PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3101, 4 June 1917, Page 6

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

' Though lUissia is nofc immune from the strikes which appear to bo epidemic in Europo at present, news from that country to-day points upon the whole to an improving situation and outlook. A particularly welcome report states that a conference of soldiers' .delegates from the front deprecated exaggerated and misleading statements about fraternisations and deseradding that tho former were not serious and that the- latter did not apply to. the troops at the front. It is added that the conference urged tho severe punishment of deserters. Presumably tho delegates assembled at this confercncc were either elected by tho troops at the front or selected by some orderly method. So much assumed, tbey would jbe bettor entitled to speak with representative authority than tho Council of Workmon's and Soldiers' .Delegates which has figured prominently in the cablegrams since the earliest days of tho revolution. This organisation was described sonic weeks ago by tho Petrograd 'Btmkoiya Volia as ii fortuitous aggregation of workmen and soldiers, mainly well-intentioned but ignorant folk, who havo fallen under tho domination of an "ultraSocialist cliquo." Apparently, though on this point full information is lacking, the workmen and soldiers attached to or represented on the Council were drawn chicfly, if not wholly, from the troops of the Petrograd garrison and from Labour bodies in tho capital city. It is unlikely that an organisation so constituted would havo exerted as powerful an influence as it has on policy and public affairs but fqr tho fact that the' Provisional Government is not supported by a representative Parliament. The biumi does not seem to havo como within-measurable distance of filling the gap which must exist until a Parliament has 'been elected on a liberal franchise.

At all events, the report mentioned is a cheering indication that the state of the Russian armies at the front is far from bcine us bad a« some messages have alleged, and that desertions and other departures from orderly efficiency have' been -chiefly in evidence, amongst the troops in training and in the depots. These are three or Four Limes as numerous in .Russia as the armies actually on service at the front. Desertions and disorders behind tbo front are only less seri-

ous than in tho presence of the enemy, and must. _ react, unfavourably ilfidii tlio armies on service) but the maintenance of good order and discipline at the frontj besides being a vital factor in itself, must contribute in an important degree to the restoration of orderly conditions jfonerally. The position in Russia is undoubtedly serious, but it seems to be far from hopeless oven as regards the immediate 'military outlook. Any effort that Russia puts forth in the near future will, no doubt be in sonle degree weaker than it might have been on account of the disorders which, h&vo occurred and still prevail. It remains possible, however, that an organised effort by Russia, in concert with her Allies, May materially promoto their common interests in the present year's oampaign. Reports during the last few weeks alleging an almost hopeless stato of affairs on the Russian front have been moro or less definitely contradicted by news of activity in different localities, and tlio failure of the enemy to improve his positions at any point except in the Stochod incident in Marck To-day's message indicating a better state of affairs receives a measure of confirmation from a communique reporting effective work by the Russian artillery in a number of important areas —on the Riga front, in the vicinity of Baranovitchi junction, in Galicia, and elsewhere.

To his consort the Kaiser has telegraphed that the Anglo-French offensive has failed, "Eftcr the mightiest battles of history " " '' to the Austriar " •- latins hini# I ,' oi Italy s Eighty likely that ono message jonvey as much comfort, and command as much credence, as the other in the quarter to which it is addressed. ■The speech by the Austrian Emperor which is reported to-day suggests very clearly (in spite of the conventional remark that "our group fights irresistibly for its honour and existence") that ho is without illusions in regard to the military outlook. As to the West front, nothing is more certain that that the Anglo-French offensivo of the year is at an early stage, and will develop during the next few months on a very much greater scale than it has done as yet. In assuming for purposes of rhetorical assurance that the Allies have "shot their bolt," tho Kaiser is living from hand to mouth in a fashion which strikingly illustrates his poverty of resource.

Reports from tho main theatres show no great change or important development. Tho Germans allcgo that thoy captured a French position at tho western end of tho Aisne front, but a French messago indicates that tho enemy succcss in this quarter was temporary. As a whole, the Allies appear to have had debidedly tho best of it in recent fighting. The British report successful raiding, and the aircraft havo been actively engaged attacking the enemy's depots and communications. News from tho Italian • thoatre is also good. In an attack made either in the course of a considerable local battle or in tho preliminary movement of a-further general advance tho Italians gained 'important ground 011 the southern part of tho Cku'so plateau.'

The cxacb naturo and scope of the Allied control 'of Royalist Grecco which is to bo inaugurated to-day have not been made known at tirao of writing, but presumably the Allies arc assuming direction of railways and telegraphs ana other means of transport and communication, and are instituting such policing measures as will enable them to avert or defeat any treacherous attempt by Constantine and his faction. That the control imposed is strict may be judged from- the fact that the Greek Government is permitted as a concession to send codo messages to its agents abroad. Possibly it is intended to utilise further Greek ports as bases and depots and to make use of the principal Greek railways in furfcu&vanco of the Balkan campaign. There is reason to bclievo that the Balkan theatro will be the scene of considerable activity in tho near future, but in any case effective control of Royalist Greece is essential to the security of' General Sarrail's army, and it gives ground for satisfaction that this control appears now to have been established.