PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3027, 14 March 1917, Page 6

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

The fall of Bagdad is receiving that recognition which is import-' anco deserves. Naturally the newspapers of Paris arc jubilant. They realise that the capture of tho Mesopotarnian capital puts an end to tho aaiser's dreams of Germanising tho Orient. Some years ago, when he toured tho Empire of tho Sick Man of Europe, tho German Emperor, after the manner of a former would-be world-ruler, feigned conversion to the faith of Mahomed ■and received tho bonediction of the Turkish heirarchy. From that time ho schemed to lay all the territory from the North Sea to tho Gulf of Persia under his sway. Bufe the best-laid schemes of mice- and mon, it is written, "gang aft agley"; and in the language of the Petit. Parisian, the capture of Bagdad wrecks the whole of tho Kaiser's Oriental programme. Important as this event is, its importances ought not to bo exaggerated. It is, howover, proper to catch up Bomo ot the enthusiasm exhibited in the widespread rejoicings in England and to pay the highest tribute, as Mil. Bonafi Law has adequately done, k> the honour and success of British and Indian arms under GISNBBAL MaUDK.

This facility with which tho Turks may entrench themselves to tho north-west of Bagdad is conceded by military exports. Wo cannot sit down and rest at Bagdad and imagino that we have conquered tho Turk, cvon in Mesopotamia. Bagdad is a magnificent head centre for an army in occupation, but in order to hold this capital comfortably tho whole of tho railway to as far as Samara, soventy-fivo miles to the north-west, must be in possession of British arms. When that is accomplished thoro may be '. a junction of the Russian forces with the British, and a genora,l sweeping up of the Turks, driving them into Anatolia and on towards the confines of Constantinople. But just as we havo laboured hard amid trying, and at times distressful, conditions, to win our way so far into tho heart of tho Turkish Empire, wo must keep pounding away, maybo under greater difficulties. Tho floods that were feared- may yet hinder and hamper our progress in tho Tigris valley. But lino campaign has taught this generation tho great lesson that there is no royal road to victory, no shortcuts to triumph, no patent curealls in tho stern work of war. It is hard fightingj hard thinking, imperturbablo patience and inexhaustible- equality of tempor. Nations becomo conquerors, not by fits of excitement, but by hard work. And that is the real lesson of the cap"turo of Bagdad. Its moral effect, however distressing to tho enemy, must servo to our arms but a stimulus to greater and more enduring effort.

Though too much reliance need not be put upon the revival of the stories concerning tho shortage of foodstuffs in Germany, yet the statement of Dr. Heijt, the leader of tho Bavarian peasantry, which our war cablegrams announce this morning is worth some notice. He urges tho frank admission of the truth about the food situation. The German system of food distribution has broken down. That has been known for some time, and it is still nearly four months . till harvest, ■which is not of good prospect. We know that Berlin has been put upon weekly rations of slb. of potatoes and 2lb. of turnips, the meat allowance being -lib. per head; fats arc unobtainable, milk is very shortonly one-third of what it was; and eggs are only eaten by invalids. But Berlin is not Germany. The position of tho country is better than in the towns; and so long as the army is woll fed the hardships and starvation of civilians will not by themselves decide the war. Yet this food shortage is a relevant fact. A half-fed populace occupied with provisioning and munitioning an army cannot produce supplies so readily or eo abundantly as a wellfed people can in ordinary times; and thus as a cumulative factor this food shortage in Germany commands attention. Some weeks ago the rationing system broke down. It was scrapped in fa.vour of some new expedient, which, if we aro to judge from the riotings and raidings of the people, proved equally inefficacious. Then the political crisis in Austria-Hungary was intensified, if not actually created, by the food shortage in that territory. However truthfully, wo are told that no possible, economy or reduction of rations Mil carry Austria-Hungary beyond Llie middle ot June, some six weeks before l.hc now harvest can be available, so that the food xhaxlage among tbta Caifcral Powers is p.

factor combined with military pressure and a naval blockade that makes for peace, or, meantime, an angry outburst ol intensified frightfiilncss.

The further success of the French in the Champagne region is 'the most striking item in the news from the .actual fighting fronts to-day, and tiie gain recorded at Hill 185 may prove of more than passing importance. The Germans have bitterly contested every inch of ground in this area and if the French are able to hold on to the captured positions it will be a further evidenco of the increasing clanger to the enemy lines in the Champagne. Sir Douglas Haig records a further slight advance in the Somme region, north-cast of Bouohavesnes, and various raids; but the most significant item in his budget is tho reference to tho continuous airfighting that is going on. This may be taken as a p/etty certain sign that something big is afoot cither behind tho enemy lines or behind ours—probably the former. The German airmen as a rulo do not fight if they can help it, and are most in evidence when our machines cross their lines in an endeavour to observe tho movements of the enemy's forces. It is when the enemy has something of special importance to conceal that his fighting machines are sent up to check the excursions of tho Allied flying men, and it is at such times that the air-fighting "is most desperately waged. The exceptional artillerying recorded yesterday, coupled with the continuous air-fighting mentioned to-day, must be regarded as very suggestive.