PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 31, 31 October 1918, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

At tho moment military events are rather overshadowed by anticipations that the Dual Monarchy is about to surrender, and that if it does not bring down Germany in its fall it will at least leave that country so encompassed that the end of the war will- bo brought into near prospect. Promising as the outlook ig, however, these anticipations await a final test, and the Allies are not allowing _ them _ to stand in the way of effective action. On the West front i the French are continuing their drive into the German front between the Oise and the Aisne,' and farther north tho British are intensifying their pressure on the enemy positions in the region of Valenciennes. South-east of Valenciennes the British are faced by-a formidable obstacle in the extensive Mormal Forest .which stretches across country for ten miles, covering Maubeuge and another junction, Avesncs, to the south. The forest, however, is being deluged with gas shells, .and no doubt will before long be made untenable. The conquest of this obstacle will clear tho way for a drive up the Sambre valley which would overturn a long section of tho German front to the south.

On the Italian front tho AngloItalian offensive beyond tho Piayo is now developing with splendid promise. Tho Allies are attacking along tho whole front between the mountains east of Monte Grappa and tho sea. Thoy have advanced in places ten miles. In their advance on the northern part of tho lino, where the enemy positions wore strongest, they have crossed a river five miles beyond tho Piave, and the northern flank of the advance-, is secured by the conquest of mountain positions cast of Monte Grappa. ..According to one report 15,000 prisoners have been taken, but tho best news of all is conveyed in a British communique which states that the Austrian resistance "is weakening considerably." In an official report such a statement means a good deal. In tho present case it no doubt means that the political disintegration of the Dual Monarchy is having such an effect as might be expected upon the spirit of its armies. It seems distinctly possible that Austria's only hope of averting a great military disaster lies in;speedy surrender.

The full effect upon Germany of the surrender of the Dual Monarchy will only bo seen when it is an accomplished fact, but quite possibly it may bring her to the point of speedily surrendering in her turn. As information stands Germany is already decisively outnumbered on the West front. Losing the support of Austria she would be called upon, in addition to her present burdens, to defend iier southern frontiers. The only factor delaying an Allied attack in this region would be the necessity of organising communications from Italy and from the Balkan Peninsula. With Austria out of the war the force available to the Allies for a drive into Germany from the. south would be practically the whole of the Italian Army, together with the forces which arc now advancing on the Danube and have reached it in places. As events are now shaping it is unlikely that winter will bring the Allies to a halt either in. operations in and through Austria, or on the West front. All things considered the surrender of the Dual Monarchy is likely to be in the fullest sense decisive, and reports as they stand indicate that it is all but assured.