PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 46, 17 November 1917, Page 6

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Rapid progress is being made in the.invasion of .Palestine.. '.General Allenby's troops are .astride the JanVJcrusalcm railway over a portion 'of its length, and the line as a whole is made practically useless to the enemy by the British occupation of its junction with the Damas-cus-Beershc'ba railway, its only link with the country'' to the north. On somo recent maps the junction in question is shown at Jerusalem, but evidently its actual location is further west. Lack of information on the subject was due to the- fact that the Turks have extended their railway system in Southern Palestine during the war period. The position reached; in any case makes the speedy occupation of Jerusalem a forcgono conclusion, particularly in view of the state of demoralisation into, which the enemy has been thrown.

Reports on the Italian campaign available at tho moment of writing Bpcak of heavy but almost stationary fighting. This is a .hopeful state of affairs, considering that the Austro-Geraans have, now had days in'which .to organise their attack on the Piave line and on the vital mountain front to the north-west which tho Italians arc bound at .all costs to maintain. An Italian official report speaks of successful resistance tos powerful enemy attacks both in the vicinity of the Trentino and on th<| Piave, but admits the loss of sonio. advanced positions at one point on tho mountain front. Whether this event materially affects the general situation is not disclosed, but if the Italians maintain their present stand until the FrancoBritish forces take their place in the lino, there should be little reason to fear subsequent disaster, bince it 'has been authoritatively stated that this junction of forces will be effected, in a few days,' it is evident that the campaign, is now at its supremely critical stage. Lverything depends upon the. Italians being able to hold their own ui the reraaiuing interval. #

Swiss reports that the Austrians are apprehensive of an Allied landing on the, Adriatic coast are.not necessarily of the wild-cat variety. It is of course, possible Uat the Allies aro fully occupied in preparing to meet demands on tho Italian main front, but it is a fact of some importance that the. enemy is move vulnerable to such an attack as is suggested now that he has advanced into Italy than ho was when Ins front followed the. Julian Alpsand crossed the Carso Plateau, It is noteworthy also that theAll.es have a number of exceedingly powerful monitors on the Adriatic which did good work only a few weeks ago both in seconding the and attack „n the Hcrmada stronghold, covering, the coastal route to Trieste, and n 'attacking the -enemy s naval bases. Commenting on tho work of these ships, a Rome correspondent remarked recently: Labt lay only British monitors look part in tho battle, but now along with the British aro Italian monitors still w and more monstrous armed 3 guns of a calibre and .range hitherto unknown, .and .superior to those of the Austrian Dreadnought guns. These monitors arc armoured ?L motor-tanks; they are very low, but invulnerable; The -range

of their gunswas' a "freshsurprise' for the Austrians. While the British monitors were bombarding Monte Hermada, tho_ Italian monitors attacked the military.'.works .at Trieste, surprising the enemy, who only replied, and that unsuccessfully, with his guns at Nabresina, Our torpedo : boats barred the Gulf, while other light vessels protected the monitors. The- Austrian Navy did not come out from itsi moorings at Pola, and only during the night did enemy airmen appear at sea, where they expected to find monitors and whore they dropped bombs. The monitors, however, were elsewhere, and the result of the enemy raid was the loss of one' of. their airships, the K 20, which was"'hit by shrapnel, causing its bombs to explode, and it fell into the sea.". It is by no means' impossible that a use may be found- for the monitors, at the present, critical stage of the campaign, either in covering a serious attack on the Adriatic coast, or in creating a. diversion.

■The expectations mentioned in one message to-day that the enemy may be compelled before long to undertake a retreat in Banders rests upon a reasonable foundation. Their failure to hold the ridges means that the Germans have been thrown back from an immensely, strong and advantageous lino to one that is relatively weak and exposed at many points to devastating bombardment. Such a line is only to be held even in winter at territolo cost, and endeavouring to cling jolt indefinitely- the-Germans woulcl invite disaster when the return ot good weather removes the present check on operations. Captured ofliccrs, it is reported, state that tlie enemy High Command fears that it will be' forced to-fall back tor several" miles. "It is'likely enough that a retirement-.of .this nature may soon be undertaken with a, view to as far as possible minimising the effects of the Bntisii bombardment directed from the ridges. But if the Germans fall back a tow miles to a new winter line,, they will in' all likelihood .bo.compelled to. execute a moro_ extended retirement before next spring.

The Kaiser, it is stated, recently told a gathering of submarine sailors'- that'the- submarines _ wcro ; "answering all expectations. A striking retort appears in the latest weekly return of shipping losses. Only six British' ships were sunk during tbo week, and only onc'-ot the number was of more than 16UU tons. While six ships wore sunt, eight were unsuccessfully attacked. These figures, of course, constitute, a record for the whole period,-ot tho unrestricted campaign wnich opened in February last. To.ex' "pect losses to be kept down to this low rate without fluctuation might be to invite disappointment, but the record for- the week; is a striking "feature in the ■ sustained- reduction of losses' which, theskill: and devotion,of; the-.-..British ■Navy.:.- ■-. • ■-. .••".•■-.'