Progress of the War.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 15449, 30 November 1915, Page 6

Progress of the War.

The position of the Serbians appears to be desperate. An official message from Paris says that "in view of the present " situation of the Serbian armies" the French troops on the left bank of the Tcherna have been withdrawn to the right bank. The German communique makes sonio very sweeping claims. After announcing the capture of Eudnuk, south-west of Mitrovitza, and of 2500 prisoners, it says the main operations are now closed, and that with the flight of tho Serbian Army to the Albanian mountains, "our first aim"— to open communication with Turkey through Bulgaria—is achieved. That tho Germans have succeeded in establishing through communication with Turkey can scarcely bo doubted, ir; spite of the assertion of the Serbian Minister in Paris that all the tunnels on the railway lino between Nish and tho Bulgarian frontier havo been destroyed. Tho Turks on Gallipoli Peninsula, according to official statements from Paris, are well supplied with ammunition, and their artillery is showing considerable activity. Moreover, they have, for tho first time, used asphyxiating gas, a characteristic German product, in an attack on tho British positions. There aro also re-' ports of German troops in Turkey. The Germans say that their losses in Serbia have been moderate but this is hard to believe.' In putting the Serbian losses at 100,000 tho enemy is probably exaggerating somewhat Earlier in the month tho Germans claimed 94,000 Serbian prisoners, including 40,000 "already taken by the Austrians." Tho latest total claimed by them may, therefore, cover the whole period of tho war. Unofficial messages indicate that the Serbians have been compelled to relinquish their offensive in the Kachanik and Uskub districts, and tliat their only hope of joining up with the Allied forces is via the Dibra heights. This may explain tho French withdrawal across the Tcherna. Other messages tell of desperate fighting atKossovo, where tho Bulgarian losses aro said to be colossal. The Bulgarians are reported to have abandoned their advance on Monastir in order to concentrate on the lower Tcherna, towards Vartlar. against the French. A fresh struggle fo r the possession of Krushevo is said to have begun, and tho Bulgarians, who have been reinforced, are attacking tho harassed Serbians. Tho attitude of Greece appears to be still unsatisfactory, one paper describing the ■situation as grave. Considerable artillery activity at tho Dardanelles is reported by both sides. The Turks claim to have occupied on Thursdav "a great part of the hostilo tren-

'• ches near Ari Burnu."' The struggle for Gorizia continues. The AtistiTifns report desperate fighting, but claim to have maintained their positions. The bombardment of the town is described as incessant. Thero is still a remarkable dearth of news from tho Ilussinn front. In the West, both sides tell oi artillery activity. The German attack in the Les Forges-Bethincourt sector was actually begun after throe discharges of gas, but tho French claim to have instantly htopned the advance. The Germans report that the Allied artillery is showing remarkable activity in tho Champagne district. This may be preliminary to another offensive by the Allies.

The "No-Conscription Fellowship, ' which has adopted a resolution against conscription, at a meeting chiefly attended by men of military age, is ono of tho group of pacifist and disloyal bodies with which Mr Ramsay Macdonald, Mr E. D. Morel, and others of their kind are associated. In opposing conscription, these people aro doing nothing disloyal, for conscription is opposed by many loyal Socialists, who dislike Mr Macdonald as much as they dislike tho Gorman Emperor. But the members of the "Fellowship" are also opposed t,-> tho war. and we have little doubt that German money is behind thorn. In a recent manifesto the "Fellowship," while declaring against compulsion, "whatever the consequences" might be, had the impudence to express "admiration of the self-sacrifice, the courage, and the unflagging devotion of those of our fellow-countrymen who have felt it their duty to tako up arms.'' They themselves, who owe their peace and comfort, and their liberty to express their repulsive opinions, to the men whom they admire, declare that thov have reached their standpoint "through the Christian faith," or through "association with international movements." They dare not boldly assert their belief that no citizen need serve his country, and so they declare that every citizen ought to do so, but they themselves wish to do so in such a way as to "avoid inflicting loss ! ' on another nation! It would be bettor if these deplorable persons held their tongues.

A very extraordinary account of the folly of some of the British officials m India was given recently by the Ixmdon "Morning Post." In Bangalore, the capital of the State of Mysore, a newspaper called tiie "Daily Post," edited by Miss A, E. Dawson for fifteen years, commenced last December to publish articles pointing out the danger of German influence in India. In June last Miss Dawson blamed the -Mysore Government for its indifference to public opinion regarding the presence of enemy subjects in the State, and complained, in particular, that "from choice or expediency,'' the Administration "cannot carry 0:1 its Agiicuitural Department without a German in it. cannot use its much-advertised power schemo to light our streets hut a German'must be in virtual local .cor.-

trol, caunot provide .schools to a largo section of its residents without German aid, and to its Cluistian population its national tongue cannot express the text of the code and dogma Kultur is attempting to vanquish without a German to translate it." The "Post" also printed a resolution in which the South Mysore Planters' Association called 'or the internment of all alien enemies, especially missionaries, and expressed alarm at the number of alien enemies in the employ of the Government. Suddenly the British Resident in Mysore withdrew Miss Dawson's licence to edit and publish the "Post," and a new editor was appointed. Under the new control tho "Post" apologised for its former pro-British anil anti-German tone. The German peril in India must have been very strong, if German influence could force British officials to behave in this extraordinary fashion. . *-,- Wo have occasionally remarked upon tho activities of a Wellington news agency which supplies a small group of newspapers with a news service which is uine-tenths criticism, and criticism inspired by unfriendliness towards the Prime Minister and Mr Allen, and tho supjiorters of the late Government. Although there is not much scope for writers of that kind just now, and their criticism must bo very guarded, this particular agency does what it can. In. av message dealing with the Avar pensions difficulty, it said that when tho legislation was before Parliament last session—prior to the formation of tho National Cabinet —"there were suggestions, principally from the Liberal and Labour members, that the payments should bo largely increased, one gentleman suggesting as much as £3 10s a week for a disabled, unmarried private, and it is only fair to Mr Allen to eay that Sir Joseph Ward and Mr Myers, who were then in Opposition, supported the Minister in discouraging extravagant demands. It is an open secret that tho Opposition members of tho Secret Defence Committee were responsible for raising the maximum payment to the lowest ranks from £1 ss, as originally proposed, to £1 155." It would bo much fairer to say that Sir Joseph Ward did not merely support tho Minister, but expressed very bluntly what every reasonable person thought of the "Liberal, and Labour members" who made extravagant proposals. In a long and powerful speech on July 20th, ho defended tho Defence Committee's proposals—he had stated earlier that the original, lower scale had been unanimously agreed upon by the committee —and plainly declared that the critics for whom the Wellington news agency is now seeking to collect a dividend, were simply attempting to pose as the only kind and generous people in the House. It is a little disconcerting that, in spite of this speech, and in spite of the fact that there is now a non-party Government, anybody should seek to make political capital out of the discontent which is felt in some quarters with the Pensions Act. Tho reference to "an open secret" that it was the "Opposition members of the Defence Committee" who agreed to raise the rates of pensions is a pure fiction. Sir Joseph Ward resented the referring back of the original schedule for revision, and bis resentment was based on thoroughly good and statesmanlike grounds. In the meantime the demand of a icw idle politicians for a special session of Parliament appear* to have taken a modest place in the background. No special session is required. The strain of the war upon tho medical proie.-sion, which is beginning to bo felt in New Zealand, is pressing severely in England. A few weeks ago it was announced that the DirectorGeneral required before th e end of the year at least 2500 medical men ready to take commissions, and to go wherever they might be needed. It was estimated that this meant at least onethird of the members of the profession who wero within the military age. To meet this demand the country was divided into districts, in each of which has boon constituted a War Emergency Committee. From the central committee tiie local organisations were informed I of the numbers which each district was estimated to prcd'ice. Local meetings of the profession yere summoned, j and some of these were addressed by representatives of tho War Office or by •

prominent members of the profession. Governing bodies of hospitals are urged not to give resident appointments to young men fit for military service, and in other ways efforts have been made to meet the urgent demand for medical men at the front. Medical men aro cooperating with a view to seeing that when a practitioner returns from the war he shall find his practice and means of livelihood reasonably intact. An appeal to the public for consideration on account of .tho strain which, necessarily falls on the doctors in this time of pressure has been niado in England, !ind would not be out of placo in New Zealand.