PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 242, 1 July 1918, Page 6

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Correspondents on the Western front agree that another German onslaught is to be expected at any moment, but the only events reported at tirao of writing-apart from artillery bombardment and air fighting and bombing in which the Allies

have maintained their established superiority—are local battles in which the French and British, attacking respectively south of the Aisnc and in Northern Franco, near the Flanders border, have each won notable, success. The nature of those actions and their Iwarihg upon the larger aspects of the

campaign are made plain in the news. The British attacked in low country fronting'the Bois d'Aval, the north-eastern section of the Nieppe Forest, and an advance of fifteen hundred yards was made to the west bank of a small stream— the Plate Becque. Apparently the enemy was surprised and overwhelmed. At all events the attacking troops swiftly gained their objectives, and besides capturing 400 prisoners inflicted heavy loss upon tho enemv. * * * * • Thb action owes its importance largely to tho fact that- it was fought in an area the enemy might have been expected to desperately contest, foot by foot. As a correspondent points out to-day, this area witnessed the enemy's culminating effort in his main offensive in Flanders and Northern France, though it is true that he subse-. quently gambled heavily upon attempts to widen out the flanks of the salient driven into the Allied line. Tho front on which the British success was won constitutes part of the nose—the flattened apex —of the enemy salient. The culminating effort in his main offensive in the north, to which reference has been made, aimed at the conquest of the extensive Forest of Nicppc, which lies south and south-east of Hazebrouck junction. Though he was stopped on the eastern outskirts of the forest, tho enemy [settled down in lines little more;'than four miles distant from Hazei'brouck and a further advance in ■ this area, if it did not imminently ; threaten tho Allied hold on the 'Channel ports, would at least seriiously hamper their use. Exposed ■ as it is to comparatively close bombardment, Hazebrouck has neces. sarily lost the important place- it formerly held in tho British supply organisation, but the situation in this region must be considered with tho fact in mind that Hazebrouck is only about twenty-five miles distant from Dunkirk, thirty-five miles, from Calais, and a little over forty miles from Boulogne. It is about a dozen miles cast o* the important junction of St. Omer. The attack iiow reported has appreciably increased the margin by which the Allies hold the Forest of Nicppc and Hazebrouck, and the success gained is important as tending in its degree to safeguard vital communications.

The French achievement, noteworthy in the first place because more- than a, thousand pris&ners were taken, is calculated, like the simultaneous British stroke, to add to the enemy's difficulties when ho resumes tho offensive. It will bo remembered that the Germans followed up their largely unsuccessful ouslauglit on the Montclidier-Noyon front—their last big effort—liy a concentrated attack on «i_ short front south of the Aisne which was regarded at the- time- as a diversion. It was an attempt to outflank Llin Forest of Villers'Cotterels on the north, and though, like the more elaborate effort which preceded it, it failed, the enemy gained some tactically, important ground. Somo

of this ground the French have now recovered. Besides gathering in a considerable haul of prisoners the attacking troops captund positions overlooking a considerable extent of country to the east, towards Sois-

The question of the hour —as to where the Germans will make their next offensive thrust—still awaits an answer. It can 'hardly be regarded as answered by the confident declaration of an American correspondent that Hindenbukg has planned a great drive against the Americans, and that the "main point of the drive will he between Montdiclier and Chateau Thierry." Tho facts are clearly and tersely staled by an Australian Press Association correspondent who points out that it is in tho enemy's power to swiftly concentrate powerful attacking forces at any one of a 'number of widely separated points. The weight of opinion meantime, is that the Germans will attack tho British front, in tho north, but the .Allies are nevertheless bound to consider all possibilities, including that suggested by tho correspondent, and that the enemy may elect instead to strike as far away from the northern front as the area between Reims and Verdun. Jvo doubt,' however, there is a limit to the extent to which the enemy is able- to profit by his interior lines, and it is likely also that tho Allies arc least liable to Lie surprised in areas in which their margin of security has been most seriously narrowed. In the offensive which opened with an attack on tho Chcrain des Dames, the enemy profited greatly by surprise, ' but the drive south to the Mavno and the subsequent offensive on the Montdidicr-Noyon front, though they entailed in the aggregate an cno7'mous expenditure of lives and material, seem 'to have advanced him very little towards his essential objects. It is a, question at least whether the facilities for surprise at the enemy's disposal did not lure him on this occasion into a wasteful dissipation of effort. Renewed efforts by the enemy _on_ tho direct approaches to his initial objectives of Amiens and the Channel ports arc as* likely as any to be effectively met, and yet it is doubtful if he is faced by any really attractive alternative, to tho resumption of the offensive in one or other of .these areas,

Very interesting possibilities have been raised by late events in the Italian campaign, but little new light is thrown upon them to-day. One common tor lays duo emphasis upon the difficulties by' which tho Italians are faced on account of their unfavourable topographical situation, but for practical purposes these difficulties may be much modified as time goes on by the demoralising effect upon the Auetrians of their recent heavy defeat. It still seems quite probable, also, that Germany will find it necessary to stiffen the Austrian armies with some of her own troops and to correspondingly weaken her forces on the Franco-British front.

It is announced to-day that a first detachment of American troops has reached Italy. There is no nresent probability of any large force of Americans going to that • theatre, but the moral effect on the Italian peoplo of this departure is likely to be excellent. It is recognised that-an idea then widespread amongst her own population that Italy was not in good touch with her Allies and had not in all respects their sympathy and support had something to do with producing the conditions which made the disaster of last year possible. With Frcnchand British divisions directly sharing Italy's military burdens, and sonic, of her own troops taking an active part in the campaign in France, the appearance of an American contingent on her front should dispel the last remnants of such ideas from the minds of her people.. In the moderate aims she has set herself to achieve—aims which now fully and freely recognise the rights of the Soufiicrn Slavs m the Adriatic, hinterland—ltaly is fully, supported by all the Allied Powers, America included, and the aid and co-operation of even a small American contingent will ,no doubt serve in a valuable- degree to emphasise the fact.