PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 55, 28 November 1917, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Though the Germans l;iy daim in general terms to successes in the mountains against Urn Italians, today's news from Italy points in tho main to a distinctly improving situation. Tho enemy has aulfercd enormous losses without breaking the Italian resistance, and the terribly severe weather which is reported is bound to heavily inipedo his attacks, particularly in tho mountain areas. A somewhat surprising report is transmitted by an American correspondent at Rome, that the rapid recovery of the Italians has made the assistance of tho Franco-British reinforcements unnecessary, but that the French and British' troops will take part later in :i decisive battle. This must stand fo>- what it is worth, but it serves to emphasise the fact that if ho fails to win speedy and decisivesuccess in his present attack tho enemy will find himself occupying, an exposed and dangerous front., with every prospect of being heavily attacked when the Alltvs have completed their preparations. The disastrous defeat of the Italian offensive on the Isonzo is a great gain from the point of view of the. Mts-tro-Germans, but even if they receive further material accessions of strength from the Ititssian front they have moro to fear than to hope from a protracted struggle on tha Italian plain, with their southern flank exposed to attack from the sea. They arc faced, meantime, by a- vanishing opportunity. An unsparing effort might still enable them to round off the considerable success they have won, but their prospects arc not improving.

No change is reported on the Western front in the region of Cambrai, but this means that tho British remain in full possession of tho fruits of one of tho most successful offensivo strokes of tho war. Tho main defences of Cambrai have been conquered, and tho great junction is exposed to a close bombardment from advantageous positions. In tho circumstances,, tho statement that Cambrai is now useless to the enemy as a distributing centre is probably not exaggerated. At the same time such positions have been gained on the flank of that section of the Hindenburg line which extends north to the Scarpc, cast of Arras, that this once- formidable rango of enemy defences has become exceedingly unstable. One of the most promising features of the operations in which these notablo results were achieved is tho remarkable secrecy with which they were prepared and launched. This is plain evidence of a perfection of organisation which is wonderful in an army of recent formation, and o£ necessity will tell heavily against the enemy as the struggle proceeds.

A late message mentions that General Allenhy's troops are now very close to Jerusalem, but_ that tho Turks arc making a stand in defence of the city. They have evidently rallied to some extent from tho first confusion of their retreat, but being dependent on road communications in tho vicinity of Jerusalem, seems hardly likely to offer a protracted defence.