PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3167, 18 August 1917, Page 6

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

To-day's reports show that the Western Allies have- followed up one elective blow with another. For the mumunt stationary lighting Ins been resumed on the front north of Lens, but in _conditions which promise to speedily terminate the enemy's occupation of that city. .Repeated counter-attacks have failed to dislodge- the British from the important positions gained in the victorious assault reported yesterday, and Lens itself, and the narrow avenue of communication by which the Germans arc still able to introduce, reinforcements and supplies, are under a murderous bombardment. With matters in this state on the Lens battlefield, the. Allies have opened an attack thirty miles further north, in Flanders. The early reports as yet in hand indicate that in this area both French and British have already made important headway. About eight miles north of Ypres the French have' crossed tho Steenbek, a littlo river which runs at its closest approach about a mile and a half east of the Yscr Canal, and according to in. unofficial report the British further south have captured Langemarck, a town standing three miles east of the canal and four miles north and slightly cast of Ypres. The ppint at which the Allied armies junction appears to bo immediately south-east of Bixschoote, a. village five miles north of Ypres which was captured <siy the French on July 31. At time of writing Sir Douglas Haig has not reported the capture of Langemarck, but he states in general terms that his troops are making progress at all points on a. wide front cast and north of Ypres, in spite of the enemy's stubborn resistance.

The attack now under way is the final step in eliminating the famous Ypres salient. The conquest of Messines Eidge advanced and straightened the front south of Ypres, and it has now heen similarly advanced and straightened on the north, towards Dixmude. As a whole, the enemy has exchanged a position of great advantage on tho Flanders front for one of dangerous weakness. Prior to the battles of the last few months he held an extensive range of high ground, and at a number of points the Allied line, notably the British iseetor round Ypres, was under dominating fire. This state of affairs is now largely reversed. Straightening their line, the Allies have at the same time in most places dislodged the enemy from the high ground. Whatever their intentions for the immediate future may be, they have done, and are doing, a great deal to pave the way for a drive into the open Flanders Plain.

In a speech reported to-day Mn. Lloyd Geoege confirms the news that Langemarck has been captured, and adds that 1200 prisoners and five guns were taken in the- town. From his statement it seems that Langemarck, as well as some of the most important positions lately captured on tho Lens battlefront, fell to Canadian troops. It is noteworthy tha-t while the Germans speak of the Flanders battle as developing on a great scale, Mr. Lloyd George says that the latest Allied offensive is not intended to be a big operation. This is consistent with the. policy tho Allies havo adopted of launching a series of powerful, but definitely defined attacks at selected points, instead of concentrating upon an attempt to break through tho enemy front in any one area. The time for a great strategic coup will come, but meantime tho Allies aro less concerned to gain territory than to exhaust and weaken ■ the enemy and rapidly dispose of his ielicrvcs. In drafting their communiques,, the Germans, of course, find it convenient to ignoro tho true character of tho inexorable Allied offensive, and aim at heartening their home population by announcing the pqllapso of an attempt to picrco their line, when in fact no such attempt has been made. The first stage in the deception is to emphasise or even exaggerate the magnitudo of the developing Allied attacks, as is being done in the case of the present offensive in Flanders. No doubt, unless the unexpected happens, and the Allies continue their' forward drive, it will presently be announced that an attempt to break through tne Flanders front has failed. AVhile there is every reason to believe that on this occasion, as on others, the Allies arc making a defined and limited effort, the fact stands that tho enemy's front Lin Northern Flanders has already been dangerously weakened. The attacking armies are now in position to develop an outflanking movement against tho enemy's positions at and around Dixmudc, and these positions are vital to the security of his front where it extends- to the coast. Even at the present stage the strain upon tho enemy's line and the resultant tax upon his resources are heavily increased. •

An account of Britain's position in regard to food and shipping,' which is given to-day by Mr. Lloyd George, shows good grounds for the ennfideqt .assertion .he made some tiina ago that the enemy submarine campaign has failed. Tho facts and' figures he supplies largely speak for themselves'. Although this year has witnessed .an. unprecedented effort and an unprecedented destruction of shipping by the submarines, Britain is to-day very much 'better placed in the matter of food reserves than she- was at this time last year. At l;he_ same limo the area in cultivation for this year's harvest has been increased by a million acres, and a much larger increase is in prospect for next year. The shipping position also ■ shows in every way a marked improvement. Losses, though still serious,- have markedly diminished, and the Shipping Controller has so reorganised shipping —by giving preference to shorter voyages, reducing the time spent by ships in port and in other ways — that, as the Imperial Prime Minister puts it, a diminished tonnage is carrying more tons. The. figures of shipping construction aro'also of good augury. In 1916 the British output of new tonnage fell to little more than a quarter of the amount built in pre-war years, but it is expected that this year 1,900,000 tons of new shipping,, all kit 320,000 tons built in British yards, will be added to the British mercantile marine. Considering: that the record construction of British merchant shipping in any pre-war year was slightly under 2,000,000 tous, the position now disclosed is calculated to dishearten the Fatherland's most optimistic advocates of unrestricted piracy. ' ■ ...