PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3107, 11 June 1917, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

AIA the later news of the great j battlo_ in Flanders is good. Tho victorious British troops arc everywhere solidly established in ground to the fcastwaxd of tho conquered Messines ridgo, and they have defeated most determined efforts by the enemy to recover his fallen stronghold. Tho Germans brought up strong reinforcements of fresh troops for the counter-attacks on Friday which Sir Douglas Haig reports, and evidently made unsparing efforts to achieve success. Their attacks nevertheless were completely repulsed at all points.' A further demonstration was thus given of the British valour and perfection of British organisation which told with such splendid effect in Thursday's battle. Not only has complete dofeat attended all the enemy's efforts to amend a, position which has been turned heavily to his disadvantage, but the attacking front is being extended. Sir Douglas Haig reports a successful penetration of tho enemy's defences on different parts of the front in Northern Franco, notably in tho flat country south of Lens, where tho British have advanced more than half a mile on a front of two miles. Since- they were already in position on the outskirts of Lens on tho west and south it is obvious that the latest advance is a big step towards compelling tho enemy to evacuate the town.

Many features of .tho battle ■ aro so fully covered in official and unofficial report*'as to call'for little further remark, but it is particularly noteworthy that in a battlein which tho enemy lost a highly important tactical position his casualties seem to have been out of all proportion to those of the attacking forces. Both in reference to the Flanders battle and to the successful attack on tho enemy's positions further south, Sir Douglas Haig states that the British, losses were light and those of the enemy vory heavy. It is above all in this matter of relative losses that British organisation and fighting power havo triumphed. Apart from the reports of tho Gommander-in-Ohief, tho fact that tho British losses were extraordinarily light is emphasised by Mr. Philip Gibbs as an outstanding feature of tho battle. That the enemy's losses were extremely teavy would be evident oven if no specific statement to that effect had been made. Tho bombardment preliminary to the attack, and the attack itself, in its overwhelming force, necessarily took heavy toll of tho troops whioh tho .enemy had massed thickly in defence of his positions, and the determined, but abortive, counter-attacks on Friday certainly involved him in further and heavy Sacrifices. Another detail fact which deserves to be singled out is that even the British heavy guns were able to move into the conquered German lines in a 'few hours. This is a signal proof of efficient organisation.

The immediate outlook is obviously promising. Simultaneously repelling tho enemy's desperate coun-ter-attacks in Flanders and closing in south of Lens, the 'British seem in a fair way to develop an irresistible converging movement against Lille on north and south. In Flanders tho enemy is menaced. Hβ still holds high ground east of Yprcs, notably the Zandvoorde ridge, but the conquest of the Messines ridge has opened a gap in his defensivo front which ho will probably find it impossible to close. Immediately to the east of the captured stronghold the German forces aro enclosed in tho anglo formed by tho Ypres-Comines canal and the Kivor Lys. The-whole of the ground within tho angle is under observation from tho ridge and is therefore exposed to a devastating fire. A movement against Lille is, of course, not the only development of the Allied offensive in prospect—continued German attacks in the vicinity of St. Quentin and against tho heights of the Aisnc plainly betoken an apprehension of attack in these localities—but it holds particularly important possibilities. Many "Allied authorities, amongst others Professor Bidou, the eminent French writer, havo entertained the idea that the Gormans aro likely, given the opportunity, to fall back on a lino covering Lille and running approximately straight from south, of that city to the vicinity of Verdun. Taking up this line the Germans would retain all that they now hold in Belgium, but would evacuate all save a, narrow strip of Franco. . Ou

the other hand they would pcrccptibJy shorten their line, and it is still more important that they would greatly modify the dangerous salient which it now forms in Flanders and France. Firmly holding Lille the Germans would have someprospects of taking up a shorter, straightcr, and in every way better line than they now occupy, and this while retaining possession of nearly all of Belgium and a not inconsiderable area of France. On the other hand, the loss of Lille would not only lay them open to an increased risk of disaster, but would jeopardise their prospects of reaching a secure line without evacuating most of the- invaded territory.

Late news' of tho battle is consistent with what has gone before. The number of prisoners taken since Thursday morning now stands at over 7000, and the enemy has lost heavily also in guns and other material. Tho British everywhere retain tho conquered ground.

We are fortunate in having excellent reports of the battle which has done so much to improve and open, tho outlook in the Western theatre. Judging by the cabled summaries the (Jommandor-in-Chiefs dispatches arc models of what such documents should be. They present a lucid and illuminating statement of the conditions ia which the battle was fought and the results achieved. These • dispatches aro most valuably supplemented by messages from Mn. Gibes and other correspondents which not only paint a realistic picture of tho battle in its general features, but supply a wealth of intereating and informative detail. It is somewhat remarkable in these circumstances that no message has yet been received from the New Zealand official correspondent dealing particularly with the part played by New Zealanders in the battle. At time of writing (late on Sunday night) not a line has reached vs from Captain Ross relating to tho achievements of tho Dominion troops, though messages from other correspondents show that they were engaged in the battle 'from its earliest stages and played a distinguished part. Thore is no reason to suppose that Captain Ross is at fault in the matter; ho is presumably accorded the same facilities in the fighting area, as other correspondents, but the matter is one. in which the Government may very well interest itself with a view to that the dispatches of tho New Zealand corresnondp.nf-, Rhallbe transmitted a-s promptly as those of correspondents to whom it falls only' incidentally to chronicle the achievements of the New Zealand Division. The people of the Dominion naturally dcsir'o early intelligence- of the (Heeds of their kinsmen at the front, and it was presumably 'in order that tho intelligence might be supplied, and supplied promptly, that the official correspondent was appointed.

To-day's news from' Russia cannot bo regarded as good. Assertions by Swedish newspapers that tho state of affairs in Potrograd is almost anarchical would in other circumstances bo somewhat open to suspicion, since Sweden is p. country heavily touched by German influences. British and other correspondents at Petrograd, however, give _an account of conditions in Russia which "is upon the whole no more favourable than that current in Sweden. There are- soino redeeming features in tho news, as for instance the statement that a congress uepresenting all tho commercial, industrial, and financial concerns in Russia unanimously declared for a policy of loyalty to tho Allies, but reports in the main indicate that the Government is losing its grip upon the situation, and that acute disorders reign and are likely to continue. Unless an unexpected change for tho better occurs these conditions are bound to react upon the Russian Army, and it is hardly necessary to. emphasise- tho se-rious gravity of the news that four regiments which mutinied have been disbanded. On present indications Russia is eliminated as an active factor, at all events in the present year's campaign. The effect of the reduced strain upon the enemy thus involved has yet to make itself seriously apparent in the Western campaign, where the Allies very definitely hold the upper hand and have every prospect of retaining it, but the Italians are called upon to cope with considerable bodies of Austrian reinforcements transferred from Russia. As reports stand, the Italians aro fighting with splendid vigonr and determination, but for tho time being their prospects of pressing forward in tho advance on Trieste which lately promised so well are obviously rmioh reduced.

Ruling conditions in Russia give point to an American message stating that according to tho best-in-formed Government officials hope of an Allied victory this year has gone and that it is thought probable that the war will last for another three years. It is as well to remember, how-' ever, that the Amorican Government is at present concentrating upon arousing the nation to a fullpowered war effort, and that in the circumstances tho authorities are likely to give full weight to the serious aspects of tho situation and even to somewhat over-emphasise them. One statement made is that Franco can henceforth bo counted on only to hold her own. It is tolerably certain that this does less than justice to France, and under-estimates her remaining resources. The probable duration of the war is not a matter upon which any really definite opinion is possible, but America cannot do more to shorten its remaining period than by preparing to take an active and determined part in a long war if necessary.