PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2510, 10 July 1915, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Light is being cast only gradually upon the trend of events in the main theatres of war. In Southern Poland, it_ is true, the Russians, after a period pi adversity, seem •at last to bo_ reaping some benefit from their patient and sacrificing strategy. Resigning a wide belt of their own territory in their northward retreat from Galicia, in tho area east of the Vistula, they have cast problems of transport upon the enemy of which bo is now evidently feeling the pinch. If the Germans wish to make, further progress in Southern Poland they will have to expand their past efforts, and if instead _ they should slacken their offensive the Russians appear to.be in fairly good case to turn tho changed • circumstances to account. The metaphor of a compressed spring, so. often used in reference to the Russian strategy, still holds good. No such definite turn of events is disclosed at the' moment on the othor main - battle-front. Thcro is very, little news calculated to resolve the feelings of suspense generated by, the expectation of a German blow in the Western theatre. It is not much to the purpose that in the local battles of the immediate past, north of Arras and. on the Lorraine border, the French appear to have had decidedly the best of the fighting. A stir of battle at different points maj be expected to precede the mighty stroke which the _ Germans arc believed to .be meditating, and if the expectation is correctly based the fighting now going on is mere preliminary sparring and a mask of preparation for greater things.

* i • • « In the circumstances that, exist interest centres in what is known of the resources that the combatant Powers will bring' to bear upon a crucial test of strength. Not much is added to this knowledge' by tho news now arriving, but thero arc some interesting references to the subject of German . reinforcements, and the movement of troops from cast_ to west. ' A message from Zurich states that two thousand troop trains have passed westward over the Rhine;- The news is unofficial, but sirice such a movement of troops is to bo expected, unless the signs of tho war have been misread in tho Western theatre, it may contain at least an element of truth. Another message in this, connection also comes from Switzerland. The Geneva correspondent of tho 'Daily Express reports that in August Germany will place one million: men in the field, consisting chiefly of reservists who have never served, many of' them elderly, and wounded men who have recovered. More importance attaches to the statement of- tho samo correspondent that eighteen army corps havo been training and equipping for six months. This last statement has been made before. It implies that Germany has at present command some 800,000 men of good quality to reinforce, her armies in. the field. According to tho computation of the French official review, this should bo the final batch of Germany's (Sffective reserves. That Germany has trained a million men in addition to these 800,000 reserves, if that-is what the'message implies, is somewhat open to doubt. Even if she has managed to assemble 1 an additional forcc Dy calling up men who would ordinarily, by reason of age or other considerations, be exempt, the training of 1,800,000 onen within a,brief period is prob"ably an absolute impossibility. According to the French review Germany cannot effectively train more than 800,000 men at one time, and making every allowance for possible error, it is most unlikely that the number can be more than doubled. There remains a possibility that Germany has assembled a' scratch force of all available men,- including many .of poor quality from the military standpoint, and is putting them through some sort of hasty training in the hope thatvthey may be of some use in fighting a delaying campaign in the Eastern theatre. \# * # *

On available information, However, Germany should be '"incapable of.adding,more than 800,000 fit men to her armies in the field at the present timo, and, if her rate, of wastage has been only equal during the last six months'to the rate during the earlier months of the war (it has probably greatly exceeded it) tho total strength of her armies, including the. latest, batch of 800,000 reserves, should be something less than five million men, and with any conceivable adjustment of strength she is likely to bo heavily outnumbered on both fronts. In actual fact, tho German strength may be a good deal less than fivo million men, for tho losses sustained in Galicia alono, have undoubtedly been enormous.' A very important factor about . which very little _ is known is tho strength of tho British Armies in France and Flanders. In April Mn. Lloyd George stated that there were something like 700,000 men in the field, and that all losses had been made good. It may be supposed that by this time the number ha's been very greatly increased, but thero are no definite, facts to go upon. _ Franco appears to have maintained her active armies at 1 a constant strength of 2,500,000 men, but sho has also largo reserves oftrained and partly-trained' men_ to draw upon, and is still building thorn up. experts who have reviewed tho position, the opinion scoms to bo general that under any reasonably possible adjustment of force as between the Eastern and y/sstcra -

outnumbered in the latter field of operations. * if * v * In such a test of strength as seems to bo in prospect tho factor of numbers will bs of vital importance, but it is not by any means the only asset possessed by tho A Yes tern Allies. If official and other reports are to bo trusted they have a superiority in artillery which arises largely from the ascehdency of their aerial arm over that of the enemy. Good air work is essential to efficient use of artillery under modern conditions, and the Allied aviators .not only do this work efficiently but very largely, prevent a similar service being rendered to tho enemy. The ascendency of tho aerial arm-is, of course, equally important whoro scouting and, reconnaissance are concerned. The Allies have before now demonstrated that they are able to launch a surpriso attack against tho Germans—Neuvo Chapello was. a notable example—but unless the superiority of the Allied airmen has been greatly overrated any Gorman concentration of troops and artillery for a massed attack must inevitably be detected. Another point to be remembored is that during the months of battle, since they took tho offensive the Western Allies, have not b'een fighting merely to wear down the enemy's strength but to improve ansJ strengthen thpir battlofront and weaken that of 1 the enemy;

*'# « » - The policy of the Western Allies has been compared by Colonel Maude to the laying of foundations by an engineer before he builds. "The nearer tho moment has come for erecting l tho walls upon tho foundations, the more minutely and thoroughly_ has the Allied work concerned itself with these foundations alone." . In effect the Allies have made it their constant aim and policy to gain positions from which they are in a convenient position to strikq an effective blow at, the enemy, and, at'the same time to malcc any effective stroke by tho enemy more difficult. Fruits of this policy are already visible. In Southern Alsace the French have passed the Vosges, and their guns dominate the Alsatian plain. They a.'o making headway in the valleys further north, and no other explanation .is needed of the report that the Germans are constructing great fortifications on tho Alsatian plain than that in this region their line is gravely menaced. Similarly on both sides of the St. Mihiel salient (opposite the Lorraine border) the French pressed forward until they practically command the enemy communications. The Champagne offensive drove the Germans back towards a lateral railway in rear of their line. In a long series of such efforts, possibly the most imr portant of all is the French offensive in Northern France which has been suspended within three or four miles of the Lens-Arras railway, an exceedingly important link in the Gorman commanications.

On what is known of tho situation the possibility' of the Germans launching a successful offensive in the Western theatre seems small, but short of this crowning disaster great and grave dangers are still apparent. Even, a partial German defeat, in such circumstances that the Allies were unable to follow.it up with vigour, .would, produce at least temporary dangers" which might not easily be overcome. It is obvious enough that a defeat which yet left the Gernian .armies in a state to fall back in good order to a shorter line, would expose tha.Russians and possibly the Italians also,, to much heavier as-* saults than they are called upon to bear at present." Thrown back ,upon her own Western frontier, on a line running 'south from the frontier of Holland, Germany would be a tremendously formidable antagonist. So placed, she would derive the utmost possible from her perfect system of strategic railways, and her armies to-da'y are as great or greater than tlfose with which she entered the wa-r. The advantages to Germany of falling back to a shorter line and taking up a defensive attitude'in the Western theatre,, are in fact so obvious that only her disinclination to resign occupied territory and face the loss of prestige that would be involved will account for her nob having fallen, back- of her own accord. Meantime a partial victory over the Germans in France and Flanders might be a very doubtful benefit. In looking at the broad facts, tho possibility must of cpurse be considered that by forcing a'test of strength in the Western theatre the Germans may be inviting a paralysing defeat. It is largely- a'matter of resources and state of preparation, and the Allies have much in-their favour. In their days of weakness, and when they were they, fought the Battle of th 6 Marne. If their preparations are sufficiently advanced at the present stage they may not only smash the contemplated German assault, but deliver such a counterstroke as would jeopardise the German prospects of making a final defensive stand oh a shoiter line.

.'Apart from individual items which speak for themselves, the war cablegrams to-'day present no: very striking detail feature. Tho fact that tho ■ Russians.; hg-ve ' for ' the time be r ing stemmed the Austro-German offensive in Southern Poland is attested not only in their own. dispatches, but in those of enemy origin. News of tho fighting in this area, however, would not in itself 'encourage a belief; that the enemy have reduced their forccs. It is a reasonable deduction- from the reported circumstances' that \ they could do so only at the cost of losing much of the territory they havo lately gained, .rfnd amongst other things this might have a very important influence . upon tho Balkan States, which are more or less undccidcd upon the question of peace •or war. The Galician offensivo has sorved possibly its _ most effective purpose in impressing these countries, and the impression might not survive an ■ Austro-German retreat. The French north of Arras and the British in~ Southern Flanders appear to have had tho advantage in such battles as havo been lately fought. At time of writing no important change is - reported on the Austro-Italian frontiers. There is little fresh news from tho Dardanelles, but Mk. . Ashmead- Bartlett contributes a .spirited description .of the recent battlo in wiioh'the Allies •gained a thousand yards of ground on the left of their southern line. His summing-up of the position on tho Gallipoli Peninsula is that the Turkish spirit is failing, and that their infantry aro averse to moving in the daytime, though they are still formidable in the night attacks, which are greatly favoured by the nature of the country.' Interesting possibilities are awakened by the news that it was a British'submarine which blow up a German preDreadnought battleship. in the Baltic lost '.weefco-v-

LOCAL AND GENERAL Tlio work of EcttLUfj b ac k tliat pro» jecting section 'of footpath, between' Mercer Street and Radford and Co.'a premises ill Willis Street has been put in hand. _It is anticipated that tho wood-blocking of the section will bq completed next week. Tho completion of tnis work will effect a vast improve mont in that busy locality. ' At the- next-meeting of tie Chamber of Commerce Mr. Clarksoii will move that it be a, recommendation

to the Government to make provision whereby payments made to returned troopers shall bo available at the Post Office or Defence Office in. tho district whero they registered. • It is not generally known that there is one City street corner traversed, by, a double tramway track where two cars cannot pass one another without colliding, and, of course, a. regulation is in force that they are riot to attempt ■ to do so. That corner is the junction. of Cuba Street and Vivian. Street,.opposite Patrick's drapery warehouse. This is a particularly busy corner,' and tho disabilities from a tramway standpoint are considerable on account of , the limitation of road space. To overcome this difficulty the ■ City Council is at' present negotiating for the pur-< cbaso of the comor block from tho owners—the executors of _the Grace Estate.-' The owners wore disinclined to sell to the City just enough of the corner section to enable a triangular piece to be resumed for street-widening purposes, ' but agreed to sell the whole block at Government valuation. The transaction' is not yet completed, but negotiations have proceeded so far as to assure that the land will bo acquired,'and subject (to an arrangement with the lessee that \ the work of setting back tho corner will be undertaken' in the not far distant future. The property proposed to bo acquired by tho City includes Patnckis corner, tho \two brick shops adjoining on the Cuba Street side, and' another adjoining property on the Vivian Street frontage. . > " A most difficult problem' confronted the Magistrate at the Magistrate's Court yesterday. Ifc was 110 problem " bristling with legal technicalities, neither was it some, obtuse law point advanced by a, lawyer, it was simply tho case of an old weatherbeaten man of - 8:5 years charged on' five counts with allowing cattlo to wander. No matterwhat was said by the prosecution ■or by His Worship the old man just mumbled,' "I have no cattle." Tho City, Solicitor explained that the old man' had been brought repeatedly before the Court and fined, but always denied the cattlo were his. There was uo doubt but that tho cattle were his property, as he always had charge, of them. .The' ' Magistrate remarked that it. was hardly, any use fining "tho poor old fellow"' while he was too old ite take advantage , of the alternative. Eventually, after some cogitation, the Magistrate fined him £1, with the option of 48 hours' imprisonment. Wednesday, August 4, being the annw versary of the declaration of war, it has been suggested that the day Should be observed'by the Church of England as a day of special prayer. Bishop iSprott' stated at yesterday's sitting of the Anglican Diocesan Synod that the suggestion commended itself to him, and no hoped that it would be possible for ' • all the parishes to carry it out.

"Now you see: what you've landed yourself into," remarked His Worship at the Magistrate's Court yesterday to' a seaman named John Evenson, charged rath assaulting a ship's mato named David Bertie.'.On tlio day on which the assault) >was committed, Evenson had arrived back at his vessel, the La Blanpa, and from the row ,he -created in tue "donkey room" it was very evident where Evenson 'had'spent mo'6t;of his time on land. The first mate, who was on the wharf superintending unloading timber, called out to Evenson to keep quiet, whereat Evenson. made his way to the wharf, and under the canopy of a huge load of timber'being hoisted from tho vessel, felled the mate who had remonstrated with him. Bertie i was removed to the "Hospital, where medical expenses incidental to lis soV journ; there totalled £4 ls. 6d. Evenson was ordered to pay this • amount, failing which to spend 14 days in gaol. , A meeting of creditors in the bank rupt estate of John and William King(ston Connell, hotelkeepers. will be held at the office of the Official Assignee on Jiily .15 at 11 a .m. _ Factory butter is now being retailed in Masterton at Is. 9d. per pound. A deputation, in connection with the Upper Gorge bridge, which is in a bad stato of repair, will wait on the-Min-ister of Public Works nest Wednesday, (states our Pahiafcua correspondent).Tho Pahiatua County Council will be represented by the chairman, Councillor Thomas Hodgins. Corporal G. Stedman was decorated with the Distinguished Conduct Medal for gallantry in rescuing a wounded man under fire and attending the wounded under heavy fire at the Dardanelles. He is the third son- of Mr. A. Stedman, manager of the Bank of New South! Wales, Christchurch, and is 23 years of age. lie studied at Lincoln College, and took a diploma before leaving that '' institution and going on the land. He went to Egypt- with the C.Y.C., but volunteered for the infantry in order to get to the front. The following N.C.O.'s for the BtK Reinforcements left Napier bv the mail train yesterday morning for Trentham: Gisborne—G. H. Black, W. Graham. W; H. Graham, C. A. Hart, G. B. M'Far* lane, S. W. V. Williams. Hastings—< Thomas Alexander Nicholl, sohoolma&i ter, District High School Napier-4 Harry Thomas Peat, jeweller; Alexander Reabon Sutherland, engineer; Chas. Spingeon Babington, clerk; J, A. B,- - Thdmpson. : ' Writing from the 'Palace Hotel Ho si pital, 1 at Alexandria, Private U. H. Good, of the 6th (Hauraki) Company, ' says:—"Sergeant 1 Bruce, Corporal Dynes, both 6tli Haurakis, and I had the honour of being picked put of the company, as the best'shots, for sniping. Our duties woro to find the enemy's scipers, who generally came out at night and tried to pick off our officers. On Monday, April 26, at about 7.30 p.m., we three were surprised'by seven Turks, but fortunately we accounted for all of them. - After fighting for eight' days I becamo ill and had to be carried down: to .the field hospital, and was then sent back to Alexandria ori' the transport Gloucester Castle. Here I. am well looked after by Australian nurses, who , do all they possibly can for us." Die following remits respecting horse! breeding will come 1 before the confer-* once, of the Council of Agriculture:— Canterbury: "That this conference views with alarm the general falling-off in the breeding of horse;" suitable, for artillery and cavalry,' and strongly urges the various A. and P. Associations and tho Council of Agriculture to foster the breeding of horses suitable for army purposes." Kaikoura: "That the trotting 'breed bo .not . encouraged for military Temounts." Dr. 0. J. Beakes, DV.Sc., M.R.C.V.S. (Director of Liro Stock and Meat Division, Department of Agriculture) will address tho conferomo on the subject of "Remounts and Artillery Horses." : Tho centre pole is being gradually; eliminated from tho Wellington Tramway Service.. The two centre poles in Lambton. Quay opposite tlie Kelburn Power Station aro to bo shifted.very, shortly. ■< ■.

Cyclists; motorists, and others of the kind would 1)6 wise to pay attention to the lighting of tlioirvehicles after .dark. lii the Magistrate's Court yesterday, Mr. D. G. A. S.M., intimated, for the benefit of; those concerned, that in future; the tines .for . people riding and driving unlighted vehicles . after dark would be increased from ss. to 10s., meaning that in future first offenders in this respect would he penalised to tho extent of 10s., with-court costs ;7s. .Tho rise in price cannot he'ascribed to tho war, the apparent source of; all rises, but is the result apparohtly of the_ Magistrate observing numbers of unlighted vehicles - gravelling along Molcsworth Street on a teeent .evening.

The Town Clerk of Wellington (Mr. 'J. R.'Palmer), under instructions from the Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke), ; lias written to tho'Holl. J, Allen, Jlinister of Defence, stating that ;.the' City , Council • places at the Government's; disposal the public recreation ground at Lyall Bay for the purposes of a camp. It •is . l>oiiitod out that' the ground was "used for an encampment by the .Canterbury Section of the first force which left New Zealand, and that the officers then under canvas there declared it to-be an ideal spot for tho purpose.

Fat cattle are very hardi '. to procure in tho Wairarapa just now (says' our Masterton. correspondent), and big prices are ruling. An early. increase in th'o price, of. beef is anticipated. At a. meeting of the Petone Carnival Queen Committee held . last evening "(the Mayor, Mr. J.- W. -M'Ewan presiding) it was decided to invite the Wellington and .Lower Hutt committees to attend,a meeting to bo held at-Petono next Tuesday ' evening, for the purpose of; organising , a social. Tho chairman intimated that in Petoiie the total amount collected was £4450, or lOsi per Ifead of'population. The expenditure was- £180, or 2 per cent, of the receipts.

In response to a complaint by him 'tis to delay in obtaining telephone communication at, certain offices on the ■Manawatu lino, Mr. W. H. Field lias been informed by the PostmasterGeneral that provision will be made in this year's Estimates for an additional circuit between Paekakariki and Waikanae in order to prevent, the delay complained of. Mr D. M. Yeats (secretary of .tho Lower Hutt Carnival Queen campaign) states that tho net proceeds of the various stalls and, bazaars : were as follow General stall, organised by Ladies' Committee in Newtown Park and . lown Hall, £119 15s. 6d;; Mrs. Lewis' stall, Park and Hall, £55 4s. 10d,; Mrs. Ken-nedy^-salo.of viburnum, £6 9s. Id.; Eastern Hutt bazaar,"" £33 15s. 7d.; Hutt District High School .bazaar, £20; Mrs. Skinner's ' bazaar, £10:,' total, 1p245 7s.