A WEEK OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 271, 5 August 1918, Page 5

A WEEK OF THE WAR

THE GERMAN WITHDRAWAL

MUCH MATERIAL ABANDONED

ENEMY'S POSITION UNFAVOURABLE

His Excelloncy tho Governor-General lias received from tho Ministry of Information tho following telegraphic summary of war news for tho week ended August 2:— The German withdrawal on a twentyfive milo front between tho Ourcq and tho Avdre was not unexpected, owing to tho difficult position-in which tho enemy was placed. But though conducted orderly and skilfully and without tho loss of guns, he was'compelled to abandon large quantitic? of ammunition, stores, and material, including a great amount of bridging material, indicating that it was his original intention to pass tho Marno in great strength and advance, on Paris. By July 30, tho Allies had virtually made no progress. Tho enemy is at, present making such a determined resistance that it is evident .that he does not intend to be huwied in withdrawing. His future intentions arc doubtful. _ It is unlikely he will hold his present line, for such an extensive retirement ha 6 already been accomplished, and is so complete an admission of defeat, that further withdrawal could hardly make worse tho moral effect. And his position is most' unfavourable. The River Ai6ne is in his rear and all its bridges near Missy are under tho French fire. Also, thero aro only about eight roads to supply the salient, so that the congestion and difficulties of supply must be enormous. But the only liint of a possible further withdrawal is the burning of villages southwest of Soi=jons. So long as he ccntinues to hold the line south of tho Aisno his position will always be a source of weakness. He has used seventy-one divisions, nnd only somo twenty fresh ones remain at the disposal of Princo Rupprecht. Relative Strength of the Reserves. ' If the Germans use the remaining reserves in a fresh offensive, this would ho a desperate gamble. . How greatly Genoral Focli's success and the rapid development of the American Army have altered the relative situations of the Allies and the Germans can he noted from the fact that now for the first time this year the Allies' fresh reserves fire actually greater than thoso of _ the enemy, despite the numerical suneriority of tho enemy alone the whob front. But, Temember, fho Germans havo not yet lost the initiative, and even if unable to make a further offensive on tho Western front they enn always transfer forces to Italy or the Balkans, though there is no present indication of su:h an intention. Meanwhile the French Hiodier Command most vap-nly praise the British corps co-oper-eting on the eastern front of the salient. There, is every.reason to believe that the British progress here hastened the German retreat, and had an important influence on the success of tho operations. The Situation in Russia. In Northern 'Russia the enemy will probably soon make an offensive against fhoMnrman railway. Despite thosirohgest des : reof inhabitants, the Hol?hcvi':i have been forced by Germany—if force was necessary—into cession of the Murman const. This, of course, means a pretext for rushing Finland into war with tho Allies, nnd srives a good instance of how mum the Bolshevik! care for the principle of free self-determination of tho "conies. In Siberia the Czechoslovaks hold their own and make progress westwards, but with 'regard to their '"""••■•Hons in Bistera ?',beria Holshevik ; nd pro-German forces here ■ro completely cut off from Russia, so Miat the Germans can only know what n iroing on from the Entente Press, "herefore the less detailed information wo give about events in Siberia the better. Tho peasant rising in the Ukraino ; ncreases, and the railways are being destroyed. The Austrian tr'oons arc insufficient to cope with the people. In the Balkans. On tho Salonika front a largo Greek army is now in tho field, co-operating with the British forces, and more Greek divisions will also shortly take the field. This reflects the greatest credit on M. Venizelos and the patriotic energy of tho Greek nation, which has had to contend with the' greatest difficulties owing to tho demoralising effect on tho older men of Constantino's regime. The moral of tho Army is now excellent, and tho moil have reached a high standard of training. There is a note of growing gloom among the Bulgarian troops, who intensely hato tho Germans and Turks alike. Scver.il times troops told to attack have shown a mutinous spirit. ■ But despite this tho Bulgarians will probably continue the fighting so lor* ns their'rights to Macedonia are questioned. Conditions dn Austria. Tho Austrian change of Government is unimportant, since the policy is unchanged. Dr. von Seidlor, tho Premier, offended- tho Poles by promising to in,cludn tho Ukraine and Galicia in a. separate Ukrainian province, thereforo tho Poles refused to pass tho Budget, though they declared themselves ready to concedo it. to another similar Government. The Czechs, Jugo-Slavs, and Socialists aro absolutely opposed to > the present political course, and the German Nationalists are unable lo give the Government :l majority' without, tho Polish Parliamentary Club, so (hat von Seidler has been sacrificed ami a similar nonentity, with a different name, substituted. The Galician newspapers give revelations as to internal conditions. During tho first waek in July there was a round-up in Cracow of thieves and robbers disguised as liliccrs and soldiers, also of military deserters. No fewer than lfiOO wero caught. Again, a Lemberg paper writes: "Thieves and deserters lately hnvo been coming in masses to Lemberg. Somo straight from tho front are fugitives from transports, and in tho disorganised

conditions of the big town not far from the front it was easy to carry on tlio work of robbery, Regular factories for forged military documents were established, with a. regular clearing-house for such documents. The thieves and robbers were dressed in military uniform,- and provided with such documents they .entered private dwellings, and robbed people, especially in the tramway cars. They also carried out expeditions into the provinces. When challenged by constables, they frequently offered armed resistance."" German Mothods of Expansion. German ambitions contemplate new tyrannies with regard to the Baltic provinces, Poland, Finland, etc. While in strong contrast, the Allied Governments issue ajmanifesto to the Russian people, proclaiming that the help givon by the Allies to Russia was solely in tho interest!) of Russia's independence and freedom from alien interference and tyrannical influences. Illuminating comment on tho German mothods of expansion is afforded by tho murders cf Generals toii Mirbach and von Eichorn. In this connection it is interesting to note the "Cologne Gazette's" appeal to Ireland, who, it says, Germany proposes to understand completely by dint of the characteristic Gorman qualities of "the science of tact and love," such as already so pleasingly exemplified in violated Russia, Rumania, otc. Work of the British Air Forces. Although bad weather and heavy rainstorms havo hampered operations during the list week, tho British airmen on tho Western front have done much useful work, and taken thousands of valuable photographs, besides making successful attacks on enemy batteries, railway stations, dumps, etc. Twenty-seven British machines are reported missing, but our air firo and ground firo brought down seventy enemy machines and drove down eleven helpless. A special feature of tho week was tho number .of bombing raids on vital points behind tho. German lines, such as -Soclin, Menin, Lille, Cambrai, Bray, Valenoiennes, Courtrai, Armentiores, Douai, Bapaumo, and Chaulnos. Despite the bad weather tho R.A.F.. Independent Force raided Germany on four days. Throo times over tho Offenburg station waß severely bombed, also stations nt Pforzheim, Sollingen, Baden, and Rastadt. Tho railway lino at Lesse, factories at Stuttgart, Baden, and Pforzheim, and aerodromes'at Bolchen, Morsange, Vahl, Ebersing, etc. All tho British machines returned safely. Our seaplanes and airships keep watch in homo waters, | and carry out successful anti-submarine work, while German strongholds on the Belgian ooast suffered severely. Loads of bombs were dropped on Ostend Docks nnd power-station, and the Zeebrugge molo, harbour, and lock gates. Six enemy aircraft were brougnt down, and three wero driven down helpless. Many photographs were taken. In Italy twelvo enemy aircraft . were brought down and two British are reported missing. Many photographs were taken of onemy military establishments, and Mattarcllo, Treviso, rnd Istranawere successfully bombed. Reconnaissance work was continued on the Balkan front. Six enemy aircraft were destroyed, and successful bombing raids made on stations and dumps. Ration Restrictions Relaxed, Since America assures us that sufficient bacon will bo provided for distribution without rationing, bacon and ham havo been released from coupon, and butchers' meat may,bo purchased on all four' coupons of the meat leaf. The coupon value of meat purchasable has. been re-.. duced from seven pennyworth to five pennyworth, which means that supplementary ration books have been withdrawn, that the pig ration is free to selfsuppliers, And persons in receipt of direct supplies only havo to account for such part of the pig as is classed pork. AMERICA'S ARMY ABOUT 300,000 .TAKEN TO FRANCE MONTHLY. Washington, August 2. It is understood that the War Department's object js to secure five million men for the American Army by April, 1919, of who'ra three millions will be in France. There are now upwards of 1,300 Americans in France or on the way. Tho present monthly movement of troops towards France is about 300.00C.-Aus.-JU. Cablo Assn. GENERAL PERSHING IN COMMAND j OF A MILLION MEN. > I (Rec. August i, 5.5 p.m.) Washington, August' 3.' General March, Chief of Staff, states that General Pershing is now in command ,of a million men. The American brigades recently with the British havo now been transferred. General Pershing has eight American divisions engaged in the Marno fighting. During July 300,000 troops wore shipped to France—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. CANADA'S WAR EFFORTS .390,000 MEN DISPATCHED OVERSEAS. (Roc. August i, 11 p.m.) Ottawa, August 3. Cauada has dispatched during the four years of war 390,000 men. She has 50,000 in training for early dispatch. Forty-three thousand aro dead. Her soldiers havo won 30 Victoria Crosses. She employs 350,000 norsons in tho making of munitions and other war work.— Aus.-N.Z. Cablo Assn. ENEMY'S LACK OF FOOD OUTLOOK FOR THE COMING WINTER. (Rec. August i, 5.30 p.m.) New York, August 3. Dr. H. S. Belaud, ex-Postmaster-Gen-eral of Canada, who has been .released from Germany, has arrived at an Atlantic port. He states that starvation in many areas of tho Contral Empires is certain during tho coming winter,—Aus.-. N.Z. Cablo Aasn.