The Times. PUBLISHED ON TUESDAY AND FRIDAY AFTERNOONS. FRIDAY, JULY 20, 1917 PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 6, Issue 294, 20 July 1917, Page 2

The Times. PUBLISHED ON TUESDAY AND FRIDAY AFTERNOONS.

FRIDAY, JULY 20, 1917 PROGRESS OF THE WAR

"We nothing extenuate, nor set down auaht in malice

The marvellous recovery of Russia and her formidable attacks upon the Austrian front during the past three weeks have caused a good many prophecies regarding the probable duration of the war to be recast, and there is now a glimmer of hope that the year 1917 may see the conclusion of hostilities. The two greatest surprises we have had since August, 1914, have been first the discovery of the treachery of the Tsar and the Court party and the Revolution that destroyed their novver for ever, and secondly the surprising resurrection from the state of chaos into which Russia was thrown by the removal of the only form of Government she had any experience of and the substitution of an administration selected from all classes of the the people. It would have been a bold man who would have predicted three months ago that Russia would be again doing her share of the work this summer, and that she is able to resume her forward drive again so soon is a clear indication of how sound at heart her middle and lower classes must be.

Great though Russia's performances in the field for the past three weeks have been, long as is her monster roll of prisoners and heavy her toll upon the enemy's guns and munitions, it is possible that she may succeed in performing a still more sign&l service to the Allies. To the Central Powers the wheat fields of Hungary and the captured portion of Ron man in arc of inestimable

value, in fact, of almost vital necessity. We have always dis- , counted the belief held by so many that Germany can be starved into surrender—in fact we have al ways felt that this belief and the other commonly held one that the German people would revolt against their rulers to be two mischievous errors calculated to lull us into neglecting to put forth our fullest strength—but if Russia can make a sufficiently rapid advance to prevent or even to hinder the garnering of the crops this autumn we shall be prepared to gladly admit that after all there may be something in the starvation proposition. That Russia is well supplied with munitions is evident. Japan and the United States have been pouring them in, and the result of the long inactivity of the Russian army must mean a vast accumulation of supplies. Transport, as always, is probably the most deficient factor upon this front, but even that may have changed with the passing of the ineptitudes of the old regime. Kerensky is incomparably the greatest administrator the war has thrown up In any of the Allied countries, and Brussilow is a fine type of the stubborn unyielding Russian soldier. Between them it is quite possible the question of keeping the fighting line properly supplied with men, munitions and food has been solved. Should the Russian advance be, contiuued a little further it is ! quite possible we may hear of a move forward upon the part of General Sarrail. A few months ago Salonika was so short of supplies that It was considered impossible for its garrison ta do more than hold on to its positions, but no doubt by this time the deficiencies have been remedied. The fatal "wait and see" policy of Mr Asquith which came so near to wrecking us was continued in the case of Geeece by his successors long after they had imported activity in place of supineness into other matters, but at last they have acted firmly and there is now no danger of a treacherous attack upon the rear of the Salonika army by ex-King Constantine's friends. In the chief theatre of the war there is a comparative lull though the work of the artillery has never ceased, and air-fighting has assumed dimensions hitherto unknown. For weeks people have been on the qui vive for the British breaking through, but we doubt whether the idea of breaking through in the commonly accepted sense has been part of the British strategy at all. Our business has been to destroy the German armies, and while that can be done from our entrenched positions it is unnecessary to incur the fearful cost of an advance generally along the line. The pushes that have taken place have been to secure commanding heights or other points of strategic value.

On the sea the sinkings by submarines have been steadily shrinking back to the average losses before the "unrestrictad warfare" began in Febuary. It is evident that the heavy toll of our merchant ships takeu by the enemy in February and March was due to the employment of the whole of their undersea fleet. Quite apart from the question of their losses that effort could not be kept up for long, as a submarine must take about half its time for refitting. That the enemies' losses have been heavy is certain. One sign of that is the number of attacks that have been beaten off. The submarines are not attacking with their former daring and determination, a fairly evident admission that they realise the dangers they run. That England is now in no danger of starvation Is proved by the large number of ships that have been recently released from the short trips for the New Zealand and Australian trade.