PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2363, 20 January 1915, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Accounts of the recent battle at Soissons are supplemented to-day by the story of a French wounded soldier which fills in some of the gaps in the earlier narratives. It is definitely stated, for instance, that bridges were swept away on January 12 at Missy and Venizel, and it is reasonable to assume that no other bridges were destroyed; Missy and Venizel are only about a mile apart. Missy is five miles north-east of Soissons, and Venizel is a mile nearer the latter place. This, so far as it goes, supports the French contention that tho German success /was of local importance. The Germans claim that they advanced from one and a quarter to two and a half miles along a front of nine miles, but since the French only lost two bridges comparatively close, together it is probablo that they still occupy positions north of the Aisne along a great part of this nine-mile front. Assuming this to be the position, the Gorman forca which has reached tho river-bank may be in a dangerous salient and exposed to both flank and frontal attack. • A great deal depends, however, upon the character of the country occupied. If, as the Germans claim, they ocntipy a plateau on the north bank of tho river, their artillery should be able to dominate the lttighbom'iug French positions, but the earlier French _aecouflts spctoe of the Germans having loccupieoi not a plateau, but a plain

on the north bank of the river, and it was further stated that the German positions were swept by the French artillery on the southern bank. I * * l* * As to the actual battle, the French soldier's account makes it quite clear that the Germans hurled an overwhelming foroo at their enemies, and bore down resistance by sheer weight of numbers. Ten thousand French, it ia stated, were fighting forty thousand Germans. In spite of these desperate odds the French seem to have fought a rearguard action with the utmost gallantry, and to have inflicted heavy losses upon the advancing Germans. The bridge at Missy, which was repaired by the French engineers under fire, is apparently still intact. *•« U » Reports, of the continued fighting near Soissons indicate that- except in • the neighourhood of Missy and Venizel the Allies are holding their ground. They have repulsed attacks on the northern bank of the Aisne, ten miles west of Soissons, and the situation at Soissons and elsewhere is declared to bo unchanged. In the absence of details of the operations immediately east and west of the locality in which the Germans have reached the riverbank the actual position Can only be vaguely estimate!, but unless the Germans can extend their footing on the river-bank east and west they [ should, stand considerable chance of being dislodged. # * * » Disappointment -Will be awakened in the minds of most people by the apparently authoritative contradiction of the story, recently cabled, that the British had captured a bill in the neighbourhood of La Bassee. I Ab cabled, the story was definite and circumstantial. It was stated that the British drove home a brilliant bayenet attack, expelling the Germans from strong entrenchments and gaining over five-eighths of a mile. Now the London Times explains that the British success at La Baesee is unconfirmed, which means, presum-" ably, that the story lacks foundation in fact. "Eye-Witness," an authority, of standing, ( denies the oapture of German positions at La Bassee, and declares that no attack was attempted. The.actual position at La Bassee seems to be that _ the opposing armies are engaged in a hoavy artillery battle without charigo lof position.

| It is 'somewhat extraordinary that the story of the alleged British victory at La Bassee was not made the I subject' of an official disclaimer. To ask that the Imperial censorship should assume responsibility for the correctness of every detail in wardispatches would be unreasonable, but it does not Eeem right that the story of an alleged British victory should be circulated broadcast if no victory has been won, without the British Government having something, to say in the matter. On occasion, an enterprising correspondent gets in ahead of the official dispatches with news of some important event, and no doubt this imposes Upon the censorship the.necessity of exercising a certain discretion, but in the present instanco the Imperial , authorities apparently made no attempt to overtako a story which, appears to have been entirely lacking in foundation, and left it to newspapers to ventilate the facts. In the past criticism of the official control of war news has chiefly taken the line of alleging undue reticence and a too rigorous suppression of facts, but it is important that truth .and accuracy should be as far as possible ensured and safeguarded. It would be too much to ask that the censorship should answer for the reliability of every dispatch sent out, over the cables, but the public is entitled to expect that a dispatch dealing with important events which provo 011 investigation to bs quite incorrect, should be made the subr ject of an official contradiction. * * * * ■It ifl, of course, a safe general rule to rely mainly upon the official dispatches for news of the progress of the war, but there are occasions when official silence is not in itself sufficient to clear away false impressions created by outstanding messages of- unofficial and the La Bassce story appears to bo a striking case in point' The first duty of the censorship no doubt is to guard againßt the circulation of news which might convey useful inforihation to the enemy, but tho Imperial Government is bound to look at the-matter also from a\broader standpoint. It must, of course, be careful to suppress news, the publication of which would be harmful, but it should also keep the public informed, as fully as possible, ot tho actual progress of .the war, and protect the people from being deceived or misled in reference to important phases of tho_ struggle. Supplying the public with reliable news of'the is the only possible way of trusting the publictrusting it to rise in the presence of this great emergency to the height of sacrifice and endeavour which tho emergency demands. The Imperial Government has more than a passive duty in this matter. A most undesirable state of mistrust and uneasiness would be created if the public onco got the impression that it was liable to be flattered and c'.eceivcd with stones of iroaginß/ry British victories. What tho public wants is a truthful account of actual events set forth without fear or favour. No doubt the best wr.y to ensure this is to accord reasonable facilities t6 accredited and sible war correspondents to visit the battle areas. This policy would in itself tend to discourage the circulation as definite news of floating stories and unsupported rumours, but judging by the protests recently made by some of the British newspapers it is a policy which the Imperial Government has shown itself somewhat unwilling to adopt. * * * *

Activities reported to-day on the Western front are ohieily of- minor importance. At a P? 1 ?* 1 . tlie River Lys north-east of Armentieres, and therefore about a down miles north-west of Lille, the Allied artillery has destroyed an important bridge. In the Champagne district a couple of Gertoafi aeroplanes have been brought down. The general nosition seems to be that floods and mud are still , greatly hampenug military operations. '

Throughout Poland the situation appears to be practically unchanged except that the 'Russians report the l'eoaptuvfl of the, advanced trench which they reterttiy lost at Gotobin, south of . the Lower Vistula On the line of ad vanes to the ThornLowicz railway. 15 -a lO ij ostion hoWevel', that the KliSJianS ar© its '.yet in a position to; resume thair advance at this poiftt. Another message, vepoi'tiiig "W seiCftv.

of German attacks near Rawa, shows that the armies south-west of Warsaw hold much, the same positions as they were in three weeks ago, and have occupied ever since. It there was any truth in the recent stories telling of heavy concentrations of both German and Russian reinforcements there should soon be a blaze of renewed fighting in Poland, but for tho timo Doing there is apparently a comparative lull.

Biiief references to the campaign in Galicia confirm earlier reports that the Russians hold all the important passes in the Carpathian range, but the holding presumably refers to the northern ends of these mountain gateways, where they open on Galicia. • Weeks ago. according to their official reports, the Russians forced tho Austrians back into the mountains almost from end to end of Galicia, but evidently they have not yet themselves penetrated the mountains or they would have activities to report on the southern sido of this great barrier.

Bo far as the limited extent of Western' Galicia in which an Austro-German forco is still holding out is concerned, the Russians ap* pear to have made no progress lately. It is reported to-day that the Russians defeated a German attempt to bombard Tarnow with heavy artillery. This is a satisfactory indication that the Russians are furnished with powofful guns, and have them well placed, but it shows also that they are Btill quite a long way from Cracow. Tarnow is an important railway junction, about 40 miles east of uracow, and even assuming that the hostile bombardment was attempted from a considerable distance it is pretty clear that the Russians advancing westward through Galicia can bo no nearer Cracow than they were two or three weeks ago. when they were reported to be witnin about thirty miles of that city.

The outcry of German newspapers against Britain's'attempt to create a famine in Germany is a convincing indication that the attempt is in a, fair way to achieve success. Read in conjunction with recent reports of ofheial limitations placed upon the manufacture and sale of bread it shows that Germany is beginning to feel the pinch even though actual starvation may still be a long way off. Famine is not. a pleasant weapon to employ in bringing an enemy country to'submission, but it is an effective apd necessary weapon, and Germany least- of any nation, has a right to complain about the rigours of war< Her treatment of Belgium alone, in pursuance of a. ruthless policy adopted, in cold blood, is sufficient to avert any feeling of compassion that might otherwise be aroused by the unhappy fate that is slowly but surely descending upon her own population. The only possible standpoint for the nations opposed to Germany is that dictated by the strictly practical necessity of bringing her to. her knees, and itom that Standpoint the indications of approaching scarcity and famine within her borders will be viewed with satisfaction. Great as Germany's resources are it would, be strange if the population were not already suffering severely from the effects of annihilated foreign trade and the crippling and hampering of industries from this cause, and from the necessity of constantly feeding the insatiable military machine. Even Britain, with all tho advantages of unrestricted trade,' is feeling the pressure of the war to some extent, and the population is faced by a considerable rise in the price of foodstuffs and other goods. •In France things are apparently much worse, and it would be strange if the pinch were not still more acutely felt in Germany,' cut' off as she is from so many of the advantages that Britain find Franco enjoy.

For oold-blooded audacity it would be hard to surpass the offer made by the Turks to evacuate Persia on condition that, the Russians retire from their own territory in the Caucasian region. _ Unfortunately, there is no immediate prospect of the Turkish marauders in Persia being visited with the punishment wbicn they have so richly earned by carrying fire and sword through an unoffending neutral country. Persia is in no position to undertake her own defence, and tbe Russians meantime are busily engaged in Trans-Caucasia and Northern Asia Minor. However, as matters are developing in these latter territories it should not be-long Russia is able to detach a forco against the raiders now advancing through Porsia. .** * * The movement inaugurated by German newspapers in favour of German hats for Gorman women and a consequent boycott of French millinery possibly represents only an attempt to retort in kind upon the systematic and determincd effortß that are being made in the Entente countries to permanently displace German trade. Whether or not German women are able to steel their hearts against the appeal of Parisian "creations," a great effort will certainly be made when tho war is over to exclude Germany from the prominont position which it formerly enjoyed in the world's markets. Probably the women of Germany are expending no more thought at the present time upon the subject of millinery than the women of Frnnoe who have turned their backs' upon the vanities of. fashion, and are playing at part no less heroic, than that of theii husbands, sons, and brothers in. the fighting line.