GENERAL WAR NEWS

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 32, 13 January 1916, Page 2

GENERAL WAR NEWS

[ DNITBD PeKSS ABSOCJATION. J Paris, January 11. jI. Narideau, writing from Petrograd. stater, that the great Russian offensive is progressing slowly, at therate of two miles daily ( on a. front of 350 kilometres. The intensity of the German counter-attacks is exhausting itself on the numerous entrenchments ■obstructed by the advancing Russians. The enemy's attempts to threaten the Russian left flank, and make a thrust between the Russian positions and Roumanian territory failed. The Vienna Tageblatt states that two more Czech regiments have surrendered to the Russians without fighting. Berlin reports that the BelgradeConstantinople traffic commences on the loth.

The German press is showing .the keenest interest and is only veiling its anxiety about compulsion in England. Everj*j detail of the campaign is religiously reported, and it is evident that the enemy finally realises the incalculable significance of Britain's decision to thow her full military strength into the scales. The recent myth that the Huns took only an academic interest in compulsion lias been abjectly abandoned in the past week. English news occupies the coiunms of the front pages of the leading newspapers, and not only developments in and out of Parliament are closely reported, but the trend of the British •lewspapers' comment is carefully .vatched and elaborate quotations published. Correspondents apparently have been instructed not to spare expense in chronicling the progress of compulsion. Comment is restricted, but the utmost prominence is given to ?very trace of opposition to the Bill. sir .John Simon's speech was reported it length.

The Daily Mail commissioner who has visited Scandinavia, declares that German traders consider the British blockade the best joke of A vast amount of Scandinavian imports go to Germany by merely changing the labels, and trains and steamers are taxed to the utmost. He saw many vessels, ex America and elsewhere, tranship at Malmo, Ealsingborg, and Copenhagen direct to Germany. The traffic glut is tremendous and .Danish praders complain that they cannot handle their own cargoes owing to the pressure of German-bound goods. The commissioner investigated the working if the system of consigning to accredited merchants, and declares that it is useless, and is making Britain a laughing-stock. Of the importers many are honest, but goods reach even fifth parties who sell to Germany. Everyone is a trader on these lines, even porters, shopkeepers, caretakers, and shopgirls. Mr Ward Price, reporting from Salihika, says that now is the most favorable time for the Bulgar-German offensive against Salonika. They have bad time to repair the bridges and tunnels that were destroyed on the Va'rdar railway, and King Constantino has promised not to order his army to oppose them, but the whole matter remains problematical. What we know is that the Germans dislike the prospect of leaving us as a perpetual menace to their communications, and also on a jumping-oft ground for ,a spring offensive. Describing the AngloFrench lines, Mr Price says that the French are responsible for the western flank line, which starts in the marshes at the mouth of the Vardar, and runs up the east bank for fifteen miles. It [turns eastward at right angles and joins the British sector, which follows the chain of lakes across Chaleidiee Peninsula to the Gulf of Orfani. Much of the French sector is in low-lying swamps, and trenches are not needed, as an arrav could not cross this mal-aria-haunted delta. Searchlights play at night and the ships' guns are ready to sweep the plain. This system of reiving upon the artillery to protect whole sections of the front is characteristically Freeh. Their confidence i„ their guns is such that they do not hesitate to dispense with infantry. At. riffht angle to the turn the hills dominate a Plain over which the enoW. must attack. Ridges six miles behind the Plain will enable the enemy , shell the French entrenchments with heavy artillery, but the enemy's heavy l uns ' arc insufficient to do serious, damage, while our seventy-fives have every range of the plain marked. 1 ven f the enemy gets across the plum they must cross the Vardar, which is a mo formidable obstacle, and the; must as ail the trenches, which are wonderhllly complete. of them is simply blue with baibeci ,L entanglements, which stretch on and are affixed to specially bent steel rods. _