PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 229, 15 June 1918, Page 6

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

As a whole to-day's news from the West front points to an-improving situation. The Germans have been heavily checked on the front between Montdidicr and the Oise, and for the moment , are- concentrating their principal efforts against the front of five miles. between tho Aisno and the forest of Viljers C'ottercts, which covers Compiegne on the cast. Here, in very heavy fighting, the enemy has driven a narrow salient to a depth of a couple of miles and entered ono or two villages on the northern outskirts of Villers Cottcrets forest. There is no doubt that in recent days the French have fought a brilliantly directed defensive battle- and taken enormous toll ..of the enemy. In the areas where they elected to counterattack, particularly on the western half of the front between Montdidicr and the Oise, they did so with pronounced success, and besides recovering valuable positions gathered in a considerable haul of prisoners. There is no suggestion that even on this part of the front they have settled down in permanent positions which the enemy will bo ,unablc : in any circumstances to master. No doubt it is open to him to win more ground by pacing a sufficient price in lives, but late events certainly strengthen the impression that the Allies, arc 'fighting their defensive battle with reasonably good prospects. The present is, ot course, an intermediate stage, and some vital questions in regard to the reserves available on either side arc still open. But, as Colonel Hepingtox points out, the course of events in this battle answers and refutes the claim of the German War Minister that General Focnhas been compelled to jise up his strategic reservo in patching up the British front.

In all Allied countries the critical events of the last three months have acted us a potent stimulus to intensified national effort and concentration on this prosecution of the war, and the- effects are perhaps nowhere more notable than in the case of the wonderful industrial organisation which has been evolved in Great Britain during the war period—an organisation which has as vital a part to play as the fighting forces on land and sea in checkmating Germany's bid for a,decision and paving the way for Allied victory. One of today's cablegrams mentions that British newspapers arc commenting upon an improved position in regard to labour, and adds that throughout the. country men have It en working with veucwed vigour since the German offensive, began, and that the industrial outlook was never better during the war. Apart from its astonishing oversight in making no mention of the women who are labouring in hundreds of thousands in British war factories, this epitome of existing conditions may be accepted with confidence. It follows on many proofs that in this time of crisis the men and women who constitute the labour force in i British shipyards and in all (he multifarious departments of war industry are making rfoMe efforts to worthily second _ the Army and Navy, and not without success.

An idea of what these workers have accomplished'in making good the losa's of .material sustained in battle and towards producing the enormous supplies that will bo needed as time goes on was given by

the' British Minister of Munitions (Mi:. Winston CuunciiiLr-) in a speech delivered in the House of Commons about six weeks ago. He stated that during the ' first five weeks of the battle Britain had lost nearly 1000 guns, either by shell fire or capture, and that between 4000 and 5000 machine-guns had been lost or destroyed. In regard to ammunition, apart from what had been fired, a quantity had been lost in dumps which amounted to between one week's and three weeks' total manufacture. Other forms of war material had been used up or lost in i\ great variety of classes, and on a.smaller scale. Yet by April 20, the Minister declared, all losses had been made good, and in many cases more than made good. The Army actually had more serviceable guns as a whole, and more of practically every calibre, than there were Yvheii the battle began. The German authorities, Mi!. Churchill observed, had claimed captures of guns nearly double the number of those he had announced. The German claims were grotesque exaggerations and untrue, but if they had been true it would, he believed, still have been possible for him to stand there that day and saf,- that all losses in guns had been made good. Not only.had all losses of machine-guns been replaced, but the establishment of light and heavy machine-guns was being largely and very rapidly increased. The Ministry of Munitions had placed at the disposal of the military authorities during the battle, for air and ground service, more than twice as many machineguns as had been lost or destroyed in the battle. The supply of aeroplanes had for some time been in advance of_ the development of squadrons , in organisation and .of trained pilots. - Evcr.y tank lost had been replaced by one of a, new and better class. "Speaking generally (said the Minister), and safeguarding myself, as the experience of this year teaches us. all to do; against what may reasonably or fairly he considered unforeseeable contingencies, there appeal's to be no doubt that if- we continue to enjoy the loyal support of the workers, on which all depends, the supply of ammunition will enable us to carry on the battle at the supreme pitch of intensity and with continually growing power right on to the winter without compromising .our' requirements for 1919. I think that is a fairly remarkable state of things.' 1 ...

The record of .the British" war industries' is the .more creditable in view-of the fact , thafc.undei military demands largo numbers of skilled and ..semi-skilled men are constantly being , -released" for , service with the Colours. .In ": the speech .just quoted .the Minister of Munitions mentioned that ■ since May, 1917 (that is to say,- in eleven months) his Department had released 100,000 men i'or the Army, and was, then (at the of April) releasing them at the- rate of more than 1000 a day. That a, great'-and increasing production is possible in spite of this heavy handicap is explained on-three-grounds. The first' is the loyalty and faithful industry of the workers engaged in munition supply. Labour disputes have occurred at. times and have occasioned serious loss and delay, but the Minister was able to state-that the extra time put .in during the Easter, holidays by men and women working, for between 1500 and 1600 firms had more than compensated for the loss sustained dnrine; recent months through. trade disputes." A second factor contributing to "expansion of output is the transformation _of British industries and methodical organisation to the end of quantity production. A third factor is the labour of women. At the present time there are employed in British war factories about threequarters of a million women, hardly any-of whom had had any industrial experience before . the war. Women workers, tlw Minister declared, constituted an additional resource _in labour . power, without which it would be impossible to carry on._ Men arc doing their share, but it is very largely due to the loyal arid unwearying devotion of the women workers'of Great Britain that the heavy losses of material suffered in battle have been more than made good, and that the. armies in the field are being supplied in everincreasing quantities with weapons, munitions, and all essential war materials.