PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 124, 27 May 1915, Page 7

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

ITALY STEPS FORWARD MANY POSITIONS OCCUPIED. WILL THE ENEMY DEFEND OR ATTACK? The first extensive Italian report of progress is one which will tax the geographical knowledgo and resources of most readers pretty effectively. It contains an impressive catalogue of positions occupied by the Italians in. the southern part of Trentino, and there is no indication of any serious resistance having yet been met with. A certain amount of progress has also been made on the Carnic frontier, in the extreme north-east: and from the Friulian. «ection, just north of the Gulf of Venice., Already some small towns on the eastwajd railway routes into Austria. hay« been occupied. The eastern advance, to* wards Istria and Trieste, covers a front of over 60 miles; and it seems highly probable that it is in this area that Italy, hopes to carry on the offensive most successfully. In Trentino, it is expectedthat the enemy will assume the offensive, in an endeavour to break through into Italian territory and reach the open country. Hence an essential part or Italy's campaign in this region, even, v it js only a defensive one, is to move as far into the Austrian Tyrol as passible and thus not only secure the advantage of a, broken and stubborn fiel'l for defensive purposes, but shorten the line which „ must be held against an enemy offensive. The enemy have no reason to doubt that Italy, as a new element, is most formidable, and no chances can be taken. The only policy which seeme to be fitting in the" circumstances is one of stubborn and unenterprising defence, so aa lo afford the utmost economy in men and. materials. In that way Italy might be held at bay for a .long time. But this is not the German way : and before long the war news is likely to chronicle strange tales of massed attacks upon, tiiese new foes, and great piles of dead, and wounded. With a burning rage against Italy for hey interference in the war.' Germany will find it very difficult merely to sit down in a ditch and keep off trespassers. , JlheJ I he opinion expressed in Rome that the Au6trians and Germans have only a, limited number of troops, including many of the second and third line— that is, reserves—available for the war with Italy, is obviously true j and their meeting with the Italian army, which by now must be in very effective order, ie not likely to have happy results. Much depends, of course, upon the Italian artillery equipment, of which, in its present state, little, if anything, is known, * THE GALIOIAN POSITION. The present position an Galicia. remaitis apparently much as it was yesterday, with the German advance, generally speaking, stopped, and signs of the offensive being seized by the Russians. Just what the positions, on the map, of the contending forces are is not clear, because in many cases the villages by which the line could be located are not shown in available maps 5 and a« far as the eastern part of the line is concerned, its exact position with regard to the Dniester has not been mentioned. The line of the San is, however, fairly established. Between the Polish frontier and Przemysl the Russians hold the west side of the river, except near Jaro&lav. They are several miles south-west of the San near the frontier, perhaps ten miles ; and probably they hold plenty of ground West of the river down to Laszke (or Loza-iek), twenty miles north-west of Jaroslav. Between this point and t the fortress town, over most or all of the distance, the Germans are over the river. Then further south to Przemysl, the Russians have charge of the river, except that to-day a German message claims that a crossing has been forced near Radymna, about eight miles from Jaroslav ; and the Russians describe fighting on both banks. When the line leaves Przemysl, which forms a sort of corner-post for it, it swings east to the upper part of the Dneisler, north of it at first, then crossing near Sanibor to the south side. In the gap between fortress and river-— ai distance of about thirty miles — the enemy have been trying desperately, but so far in vain, to break through the Russian lines to make a ring round Przemysl. The Russians not only held their ground in this marshy area, but ttrove the enemy back t in many placps. The reported crossing of the San at Radymna is an attempt to encircle. Przomeyl from the north. Just how the line ruus eastward of the upper part of the Dniester is not clear, though a week or two ago it staggered irregularly almost to the Rumanian frontier. By now, it is quite possible, it has been retired to the Dniester ove 1 ' a good deal of its length. SIGNS OF RUSSIAN RECOVERY. Meanwhile the spectacular Russian offensive in Bukowina has disappeared, just as it was bound to do in the face of the Russian withdrawal from the Carpathians ; but there are symptoms of a fresh one, beginning along the Vistula, driving in a south-westerly direction, with the object of cutting off the enemy on the San and Dniester lines from hi* western communications. The fighting' on the San is apparently as fierce as ever : it, like various other conflicts, has reached a magnitude putting it in the "greatest in the war" class. This slate of affairs, if it continues and the Russians hold their own. can only mean disaster to the enemy if the Russians are able to come down from the Vistula-San angle. Such an operation means rolling up the Germans on the San by constant pressure on their left flank : and, even if it has no very great results in recovery of the lost parts of Galicia, it will necessitate bringing up a lot of enemy reinforcements. Fortunately for the Allies, this is exactly what at the present juncture it is most inconvenient for the enemy to do. By hook or by crook. Russia's duty to the Allies now is not so much to recover lost ground as to drag troops out of Germany. That has really been one of her chief functions from the outset of the war. as a collaborator in the great combined operation Now that Italy has come into a share of the same work, its importance is greatly magnified. A TERRIFIC STRAIN. It has often been pointed out that the strain in the western front has almost reached breaking point; and there )fe little doubt that a comparatively emal' increase in the drain upon Germany's resources might cause an immediate collapse of the present position. If the Allies on the western front cannot be kept back, the western armies will have to r6tire to the German frontier; and the blow to the Teuton pride in their boasted concluost will be of terrible effect within the nation, notwithstanding that the frontier might be held with comparative ease. The enemy in palpably nervous. There was probably a miscalculation about Italy, which was not expected to enter the war by the Austrian Foreign Minister at all events ; and Germany ahd Austria are cxtiemcly anxious now to fort-stall another addition to their bur» dens. v They are very nervous about Rumania, to whom they have said that she can have Rueaian Bessarabia. Notwithstanding this tempting .oScr, Ru-

jnania is, says Bucharest, believed to be it>n the verge of war. THE WESTERN FRONT. *En the French theatre, progress continues on the Arras-La Bassee sector, and the position of the French improves every day. The British sector continues lively, but there is no marked change. A Times correspondent makps a very strong appeal for more munitions, without which progress cannot be made.