PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 189, 30 April 1918, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

No chango is disclosed at tin}o of writing in the situation on the Western front. In Flanders tho Germans retain their hold on Mont Kemmel, but have made no further headway. In the south they have made no impression on the defences covering Amiens since they were driven out of Villcrs Brctonneux. It is distinctly good news that in spite of tho pronounced advantago he has gained in capturing Mont Keramcl tho enemy has not yet succeeded in further extending his advance in Flanders. As information stands the latest fighting in and about Locre, Vormezeele, and other villages which now mark the limil-s of the German advance has turned decidedly in favour of tho Allies.

With matters' In this state some, importance attaches to reports said to be widely current in Germany that the losses of the German armies have been so colossal as to threaten the continuance of the offensive. It must be added at once that there is nothing in existing conditions or tho trend of events on tho battlefront to warrant a belief that Germany has closely approached, much less reached, the point of exhaustion; but if the state of public opinion in the Fatherland is correctly described it is not without significance as bearing on ultimate prospects in this direction. Some evidence on the point had already been supplied, notably in a recent message which asserted that Ludendoex'p had abandoned the policy of massed attack. That he has not done so is quite evident from official and other rcpotts, but it seems very possible that the story was spread by the German authorities with a view to tranquilising their own population.. As to the main question, all reports agree that'there is not yet any sign of slackening in the German offensive, but this does not exclude the possibility that the enemy's losses are on such a scale that his prospects grow darker as he proceeds.

An attempt by the Allies to recover Mont Kemmel is within the bounds of' possibility, but present expectations seem to bo that the next big development on this part of the front will be a strong enemy attack aiming at the conquest of three hill positions which now confront tho Germans west and north-west of Mont Kemmel. These are Scherpenborg, Mont Rouge, and Mont Noir, Mont Rouge, which is just inside this Flanders border, and SchcrpcnberE;, to the northeast, are separated from Mont Kemmel by a not very wide valley in the bottom of which stands tho village _of kocre. Mont Noir lies just out-side tho Flanders border and west of Mont Rougei All of these heights are inferior to Mont Kemmel. Mont Rouge, tho tallest of the thice, lias an elevation of about 430 feet, as against Mont Kemmel's 460 feet. The capture of Kemmel is obviously a step towards the capture of tho hills beyond, but these are likely to be tenaciously defended, for if tho onemy gains* them ho will have unrestricted observation over a wide extent of low country west of Ypres and around the road and railway ccntrc of Popcringhe.