CURRENT WAR TOPICS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 1, 4 December 1915, Page 5

CURRENT WAR TOPICS.

The most pleasing statement with regard *to the Balkans received for some' time conies ’from Italy, whose deiermihation to assist Serbia is thb’ subject of a ! fiW' noble "speech by Baroil Soilninl)' the Italian' Minister for Foteigrf 1 ’ sl independent?©',‘ said tIU 'was of tli<? greatest importance t 6 Italy because the encroachment pf Austria along the'.. Adriatic Mis dahgei- t'd'- Italy ih :J( the ’Mbditerrahednl • Italy, 1 with A tile'aid bf flie Allied, would revlctuail and 4he Sethis ' with \’ample nWntioilsi aid facilitate coheeritfatioh wfille IJ awMting'the ''opportunity for vengeance and the defeat of the invader, ' This determination of Italy comes 'at a an opportune time, when th© crisis seems to have been reached in the Balkan affair. The coming atHVAI' of tl ltalian'' troops in Albatlia via'^lJurafed’add possibly (theotHbr ’port "referred Ho’.by Kitchener) - will hare* a vbrH-powerful' 'effect' upon ' aMmd MOhastiri *'< 'lt% : not a’ 1 great distance from' ’ this ■ 1 difetrict bo 1 . El. Basan, where a considerable number of-, Serbs , are in refuge jffld . resting after ; .theixvf gallant s s,tqnd, / whicl), was apparently abandoned the couptry left .tp, ,phQ 'until. the time arrived foy an,,offensive, instead of uselessly, .sacrificing men who would be valuable when their strength was renewed by drafts from the Allies. Hard up in the mountains, whefe a • few men can hold up superior numbers of the enemy, the Serbs can remain until the arrival of sufficient troops from the Allies to parry out a successful offensive. The whole of the Serb army seems .to be holding a line 1 right along the Albanian and Montenegrin frontiers.

The brunt of the Bulgarian forces and the few Austro-Germans will now be borne by the Allies who just nearly linked up with the Serbs. That they will be able to hold them tip is snre, 3# the Allies are holding an al-, most impregnable line for defence during the advent and thorough organisation 'of the forces at Salonika and Kavalla. The numbers of the Allies are impossible to gauge, but they are apparently of sufficient strength to back up the recent drastic measures against Greece. From Montenegro cames the news that the Austrians were forced to retreat in disorder from Fotcha, which is ten miles in Herzegovina (Austria) from the Montenegrin border. looks as if the Austrian invasion which pas to destroy Montenegro has been turned unto a small invasion ot Austria. The hardy mountaineers are a bold race, and have once again shown that the best defence is often a vigorous attack. Such a defeat will startle the Austrians and give Cousin Willie an uncomfortable feeling. The details .of the fight are not yet to hand.

This defeat is. an instance of the strong strategic position held by the Serbs and their fellow-mountaineers. The line extends right along the right flank of the enemy communications, which aro very precarious already on account of the arrival of winter. When the Allies are ready for the offensive, the enemy will find himself in an awkward fix, and will probably be driven right into Bulgaria, anti from there to Turkey. The Germans seem to naie partly : realised this, and have discreetly withdrawn the greater numbei of their troops. The position is exactly similar to tlm position that was os-

tabli&bed in Russia after the great German drive. An extensive area of Russian ‘territory has been invaded, but the Riissian armies are intact, and are fast becoming superior both in pen and material. The ,n'et result of'tlie Russian drive was, in military eyes. nil. ’ Tlie' Serbian campaign has cost the‘enemy ada(w'«umboy of meji who icould have'been better ’used Isewherp and though' 'the.'Whole cobiltyy has been overrun, the nave over 2t oi6bcl men • yet t'p bp reckoned .And now ' the ] enemy are; acclaiming ’tliat’ the, operations ,are And with what result ? This column yeplerday showed that ‘ tlip| German lexchangejhad dropped' aj ajresult of .|thp- prapqign. If that is the result, then no, one cati vote the affair a lingo success. "The Serbs are not beatbh, hs wdthbss .their remaining foi-bdi* and the Allies have not started yet. NV), sir, the campaign may be over as far as. the enemy may wish and desire, hut for. cur .part it is nor .begun. Only a. rape of lunatics endowed with military genius ,could make such an assertion that,. the pippaign, is. u ®’, sia dp ß ) to- bp reckoned ivith yet, besides the Allies*, jn the Balkans. T ’■, h ’ . :n.nJai.rifc ;nri r>i.,vior luru if:; n I-ini'inin',.) v-. vi '>j\. '>7j.! iS. vO !*•' ■ nc-i ;■v: i : .co,. m -.ili r ! 1// T , ,-,i- j , .Thp, relations of Germany and Italy haye (been strained recently, and a declaration of war was considered only a matter of time. (It must bo remembered that these two countries are not at war). But the Italians have taken an action which is tantamount to war. They have seized a number of German ships that, were interned in Italian waters. It is hoped that they will npke the same use of them as the British did, viz., as transports for troops, to fight their recent owners. Also, refrigerated space would be very acceptable to New Zealand.

In New Zealand, especially in the Wellington district, there is a shortage for men, for the 11th Reinforcements. Unless the men'- are found quickly there will lie a disastrous result, One way out of the difficulty would be to raise a special company of Men . who have had training in the Territorials or Volunteers. They could go into camp later than the actual reinforcements and their previous training would make up for the shortage of time. They would not need the elementary training that recruits urdergo, and could easily be.as efficient as the men who went into camp at all earlier stage. However, the Defence Department will no doubt fix the matter in their usual efficient, style, and the difficulty will be overcome.