PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2501, 30 June 1915, Page 6

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

As regards most of the principal fighting areas there is a comparative dearth of news at time of writing. An apparent reduction in the intensity of fighting on the battlefront in Northern France may cause more importance than they deserve, to be conceded to the somewhat disparaging comments by one correspondent upon the French offensive in that region. These comments have arrived too late to be touched upon in any detail, but it may be said that the conception of a batter-ing-ram which has expended its force is foreign to what is known of the strategy of the Western Allies. General Joffre, if he has been accurately reported, does not love to talk of battering-rams. Ho speaks of "nibbling." No very material change is reported on the Ajistroltalian front. The unofficial report that the Italians have captured Gorizia, the principal stronghold on the Isouzp River, still lacks confirmation.

Accounts of the fighting in Galiciapoint to a continued Russian retreat north and north-east of Lcmbcrg, hill a slow and stubborn retreat in which they aro inllicting heavy losses on tiie enemy. The enemy advance towards 'l'omasow, Bel/., and Kamionka, mentioned in a, I'etrograd report, indicates that the Russiausaro being forced back to tho northern frontier of Galicia. . Tomasow is a few miles north of the frontier, north and a little west- of Lcmbcrg. lk'lz, due north of Lcmbcrg, is about ten miles south of the frontier, and Kainioiika, ; -'a miles north-east of Lomberg, is midway between that city and lhe frontier In Southern Poland, north of the junction of tho San and the Vislula, the Russians appear In be holding (heir own. Fighting here in their own territory they arc less at a disadvantage as regards transport than in other pai'k of Galicia, though the enemy »t.l 11 hue Hie udyiltttflKP wf tuning UK to the MQUUM,. a.

lin cummunique is generally borne out. by the Petrograd report as regards the position in Northern Galici.i, but state's also that the Ansti'oGormans have crossed tlie Dniester at Malicz, south-east of Lemberg. This fit the time of writing lias nut been ndmitled by tin' Russians, but it is in keeping with Ihe enemy messages touched upon yesterday, which reported- an advance north-cast from the Dniestvr from a point west of Malicz. Un the news as it stands il must he expected that the Jlussian:will resign uior- of (lb 1 < lalician t-.T----ritory t-hev still uecupv. *' * * ' *

I.NTORU vnox I hat would Ik; most welcome to New Zen landers, if it could be relied upon, is supplied by "a neutral ollieer" at, Athens, concerning the slat.' of the Turkish army in Gallipoli. The Ottoman casualties at the Dardanelles, ho states, have reached a total of 111),000. Of 170,000 troops still there only GO,OOO are worth anything, and reserves in the Bosphorus and at Constantinople do not exceed 50,000. It must be said that the news is discounted by the consideration that there is no very obvious way in which a neutral officer at Athens could become acquainted with these particulars. The enemy losses have no doubt been very heavy, but 113,000 is a big total. . It might easily mean that the Allies have accounted already for enemy forces approximately equivalent to their, owh total strength. More heed may reasonably he given to the statement that the Turkish effectives in the Gallipoli Peninsula constitute a comparatively small proportion of the Ottoman armies. Even correspondents who take a roseate view of the Turkish position and prospects have mentioned that the armies include large numbers of Untrained men, who are employed in digging trenches and in other heavy work, but would be of little use as fighting men in the firing line. That the Turkish MesopOtamian Army is demoralised is no doubt quite true. This particular statement squares with_ British official reports of the fighting in the region north of tho Persian Gulf.

In the main, however, the sweeping statements made by this 'officer about Turkish weakness must be received with a good deal of doubt. If the Statements were accurate th 6 end of tho Dardanelles campaign Would be in early prospect, and no such hope is held out in the official dispatches which alone lire to be accepted with confidence. On the contrary these dispatches point very definitely to the probability of a long and arduous campaign. Even 'tho. Turks, after their numerous defeats, may he expected to Subscribe to the view that the Allies are impi'egnably established on the Gallipoli Peninsula, but it is also evident that the Turks are still in possession of the numbers and the supplies of war material necessary to a prolonged resistance to the Allied advance on the Narrows. A collapse of Turkey's resistance > would no doubt be hastened if additions were made to her list of enemies, or if she were attacked at new points. But as yet there is nosign that Russia contemplates an invasion in force on the Black Sea coast, and the outlook in the Balkans is still uncertain, It has been brightened of late by various indications of .1 widening breach between Bulgaria and Turkey—tho latest is the report that strenuous efforts arc being made by the Germanic allies to patch up au agreement between these two countries.

At any time the aspect of the Dardanelles campaign may be materially changed for the better. But short of co-operation by Russia or by the Balkan countries, ensuring a direct attack on Constantinople, it is simply running counter to what is definitely known of the situation to anticipate a speedy triumph at the Dardanelles. If they remain relatively secure in their capital, and in undisturbed possession of the greater part of Asia Minor, the Turks should be able to hold out at the Dardanelles until their resources in men and war material are seriously depleted. It is possible that, independent of possible action by Russia or tho Balkan countries, Britain and Franco may hasten theprogress of the Dardanelles campaign by landing forces at new points of attack. The objection to this course is that it would entail considerable additions to the present armies of invasion which i| is no doubt desired to avoid.

Reports from Aihens of further activities by, British submarines in. the Sea- of Marmora are more likely to be true than sorao of the unoffr cial stones that come over the cables. There is no reason to doubt that the submarine raids in which Ell gave a. lead and set a brilliant example are being methodically continued. The silence of the Admiralty on the subject may mean only that few Turkish ships have been sunk recently because few have been exposed to submarine attack. According to the Greek reports further damage has been done to Turkish shipping and the enemy fleet .has been compelled to seek refuge in the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus. Even in its harbours of refuge the Ottoman fleet may not be safe, for Ell penetrated the Golden. Horn itself and created_ such a scare that the batteries fired upon their own shipping. » * * » /

The statement, credited to a prominent American manufacturer, that Russia, has placed orders in tho United States for approximately £1,600,000,000 worth'of war material, must, be regarded as an American exaggeration unless the orders cover a very long period ahead. America is doing an enormous business in war materials, but Franco and Britain are big customers as well as Russia. The dimensions of the traffic were indicated recently by the New York Post, in an article statins- that during the six months from September, 1914, to February, 1915, inclusive, exports of war materials from the United States reached a value of approximately £18,000,000. This was an increase of over £14,000,000, as compared with the corresponding six months of 1913-14. Most of the exports of the later period went to the then partners in tho lintente, but a not inconsiderable portion was secured b,y Italy. The American export of war materials is expanding rapidly—in February, 1915, it was more than five-fold greater than in September, 1914— but even at this rate it would be a long time before the > total export rcachec! the figure which, according' to tho message quoted, represents Russian orders alone.

"On September 8, 1014. Post Office easli, amounting to £31) 6s. 7(1., and stamps to the value of £38 2,5., wore taken from the postal agency at Fanning Island by a German naval force landed from tho warship Xurnberg."— A paragraph from ths Post and Teler«mrt which tYfts pKeeatcg to Barlij.niam, jnKtMdjjii