PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2878, 16 September 1916, Page 8

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Remaining doubts as to the position created by the most .recent French advance on the front running north from the Somrae were pretty thoroughly cleared up by a message which arrived as late news 3*esterclay. It makes the definite 'statement that'for : the- first time since trench warfare was firmly established in the- Western theatre the Allies have'pierced the German line. 'This had been surmised tentatively on the basis of the official reports,, but we now'have it'stated as a fact, and it ! i's a fact-momentous, in itself 'and charged With the ■ promise, of better things to follow,. It is necessary, of course, to avoid' basing exaggerated expectations upon what the Allies have thus far accomplished. They have pierced the German line, but this' does not mean that they liave nothing to.do now but roll it up by flank assaults-in north and south and drive across'country into the heart of the enemy's communications. -The statement that the, enemy line has been pierccd must be taken to mean that on the not. very wicle front to which the claim applies the Allies have stormed and captured .the last of the elaborately prepared field . fortifications which the- Germans have been labouring to improve and perfect during twenty months or more. This seems to be fully established. It is mentioned that most of the positions capturcd by the French 'on' Tuesday were of comparatively recent formation, and of less elaborate' construction than those which were-token in the first stages of the offensive..

That defences of a kind still oppose the Allied progress even on this section of front is not a fact of vital importance. The essential point is that what may bo called the enemy's permanent line has been pierced. Defences which ho intended to be impregnable have been shattered, and though the breach may not be actually opened, it is a reasonable assumption that it will be ocened comparatively easily when the . Allies have extended it north and. south until it is wide enough to serve as the gateway for a grand assault. It has never been suggested'by anyone with the most rudimentary acquaintance with the conditions of the siege-warfare in the Western theatre that the Allies would be mad enough to attempt to break through the German line on a front of a few .miles. To make such an attempt would be to court disaster, because an army pressing forward through too .narrow a broach lays itself most dangerously open to attack in flank. The general "opinion of those who have written on the subject with some pretensions to expert knowledge seems to be that the Allies must open a breach at least twenty miles wide in the enemy's line in order to drive through to an assault upon his communications. It is pretty safe to say that-no matter how weak tho Germans ruay ilow be on the front where their third-line defenecs have fallen, the Allies will not attempt to break through until they havo greatly widened the present breach.

It is nevertheless true that the piercing of the German rampart on the Sonime marks an epoch in the Allied offensive and in the war. The big fact standing out at- the moment is that the Allies have sounded the depth and strength of the German resistance, and demonstrated its limitations. Splendidly as the Allies have progressed in. their sustained assaults upon the enemy field fortifications north and south of the Somine, the extent of the German defences has hitherto been an unknown quantity, and there has accordingly been no visible limit to the probable duration of the struggle. That limit is now in sight, not in the sense that the further duration' of the conflict can be measured'in., so many 1 weeks or months, but still definitely, becanso it has been demonstrated that the

barrier upon which the Germans have lavished their utmost resources in men, work, and material, can be broken. To grasp the full importance of the French achievement it is necessary to bear in mind that they have not only broken and pierced the barrier upon the secure defence of which Germany has so freely staked her best troops and vast material resources, but are well placed to extend the breach on north and south. It would be quite erroneous to suppose that the French have merely driven a precarious wedge through the enemy ramparc. There is, on the contrary, every indication that what they have done is to drive through the last strong German defences on a section of the iront north of the Somme, without taking any undue risks or departing in the slightest degree from the orderly and methodical development of the offensive.

! This appears from the present location of the Allied line, and also from the fact that.the.French have decisively repelled all counterattacks attempted by the enemy'on even the most advanced of their new positions. Unless in minor detail features, the Allied line prior to the latest assault offered the enemy no target for converging attack, and it offers him no such target now. According to the latest reports in hand the French not only retain all the ground they have ■ won, but have effected a further advance to the north which is notable as a /step towards the encircling of Combles. The organised position of Lc Priez Farm, which they have captured, stands cast and slightly south of Combles, at a distance of about twelve hundred yards from the eastern outskirts df the village. It is doubtful whether the Germans now have access to Combles by anyroad that is not commanded by the Allied artillery. That they have not is indicated' in a message just received, which states that Combles is now isolated. La Priez Farm is described as a much stronger posi-. tion than some.-of .those -wnich thoFrench have lately mastered, but it should be noted that it lies well over a mile west of Bancourt, the village which the French have reached on the Bapaumc : Peronne road. No change is' reported. at tho moment on the British front, but it is either here or on the approach to Peronno that the next, big, development of tho offensive seems likely to take shape. Possibly^.the-Allies may act in both localities simultaneously. The French movement against and' around Combles is in any case leading up'to an extension of the British attack towards Bapatime..

No signs of haste- are visible in the development of the Allied offensive on the Greek frontier, but at any moment now its pace may quicken. Already there is a rising tide of battle. On Friday the British advanced through the village of Machukovo, which, stands, in the Vardar valley, a mile or two south of the Serbian frontier, and gained a considerable extent of ground to the northward. It seems likely that their advance carried them beyond the frontier. At the same time the Serbians have been heavily engaged further 'west, and have closely approaohed or crossed the frontier, north of Lake Ostrovo and at other points. It is probable that events have by now advanced considerably beyond the stage disclosed by reports-, in hand. • At- all .events the situation- is eminently calculated -to ' divide- and weaken the" enemy forces. The frontier defences in wliich the Bulgars are established ed are formidable,, but they also demand a- very large ' number of troops to make them secure. The Bulgars have to safeguard not only the main avenues of the Struma and the Vardar, but "-a number of subsidiary avenues : through which the Allies may advance to take them in flank. The possibility that these subsidiary avenues may be turned to ful t'he profitable account is al the greater since the Allies are now well provided with transport suited to the character of the country through which they ai-e called upon to advance.

Reports dealing with the .campaigns on and beyond the Rumanian "frontiers are generally favourable, "but do not clcarly disclose any new development of importance.. There is some talk of a, contemplated enemy offensive in the Balkans, _ but it hardly seems entitled to serious consideration. ' Tho Germans are provided in both main theatres with most excellent reasons for withholding reinforcements from the Balkans.

The internal condition, of .Greece seems to be, if possible,'more chaotic than ■ ever. M. Dijiitrakopoulos, who was .called upon to form a Ministry to succeed the Zaimis Government, was at first described as an outright opponent of M. Venizelos. He has, nevertheless, been quoted as denouncing the "detestable policy of neutrality," but the effccfc of this pronouncement was modified by the further remark that Greece must either definitely enter the conflict on the side of the_ Entente Powers or decide to remain neutral whatever happened —a remark not exactly calculated either to clear the air or to show whore he stood. His apparent adaptability 'seemed to indicate a certain fitness for the task in.hand, but it/ is now reported that he has declined to proceed in the matter. This, if it suggests anything, would seem to suggest. a likelihood of M. Venizelos being called upon to form a Ministry> but the outlook at best is dubious. The German report that the Fourth Greek Army Corps, based on Kavala, has accepted German hospitality for the term of the war probably ' exaggerates, the strength of the force which has surrendered. But there a*re confirmatory reports that the Greek garrison of ICavala, whatever its strength may he, has surrendered, and the incident suggests that the pro-Ger-man Coxstantine is not quite at an end of his tether. Short of revolution, Greece seems doomed to fritter away the poor chances shc # still has of regaining her lost standing.

Can a member of the Territorials unlit for active or home service be compelled to attend Territorials' drill? The question arose in the Palmerston .North Court yesterday (says a Press Association telegram}, when I'. Madden was charged with failure to attend drill. Defendant stated that all his brothers had enlisted, but he himself li-id been rejected.. The Magistrate (Mr. J. W. PoyntoiO inquired of the officers if it was not absurd that a man unfit for home service.should attend drill? They'might as well compel a cripple to attend. Tlio reply was tliilt defendant had passed the medical tc.sti'or the Territorial forces. The fact that ho had been turned flown for.active service did not affect his IVrritorial obligation. Defendant was convicted and discharged!