PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 211, 25 May 1918, Page 6

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Events of some importance in the western area of the Balkan Peninsula are reported to-day. French and Italian troops, attacking in Southern Albania, have pushed forward to a depth in sumo places of eleven miles, thus improving the Allied hold on. the communications from the Adriatic coast which the Italians began to organise . when they first assumed an active part in the Balkan campaign. Santi Quaranta, mentioned in the cablegram, stands on a small but commodious deep-water harbour-cm tho Adriatic coast, opposite Corfu. With the landing facilities which have no doubt been provided, the port represents a useful secondary base for troops operating on the Macedonian front. A good metalled road runs all the way. from Sn-nti Quaranta to Monastir. The effect of the latest Allied advance is apparently to,clear a section of this, road south of Koritza* (some distance south of Lake'Prosba) by driving the enemy out of, tho area west oi this, roadsection. The operation should at , the same time enable the Allies to

make freer use of the road leading inland from ■ Valona, considerably north of Santi Quaranta. The approaches to the Macedonian front from the Adriatic coast are of con-' siderable importance owing to the fact that the submarine is relatively a more formidable factor in the Mediterranean than in the seas around Great Britain and on the approaches to France.

Some remarks upon the development of the Greek Army, which arc interesting in view of reports that its mobilisation is well on towards completion, were made not long ago by a special correspondent of the .London Time* at Athens. "The young men of Greece," he observes, "arc now making a. very fine response to the national call to arms. It is no exaggeration to say that a wave of enthusiasm for the war is sweeping over the country. Only people akin in character to the Latins, like the. Greeks could have exhibited such an incredibly sudden chjingc from the comparative indifference that was still too widely observable in the autumn and early winter to an ardour for battle that should carry the nation far." Tlio attempted treason of a few young soldiers who listened to the perfidious promptings of German-paid agitators at Lamia and Thebes acted like n. galvanic shock, awakening the whole nation from the spell cast over it by the ex-King and his sinister agents, the correspondent adds. ; Still more staggering for the anti-patriots was the temper sliown by the people in presence of the retribution exacted from the ringleaders of the mutiny (a number of whom were executed), a temper which impelled even some, wellknown opponents of the Government to rally to its support.

The correspondent's , general , conclusion is that Greece is likely to in Balkan campaign in a fashion which not very long ago would have been thought impossible. He declares' that after only a few weeks of training by Vcnezelist officers, the soldiers who'lost all semblance of discipline and resolution under Constantine's enervating regime astonished all observers by the smartness of their drill and their confident bearing, and formed the nucleus of a Greek contingent that has distinguished itself on the Macedonian front.. The period in which the whole Greek Army would bo ready to take the field, the correspondent 'stated, would depend mainly on the speed with" which the Protecting Powers were able- to supply- the needful' equipment. The recent" reports relating to the Greek mobilisation imply that the equipment required by ihe Army has been provided, and that it will soon ba able to take the field 300,000 strong. Such a- reinforcement will b\ of material valito to the Allies, even if it no move .important purpose meantime than in enabling . them ■ to transfer, some of the divisions now in Macedonia to Italy' or tho Western" theatre., ..'.'.

Apart from aerial operations, reports rckfing to the- Western theatre in hand at time 'of writing deal only with minor, events. There are some predictions that the enemy will postpone the resumption of his offensive until '..the .first week of June, but they arc obviously speculative, in character. It }s fairly certain that jhe.enemy's continued delay is less to his own advantage than that of the Allies,' and on this, account he may be expected to.-at-tack as soon as possible, but otherwise there is little evidence on which to-base opinion or-expecta-tion.'.