PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2557, 3 September 1915, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

• News of the Eastern campaign today tells of Russian victories, imiportant in themselves and hopeful also in their bearing upon the campaign as a whole. In the Baltic provinces and in Galieia ; that is to say, at the two extremities of their long front, the Russians have, fought pitohed battles with the enemy, _ before whom a Berlin communique yesterday described them as fleeing houelessly, and in each case they have gained the day. _ There is no need to magnify the importance of these victories. They do not mean that the tide has turned in the Eastern campaign, that the German offensive has been broken, or anything of that kind. The importance of these battles and their outcomo lies in the proof they afford of the vitality of the Russian armies and their unbroken fighting .power after months of slow, retreating in which they have been gradually conceding territory and fortresses to the enemy. In spite of all that has been said on the subject there is a .constant tendency—of t<in evidenced-'in the 'war news and elsewhere—to overlook tho fact that the Russian retreat is not a- mere yielding to enemy pressure, but represents in part at least—perhaps in very great part—a deliberate excrciso of strategy. The battles fought and won in 'the Baltic provinces and in Galicia will serve to give prominence to the actual facts of the campaign and particularly to tho i facfc that tho fighting" power of the Russian armies as compared with that of the Austro-German forces 'opposed to them is as great if not greater (all thingi considered) than when their retirement began. 41 ' # # * _ 'About the battles -themselves there is not much that need be added to what is said about them in _ the cablegrams. In the Baltic provinces the Germans ,wero beaten heavily in an attempt to cross the River Dwina and so get astride a branch railway at a point midway between Riga and Dvinsk, the latter place a junction on the Petrograd railway. If tho German assault had succeeded, tho Russians would have been compelled to at once evacuate Riga, and the way would have been open for an immediate attack, on Dvinsk, a stop ■on the still fairly lengthy road that leads to Petrograd. This battle appears to be only a section of a wido ly-extended attack which the Germans are pressing at a- number of points' between the Baltic Provinces I and the areas lying immediately cast of North and Central Poland. It cannot be assumed that the Rus- ! sian retreat on this front of between four and five hundred miles has Machod its limits—in fact it certainly has not—but it has been.very convincingly demonstrated that German boasts about pursuing, a beaten enemy ; are so mum moonshine and that the German legions.aro purcha& ing each _forward_step at heavy cost and making it with difficulty. » ■ » • e The battle in Galicia, in which' the Russians repulsed the' massed attacks of an Austro-German army, of about 200,000 men, amply provided with heavy artillery, was fought' on a long front extending nearly all the way across tho province. That the Russian victory was oompleto is evidenced in the fact that they launched successful counter-at-tacks and made heavy captures of prisoners and guns. The importance and significance of the success are all tbe greater when it is remembered that some of tiho heaviest fighting in the battle occurred on the" River Bug, only twonty miles east of Lemberg, and in a locality where the enemy had the signal advantage of several lines of railway (radiating from Lemberg) running up to their front. The Austro-Giermans thus fought under supremely advantageous conditions—conditions they cannot hope to parallel at many points on the 'Eastern front even as matters stand and which will be still less attainable if the Russians find it necessary to evacuate the remaining portion of Galicia and retire as they have _ don© elsewhere into their own territory. * * * *• It is a fact worth noting, as showing how far the Russians-., aro from being broken and demoralised, that though they evacuated Lemberg on June 22, more than two months ago, they are still fighting only about twenty miles east of that place. ' * * # # News ' in hand docs • not give any very connected idea of the operations in progress along the front north and south of Grodno, but it is evident that the evacuation of Drmtoi. , oi the Bus*

likely to be very' . long delayed. ■ The prospect is not one that need cause' surprise, for Grodno is an advanced post in a of the lino, of battle extending north as far as Vilna, upon which the Germans are operating at a less serious disadvantage in the matter of communications than in any other part of the Eastern theatre except Galicia. Grodno is only fifty miles away from the Russian frontier, and Vilna (which the enemy have not yet reached) is a hundred miles away, and there, arc several railways running across country to aid the German advance, A retirement in this region is therefore a natural outcomo of the Russian policy, of drawing the enemy awa.y from his strategic railways into areas where he will encounter great and constantly increasing difficulties in maintaining his communications. The situation of tho Russians of course has its dangers. Both Grodno and Vilna. aro on the main railway funning north to Petrograd, and the.capture of these places will more or less pave tho way for a, northward advance against the Russian capital if the Germans are minded to. attempt it. It is suggested also that tho enemy contemplates a new and moro powerful offensive in Galicia; where he has lately been defeated, designed in tho first instance to drive the Russians away from the Rumanian frontiers and then to striko at tho railways running north from th© Black Sea ports. The information is not in' ' hand which would make it possible to form a confident estimate of the I possiblo or probable development of ; these enterprises, but it is not too | much to say that they can be devcl- , oped only if the enemy greatly expands and strengthens the forces he ! has already brought to bear upon 'the Eastern campaign. So far from within sight of a - decision whion would enable him to transfer | forces to other theatres of war, tho enemy seems to be faced by the alternative of either resigning', much that ho has won or greatly augmenting his present forces. Except in Central Poland, where they have 1 at present .the advantage of river communications which will not be ava.ili.able in winter, tho AustrorGermans have gained muoh of their. past success in fairly/ close touch with, good railway communications. . * # ■ *.-,* They now have the option of drawing back or of proceeding on widely diverging; lines of -advance into areas which will grievously hamper tho cumbersome transport ' upon which the-German and Austrian armies are so completely dependent. Railways whioh have been destroyed can be repaired to an extent, but the Austro-Germans as they advance into Russia may find their resources in tho way of railway-repairing overtaxed. Roads will not provide an alternative, for roads as a general rule are. few. and bad in those parts of Russia now being inva,ded, and not many of them have a surface fitted to bear heavy transport. The Austro-Germans aro being led into regions where lakes and marshes and forests abound—a country the worst adapted in the world to the progress and operations of the great maohlnemodelled army which the Russians have w'isely declined to fight to . a decision on its own ground. The Russian army and Russian strategists, .on tho other hand, are naturally able' to adapt themselves .comfortably to the conditions which arc so unfavourable' to the ; elaborate German military. organisation. By their retreat the Russians aro at; onco imposing ever-increasing difficulties and burdens on thoir enemies and creating' conditions which will enable "them ; to. attack and engage these enemies under a constantly diminishing handicap until the time arrives when equipment, and_ possibly action by the Western Allies, enables them to resume the offensive. * * * # :'A late message quotes a Russian communique as reporting that the Germans have captured Orany, whioh is on the Petrograd railway about midway between Vilna and Grodno. Tho evacuation of both theso places is likely to be 'hastened as a result. The same communique tells of further successful .fighting in.G&licia, but indicates that there also another retirement is in prospect. # * # » Hopes Jmsed upon recent Turkish communiques are realised to-day in a report from Sir lan Hamilton, which states' 'that., the British east of Suvla Bay_ have captured a position dominating portion of a valley running across the' Gallipoli Peninsula. The Australians and New Zealanders also have made an appreciable gain of ground, which; means that they have made some progress towards capturing Sari Bair and the dominating ridge which runs south from that elevation. Just how far matters have gone is not dis closed by the very_ brief report in hand, but the fighting has evidently been of the most desperate description. ■■'. * * * •.* Official news tells only of minor actions and detail events on the Western front, but there is a story from London about a suddenly summoned Cabinet meeting, attended by Lord' Kitchener, which is regarded as possibly portending developments in thb war theatre. Probably the rumour rests upon nothing more definite than the -likelihood that the Allies may take the offensive before winter,_ but the likelihood none the less exists. - Existing conditions in the Eastern campaign would favour such an enterprise, for the Germans ar® already deeply involve'd in the Russian theatre and likely to be oven more deeply involved in the near future.. At tho same time there is force in the opinion l lately expressed that decisive events in tho near future are to-be looked 'for. rather-.at tho Dardanelles than in either of the main theatres. * *'.*■« Positive evidence of • Germany's chango of . attitude in regard to the submarine campaign is supplied in an assurance given by Count Bernstorff to the American . Government that submarines henceforth will not torpedo liners _ without • warniiig arid without providing for the safety of non-combatants.' The position "in regard to ordinary merchant ships has yet to be established, but thero is one suggestive item of news to-day indicating that Germany may have decided upon a radical change of policy. It is to the effect that- Grand Admiral von Tirpitz, the man primarily responsible for the pirato / war, is jll 'from overwork, and has been advised by his doctor to take a holiday. This may possibly mean that he lias been md'de the scapegoat, and temporarily at least retired from office.-