THE WAR REVIEWED

Hokitika Guardian, 20 August 1918, Page 4

THE WAR REVIEWED

A SATISI'ACTOUY REPORT. (PER PRESS ASSOCIATION. —COPYRIGHT.j WELLINGTON. Ann. 19. Recent military events have had a markedly depressing effect upon Gci--111 an public opinion, despite all attempts to camouflage the real state of things. The conviction obviously grows tliat. not only has tile German summer campaign on the Western Front failed, hut that Germany, in the East, has assume an impossibly heavy political burden. IN RUSSIA.

From the chaos in Russia emerges the fact that the Bolshevik regime is falling, while any succeeding government. of whatever form, is unlikely to he friendly to the German Imperialism which has supported the Bolsheviks. Germany took advantage of temporary revolutionary distraction to sow seeds of trouble in Russia, and now will reap the whirlwind on her own account. Tim Ukraine peasants, exasperated by Germany military methods, are giving obstinate trouble to their oppres-

sors. .Meanwhile the Czecho-Slovaks are valiantly contending against superior forces and a superior armament. I hey have so far maintained their hold, but arc now in a very critical condition, and arc anxiously awaiting adequate Allied help, on which their very existence depends. Unless we are to sacrifice this heroic Allied nation, which Britain has just recognised as such, we must send them help. The peril of'thc Czechs in Eastern Siberia' still makes most urgent demands for relief.

It is reported that the defeat of the Czechs in the Samara region is unconfirmed. The arrival of the first British battalion in Eastern Siberia and their advent at Yladivostoek' was greeted enthusiastically hv the ('/.cells and our prompt aid, togeher with our public recognition o! their national aspirations^’should have the strongest appeal to all their compatriots all over the world.

There is increasing evidence to show that the Germans contemplate an early attack on the Murmun railway.

Before long it is most probable that Finland will declare war. The Bolsheviks’ rearguard now occupies positions about a hundred miles south of Archangel, and is apparently largely officered by Germans. The situation in the rest of European Russia remains obscure. Bulgaria and Turkey almost openly reveal their dissatisfaction with each other, and with Germany. IN AUSTRIA.

In Austria conditions are going Irom worse to worse,. Even harmless women and children assembled before a shop for bread are reported to have I) "li tired upon by troops. While disaffection is corrupting the army and open revolt among some units is noi uncommon, nevertheless these symptoms must not be discounted ; lor Austria is still a pillar of the Central Alliance, and only understands such physical arguments as a crushing military defeat.

BRITISH -MOVE. The British right Hank in Mesopotamia lias been extended to the Caspian Sea, to assist the Armenians, and pro-Enteiile elements in the Caucasus, and to form a harrier across Persia against Turku-German pem-tration. A British contingent has arrived at Bobu and is helping to defend the place. The oilier pro-Enteiile forces are of smaller military value, though a Russian General lias now been appointed and it is hoped he may pull them 'into shape. IN THE WEST. The attack south of the Somme was so successful that it exceeded expectations. The enemy’s whole front trench system was overrun, at the greatest cost to the enemy, and the slightest hiss to our own troops,

'i’lu* German machino gunners (lid nut show vlu> sit mo lighting qualities its during: lito attack on Yillors-Hreton-neiix, hut oji this occasion they U-it or surrendered L lit* i r guns. Aleanwliilc :it lirsi. the British attack. between tin* Somme ami the Alien* was temporarily held it)) hy an enemy attack, which rinsed tome confusion, and which upset our arrangements: Inn hy Liu* f)th of August itli was well, and the whole objective was gained. The Allies plitniU'd a converging attack on the Germans in the Alomdidier salient, from lit ret* directions. This plan was most success! til. ami the town of Alontdidier .'was surrounded, and captured, with it large nutnher o! prisoners, tin* enemy lining completely taken l.y surprise, ami feehly resisting. Progress. meanwhile, eoitiiiuios all along the whole from, and tin* latest news states that the French are masters of the entire Lassigny ridge, :t

mosL important paint, the ground dom mating a considerable extent of country to the north. During the past week, the advance made was from ten to fifteen miles' on it ■in mile front, while over .Tkdtltl prisoners, ami nearly 71 Ml guns were litken. The German losses were disproportionately greater than those of the Allies. It is prohahle that the eomplete .Allied casualties do not e<|tial the number of Germans captured. No previous offensive Inis shown anything like such a preponderance of German dead.

It is now prohahle thill the enemy intends to withdraw further, though probably not behind the Somme. Despite our unfavourable position west of the river, our nearness to the important junction of (‘unities hampers the enemy’s usual Inn* of railway, running front Pennine. through if liaulnos to Hove, and his communications across the Somme are further made uncomfortable by the fact that the Allied airmen are constantly bombing the bridges. On the west of their front, the Germans have begun it withdrawn! in the Serre salient, probably to obtain it better line, and to shorten their front. They also continue withdrawing on the Lys salient. These withdrawals seem to indicate that the* enemy does not contemplate a further offensive on the British front, 1 >uL definite conclusions are at present unsafe. However, last week’s work greatly diminishes any further offensive power of tin* Germans. The Germans’ shortage of man power, and the preponderant rifle strength of the Allies, make it more and more

'doubtful whether the Germans will risk another big attack in France this TN THE A TilThe outstanding features of the week’s air lighting is the severe magnitude of the conflicts on the British front, particularly in the first five days of the offensive. The battle raged heaviest on Thursday, August Bth, between Albert and Amiens-doyc Hoad, where the enemy’s forces were con- ■ sidcrahlv increased after opening the! attack, so that fighting on an unpar- ! alleled scale continued throughout the* day. Fifty British machines are re- . ported missing, but 48 enemy machines , are known to have been destroyed and 17 driven down helpless. After the initial reverses the enemy’s air re-

sistance noticeably weakened, but dui- I ing the four following days while there were British machines reported missing, 14*2 enemy machines were destroyed and- driven down, making u total bag of 2!so enemy aircraft knocked out during the battle, without counting kite balloons, purin.,- the whole week on the British front, 107 British machines have been reported missing, but 226 enemy machines have been destroyed and 10ft dri-

ven down. Meanwhile British bombing squadrons throve through the week and attacked enemy aerodromes, etc., dropping the usual number of bombs and causing the usual handsome amount of damage to the enemy’s military mateiial and personnel. Much valuable help was also given the British infantry, cavalry, and tank units in attack, by low-living British scouts, which ceaselessly hovered over the battlefield in (ions'idorablo numbers, attacking pie enemy's resisting points and raking the already congested roads with mach-ine-gun fire. Moreover the usual immense amount of contact, patrol, battery, and counter work, was successfully carried out. and thousands of negatives were taken during the battle by British photographic squadrons.

NAVAL AIR RAIDS. In the Belgian theatre the British inmimtoiis offensive against German naval bases was pitilessly persisted in. wit.li usual results. There were many direct hits and a number of destructive lires on all usual points of attack. The R.A.F. and Independent Forces made a number of telling destructive raids tm German territory, attacking tin 1 usual military objectives, while on August 12th. a suecesstul raid was made on chemical works at Frankiurt. Several hursts were observed in the centre of the objective.

No .British machines are reported missing in uhe Mediterranean and Eastern theatres, lmt in the course of British air activities eight enemy much iues were destroyed and two brought down. On August lltli a B.A.F. contingent in combination with the Navy, successfully attacked a Zeppelin over the North Sea and brought, it down, hhv'.ing. from a great height.

The Allied Food Controllers are now busily settling the food programme for the ensuing year, ft is evident that Britain will he greatly dependent, throughout the winL r and spring, on the Home supply of meat. This emphasises the need for a winter supply of bacon and for an increased provision of feeding stnils, without which it will he difficult to get enough for meat rations, even though these should be reduced. The importance ol feeding stuffs is also evident: in connection with tilt' grave question of the winter milk supply, the adequacy ol which depends upon an increased distribution of fodder to the farmers, improved weaklier conditions should make the grain reserves reasonably safe and justify the estimated yield of the potato crop.