PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 102, 27 October 1914, Page 8

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

— _- .«. . PRESSURE ON THE NORTHERN WING RUSSIAN SUCCESSES REPORTED. There is but little war news to-day, and no very itnportant developments are recorded in the Belgian and French theatres. Oood news comes from Poland. The only indication of the real result of the battle of the Yser is the unsatisfactory statement that the Germans crossed the river between NieUport and Dixmade. The crossing, of a river may be prevented for a long time by a force far smaller than the attacked of the position, and the wearing down of the defenders is a matter of time and immnnition. The vivid stories of two war correspondents who visited Fumes and Dixmude certainly indicate that the Germans did not allow the question of , ammunition to ' worry them, and the ' . operations, according to their account, were in the nature of a fight against buildings. The crossing of _ the Yser was a vital niatter, for there is no simi- " lar natural obstacle between it and ' Dunkirk, and the Germans cherish hopes of throwing back the line of the Alhes, who' have forced an enfolding section of their left wing into Belgium, and go easing the t pressure j .which makes even Germanised Belgium a very difficult road' for retirement. But it must not be assumed from this reported local success that the position even approaches that which the enemy hope for. Fighting is still going on from Nieuport down to the River Lys, many miles south of the Yser ; and it must be realised that the Allies' left will, j if it id retired, be Automatically strengthened to an extent whicn may not be possible otherwise, on account of the peculiar nattife of the country further west. The coastal lands 'here are, at least mi part, a fringe of dunes on the seaward side of low and either flooded or swampy polders— -very valuable allies against the enemy. It may be found, when more details arrive, that it was this topographical formation which made the big^German attack remain so near the gea that the warships could take part. No other explanation, in fact, presents itself so strongly. ' In the long French battle front, the now usual news comes, of local progress. Attacks wefe repulsed westward ahd souili'"of Lille; slight, progress has been mai3e Hear Soissons and Craonne (east of Soissons), - The French claim to have an artillery control over the road, now important to the Germans, through Thiauto St. Mihiel. CLEARING THE FRONT OF WARSAW. The campaign of the Russians appears to have resulted in l< ghe securing by the Russians of some important positions on what now seems to be their right wing. The "rolling-back of tho Germans reported a few days ago has been earned on. The towns of Lowicz. Skiemiwice, and RaWa have been occupied by the Russians- Tbe holding of this forty-mile line west of Warsaw would be, if it were needed, an effective screen for the Polish capital, but the special importance of • Lowicz and Skierniewice is that they are on main railway lines to Lodsi, the natural objective of the' Russian advance in this quarter. The occupation of these towns naturally paves the way for the later'messagc^thafc the Germans are reported' to bo evacuating Lodz. If the statement is confirmed it indicates a wihtdrawal of some importance. There ale also reports of the retirement of A tho Germans south eastward to Kadom. Much fighting and Russian successes hero are reported. The retiring forces from tho north-west are being strongly • reinforced as they fall back ; and there is in this series of events a suggestion that, finding themselves too strongly attacked in two places, they have abandoned one for the sake of stiffening the other. This would leave a weakened gap right in front of fche Russian westward advance, but would put a stronger force on the' flank of tho Russian advance—not a very safe position for the Germans. Tn the Galician theatre, the inevitable attempt to -outflank the Russians was repulsed; and an attempt to descend on the Russian wing from the Carpathians by way of Dolina. (which may have been approacKed from a pass some distance to the west of it) was nipped in the bud by ( the smashing of the force. The details are too scanty to indicate the nature of the movement, A SENSATIONAL ITEM. A news item which has caused some excitement was that published yesterday, stating that the Germans, between Chalons and Longwy, had lost 70,000 ' men,. (prisoners) and 300 guns. This cannot' be taken as official, and it bears no indication whether it is a total since the operations in that district began or hot. If the figures are correct, they represent in numbers of men two full army corps, and a very serious diminution of the enemy's strength. On the other hand, the enemy has suffered "very grave losses", in Northern France. Incidentally, the vulnerability of aviators to gun-fire is indicated by the shooting down of five German aeroplanes at different places. IS THE FORTRESS DOOMED? Particular interest attaches to the statement of "a correspondent" that so far the guns of Verdun have not yet, been fired, and that the great fortress cannot fall so long as the Germans are kept out of artillery range. The presumption is an axiomatic platitude, almost; but does it suggest that the French have lost faith in fortresses, after the serious disasters the Germans haye inflicted elsewhere? There has been ho cabled statement regarding the fate of the French northern fortresses of Lai Fere, Laon, and Mezieres. We know the Germans took Reims and Lille, though all these- places were reputedly very strong. Though apparently not mentioned elsewhere, the military correspondent of The Times, in one of his letters, implies that Laon and La Fere fell ,' and a, German newspaper declares that they fell almost without & blow being struck. The London correspond ent • already referred to states in to-day's messages that the day of the fortress appears to have gone by.