PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2552, 28 August 1915, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

No surprise will bo awak'ened by the news of another retirement of the Russian armies in the Eastern theatre, involving tho evacuation of the fortress 'of Brest Litowsk, for it has obviously been impending for days past. Tho prediction made some wceks i ago, when the fate of Warsaw still hung in the balance, that the Russians would probably not retire beyond the line of the Niemen and Bug (roughly, a north and south line 120 njiles cast of the longitude of Warsaw) was quite unofficial. It did not come from tho Russian military authorities, and there is on that account tho less reason to be surprised at its being falsified by events. Unlike the line of the Vistula, continued on the north by tho Narew and the Bobr, the Nie-njen-Bug line does not present a continuous natural obstacle to an invading enemy, and in point of fact it has never morethan approximately coincided with tho battle-front on which the Russians during the last few- weeks have been either standing at bay or slowly giving ground before the Austro-German onset. Now, following on theif withdrawal from Brest Litowsk, the Russians are retiring eastward 'on x a front of 150 miles north and south of that fortress. If the Times correspondent at Petrograd is to be trusted, the retirement will presently extend to tho Russian front further north. As yet, however, the retirement pivots on tho fortress of 'Grodno, which stands on the Niemen, fifty miles away from tho Prussian frontier and 80 miles south of the latitude of Vilna, and the Russians are still holding the enemy along the Niemen for a- considerable distance north of' Grodno.' The latter. place is strongly fortified, presumably by field works constructed outside, and well away from the permanent forts, and it is expected that it ,<vill be held for a time to cover the retreat of the forces to the north. . * * * » With matters in tjiis state 1 it is just, as well to. remember that sanguine expectations of an early termination of the Russian retreat havo received no countenance, as far as wo know, from the Russian General Staff. Ther % e has never been any definite ground for 1 assuming that the Russians were likely to retain Brest Litowsk or hold the enemy on the line of the Niemen and the Bug, and the fact that they aro still under the necessity of resigning to the enemy further areas of wasted territory and ._ additional lengths of wrecked railways, does not in any sense imply a disaster. The strategy of retreating to conquer must still look to the future for its reward, but it has not broken down. The Russian armies aro retiring intact,and the evacuation of Brest Litowsk appears to have been an incident in a retreat not seriously hampered by tho enemy at any point. So far as their main campaign is concerned, the Russians have a wide margin to come and go upon. Brest Litowsk, it is true, adds another to the numerous railway junctions which have passed i'nti the hands of. the enemy, but the value of these conquests must bo very greatly reduced by: the methodical work of destruction and removal of things useful the Russians'are carrying out as they retreat. A report .that'the Germans are tearing up some 'five hundred miles of Belgian railways and' transporting the material.soj obtained to Russia is a suggestive indication of the, straits to which they aro 'reduced. ■ Belgium is a country exceptionally well supplied with railways, but it is likely that the Germans have ample, use for the whole of these lines where tkoy lie, and would not remove any of them ..save under the spur of imperative necessity: * * * * In the Baltic Provinces the Russians appear to be standing firm, and the Times Petrograd correspondent, who has been already quoted, states in effect that tho position in this region will only become acute if the. Germans succeed .in turning tho northern flank of the Russian armies 'from the sea. . This is striking, testimony to the value and. importance of the reoent naval victory in and near the Gulf of Riga,, for it means practically that it has averted immediate danger to Petrograd. 'There is much to suggest that critical developments in the Eastern campaign must be looked for in the south, rather than .in the north, but the continued security of Petrograd is nevertheless a matter of tho utmost moment.' The cap-' ture of. the Russian capital would not in itself give the Germans the overwhelming victory they are striving for, but the moral effect, of suoh an event would be very great and far-reaohing, not least upon the neutral countries whose future policy and action must powerfully influence the future course of the war, though not necessarily to the extent of determining its outcome. '' <* i - * • Until a crowning victory,-is won at the Dardanelles it will bo impos L siMo to regard with indifference stories of a . projected Austro-Ger-man offensive 'in tho Balkans. As yet, these stories have hardly emerged from the stage of rumour, unless reports from Bucharest of a stoppage of railway; traffic between Austria and Rumania, in connection with the assembling of AustroGerman forces along the . Danube, on the northern frontier of Servia, can bo so regarded. There is, however, another message fi'om Bucharest which runs, though in-somewhat fuller detail, upon the lines of one dealing with the same subject which was transmitted yesterday by the High Commissioner. This Bucharest report declares that the Austro-. Germans aro preparing to launch an army of invasion into Bulgaria across the narrow, eastern part of Sei'via, a tract-of country just over thirty miles wide, arid that _ Bulgaria has been informed that if she. resists sho will ; suffer Belgium's fate; if sho acquiesces she will he given carte blanche against Scrvia. In one rcspect at least, this statement of tho position compels attention—it bases the possibility of awkward developments in tho Balkans not merely upon an Austro-German -invasion, but upon an assumption that Bulgaria may conceivably take the wrong turning, and ally herself with the Gcrmanic Powers instead of with tho Entente. Hero, .110 doubt, the real problem is- raised.. It is most unlikely that the Austro-Gcr-mans arc in a position to detail,an army capablo of playing unaided the suggested role of conquest in the Balkans. The question really at stake is whether they can divide tho Balkan States and Vgain by diplomacy unci Intrigue tho. oben roadto Jui'kex aud Dardanelles jthioh

seems unattainable by forcc of arms. Bulgaria is in little immediate dan-, ger of sharing the fate of Belgium. Allied with Servia, even if llumania held aloof, she could offer such resistance to an Austro-German army of invasion as would be apt to nip its entxjrpriso in the bud. If a now menace has, appeared in the Balkan enterprise the Germanic Powers are alleged, to contemplate it can only be because there is a possibility that Bulgaria, may fight not as an ally of Servia-, but against her. * * . * .. » The true inclinations of Bulgaria are not a known factor, and it is not of much use speculating about them, but it should be remembered that powerful,'efforts are afoot to promote and cement a- firm league of the Balkan States, and that some tokens have been' given that, these efforts are likely to succeed. Rumania, if reports do not lie, has consistently blocked the' passage of war material to Turkey for a long time past, and thereby contributed materially to that country's downfall. . There have been encouraging accounts also of a probable rapprochement between Bulgaria and Servia, developments in that direction being encouraged by an accommodating . disposition _ on' Servia's part_to yield tho strip of territory in dispute between them. Greece, under the leadership of M. Venizelos, is regarded as being strongly inclined to join the Entente in the •.war against Turkey, and Italy's 'intervention is certainly calculated to confirm Greece in her leaning towards that policy. As a whole, matters are ripe for such an agreement and common action on the part of the Balkan States as'would effectually make an end of AustroGerman hopes' of penetrating the Balkan' Peninsula. * * # » ■ Further accounts , are given today of some details of the great battles lately fought at the-Darda-nelles,, but at time of writing '-no new light is thrown upon the . 'development of the campaign. * *■'.#. # Though it cannot bo taken for granted trat a grand offensive by the Allies on -the Western front is in early prospect, expectations of such an event at tho moment quite overshadow the reports of such fight ing as has lately taken place. A recent announcement that the British front in France has been considerably extended may -perhaps be ac-cepted-as a portent of the coming enterprise. Meantime the principal event recorded on the Western front is a great air-attack upon the German depots, and lines " of communication. Sixty-two aeroplanes attacked a single armament factory near Saa-iiouis (thirty' miles east of Hetz). Later reports show that this attack was one of a series conducted by the different sections of a great fleet which included Britishj French, and Belgiap aeroplanes. A French communique indicates that hea-vy damage was dorio to the armament factory at Saarlouis and elsewhere, but details,as yet are scanty. The Germans, as might be expected, report that no material damage was done, and also that four 'units of the attacking squadron were brought', down, which may or rna-y not be true.' - ■ * , • K tr ft From 'articles appearing 'in rccent English newspapers it may be gathered that an acute difference of Opinion exists- as. to what is' possible'; and practicable in tho way of largely. and speedily augmenting the existing air-fleet with, a view to organising air-attacks upon a grand scale, but no difference of opinion exists as to the offensive power of the aeroplane, and it is: likely'that the air-squadrons of-the Allies have given new proofs of their destructive capabilities; in'the attacks now reported. ' •** * * A remarkable feat by an individual British airman is reported today—that of destroying by bombdropping a German submarine, near Ostend. This is the first occasion on which such a feat has been officially recorded since the war began, and that Squadron-Commander Biqworth performed it, in the immediate vicinity of a' hostile coast, almost entitles him to a-s distinguished a place, in the ranks of airmen as was won by the late > Lieutenant. Warneford, who fought and destroyed a Zeppelin single-handed. It is to be noted that the announcement, by the 'Admiralty mentions that its. practice is to withhold news of the' destruction 'of German submarines, for the reason, of course, that the news might be of value to the enemy/ In this case the practice has been departed from only because the position -of the sunken submarine wa-s located by an enemy destroyer. * k # » Is a body of news to-day which tells, largely of developing intensity and a highly critical, situation, especially in the Eastern campaign, there is one item which constitutes a notable exception. This is a. message, Originating in tyhieh traverses the leading features of peace proposals made by Germany at different times to Russia. In the first place it is stated that something like'five months ago Germany thought it possible to get Russia on her side by offering her tho Dardanelles, and that'when. Russia refused tho Kaiser 'ordered tho Galioian offensive. . The next development is even more interesting, for it is averred that as recently as the latter part of last month Germany renewed her peace overtures to Russia,' ' and that on. this occasion she dangled. Constantinople as a bait, with tho proviso' that Turkey should be given Egypt. If this ' story is true—and the fact is at least established, on. the word of the Russian Foreign Minister, that Germifny has actually made poaco proposals both to Russia anil to France—it is ono of the most hopeful indications yet ■supplied that Germany Is feeling severely the weight of tho war, and is looking desperately for relief. That Germany proposed, shamelessly to barter away the very capital and vital waterways of an ally, who has fought long and bravely in her interests calls for no comment. It is merely another examplo of the degraded perfidy which characterises German policy. But it may be taken as quite certain that Germany would not have advanced these proposals under any less compelling motive than fear as to the outcome of the war. She is capable of sacrificing her ally without a qualm, but, accepting the fact that self-interest was hor only puide, she had to consider tho possibility that her * overtures might be contemptuously rejected, as they have been, and servo only t-o hearten the enemies pledged to her destruction. In tho light of these revelations an added point and meaning is given to the declaration of the Tsar, reported today; "France may rely upon'my unshakeablo will to fight on .Until victory our. efforts^

[ An announcement that the miners - in South Wales arc still making difficulties over the question of a working agreement, and that the l outlook is regarded as grave, : is by, far the worst hews chronicled today. The; only redeeming feature! of the matter is that tho Imperial . Government is apparently standing firm, and is determined to take any,. - measures that may be necessary to secure a full output from the mines!It is quite obvious that these miners need only persist in their present; . tactics and induce a sufficient num.- 1 ber of other workers to adopt a simi-i lar policy to ensure a German victory in the war, and it is to be hoped that the Imperial Government will deal with the matter from this standj ; point. Circumstances. ; cannot bo . conceived which would justify indus* trial , strife at a time like the pre-\ sent, and these-miners, so far from' having any substantial grievance, ; are sheltered by a Government guar.-. ' antee of good wages and working, conditions. Their attitude can only, be regarded as one of -the blackest treason. .