PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3083, 14 May 1917, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Extremely heavy figh'tiug is reported dn the Western theatre, both on the Arras front and _ north of the Aisne, but the only important change, of position recorded at time of writing has resulted from British attacks at several points along a front of nine miles, east and south-east of Arras. Sir Douglas Haio reports that the operations were very successful, that all objectives were gained, and that hundreds of prisoners were taken. Details are. not yet available, but it seoras likely that the British attacks driven homo at selected points havo materially affected the enemy's hold upon the fortified zone which hois making frantic offorts to maintain. One area in which the British attacked and gained their objectives was in the neighbourhood of Bullccourt, where the fortified zono has been most dooply penetrated. The definite success achieved here and further north is in striking contrast to the all but total failure of the unsparing efforts the enemy has made in recent days to recover some of his lost positions. There is no suggestion meantime that, the British arc again undertaking a general ' forward move. On the contrary, indications are that the Allied commanders are well satisfied to continue the struggle under the conditions arising out of the enemy's present tactics and that it is their aim to provoke or compel a continuanco of these tactics. Attacks of limited spopo upon selected sections of the Hindenburg .line would, of course, he consistent with such an aim.

It remains the dominating feature of tho situation- in tho West that tho enemy is counter-attacking on a scale and with an intensity which could Dot be exceeded if his fate- were wholly dependent upon the recovery of positions lately won by the French and British armies. The enemy must be assumed to have embarked' reluctantly upon a policy, which involves hurling masses of mon to. destruction in vain attempts to recover positions he was unable to hold against assault, but ho shows meantime no disposition to change his tactics, and in the light of late events perseverance in such a policy can only bo regarded as a striking indioation of his poverty of resource. All the detail events of the campaign aro overshadowed by the commanding fact that the enemy is giving battle to the Allies under conditions which enable the latter to bring their superior resources effectively to bear with_ a minimum necessity of assaulting fortified positions. This applies in the fullest sense to the .tremendously heavy fighting arising out of enemy counter-attacks whioh arc dealt with to-day in official and other reports. South of Lens tho Germans gained a footing in British advanced positions, but . were speedily thrown out again. 'Ihey had a similar experience in regard to a couple- of hundred yards of trench on tho French front south of Laon. ;

The final result of long-continued and desperate efforts by the enemy, which must have entailed an enormous sacrifice of life, was an absolute failure to alter tlio situation to his advantage at any point.

An arresting feature of the news to-day is that the Allies are vigorously raiding sections of the front considerably removed from" (.hose on which battles have thus far developed in the course of the present offensive. Successful British raids are reported on the Flanders front, in 4he vicinity of Ypres. The French have engaged in similar enterprises on the Verdun front, cast of the Mouse, and at various points in Alsace, and a violent artillery duel is reported on the western section of the Verdun front. Raids and threats of this character are in any case calculated to perturb the enemy and affect his dispositions, and it is, of course, quito possible that they aro leading up to operations on a bigger scale in which these objects would be more definitely served.

British and Russian columns are now operating in close concert in the region between the Tigris and the Persian border, and reports appearing to-day hold out a promise of early results in this part of the Meeppotamian theatre. . Tho position, in brief, is that tho British, advancing north and north-east from Bagdad along the Adnata and Diala Eivers, havo driven the enemy into the Jebel Hamrin hills, which run south-east across a tract of 150 miles of country between tho Tigris and the edge of tho Persian tableland. In,places the British are 80 miles beyond Bagdad. Tho Russians, moantime, moving west from tho Persian frontier, have forced the passage of tho Diala Riyor, north of tho Jehel Hamrin hills, and are threatening the several travel routes which run from tho hills into the country to the north. Tho Turks havo still a way of retroat, and are likely to find an early withdrawal from tno Jebel Hamrin hills a matter of imperative necessity. The clearance of the country to tho east of tho Tigris would facilitate the conquest of a further section of that river. In Northern Persia, whore they were lately on the move towards the frontier, tho Russians have encountered a check and are at a stand in entrenched positions, but the situation further south looks promising.

A redeeming feature in otherwise somewhat unpromising news from Russia is the concluding passage of the manifesto issued by the Executive of the Workmen's and Soldiers' Goirimittce. It runs: "While the !.xerman people refuse to overthrow William and the old regime, our bayonets will be turned against Germany." This is welcome, as an indication that even extremist sec- [ tions in Russia perceive the necessity of overthrowing Prussian despotism, but it must, bo recognised that an international conference on the lines proposed in the manifesto would confer an opportunity upon Germany of which she would gladly make full use in furthering her intrigues for an inconclusive peace. The condemnation of tho. annexationist desires of all Governments calls for some elaboration and interpretation in order that its meaning may become oloarly manifest. So far as the liberation of the Poles and some other subject peoples in Europe iis concerned there may be no need of annexation, but in tho case of Turkey a policy excluding anpexation would be' equivalent to abandoning tho members of tho Armenian remnant and other unfortunates to a terrible fato. To advocate such a policy in the name of _ humanity would be either hypocritical or amazingly fatuous.