PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 214, 29 May 1918, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

There is no suggestion in the news available at time of writing that the plan under which the Germans have resumed their offensive in the Western theatre , has been fully unfolded. Instead there arc very definite suggestions to the contrary. A tremendous battle has been fought on the Chemin des Dames, and a groat part, if not the whole, of the video has reverted to the enemy, huf there is an evident expectation that fighting will presently be resumed in some, at least, of the areas in which the offensive has hitherto developed. There are suggestive reports a'so regarding the Verdun front and localities still, further east. It is no doubt the enemy's immediate aim to forcc the Allies to disperse their reserves and give him an opening for effective attack, and the action of the Allies in withdrawing from the Chemin des Dames, though not without taking heavy 101 l of the enemy, is a fairly positive indication that the German purpose will not easily he achieved.

Another possible theory, however, is that in attacking the Chemin des Dames the enemy was chiefly intent upon safeguarding himself against an Allied counter-offensive. The eastern escarpment of the ridge commands the gap of Reims and the low country to the north, and therefore represents a valuable "jumping-off place" for an Allied attack on the southern fiank of the salient formed by the enemy lino in the Western theatre. In effect, therefore, the enemy has raised a harrier against an Allied countcvoffensivo in an area which prior to his latest, onslaught offered exceptional facilities for such an enterprise. Such advantages as possession of the ridge conferred upon the Allies were assuredly not lightly surrendered or thrown away, but available accounts of the battle, and particularly the fact that the Franco-British troops engaged made a splendidly orderly retirement from the ridge, make it fairly certain that these advantages were rated insufficiently important to warrant an attempt to hold the ridge at all costs. It is, of course, quite possible that the Allies have no thought of undertaking a coun-ter-offensive on any big scale until the encmv is so exhausted that possession of advantageous ground will no longer enable him to avert defeat.

Only tho briefest accounts have yet been given of the offensive with which the Italians signalised the anniversary of Italy's entry into "the war, but in view of the fact that it opened in mountain country the results thus far reported arc of good promise. It cannot be said that the .Italians are well placed for an offensive. They are facing into open country across the Piave, but an eastward advance is made difficult bv the fact that the enemy holds all the mountain passes east of the Southern Trcntino, and so would,bo effectively placed to assail the northern flank of the advancing armies. The Italians may be constrained, as in tho opening phase of their campaign, to content themselves for a time with slow-developing operations against the mountain strongholds on their northern flank. On the other hand there are persistent reports of developing political disorders in Austria and generally of internal conditions in the Dual Monarchv which may simplify tho task of tho Italians and add to the importance which their offensive in any case holds.