PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 133, 22 February 1918, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Punch's advice to John Bull as told in to-day's messages is like so many of Mr. Punch's views on public affairs, such good, sound, common sense that it makes one wish that tho Press Association's agent would send us more from the columns of the great satirical weekly and less of tho shrieking sensationalism of tho noisy section of tho London daily Press, "Don't worry about Russia," remarks Mr. Punch. "What we havo got to worry about is this cursed backstairs intrigue in Press and Parliament." This good advice is being pressed • on Mr. Lloyd George and his Ministers from another quarter. The influence of tho Northcliffe Press with the Government has created a deep distrust amongst even the best friends of tho Government. Lord Northcliffe delights to pose in the role. of tho maker and master of Governments, and the Lloyd George Government has pandqred to his susceptibilities in this direction in a quite amazing manner, much to tho disgust of many of its own supporters. # * # *

As to ceasing to worry about Russia, it certainly seems useless enough to hope for any direct assistance from that quarter. The state of confusion under Bolshevik rule grows worse with each week that passes. When the peace negotiations at Brest Litovsk were broken off and Germany threatened a further invasion of Russia, Trotsky talked largely of the fight Russia would put up if the Germans carried out their threat. Now with the German forces in motion Trotsky, according to to-day's messages, has backed right down. It is stated that the Council of tho People's Commissaries has notified Germany that it is prepared to sign tho peace conditions dictated by the Central Powers. These include the retention of Poland, Lithuania, and Mohn islands, and the payment of an indemnity of 800 millions. Thus has "free" Russia been betrayed. It will occasion little surprise if tho Bolshevik leaders have agreed to a peace on Germany's terms;' but this will not mean that Germany will bo freed from the necessity of maintaining her forces on the East front. Whatever Trotsky and Lenin may decide to do they cannot control the conflicting factions throughout Russia, and peace* will not come without further fighting and guerrilla warfare, possibly on an extensive scale, . * * * * In the meantime the suggestion is again raised that Japan may tako a bigger hand ,in the game. Dr. Iyenoga, a Japanese publicist who is associated with the University of Chicago, has just stated in a speech in New York that Japan is ready to send an army to Russia at a moment's notice. She merely awaits the Allies' signal. It is a little curious that so recently as January' 9 last Dr. ; Iyenoga, in an article contributed' to the New York Outlook, went to a good deal of pains to show why Japan was not likely and should not be expected to send an expeditionary force to tho aid of her European Allies. He, how- 1 ever, concluded his article with this reservation. "It would, of course, be foolish," he wrote, "for one to predict that no emergency will ever arise when it may become an imperative duty for Japan to surmount every obstacle in hor way to risk all, sacrifice all, at the altar of the common cause." Has that emergency now arisen? *** . *

A moke authoritative statement on Japanese opinion was published in the Outlook the week following Dr. Iyenoga's article, that of no less a personage than the late Marquis Okama, ex-Premier of Japan. Mr. Gregory Mason had made a special visit to Japan to sense Japanese opinion regarding the agreement between Japan and the United States and as to the war, and had a long interview with Marquis Okama. The aged statesman's views regarding the war are of particular interest just now, because of his profound understanding of his own people.

It cannot be said (he remarked) that Japan will not do more, because conditions may change. At present it can only be said t'lat public opinion is all against sending Japanese soldiers to Europe. . ! . The Allies must not | be unfair to Japan because of this feeling of our people. We recognise that it is a war for democracy, that it is a war for international justice. It isn't that wo don't sympathise with our Allies, but that we doubt the need of helping them with men, now. ... It is quite possible that Japanese opinion on this question will change. The capturo (if Petrogra'd by the Germans might make a change in Japanese feeling. Any likelihood of a German advance east through Russia either now or as a result of victories later would alarm the Japanese people. Other things, too, might change public opinion here. Anyway, Japanese officers are in Prance studying the military problems there closely, and our army is keeping up to date—in case it should be needed We would perhaps send half a million men, perhaps more, but we would bo ieady to sacrifice that many men at once f'f occasion We would hope to be given 20 to 50 miles of the Western front, and we would pray to be given Hindenburg, Mackensen, or tho Crown Prince as our opponent. Then wo would drive in ready to lose half of our 500,000 men or all of them, but confident that we could strike the Germans such a blow that with the pressure of our Allies,on either side, the Germans would fall back to the Rhine. That is the Samurai spirit, and Japan would fight in that spirit or not at all.

Since tho Marquis Okama voiced these opinions Germany has again moved forward in Russia, Petrogracl is to all intents and purposes at her mercy; almost the. way is open to Germany to the East. Will Japan now move J

On the West front signs of increasing activity are apparent. The Allied airmen in particular have been especially aggressive, bombing enemy aerodromes, railway stations, ammunition dumps, while at the same time preventing enemy observers from crossing our own lines. Raiding the enemy lines also continues. These are the usual happenings precedent to an offensive in force, and it is by no means unlikely that the Allies may prefer to forestall the threatened German _ On the contrary it will be surprising if they do not.