The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The evening News, Morning News and The Echo. FRIDAY, JANUARY 21, 1916. THE CAMPAIGNS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 18, 21 January 1916, Page 4

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The evening News, Morning News and The Echo.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 21, 1916. THE CAMPAIGNS.

stalled-fche enemy successfully.

For the cause that lacks aeitefonM, For the wrong that needs retittanee, For the future in the distance, And the good that we can do.

The Caucasus is a minor. theatre of war, but tho news from there to-day is interesting enough to bo considered first According to a Petrograd communique, a, violent and unexpected Russian thrust dislodged the centre of the Turkish army along a front of nearly 70 miles east of Erzeromn, the scene of the fighting being between Lake Van and the frontier. The town of Koprikeui, thirty miles cast of ' Erzorourn, has been occupied by the Russians. Kopriketii'is important, because it commands roails from Erzerouni to the south-east and over tho frontier to Ears. Hero recent history" repeats ifceelf, for in the invasion of Turkey by the Rcfieians shortly after Turlcey-joined the Central Powers, Kbpfikeui was the limit of the Russian-advance towards Erzeroum. The Russians occupied the place after a good deal' of trouble : on November 20, 1014. Then it was that Enver Pasha developed that ambitious plan-of envelopment -which ended in ruin amid the snows of the Caucasus. While the at Erzorqum held at a point some distance from their railhead, his left was to invade Russian territory, swing round in tho Ruseians , rear, cut them off, and take tho fortress of Kars. This Napoleonic plan came to grief mainly, because tho accurate "tuning" essential for its success • was impossible in such mountainous country under the hand of winter. The 'R'7'«*Tfl" a dealt with the enemy's corps-in detail; and inflicted a. terrible defeat. But while the Turkkh plan of invasion was broken, the offensive relieved the pressure towards Erzeroum, for the Russians were forced back from Koprikeui to tho frontier. This fighting lasted from the fourth week- in Uecember,"il9l4,-t<>» the third week in January, 191 a. i Sincb-*then there has been fighting along the frontier, but the Russians have made no attempt until now to' , advance od Erzeronm from the same direction. They have, however, gained ground in the frontier country further cast, : and occupy a area, in the region of -Lake Van, which', lies south-cast of Erzeroum. The ultimate object of the Russians-.iD 'tJieJr-lateefciHioVo.'is-obscure. Erzeroum is strongly fortified, and it does not seem likely that they are strong enough to attempt an assault or an -investment. 16 'may oe" thai they have struck hard .to' divert troops from Macedonia or Mesopotamia. A Russian paper is quoted- to-day as saying that tho real object of tho German-Turkish preparations fs a campaign against Russia's Asiatic possessions and ''India. If that is so, the Russians £ra.ve ,fore-

There is no official newe from Petrograd aiout the main campaign. The fact that the occupation of Lutzk and Pinsk has not been confirmed ofisciaßy ie another proof of the wisdom of accepting with caution all unofficial reports about operations. The reported evacuation of Pinsk, from which the Germans were said to have fled panic-stricken under a ccaaless shell-fire, is now explained by the flooding of trenches. People who may feel disappointed that the Russian drive in. the South has not been continued, should remember what happened in the Western theatre in September. There ■the gain in ground was small for the heavy loss of life and the prodigious expenditure of ammunition, and there is no reason for anxiety if the same thing happens on the Russian front. Russia's expenditure of ammunition Eeems to have been enormous, and the army may well be leeting until the. Teeervee of shells are filled up again. The gratifying point is that our ally had the shells to use. .. , ''" ... .

Though no gains have, been in recent news from the western front, the tone of the messages has been encouraging. The communiques show that the Allies have plenty of ammunition, and are not sparing it. Mr. John Bedmond, MJ?., stated after his recent visit to the front that the British, had now five shells to the GerjnaneVone. The special correspondent of' , the "Tunes'' with the British Army, in a dispatch written at the end of October, when the supply cannot have been so large as it is now, also testified to the abundance of our ammunition. The' Germane ths previous day had shelled some villages in our lines, and heland a parfy*of •diatinguiahed foreigners watched the Brifc ish gunners returning the attention with interest. "Our ability to do that is really the crux of the situation.. Not so very many months ago it was tho Germans "who.had the artillery and the ammunition,, ancfthe Allies had, perforce, to keep'sfience' under daily jirovocation. ilJbw the boot is rather on the-other leg. Although we and the French naturally consumed an enormous quantity of ammunition in the course of our offensive -last monthj we liave an ample margin for daily use, and when, as occurred-sev-eral times in our daily round of Bin howitzer batteries, 60-pounders, .and light field' artillery, iEe ' visitors expressed a desire-to-fire off the guns themselves, there was no objection raised, and. certain German positions i which,were olreaily being pquhded. by French - and British. gunners .. had .to undergo .additional ''strafing. , There is no reason to doubt this week's, unoffi-

cial message about the heavy losses caused by our artillery and ' bombing parties, which arc declared to have inflicted on the Germans since Loos, casualties equal to several battles. Writing of local actions as far back as February last, Mr. Buchan, who shows no disposition to minimise our own losses, saya: "The actions we have chronicled were typical of ■ many dozen lesser one 9. The one feature to note i 3 that they were all legitimate incidents in a war of attrition. Whether we or the Germans attacked the losses of the latter were by far tho greater." This was at a, time when our

ammunition supply was only a fraction of that of the Germans, and our general trench equipment inferior; how much more then must ba the difference between our losses and the Germans' to-day, when we -have more 'shells, especially of the high-es-plosive kind, and have improved our equipment all round?

Official news from the other fronte has been scanty of late. The enemy's intentions at Salonika are still doubtful Silence has shut down again over tho Italian front- The Montenegrins have broken off their peace negotiations, and are to fight to the end, and the people who suggested collusion between tne Government and the enemy arc probably sorry they spoke. The beat news to-day is Lord Derby's cheering statements about, the quality and quantity of recruits.. The Director of Recruiting knows as well as anyone the magnitude of Britain's task, and does not use words lightly. We should, however, he careful not to allow any such expression of satisfaction to tempt us to slacken our efforte. The necessity for the Compulsion BUI in England is sufficient warning.