CANDID CRITICS IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2604, 28 October 1915, Page 5

CANDID CRITICS IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS

ARE WE MUDDLING IN . THE BALKANS? '■ ■ -GOVERNMKrS POLICY DEFENDED SERBIANS RECAPTURE ; YELES BULGARS DEFEATED BY THE FRENCH * THREATENED. COUP IN RUMANIA • The carefully guarded but neverthless pointed speeches in the House of Lords during the debate on the Government's war methods, with special references to its conduct of the Balkans situation, are an impressive feature of to-day's war news. The Government lias had to defend itself, and Lord Larisdowne's statement of its case, with Lord Curzon's additions, make interesting reading, but, in the words of Lord Lorebuni, who inaugurated the debate, these statements do not constitute a reply to the questions which he formur lated in his opening remarks. Turning to the great war theatres: The Serbians have : regained Veles, and the French have repulscsd an attack by the Bulgarians, but the rest of the news indicates a slow but definite closing-ill of the Austro-German-Bulgar ring, against v which the Serbians are fighting desperately to gain time for the Allies' reinforcements to come up. There is a cheering note of optimism in the commentaries by the war correspondents on- the Russian situation in the Eastern theatre. In the West, the French have effected a smart coup near Ma-ssiges, in the Champagne district.