PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 2, 27 September 1918, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

PI Aii d L'.' any information is available meantime about tho detail issues of the. strikes which are reported in England and Wales, but no amount of detail information could affect tho main and overshadowing fjuestion at stake. At this time and in the conditions that exist such an upheaval represents black treason to the troops who have covered themselves with glory this year, at first in stemming the Gorman offensive, and latterly in driving the enemy armies back to the Hindenburg lino and beyond it. Bo far as events in tho field aro concerned the military prospects of Britain and her allies are brighter than could have licen supposed possible not long ago, but such strikes as_ are described today are, or soon will be if they continue, the equivalent of a great military disaster. T,he spirit and sanity of the nation will appear in tho speed with which they are suppressed. A late message states that a mass meeting of railwaymen at Cardiff unanimously decided to resumo work immediately, and raises tho hope that there may bo a speodyreturn to normal conditions! Even should it be of the briefest duration,- however, the upheaval will be regarded with great pleasure and satisfaction in Germany,

The capture of a thousand prisoners in the latest British operations north-west of St. Quentin is a suggestive indication of what would happen to tho enemy if conditions of ground and weather were opposing less sorious hindrances to Allied action. There is a highly interesting report that the French and Americans are attacking "east of the Moselle and have gained their, first objectives. This points to an invasion of _ German territory east of, the area in which the Americans recently fought and won their first battle as an army, but at the moment of writing tho report is neither amplified nor confirmed.

There is comparatively little detail news at time of writing of; events in tho Balkans, but tho outlook is as promising as ever. Tho Allies arc now everywhere beyond tho road which runs north-east >from Prilop. to Gradsko on the Vardar, and a comparatively limited further advance would heavily accentuate tho enemy's difficulties. As matters stand a wide gap has been broken in his best and-, most convenient cross and if the Allies reach tho light railway which 1 is understood to have been constructed between Velcs, on the Vardar, and Ishtip, IV miles to the east, Bulgarian forces remaining, west of the Vardar will be placed in serious jeopardy. In view of his present disorganisation and tho difficult conditions of his retreat it is doubtful whether the enemy will be able to prevent a rapid extension of tho Serbian advance along the Vardar, and such ail extension would involve serious consequences'. Tho Serbs are about ten miies distant from Veles, and that place is twenty-five miles south of Uskub, a junction from which a branch railway leaves tho Vardar line and strikes riorth-west towards Montenegro. Fifteen miles north-east of Uskub thero is a junction from which a railway runs cast into Bulgaria. It is obvious that' if the enemy fails to retain these junctions' his present disastrous defeat will be magnified.

One message states that the Serbs have already taken 13,000 prisoners and captured 170 guns, but it is not clear whether theso are the total Alliod captures.or those cffectecl by tho alone. The latter is somewhat unlikely, since the Serbs have been operating throughout in closc co-operation with the French. The number of prisoners is not very large in view of the deep anil damaging penetration of the enemy front, but the capture of artillery is noteworthy. Such losses of guns arc likely to seriously handicap the Bulbars.

The Palestino campaign is developing on such lines as might be oxpectcd, but no very_ remarkable event is reported at time of writ-

ing. The Turks operating 011 tho I-Icjaz railway under conditions which were touched upon yesterday seem to bo effectively trapped.