Progress of the War.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 16054, 9 November 1917, Page 6

Progress of the War.

Since General Allenbv's successful attack on Beersheba on October 31st, the cabled messages have made it clear that there has been no relaxation of tho pressure on the Turkish lines before Gaza, and tho announcement to-day that the town itself has been captured is a fitting termination to the first phase of the autumn campaign in tho Holy Land. The fighting for Gaza in March, of this year, it -will be remembered, failed to bring about the fall of this Turkish stronghold, and after a pitched battle, 'operations settled into trench warfare, since when local raids and occasional aerial bombardments of tho Turkish positions' have been the only activities reported by the British. The capture of Gaza is the more meritorious because the intricate and elaborate system of Turkish defences had converted tho town into a modern fortress of great strength. The reports to-day indicate that the New Zealand horsemen played an important part in tho attack, and dispersed a powerful enemy concentration inflicting heavy lo6ses on the foe. "With the capture of Gaza tho first step has been taken towards the linking-up of tho Palestine and Bagdad armies, and we may look now for a movement by Sir Stanley Maude's forces in Mesopotamia, probably in the direction of an advance along the Euphrates, with the object of effecting a junction of the British armies in Western Asia. From tho Italian front the news, though it suggests no cessation of the Italian withdrawal, is indicative of an improvement in the situation, order having been restored to the troops, and an orderly withdrawal having placed the armies across the Livcnza, where a further delaying action is being fought. Sir Douglas Haig's reports relating to the British operations show that the Canadian gains at Passchendaele have been held and consolidated, tho enemy so far having made no attempt to counter-attack.

The public generally have fully appreciated the gallantry and patriotic devotion of the officers and men of tho merchant navy, who, in spite of the unparalleled risks which they have to face in going about "their lawful occasions," have never once hung back. But there has been an impression that shipowners were making huge profits out of tho war. It was pointed out by "The Press" somo time ago that although this .was true at an earlier stage—principally in the case of owners of tramp steamers —it was not true now, sinco practically all British liners had been requisitioned by tho British Government at what aro known as "Bluebook rates," and that the profits wero going to the Government, and not to the shipowners.

An official article has been sent out by tlio British Government through the Minister of Marine, for the purpose of making clear the position locally. It not only confirms what has been-stated in ''The Press,"' but shows that tho process of commandeering British shipping has gone even further than wo indicated The Government has taken complete control of all British shipping. All British liners, and 97 per cent, of tho tramps on the British register, have been requisitioned, and are being run for Government account. The owners receive hi r e at Government rates, and the profits derived from private freightcarried at market rates go to the Government-, and not to the shipowners. The Government control of all this shipping has had -the effect of dislocating the trades built up by the companies, and must very prejudicially affect their interests. It is also very clear, we fear, that shippers and producers in distant parte of the Empire will be

faced with further loss and inconvenience, owing to tho imperative need of employing the shipping available to the best advantage from tho Empire's point of view, disregarding all merely local interests. Wo have no doubt that tho sacrifices necessary will be made cheerfully, but it is only bare justico to tho shipowners, who have been suffering under a great deal of abuso and misrepresentation, that the position should be clearly set before the public. In tho carefully non-committal speech on Australia and the war, delivered by the Australian Minister for Defence, Senator Pearce, in tho Sydney Town Hall last week, there was not the slightest indication as to whether the Government intended to take another referendum on tho question of conscription, and only in a very shadowy way did the Minister give the impression that lie favoured tho matter coming first beforo Parliament m the shape of a Bill. Tho great audience was vigorously favourable to conscription, and was obviously indisposed to listen to anything in favour of the voluntary system, but the Minister was not to be shaken out of his "wait-and-soo" attitude. It is probable, however, that the meeting, as was remarked, "helped tho Govornmont to make up its mind." "Whether intentionally or otherwise, Senator Pearce's speech furnished sovoral reasons for conscription. One of these was what Australia has already done. Since November, 1914, when the first 20,000 left Australia, the Commonwealth has sent forward 313,000 men, whilo another IG,OOO are in camp. There are five divisions on the "West front, and the equivalent of a mounted division in Egypt and Palestine. Tho Australians liavo fought in forty-seven distinct engagements, they havo won GOOO decorations for bravery, and 33,000 havo made tho great sacrifice. Their numbers includo aviators, a wireless unit, and tunnelling corps; altogether tho force comprises seventeen distinct arms of the service. The fact that this fine forco has won distinction on every field where it has engaged tho enemy, is surely one of the most powerful arguments in favour of its strength being fully maintained. The number of fresh enlistments required to enable this boing dono is 7000 per month. Not only is this number not being secured, but as Senator Pearce said, the onlistments aro falling below the number of casualties, and a stage is being reached that in the end would mean tho breaking up of ono of the divisions to provide reinforcements for tho other four. Professor Macintyre, the chairman of the New South Wales Recruiting Committee, declared the other day that, based on tho quota of 7000 men per month, Australia was 25,000 men short at the end of September. Since then the strike has further diminished the enlistments, and recently the Commonwealth has not been receiving 50 per cent, of the recruits needed. "Indeed, at this present moment,'' added Professor Macintyre, "New Zealand is sending more mon to the front as reinforcements to her division than we are sending to make up tho wastage of a force nominally five times greater." * Australian anti-conscrip tionists claim that the question of conscription or voluntaryism was settled finally by the referendum last year, and that the conscriptionists have, therefore, no right to drag tho matter, again before the public. That they should employ such an argument may be taken as evidence that they are afraid that another referendum would rovorse the decision of the first one. Australia itself, as the "Sydney Morning Herald" points out, supplies several instances of issues having been submitted to tho people more than once. Tho Federal Constitution was tho subjoct of two referendums. The proposal to alter that Constitution, so as to give greater powers to tho Commonwealth Parliament, were submitted twice to the people's vote. The then Prime Minister, Mr Fisher, declared that the Labour Party, of which he was the leader, belioved in the proposals, was committed, to them, and would submit them over and over again until they were carried. Only the -var, it is asserted, prevented their being placed before the people for a third time. However hostilo, therefore, may be tho attitude that the Australian Labour Party adopts towards conscriDtion, the party cannot logically object to the people of Australia being given an opportunity of revising their unfor- I tunato decision of last year.