PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2861, 28 August 1916, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Special significance possibly attaches to the fact that tho latest development reported in the Eastern campaign is a movement by the Russian. which is calculated to exland their hold upon tho Carpathians range, and give them command of another pass. They aro already in touch with the Jablonitza Pass, by way of which a railway runs through the mountains' from Galicia into Hungary, and they aro now shown to have reached the near neighbourhood of the Pantyr Pass, about 20 miles further west. Tho Russian advanced troops have reached the sources of the Bystritza, that is to say, high country a few miles north of the Pantyr Pass. Advancing into this region, tho Russians may intend either to attack tho Pantyr Pass or merely to gain such a command over tho northern approaches as would preclude the possibility of its being used by the enomy. The importance of tho Pantyr Pass is all tho greater since tho mountains run unbroken by another pass for nearly fifty miles to the north-west? Deprived of its use tho enemy would have greater difficulty than over in maintaining his communications between Hungary and Galicia..

This approach to the Pantyr Pass brings the invasion of Hungary into somewhat nearer prospect, hut it is a solitary and detail revelation in a.situation generally obscure. Some days ago an official report indicated that tho Russians were advancing through the Jablbnitza Pass, but it has not yet been amplified. The Russians have undoubtedly gained advantageous positions immeaiately north of the Carpathians, hut it docs not follow absolutely as a matter of course that they are on the point of invading Hungary. Expectations of such an invasion rest Very largely upon late developments in tho Balkans and an anticipation of Rumanian intervention. To-day's reports, for what they are worth, indicate that Rumania is on the point of joining the Allies. It is not impossible that Rumanian intervention and a Russian invasion of Hungary from the north may occur simultaneously.

Little has been made known during tho last few days about events in Galicia and Southern Russia, on tho front facing Lemborg and Kovel, but it is plain that at any moment battles may opon upon which the fate of these vital centres would turn. General Brusiloff has certainly not pressed forward from one victory to anothor in order to stand fast at this stage of tho campaign, with two such prizes almost within his grasp. While there is every reason to believe that the Russian southern armies are gathering head for anothor great effort, it is hardly conceivable that General Brusiloff has such a force at command as he-'is credited with in some reports of German origin transmitted to-day. According to • one enemy writer, General Brusiloff's armies aggregate two million men, 1,400,000 actually engaged and 600,000 in reserve. _ This seems to be an insfcnoo in which the enemy, for his own purposes, is seeking 1 to convey an exaggerated impression of tho forces By which he is opposed. It must, of course, be his own people whom the enemy is attempting to deceive, and the most obvious explanation of such a deception at the present -juncture is that tho Germans and thoir allies anticipate an early and heavy dofeat on the Southern Russian front.

Abortive and very costly counterattacks by the onemy. and a further British advance into the eastern defences of Thiepval aro the latest developments in the Somme battle reported at time of writing. No great extent of ground has been captured in the latest attack, but it is ground which the enemy has defended with an utter disregard of sacrifice.

' A' dispatch from a Daily Mail correspondent in Picardy deserves particular attention on account of its lucid explanation of that section of the battle in which the British forces are engaged. He speaks of the German front across the plateau,, south of Bapaume as an eight-mile fortress, in which Thiepval on the west and Guillemont on the east are great protecting bastiops. The position reached is that the outworks of both Thiepval and Guillemont have been carried. In most of the intervening area, tho Germans are defending positions on lower ground than is now occupied by, the British troops and Thiepval itself is under dominating fire. There can be no doubt that the use of the term fortress in reference to the section of German front described is strictly accurate. It is fully established that tho Germans are defending this and other sections of their lino on the Somme as a vital fortress, to be held at all costs. It is not conclusively established, but it is strongly suggested, by available evidence, that as a result of this attitude the enemy is not only fighting a losing battle, but is fighting it under desperately disadvantageous conditions, and suffering losses which materially exceed those of the Allies.

The very important point is emphasised by the Daily Mail correspondent that the British.bombardment is taking heavy toll, not only of Iho enemy troops holding positions,, but of the much more numerous supports massed in rear of theso positions. Such counter-attacks as are reported to-day are, of course, another fruitful source of enemy loss. He states also, and there-havo been otlicr recent reports to the samo effect, that the Allies are able to develop their methodical invasion of the enemy positions at comparatively small loss to themselves. _ Allowance must be made for Allied losses under bombardment, but it seems highly probable that in the conditions at pres'ent ruling the balance of losses turns decidedly against tho enemy.

Even the official reports, though "they do not go much into details, are not lacking in evidence that the Allies have gained a very complete mastery of the situation. Sir .Douglas Haig remarks that the importance tho enemy attached to the

Thiepval sector was shown in his great (and unavailing) effort to recover the ground of the Leipzig salient, south 'of Thiepval. Ho mentions also tho hoavily increased concentration of men and guns effected by the enemy in this area. A notable detail is tho employment of the Prussian Guard, a corps into which tho enemy 116 doubt continues to draft the best fighting material of which ho is possessed. Tho total offect of tho evidence in hand is to show that tho enemy is using up his best troops, and generally squandering his resources in attempting to arrest an offensive which makes continuous headway in spite of his utmost efforts.