Progress of the War.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 15453, 4 December 1915, Page 10

Progress of the War.

Three very important statements wcro niado by Baron Sonnino, Minister of Foreign Affairs, in his speech in the Italian Chamber. Ho announced that the Greek situation, which had given rise to much anxiety, had been happily cleared up. Greece had given tho required assurances, and thero was every reason to believe that a satisfactory settlement had been reached regarding the safoty and freedom of the movement of tho Allies in Macedonia. Baron Sonnino definitely announced that Italy had signed tho agreement of tho Allies not to conclude a scparato peace. This positive assurance, coupled with his impressive declaration that Italy will pursue tho war with all her strength, and at all costs, will give fresh strength to her Allies, and tvill doubtless carry great weight with Greece and Roumania. It will once more demonstrate to Germany. Austria, and Turkey that tlio Allies are united in their determination to carry on tho war until complete victory is achieved. Tho Minister also stated that Italy could not remain deaf to the appeal of Serbia, and would speedily do everything possible to assist the Serbian Army. He said that the presence of the Italian flag on the other side of the Adriatic would constitute a reaffirmation of Italy's traditional policy, which included the maintenance of Albanian independence, and tho strategical defencc of the Adriatic. In complete co-operation with the Allies, Italy would assist in the reconstitution and re-arming of the Serbian Army in Montenegro and Albania. It is clear that Lord Kitchener's recent visit. to Italy and the Near East has born abundant fruit. There is very little fresh to report in regard to the campaign in Serbia. The Germans claim the capture of ICOO prisoners south-west of Mitrovitza, a locality in respect of which they have recently made similar claims. They

make no reference to any further operations in Serbia. The Austrian* announce the occupation of Plevlic, in Northern Montenegro, after -what they desenbe as a stubborn battle. A French communique says that the Serbians wero still occupying Monastir on Wednesday. Unofficial messages state that the Serbians have evacuated Monastir, but that the Bulgarians have not yet taken possession of the town. A Paris paper says the Bulgarians have crossed the Upper Tcherna and taken possession of al' roads and bridges leading to Monastir. A French communique reports artillery activity on Gailipcli Peninsula, important damage being done to Turkish works. The enemy claims the capture of a portion of the British entanglements and trenches near Anafarta 111 the Suvla Bay sector. The only report from the Eastern front is a Russian communique announcing thair the enemy was driven back in a southwesterly direction on the Styr. Fierce fighting continues on the Italian front. The Austrians say that Italian artillery destroyed several villages behind

their front in the Tolmino basin, and they claim to havo repulsed attacks on the bridgehead at Gorizia. Sir John French reports a successful four-days' bombardment of tho Geiman trenchcs, which wore considerably

damaged. It is very probable that important news will soon bo forthcoming from the "Western front.

The Sydenham CrickctClub has actcd wisely in'deciding thr.t no. member shall be included su a playing team who is single, fit, and eligible for service in the Army. It is obviously wrong that a young man who really has no reason for not enlisting should be able to enjoy cricket whilo his follows are fighting in Gailipoli. The decision of the Sydenham Club is tho outcome of an increasingly strong feeling amongst cricketers that to play with such young men is tantamount ,o approving of their neglest of dut\ — the feeling which was expressed by Mr J. S. Barrett in the letter we printed in our issue of yesterday. Perhaps the exclusion of single, fit and eligible men from matches will not forca those men to enlist although we should liko to hope that it will open their eyes to their duty. But at any rate cricketers in the mass, if the new policy is generally adopted, will no longer bo liaoio to reproach on the score that they as good as encourage young men in the belief that they are doing nothing wrong iii staying at home and enjoying themselves instead of helping their brethren in the trenches.

The deputation which waited upon the Hen. Mr Russell in "Wellington to demand a censorship of picture lilnis was a formidable one in numbers, and also in the bodies it represented. "We do not think that the picture films exhibited in New Zealand, taken' in the mass, are so dreadful as Mr Russell must have supposed as he listened to the speakers. At tho same time, it cannot bo denied that objectionable films are occasionally shown. But to ostablish a case against the picture business on this point is by 110 means to establish a caso for tho censorship, and we hope tho Government will think the matter over very carcfully before taking action. Censorships are repugnant, and rightly so, to tho minds of all save those people who love regulation. Ihe business of the Government is surely nothing more, in this matter, than the prevention of indecency—a word quite searching enough to require no elaborate set of qualifications and definitions. Let the law, if it is inadequate, be so amended as to enable the police to nrosecuto any house exhibiting an allegedly indecent,picture. If anything more than the purification of the picture business is required, the advocates of a censorship should say so.

We do not quite understand what Mr Russell means when ho soys that the Government propose "to preserve a high standard in films as well as in tho Press and general literature.''" If he means only a high standard of purity, the Government will have tho support of all sensible people. But we should view with deep misgiving any attempt to push regulation much further than that. There is no essential difference between books and picture films, and if a censorship should be set up to regulate the latter,. we cannot see upon what principle books should bo left uncensored. There arc foolish books and books that are vulgar and offences against good taste, but nobody has yet had tho hardihood to suggest that they ought to be banned along with ulainlv indecent works, for it is generally recognised that tho State should not attempt to regulate tasto and intelligence. We have yet to bo convinced that a censorship is indispensable to prevent the exhibition of imnuro films.

Mr Henry Ford's peace mission seems to havo added to the gaiety of nations at a time when most of us require a little cheering up. Apart from tho mission, 'Mr Ford's brand of pacifisirj seems a humorous compound. While ho refused to support the AngloFrench loan and threatened to withdraw his money from any bank which helped to finance it, his company supplied thousands of motor-cars to belligerents for war purposes. Moro than this, tho English papers to hand by yesterday's mail are full of a new. submarine which Mr Ford has invented and patented. According to London "Truth,"' it appears to share the distinguishing characteristic of his motorcar, cheapness. It is apparently a diminutive submersible designed to act under water very much as an aeroplane acts in the air. It weighs but a few tons, requires a crew* of only two men, and is estimated to be capable ot travelling at tho speed of a torpedo j that is to say, at 10 miles an hour. A pacifist who invejits submarines and supplies motor-cars for use in war, .seems to havo gone very near achieving tho feat of making the best of both worlds.