PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 18, 16 October 1917, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Cokisected aucl more detailed accounts show thafc the Russians were not as overwhelmingly defeated in the first stage of the land and naval operations at the mouth of the Gulf of Riga- as the earliest reports indicated. The Russian communique, which was the principal source of information on the subject yesterday stated that the enemy had landed one or two divisions on Ocsel and Dago, and suggested that both these islands had been captured. The position disclosed at time of writing is that the enemy has captured part of Oesel, and that his attack on Dago was repulsed. Though it comes from f'etrograd. the statement that I lie Germans only demonstrated against Dago is discounted to sonic extent li.y the fact that in aHaokiug this island they lost four torpedo boats under the fire of the !.->.iul batteries and ran a cruiser iijrromul. It is mentioned also that ;i 'small detachment was landed on Dago island, but was compelled to retire. The- statement that, llussian ships have prevented I he enemy from entering the waters between*

Dago . and Oesel islands must be taken to moan that in this area the defending patrols are still scroenod bv minefields against attack by the German capital ships. Oesel island, which is sixty miles long, lies across the mouth of the' Gulf of Riga. Dago island is situated north of the eastern part of Oesel, and Mohn island lies between Oesel and the west coast of Esthonia. At one point Mohn arid Oesel are only about a mile apart, but there is a channel some half a dozen miles wide between Mohn and the mainland.

The northern channels into the Gulf of Ptiga are, as reports stand, still being defended, but the situation is critical, and t'iicro

is no reason to suppose that the enemy has abandoned the idea of gaining a footing on the mainland. Piecing together reports, it will he seen that he holds tho greater part of Oesel, and -is already attacking Mohn island,, though as yet with-

out sueoess. It is a material fact that ho is in full command of the wide southern passage into the Gulf of Riga, between Oesel and Courland. Experts, it is said, "recognise the seriousness of the move, but do not consider that Petrograd is immediately menaced." It might be possible to add that there is no serious menace to the Russian capital, more especially as the season is approaching at which the navigation of the Baltic will be greatly impeded by ice, but for uncertainty as to tho spirit and. condition generally of the Russian land and naval' forces. Provided she makes effective uso of her available resources, Russia is far front being in desperate straits. # # * *

Though the position is nt several points obscure and uncertain, the very fact that the Germans are attacking with considerable land and sea forces has its compensations. It is a state of affairs to which we may apply a statement made by Mr. Lloyd George: "The only reason why Germany has now decided to invade Russia is that all her other methods and .machinations have failed." There is not the slightest doubt that 1 Germany would greatly prefer a separate peace with .Russia to-the campaign she is now undertaking, and the suggestion is obviously raised that she has either abandoned hope of obtaining such a peace or of obtaining it otherwise than as the result of an overwhelming military victory. It is not by any means certain that even the capture of Petrograd—still a distant goal—would give her such a victory. On tho other hci present and prospective expenditure of force will tell against her heavily in the Western theatre, if not this year when operations &r© resumed in full vigour next year. Her present enterprise is to be considered with' due regard to the fact, stated a day or two ago by the French Commission at present in England, that a clear decrease has been noted in her total available strength, and that from this time forward her effective strength will diminish. There are some grounds for holding that in her present operations against Russia Germany is not so much intent upon improving her general position in the war as upon improving her war-map argument, with a view to a strong bid for peace during the winter. * ' * * * i.U Little now light is cast upon the position in Flanders, but Sir Douglas Haig reports that the prisoners taken in Friday's battle now total 943. This is presumably the complete return, and it stands with other indications 1 of a very fine achievement by the attacking troops, considering the conditions in which they fought. No movement is reported from the positions outlined yesterday, and the weather is apparently still bad.

*# . * Late details of the dispute between Britain and Holland over the action of the latter country in transporting materials for ■ German fortifications through her territory suggest that Britain has not moved in the njatter any too eoon. It is now stated that Holland had agreed to stop the transit of the material in question from August 15 till "early in 1918, but decided, without Britain's assent, to ' continue the traffic until November 15, iand then to stop till tho middle of March. Accepting these facts, another example is afforded of the bad faith of which Holland has already been guilty in the matter of trading agreements with Britain, and of the spirit of blind commercial greed which she has allowed to divert her from a policy of honest neutrality. Other things apart, if the fortifications which Holland is helping Germany to build served their intended purpose, a period would speedily be set to Holland's existence as an independent nation.

It will be noticed that current reports dealing with political events in/ Germany run distinctly counter to the assertion lately made in enemy newspapers and by some correspondents that the outcome of the naval mutiny revelations had been to strengthen the position of the Chancellor and the Pan-Ger-mans and to discredit the Independent Socialists. Not only is the retirement of Dr. Michaelis now predicted, but it is stated by a Swiss correspondent that the Chancellor and the Pan-Germans find themselves pitted against the Reichstag Majority, instead of merely against the . Independent Socialists. Even if the "Majprity" here mentioned refers only to the Socialists, and not to the House as a whole, the recent reports - regarding the strengthening of PanGerman influence seem in a fair way to be heavily discredited. It is, of course, quite possible that the Pan-Germans may be enabled to stave off trouble for the time being by another bogus political transformation, but this does not mean that they havo the assured command of the situation ' they were credited with a few days ago.