NOTES ON THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2294, 30 October 1914, Page 4

NOTES ON THE WAR

_ A German opinion of the position in Belgium is of interest at the moment. According to a Berlin message a definite "result of the battlo proceeding on the Belgian coast is hourly expected and it is considered that the Allies will bo compelled to retire. On appearances the wish would seem to do father to the thought, There is nothing to indicate ground for such an opinion as here expressed beyond the belief fostered amongst Germans that the Kaiser's forces when 6et a task of conquest are irresistible. One would have thought that the course of events would have shattered this idea, but the teachings of a lifetime _ die hard. ' The news of the fighting and the positions of tho opposing forces so far as they are revealed to-day afford no reason for the view that the Allies are having the worst of matters in North-West Belgium. On the contrary,' tho latest advices make it clear' that despite tho tremendous efforts of the reinforced German troops in this region, the Allies are more /than holding their own.

_ This does not mean that tho position of the Germans is a hopeless one, and it is too early yet to profess to be able to judge whether the Allies will be wholly successful in their attempt to envelop' the German Bight to tho extent 1 necessary to prevent an orderly retreat of the enemy. But there is good reason to believe, that the Allies are maintaining the' pressure on. tjio German Right which is threatening the safety of . the whole German Army of invasion, K Daily Mail message states that the Germans have been driven back over the Yser River and that further north they have fallen back' on Wcstende, some seven 'or eight miles to the south-west of Ostend. , This indicates that a material advance has been made and that the ground lost two or three days ago along the Yser has been, more ...than recovered. It is not surprising to learn that the fighting has been- even more violent tnan the desperate along the banks of the Meuse in .the early stages of the war. We have been told during tho past few days of the tens of thousands of dead Germans lying in the fields, >and' of the thousands of bodies floating in the canals. The Daily Mail' correspondent reoords also that 387 1 vehicles laden with wounded passed through Ostend on Sunday. The casualties on both sides must have been enormous and this perhaps is the best indication we could have of the importance of the issues at stake in the. ■fighting in this region. The Germans nave been ordered to force the Allies to fall back at any cost; and the Allies have responded with magnificent effect.

Broadly speaking there is little change to record either in France or, Belgium. At no point have the Allies been forced to give ground while in the extreme north they have made' a decided advance. A message from a German source would seem to 6Ug : gest that the German forces on the south-eastern frontier of France are attacking the fortress of Belfort. The message states that the investment of Belfort is cxpected to last a long time as the garrison is very strong and the French show themselves to He masters in. building field fortifications. This looks very much like a f bit of German bluff. Belfort is the most southerly of the line of French' frontier fortresses and is close to the Franco-German boundary near Switzerland. According to our latest advices instead of the Germans invading France, the French troops at this point had crossed into Germany and reoccupied Altkirch severp.l miles on the German side of the frontier. It is true that we were told Borne days ago that large siege guns were being forwarded for use against Belfort, but at that very time the French were in possession of Altkirch.

Our latest messages show the position in a still better light. The enemy's attacks in Belgium have been less vigorous and tho' Allies have made progress to the north and e?st of the Ypres, where tho British' troops are stationed. They have also been successful across the frontier in France, at La Bassee, Cambrai and Arras. The places name'd are all familiar as tho scenes of the recent violent engagements and it is particularly . satisfactory in the circumstances to learn of. tho advantages gained at these points. For tho moment tho enemy seems to have concentrated his efforts further south' near tho River Aisne. Here in the Craonne region a very; violent night attack was made, which tho Allies repulsed. It is a part of tho tactics ■of tho German commanders to spring the surpriso attacks in tho hope of catching the Allies napping at some point in tho long lino stretching through France. Still further south, along the Franco-German frontier the Allies have continued to advance in the Woevre district and aro forcing the Germane back into their own

territory. It is the best news we havo had from tho Western theatre of war since Monday last. Details of the great battle near Warsaw conptitute the principal news from the Russian side to-day. They go to confirm previous accounts of the fighting and incidentally show that the final sudden decision of tho Germans to retire came as a surprise to the Russians, who, however, managed to press home their advantage.

A piece of rare good news reaches us this morning from South Africa. General Botha has routed the forces of that arch-traitor General Beyers and captured a number of prisoners. Beyers was Commandant of the South African forccs and only resigned a,t the latest, possible moment when his services were required against tho Germans. This was a case of the basest treachery for owing to his position he was in the confidence of the Government and fully informed as to the plans and military organisation of tne Union. His early overthrow following so closely as it does on the defeat of Maritz must have a wholesome effect in ohecking the spread of the trouble. General Botha has moved promptly and effectively against the rebels, and may be relied on to press I home his-advantage. De Wet who I has also turned traitor will be remembered as the elusive commander who in the later stages of the Boer war made a name 'for himself as a "slim" and slippery person with a habit of bobbing up in unexpected places. He was successful in this respect mainly on account of the assistance he received from the Dutch non-combatants. In the present instance he will not have that assistance to anything like the same extent and moreover will h'ave his own countrymen to deal with as well as the British residents. _ The probability is that he and his fellow-rebels will fleo the country and join forces with tho Germans in German West Africa. There in due course we may hope-thoy will be brought to book.