and that the continued decline in the destruction, of shipping is not clue to tho withdrawal of submarines in readiness for organised attacks vpon tho American transport convoys, but to the rising efficiency of anti-sub? nrrine measures. It still remains t|uit3 possible that the underwater craft may concentrate against the American convoys. But in that case it seems likely, in view of the First Lord's statement, that there will be a further and marked decline in the destruction of ordinary merchant shipping; I

Attacks on convoys on the lines eiigßcsted no' doubt hold certain poseibiJitics of advantage from the enemy's point of view, but -whether Germany can afford to exploit these possibilities at tho present stage of tho submarine campaign, with tho strength of her flotillas stationary or declining, is at least doubtful. Concentrated ■ in groups for mid-ocean cruising, the submarines would necessarily spend much of their time unprofitably, and attacks upon transport convoys, even in midocean, would naturally involve heavy risks. It'seems on the whole more probable that tho story transmitted from Borne is a sample of German propaganda than that- it is a revelation of German plans. The same view may be held <with evon greater confidence in _ regard to the story that Germany k planning _ a submarine campaign in tho Pacific. Even .assuming that German suhtnarine'i could cruiso at such a distanre from any possible base, it is not likely that they would be so_ employed when they are visibly failing to meet demands in their present areas of activity. A speech by Lord Jelmcoe is cabled in too coudensed a form to be particularly informative, but to the observation that we are in for a bad time for the next three months he adds a prediction that if we hold out the submarine menaco will be killed by August. It seems hardly likely that the late First Sea Lord had the submarines in mind in forecasting a bad time for the next three months. At all events losses by submarine attack have upon the whole been steadily declining since last April, and tho total decline is now very considerable.

The fact, mentioned to-day by Mr. Philip Gibbs, that there is a pronounced difference of opinion amongst British officers at the front in regard to the enemy's p.lana in the Western campaign emphasises tho impossibility of assessing the reports of an impending enemy offensive. They must await the test of events. A Router correspondent at French Headquarters gives an interesting account of events which have been passed over lightly in the daily communiques. He declares that tho Germans have, recently so multiplied their attacks in the Verdun region that the right bank of the Meuse has become practically an' active battle sector. A gradually rising stir of raids and minor attacks has been reported in the Westcm theatre for several days past/ and the enemy seems to have taken a full share in these- activities: It it just as possible, however, lhat his local attacks and raids betoken nervous expectation of attack as that they are leading up to an attack