WEEKLY SUMMARY.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 August 1918, Page 2

WEEKLY SUMMARY.

THE SITUATION IN RUSSIA. His Excellency the Governor-General lias received from the Ministry of Information the following telegraphic summary of the war news for the week ended August 2 (that part referring to the Western position appearing in yesterday's issue): — In Northern Russia the enemy will piY/ba-bly soon make an offensive against the Murnian railway. Despite the strongest desire of inhabitants, the Bolsheviks have been forced by Germany—if force was nee.CE3a.ry—-into cession of the Murman coast. This, of course, means a pretext for rushing Finland into war with tho Allies, and gives a good instanco of how much the BoWheviki care for the •principle of free self-determination of the peoples. ! In Siberia the Czeeho-Slo-vaks hold their own and make progress westward, but. with regard to tneif opsratiions in Eastern Siberia Bolshevik and prcnGtennan forces here are 'completely cut off from Russia, so that the German* can only kn-6.iv. what is going on from the Entente Press. Therefore the less- detailed information we give 'about 1 events in. Siberia the better. The peasant ris-i-inj? in the Ukraine increases, and- the railways are being destroyed.' The Austrian troops are insufficient to cope with the people.. IN THE BALKANS. On the Salonika front a targe Greek army is now' in the field, co-operating with the British, forces,'and more Greek divisions will also shortly take the field. This reflects the greatest credit on M. V«vizclo9 and the patriotic energy of the Greek nation, which has had to contend with the greatest difficulties owjng to the demoralising effect on the older men. have readied a high standard of training. There is a note of growing gloom among the Bulgarian troops, who .intensely hate the Germans and Turks alike. Several times troops told to attack have shown a mutinous spirit. But despite this the Bulgarians will probably continue the fighting so long as their'rights to Macedonia are questioned. CONDITION'S IN AUSTRIA. The Austrian change of Government is unimportant, since the policy is unchanged. Dr. von Se'idier, the Premier, offended the Poles by promising to include tho Ukraine and Galicia in a separate Ukrainian province, therefore the Poles refused to pass the Budget, though they declared themselves ready to concede it, to another similar Government. The Czechs, Jugo-Slavs, and Socialists arn_ absolutely opposed to the present political course, and the German Nationalists are unable to give the Government a majority without the Polish Parliamentary Club, so that von Seidler lias been sacrificed and a similar nonentily, with a. different name, substituted. The Galician newspapers give revelations as to internal conditions. During the first week in July there was a round-up in Cracow of thieves and robbers disguised as officers and soldiers, also of military deserters. No fewer than 11500 were caught. Again, a Lemberg paper writes: •■Thieves and deserters lately have been coming in masses to Lemberg. Some straight from the front are fugitives from transports, and in the disorganised' conditions of the big town not far from the front it was easy to carry ou the work of robbery. Regular factories tor forged military documents were established, with a regular ck.nring-Jiouse for such documents. Tho thieves and robbers were dressed in military uniform, and provided with such documents they entered private dwellings, and robbed people, especially in tho tramway cars. Thoy also carried out expeditions into the provinces. When challenged by constables, they frequently offered armed resistance." GERMAN METHODS OL' EXPANSION German ambitions contemplate new (tyrannies with regard to the Baltic provinces, Poland, Finland, etc. While in strong contrast, the Allied Governments issue a manifesto to the Russian peopie, proclaiming that the help given by Allies to Russia was solely in the Inter-' ests of Russia's independence and freedom from alien interference and tyrannical influences. Illuminating comment on tho German methods of expansion is afforded by the murders of Generals von Mirbach and von Eichorn. In this conjnection it. is interesting to note the Cologne Gazette's appeal to Ireland, who, it says, Germany proposes to understand completely by dint of the characteristic German qualities of "the scic-.ic;! of tact and love," such as already are so pleasingly exemplified in violated Russia, Rumania, etc. WORK OP THE BRITISH AIR | FORCES. Although bad weather and heavy rain-storms have hampered operations during the last week,.the Brflish airmen on the Western fipat have done muh useful work,- thousands of valuable photographs'^Resides making successful attacks.,, ,pn ; enemy batteries, railway. siatloßsi dumps, etc. Twenty-seyen British,;,.njaehines are reported missing, our,air fire and ground fire brought seventy enemy machines and.: drove, down eleven helpless. A special; feature of the week was the number of .bombing raids on vital points behind the Germaji lines, such as Seclin,. Menin, Lille, Cairtbrai, Bray, Valenciennes," Courtfai, Armentieres, Douai, and Chauines. Despite the bad weather the R.AJ". Independent Force raided Germany on four days. Three, times over the Offenburg station was severely* bombed, also stations at Pforzheim, Sollingen, Baden, and Rastadt. The railway line at Lesse, factories at, Stuttgart, Baden, and Pforzheim, and aerodromes, at Bolchen, Morsange, Vahl, Ebersing, etc. All the British machines returned safely. Our seaplanes and airships keep watoh in home waters, and carry out successful anti-submarine work, while German strongholds on the Belgian coast stiflnred severely. Loads of bomlbs. were dropped on Ostend Docks and power-station, and the Zeebrugge mole, harbor, :uid lock gates. Six enemy aircraft \ver« destroyed, and successful bombing raids mode on stations and dumps. RATION RESTRICTIONS RELAXED. Since America assures us that sufficient bacon will bo provided for distribution without rationing, bacon and ham have been released from coupon, and butchers' meat may be purchased on all four coupons of the meat leaf. The coupon value of the nii?at purchasable has been reduced from seven pennyworth to five pennyworth, which means that supplementary ration books have been withdrawn, that the pig ration is free to> self-suppliers, and persons in nveWit of direct supplies only have to [account for sudh part of the t>ig an fe daswd pork/