Progress of the War.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16341, 12 October 1918, Page 8

Progress of the War.

General Maurice, who can be depended upon to take a cautious view of the developments on the Western front, touches the central fact of the situation, in his remark That a result of the fighting since July has been to make the enomy unable to resist a 6trong thrust on any sector ithout weakening his position in other sectors. This means nothing less than that his lino is rigid] nowhere, find Foch's policy is to hustle and thrust him hack ly a succession of Strang blows up and down the line. The break through 6cuth of Cainbrai grows more important overy day, and almost every hour. At the latest report Rawlinson and Byng had pushed forward to within » couple of miles of Le Cateau, and the accounts all agree in representing the enemy's retreat as something very much'nearer a rout than the "step "by step" retirement which the Germans claim to have made. The enormous haul of prisoners and material, the rapidity of the German retreat, and the curious and significant fact that our troops marched in column through Bortry, amount to conclusive evidence that the enemy was surprised! by the vigour of the attack and left without any- plan of resistance. His subsidiary defence systems appear to have petered cut very soon in this area, and further south he is apparently giving up the second lina of dofence, between St. Quentin. and the Oise, which the French have reached at Mezieres, without.offering much resistance. The pressure continues on all sectors from south of Laon to the Meuso. The line now runs practically through Grand Pre, and between Grand Pre and the Meuse the French and American armies havo reached Sommeranco and Romagne. The general effect of the big advance towards be Catcau is to opon the way (on our left) to Valenciennes, creating a pocket with Douai at the bottom of it. The retirement from Douai will bring Lille into a similar position. The southern effect of the drivo east of Cainbrai and St. Quentin is still further to contract the enemy's position between the Oise and the Aisne. An idea of the progress made since August Bth in clearing the enemy oif .Trench soil may be obtained from the fact that the central line of the offonsive —that running north-east from Montdidier to Lions —runs for 75 miles on French soil. Our advance has carried us along 55 miles of this line. In Syria the Turks have abandoned tho country south of Homs, between Damascus and Aleppo. In. tho Balkans tho Serbians are beginning to feol the difficulties of operations so far from tho original base and

assisted only by poor communications, but the position cannot but develop satisfactorily. The enemy is reported to be strengthening tho defences between Brussels and Antwerp, and a si<mificant messago reports that the Dutch Government is preparing to meet the effects of a large change in the Belgian situation. The Germans are evidently beginning to' treat tho Australians with great respect. Mr C. E. W. Bean, the official correspondent with tho Australian. Force, prints some extracts from a captured document from the German Second Army, signed "Von dcr Marwitz," and dated July 6th. ordering Divisional Generals to lessen the humber of men in the front- line, and keep very few men within 500 to KXK) yards from the front. On July 9th, the Commander of the Division, who had the previous morning explained personally the ne-.v svstcm of "elastic defence" to his under officers, issued the following order: "Tho enemy (Australians) penetrated the forward zone of tho 10.3 th Division at midday yesterday, without artillery preparation, by means of largo patrols, and did tne same a <rain at li o'clock at night, with, artillery, astride the Villei s-Breton' neux Raiiwav. Ho occupied the trench where "this outpost by, and apparently captured tho outpost, consisting of lo men. A large part of the forward zone has been lost." The

order adds: "The enemy, who has grown up in the Australian bush, wriggles to our posts with great dexterity from flank and rear in the high crops in order to overwhelm them. Tt has often happened that complete pickets have disappeared from tho forward lino without trace. I expect ihis division to remember its good reputation." The pickets swallowed up by tho Australians "without traco - ' naturally recall the instructions to the German submarines that certain ships aro to be sunk without trace. The difference, however, is that tho former is fair fighting and tho latter is brutal and cowardly murder. A fow days after tho issue of tho order just quoted, another order was issued, in which Marwitz complained of tho Australians penetrating and capturinrr posts and pickets, and added: '"Troops must fight and must not give way at every opportunity or seek to avoid fighting, otherwise they will get the feeling that the enemy is superior to them. If the* enemy can score successes without special artillery support or special troops, we must be in a position to do tho same."

Another incident related by Mr Bean shows in a striking way of what splendid stuff the young Australian soldiers aro made. A few days before the great attack, four Western Australians were taken prisoner by tho Germans after a heavy barrage had been laid round their post. There is naturally some anxiety when mon are thus captured, lest they should unintentionally let slip tho fact that an attack was impending. "None need have feared what these Western Australians would do," says Mr Boan. The Germans put in with the prisoners men who pretend to bo fellow-prisoners, and have many clover ways of overhearing conversations. But their tricks were all in vain in this particular instance. Strangely enough, the Australians, a little later, found among raptured papers a report of tho examination of these same Australians. It says that the prisoners gave a good soldierly impression. Three of them said they had been only a short time with the battalion. Whether their statements are pretence or truth, says the report, "there aro no moans of proving. All were reticent, and only after a lot of talking to opened their mouths." When they did open their mouths, what they told tho German officers was that their rations were very good and sufficient, their losses were light, and tho general feeling confident. They laid stress on the Americans coming to assist the Allies, and that there was but little sickness on our side. As for the older man, a sergeant, the German report says. ''The sergeant, who is the only one who has served for a long unbroken period with the troops, refused to make any military statement, and could not bo shaken in his resolve by any of the means employed." We agree with Mr Bean that Australia may well be proud of men who prove themselves so prudent, courageous, and steadfast.

It must have been an impressive scene in Amiens Cathedral on August Isth, the Feast of the Assumption, when a service was held to commemorate the release of the Cathedral from tho immediato threat of th© proximity of the German armies.. We learn from the account in "The Times" that the Mass was celebrated by a single priest with one French private soldier as acolyte at a temporary altar. Tho music was furnished by a small ternporary organ and a violin played exquisitely by another French soldier, and Ift a choir of about a dozen other soldiers. Tho congregation in the body of the choir consisted of wounded soldiers, British and French, with a few Red Cross nurses, while in the sido aisles was a small gathering of civilians in black. In the place of the sermon tho priest delivered an address on the history and architectural beauties of the Cathedral. .

In the opinion of many competent judges Amiens Cathedral—the "Bible of Amiens," as Ruskin calls it —is the most beautiful of all the Frcnch cathedrals. It is very satisfactory to learn, therefore, that the damage which it has sustained at the hands of the Germans is comparatively light. According to "The Times" correspondent, some very precious old stained glass has gone for ever. No serious structural damage has been done to the fabric, and much of the best glass, most of the large windows, and the greater part or the fine carvings remain unhurt. This is good news which will rejoice the hearts of lovers of art all over tho civilised world, in which wo need hardly say Germany at present is not included. Marshal Foch, it appears, promised at the end of March that Amions should never be taken. ' The outlook was very bad then, but he has been as'good as his word.