Trail of the German Serpent

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 35, 16 May 1916, Page 5

Trail of the German Serpent

CURRENT WAR TOPICS.

' The position in Armenia ami Meso- ' potamia is developing with rewarki able rapidity. Inese two campaigns I are not collateral, but the effect of ' the occupation of Trebizond and Erze- ' rum, with the drive of the Turks back west, is being appreciably felt on tin; other plans, namely, the force pushing south from Lake Van to Diarbekir and the Russian descent on Bagdad from the Persian frontier. The position is somewhat hard to follow, however, .i so swift.has the progress been during the past few weeks. Taking the fight at Rrzingan, which has the least effect on the Russian movements on Mesopotamia, it seems that the Turks are putting up a real stubborn resistance, even, in fact, to the extent of forcing the invader back from their advanced posts, but then their losses were such as to prevent them following up the advantage gained. This does not say much for their ultimate chance of success, and enhances the opinion formed of the sUperiority of. our Russian Allies. Further,'' the •Turks are said to bo alarmed at the Russian advance westward from Erzeruni, ~ . ',,..,

Dealing more particularly, however, with the Bagdad objective, ! the cables hold a surprising amount of interest, for tlio reader. Taking the offensive from the direction of Lake Van, the enemy is stated to have precipitately retreated in the vicinity of -Mosul, which is on the right bank of the Tigris, 220 miles north north-west of Bagdad. This is the first intimation we had had of the operations being felt so far south in this section of the campaign, but it is quite possible that the Lake Van force has made the position'so hot at Diarbekir (some 200 miles further'up the river) tlm,t the enemy, or at least the population, was forced to beat a retreat in that direction. At Diarbekir, defensive works are being feverishly pushed on to keep the Russians at bay, as it is recognised that the captured* the headwaters of the Tigris will cut off supplies from Bagdad. Nothing is to hand concerning the niovement of the Russians to the west of Bagdad on •the Persian frontier. They were last reported at Khanikin, which is about 80 or 90 miles north-east from Bagdad. This place is on the Diala river, which flows from the mountains of Turkestan across the plain of Mesopotamia to the Tigris, falling into that river ;i few miles below Bagdad. Khanikin h n,ear the end of the mountains, just inside the Persian frontier. The Turks are described as having entered the Tigris valley, which means that they are on the Diala river bank at some point of its course across the. plain of Mesopotamia, which may be called the valley of the Tigris.

The Balkans is again coming into ! prominence. It appeals that General Sarrail is extending his front. For what purpose is not apparent, but the fact that the Russians have passed Salonika en route to Franco and that the Anzacs have not been sent to reinforce General Sarrail's armies, points to the probability (states a southern , writer) that it will be a long tune bej fore there will he any forward move'ment from Salonika. If'that is the I right • interpretation to put upon the : passing by of Salonika, General Sari rail's work there at present is simply \ to prevent the Central Powers from i taking Salonika and making it a base ' of operations to compel Greece to join i them and to use the port as a naval I base from which to harass British j communications with the Fast and so 1 assist the Turks.

It is generally thought that there are about 200,000 Anglo-French troops at Salonika; so with the addition of 120,000 Serbians, there will be just sufficient to maintain a serious threat against the Austro-Bulgari in forces. Such a threat against the Bulgars also involves a possibility of an attempt to cut communications between Austria and Turkey, and at the same time prevents the Germans from using the Bulgarians and Austrians to impress or coerce Rumania. With Greece an uncertain, quantity and at toast 100,000 troops ready to oppo«e the AngloFrench, there will be no advance by General Sarrail. Even with 500,000 at his command ho would find it ex-

tremely difficult to force his way to Sofia. It would, however, be a different matter if the Italians throw 100,000 men into Albania am! threaten the Austro-Bulgarian flank. It is probable that it is some such move on the part of the Italians that General Sarrail is

waiting lor if there i s to be any. advance into Macedonia; but before General Sarrail makes a move to recover .Serbia he will require to be assured of the attitude of Greece and Rumania —Greece to maintain her neutrality and Rumania to take an active part in assisting him.

The position in which all public men ar« placed by idle gossip is thus quaintly put by the Otago Daily Times, and it applies to almost every district at the present time. The story of the Eastern woman who had wrongfully defamed a neighbour, and whose conscience troubled her, may be revived to point a moral. This woman waited on the wise old Caliph, confessed what she had done, and asked how she could make restitution. He told her to take a''bag of. feathers, and .strew them on the highway, and then, next day, fry to gather thein up.iTho woman secured very few feathers, and the Caliph then explained his purpose —the damage done could not be fully recalled. In Dunedin a gentleman who gave his whole-souled attention to assisting in a patriotic movement of great importance was said by sonic people to be in receipt of £0 a week. As a matter of fact, he received nothing. Another gentleman, who also worked hard from purely patriotic motives, is said to be getting paid for his services. He gets nothing. Still another gentleman, who is engaged on particular patriotic work, is doing his "bit" for nothing. Finally, the members of the Dunedin Soldiers' : and Welfare Committee are putting it a vast amount of work in an honest endeavour to see that our returned soldiers are not,neglected.' Every case tliat conuis before'it is thoroughly sifted, and fair and equitable payment made, if the committee considers it necessary, from the patriotic funds. The circumstances of any case have only to be brought before the committee, and justice and generosity follow. The committee does not object to fair criticism, but, as one member stated to a representative of the Times, it strongly resents the interference of perhaps well-intentioned, but ill-advis-ed, people, who could be better employed in following their everyday domestic occupations.