PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2973, 16 January 1917, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

In an eloquent commendation of his soldiers engaged in the Riga offensive General Dimitrieff makes some remarks about the conditions of the conflict which it would probably bo quite erroneous to regard as having general application to the state of affairs now existing on the Eastern front. He singles out the fact that in breaking through fortifications which it took the enemy fifteen months to construct the Russian troops relied chiefly on the bayonet, thus "economising thousands of shells." Much as this redounds to the credit of tlto troops engaged, itl would be but a matter for congratulatio'n if at this stage of the war the Russians were under the necessity of pitting their bayonets against the enemy's artillery and machino-guns,. General Dimithieff's remarks as they stand may seem to bo open to this construction, but fortunately there is no reason to suppose that ho intended to convey any such _ impression. Reports hitherto have disagreed as to whether or not the Russians struck a surprise blow on the Riga front. General Dimitrieff's statement seems to set the question at resT It indicates that the Russians picked their moment, and were on top of the onemy's positions before the latter was able to properly organise his defonce. Until evidence to the contrary is afforded we are justified in believing that the Russians relied upon the bayonet on this occasion, not because they lacked artillery and but bocause an opportunity arose for striking a, swift and unheralded blow. I)i the event the blow was .tremendously effective, bub in order .to continue their offensive, or even to retain the positions thus Far won, the Russians will have to meet the enemy at least upon an equality in tho factor of artillery. It is only reasonable- to assume that they havo made their preparations accordingly.

Much more explicit evidence is available as to the relative artillery strength of the Russian and enemy armies than is contained in General DiiimuEFF's order to his troops. For instance, General BrusiliOFP made a statement on the subject in November last, which was quoted only a few days ago. "Even this year (191G)," he said, "we have been obliged to conduct our offensive with an inferiority in material and heavy guns. Next year we shall have iA;ibcria] on an equality with tho enemy, and a superiority in human resources • whicli should steadily increase as loDg as the war endures." This statement by.-an authority who speaks with unrivalled knowledge is worth recalling- not only for tho sake of correcting any inaccurate interpolation oT General .Diiutrieff's order, but because it furnishes a standard by which to measure some reports that are current in regard to the enemy's plans for the-approaching spring campaign. To-day, for instance, we arc told on tho authority of certain Borliu correspondents that the German method, whon spring arrives, will be to hold the lino in the West while Hindenburo strikes a blow in tho East. This is a programme which, short of some unforeseen failure on tho part of the Allies, tho enemy will certainly not succeed in carrying out. Those who outline it assume, or profess to assume, that ho will recover this year tho initiative which he lost when the Russians opened their southern offensive last summer, and whicli ho has since utterly failed to regain; and tho assumption will not bear examination.

If the Rumanian operations have altered tho balance- of strength in the main theatres, it is more likely that they have done so to the enemy's disadvantage than in tl» opposite direction. In such a retreating campaign as they have been fighting, the Rumanians ancl the Russian forces sent to their assistance have certainly lost heavily in men., They have probably lost many more men than the enemy. It may nevertheless bo safely taken for granted that spring will find the enemy faced by a numerical superiority on the Eastern fronft as well as in other theatres. As to material, nothing is more certain than that the enemy's expenditure under this head in tho Rumanian campaign has been much heavier than that of the Allies. It is stated today, that over a thousand AustroGorman guns from the Rumanian front have been returned to the workshops (for repair), and that flhe campaign up to the present has accounted for the cntiro output of the German munition factories for two months.

These partioulare may or may not be aomowhii.t exaggerated, but it is not in doubt that the- enemy's losses in men aud expenditure of material iu the Rumanian campaign will materially affect his lighting power when the strugglo is resumed in full vigour in tho main theatres, while the Allies b&ve made

relatively small inroads upon their material resources and retain a very great numerical superiority. Tho Rumanian campaign has its dark features. They are- visible in a wide extent of Allied territory abandoned for tho time to a brutal and morciloss enemy. But tho feature which counts so far a« tho broad trend of the war is concerned is tho enemy's continued failure to redress tho balance of force against him in the war. While the Rumanian campaign continues to hold the contre of tho stage, it is difficult to maintain an accurate sense of proportion, but it is the simple truth that up to the present this campaign has witnessed no event which by tho standards of the war and in its bearing upon the broad development of the war can be regarded as of major importance. Enemy talk aboub a great attack to be made on Russia this year concurrently with a defensive stand in tho Western theatre is, to Bay the least, unconvincing. Last year Germany contrived by a somewhat narrow margin to avert disaster in the Western theatre, but tho effort ontailed made her quite incapable of any big effort against Russia. If she now contemplates an offensive against Russia, as a sequel to the Rumanian campaign, it has yet to begin. With spring not very far ahead this means that the offensive must take shape, if at all, with the Teutonic armies exposed to a full weight of attack in all theatres. Adding to this that the Allies, Russia included, arc steadily increasing in strength, relatively to the enemy, there seems to be every prospect that the enemy will be reduced to the same immobility this year as in 1916.

How long it will take the Allies to drive home a decisive offensive is admittedly another question. It is raised to-day by Colonel Repington in an article in the course of which ho declares that it is necessary that Britain should secure sixtv new divisions for service on the West front. No definite test can be applied to this and other contentons raised by Colonel Repington since wo are not permitted to know either the_ total effective strength of the British Army in the main theatre, or how far it is proposed to expand this strength. Apparently, however, Colonel Repington is_ to some extent at issue not only with the Imporial Government, but with the Imperial military authorities. This appears in his suggestion that the additional divisions required might be obtained partly by sending to tho Western theatre those which are dispersed elsewhere and partly by copying tho German plan of expanding'the total number of divisions—that is to say, forming a given number of troops into a greater number of divisions than at present. This last question is purely military in character, and if the German plan of weakening divisions for the sake of increasing their number has not been'adopted by Britain, it is presumably because . responsible authorities like Sib Douglas Haig and Sir William Roberston deem that course inadvisable. Seasons for dissenting from Colonel Rkpington's frequently stated opinion that subsidiary theatres can safely be neglected in the interests of a maximum concentration in the main theatre have been ,of ton touched upon. In a message just received, the Morning Post's Petrograd correspondent throws additional light upon the results thus far achieved in tho Riga offensive, and at the same time- makes it clear that the Russians are at any rato not seriously handicapped, in that enterprise, by shortage of artillery. He'states that the Gelmans have massed heavy reinforcements, including a large force of artillery, on the threatened section of their front, but that tho Russians continue to hold all their gains, despite desperate counterattacks, and are bringing up artillery adequate to cope with the Gferman efforts. The correspondent assumes that the first stage of General Dimitrieff's operations has como to an end, but even if matters settle down for a time in their present state, the enemy is very much worse off than when the offensive opened. Strong positions on which ho relied havo been breached, and be is under the necessity of holding the menaced section of his line with largely increased forces of men and guns, drawn from other sections of the front.

As reports stand at time of writing, the position in Rumania, is much as it was reported yesterday, though the enemv has in places achieved a limited advance. In particular he has capturod Vadcrif, a station on the railway which runs north from Braila, across fEe Sereth, to Galatz. Vadeni, however, is a, good fivo miles south of the Sereth. Further west the- Allies have been driven back upon the river, but they still hold a salient extending south towards Brailal That thoy will continue to hold this salient for any length of time is unlikely. Not only is it; like other salients, exposed to converging fire, but the bridge across the Sereth at its base is well within range of the enemy's bigger gutis. Even if tho Allies are driven across the Soreth, however, that river re* mains as a formidable obstacle w the enemy's path.

A French communique mentions "the usual cannonade" south of the Somme. This is interesting in suggesting that when the British front was recently extended it was probably carried no further -than the north bank of the river. The French at all events still hold portion of the offensive front south of the Somme, and it is very likely that the- river is now the dividing lino between the comrade urraies.

doods consigned to Lyttelton, unless it is othonvise stipulated) go on to Christchurch. The result is that somo goods which have come thousands of miles by sea. to Lyttelton, go to Christchurch as a matter of form, and are thon sont hack to Lyttoltoi). A member of tho Central Chamber of Commerce yesterday referred to this ntato of affairs at tho southern port, aud it. was resolved to bring tho matter before the oxocutivo of iho Associated Chambers of Commerce.

Very little sickness exists iu the military campe at the present time. The hospital at Treatham was roportcd yesterday to bo clear of measles patients. A soldier was admitted to tho Foatherston hospital on Sunday evoning suffering from coma, but ho was reported to be showing some slight improvement yesterday. The remaining case of measles and pneumonia at Featherston has been removed from tho serious list.

The distribution of certificates of enrolment to the members of the Expeditionary Force "Reserve is approaching completion. The task proved a g/eat deal mora formidable than was originally anticipated, and the Government .Statistician has been hampered in preparing n.nd issuing the certificates hy having to deal with other work, includin" the ordinary census and the ballots under tho Military Service Act. Every Reservist, either of the First or the Second Division, should have a certificate of enrolment, and men not receiving their certificates in.tho near future should communicate with the Government Satistician on the subject.

At its meeting last evening the Petone Borough Council adopted the folowing motion by Councillor Ajiderson:—"That the gas manager ho instructed to bring down for next council meeting a report showing the net cost of manufacturing and supplying gas to the Lower Hnt't Borough Council, and that the «ouucil_ consider the advisability of endeavouring to secure from the Lower Hutt Borough Council an advance in price of gas in proportion to the increased cost of production that has taken place since tho agreement was made."

Some six years ago when H.M.S. Encounter was in New Zealand waters, Captain H. A. Fyler, then in command, showed a particularly keen interest in the Navy League, and organised naval displays especially for the benefit of the juvenile members. Early last year, when the league was remitting some £200 collected for sailors' comforts, tho Headmasters' Association wished to specially recognise Captain Fyler's ship (H.M.S. then engaged in the Dardanelles. Tho league decided that of tho £70 odd collected at the schools, the sum of £15 should be specially "earmarked" for tlio bluejackets of the Agamemnon. At the suggestion of the captain and crew, the headquarters of the league in London expended tho £15 to tho best advantage in tho purchase of a library for the lower deck, including a, large number of books on the war and of naval history, each of those books bore an inscription: "J.'roscnted hv the Wellington Branch ot the Navy League." Captain (now Roar-Admiral} Fyler, in a letter to Mr. C. W: Palmer, dated November 25, writes that the first batch of books arrived aboard the Agamemnon safely, and wore munh appreciated. "T'nfortunately," he writes, "tho second lot were lost in tho Lameroo, which was torpedoed outside here, not very far from where the hospital shin Britannic was lost'yesterday. T had a fortnight in England in September, when T was presented with the C.8., and find things rather dull now aft.or our • exciting innings last, year. T hope we may yet go up tho Dardanelles."

The necessity for stringency in' the administration of tbo passport system was emphasised by the Minister of Tnternal Affairs (Hon. 0. W. Russell) yefiterclay. The Minister said that the Dominion could not afford to part with men of military, ago at. the present Hmo. Every lit man was a potential soldier, and every man classified an unfit for military sorvico might be used by tbo State to perform some home, service and so release a fit man for the Army. The policy of the Tnternal Affairs Department was to issue nn permit tn men of mililaiy age. wishing tn leave New Zealand, unless the conditions were quite exceptional. It was not enough for an applicant, lo show (hat there were ordinary personal or business reasons why a trip alirond would he useful to him.

At last erening's meeting of tlw Pet-one Borough Council, the matter of speeding up tbo dispatch o[ Ilio ambulance van waR discussed. Ik was pointed out Ihak on a number of oecasinns the ambulance had boon a. considerable time in getting away to the place from which it had been rentiisiiioned. A motion was carried that the van dr. dispatched as soon as advice is received that it is required.

The Hon. G. TV. Kussell. Minister nf Public Health, told a roporter yesterday that ■duriiicc the month of December ten cases of cerobrn-spina! meningitis were reported, of which four weYo in (ho Auckland district and the remaining six in Wellington. "I regret to state," added the 'Minister, "that some cases of this disease have appeared amongst the ejvilian population, but overy ease is heinfj closely watched and specially reported upon, with a view to endeavouring to trace the source of infection. Infantile paralysis has practically disappeared, there being only two cases notified throughout the Dominion. Ophthalmic neo-imteroum (eye trouble) is now a notifiable disease, and four cuses have occurred during the month. Tliis disease lias been made notifiable because of its connection with' venereal disease, and this matter is receiving the eloso attention of the Department."