PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 240, 28 June 1918, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

There, is still little news of events in the Western theatre. A German report to-day speaks of the defeat of English attacks launched on wide sectors cast of Arras, but since Sir Douglas Haig makes no reference t-i such attacks the presumption is that the enemy is simply giving exaggerated prominence to raids and minor events, and alleging an important onslaught in order that he may claim tho credit of defeating it. 'The Germans are allowing a good deal of the limited time in which they can reasonably hopo to retain numerical superiority to Blip by without acting, but the period of fine weather which may witness conflict on the greatest Hcalo is still measured by months rather than weeks. However, there is no'doubt that the enemy would prefer action to delay, and that continued delay implies at least an admission on his part of tho necessity for most elaborate preparation. With 900,000 Americans m France—seventy per cent, of them, as the American Secretary for War-observes, "for actual combat"—and the number rapidly growing, the Germans have a strong incentive to act as speedily as possible. ' -

It ib now estimated that since the Austrian;,* opened their offensive the Italians have captured twenty thousand prisoners, and as one of .today's messages shows, they are now adding to this number by additional captures in tho region of Mount Grappa. The total as ■it stands, though not as large as that given in an earlier and erroneous report, is exceedingly creditable. To-day reports show no change in the 'position along the Piave, hut the Italians havo ma do further successful attacks on the mountain front between Mount Grappa and Mount Asolono, where they havo gathered in another 1800 prisoners. Apparently their advance has eliminated or reduced an enemy salient jutting south between the two poafcs. .There are some suggestions that the enemy is about to_ renew the offensive in the mountain sectors, hut all available information suggests that tho Italians are in splendid heart and the enemy badly demoralised. The introduction of German divisions might alter the existing state of affairs to some extent and confront tho Italians with a formidable task in defence, but the enemy at all events is faced by a.somowha.t disagreeable choice of evils. The Aus-tro-Hungarian armies must bo left unsupported or the German armies on the Franco-British front must be appreciably weakened.

A cobrespoxdent states to-day that he has learned "from a reliable source" that since the war began Japan has mobilised about two million men, in addition to a million auxiliary rescrvos. As a matter of fact, there is no mystery about tho matter. In April last the Fortnightly Review's military contributor gave tho particulars mentioned and others regarding the military forces Japan has at disposal. "The Japanese Army of to-day," he wrote, "is a far more formidable machine than it was twelve years ago when Japan and Russia fought for supremacy in Manchuria. . . . There were never more than 500,000 men at a time at the seat of war in Manchuria, Today the Japanese General Staff have at their disposal approximately two millions of fully-trained men of military age, tho picked manhood of the country, while behind these first line troops arc nearly a million of men for whom there was no room in the peace cadres of tho Active Army, but who are just as physically lit for' military service as those taken for this Colours, and who have received about twice as much trainiri" a s was given to our (British) Territorial troops before tho war. Behind this 'Auxiliary Reserve' arc Eomc i five million men of varying physical fitness who receive no training at all during peace, but are available for service as they may be required when mobilisation is ordered."