GALICIA

Evening Star, Issue 16469, 6 July 1917, Page 6

GALICIA

IS THE LINE BROKEN? A FUTILE GERMAN EFFORT. THE SUBMARINES. AIR STRATEGY. Critictjs.] There is little additional news from tho Russian front. An official Russian communique announces that during the fighting on Sunday and Monday tho Russians captured 18,300 prisoners, 25 guns,, and 35 machine guns, which represents a very substantial success; but it contains no confirmation of . the statement ■ that the Austrian lino is definitely broken. According' to a Rome message, the Austrian papers, for the first time, admit that the front near Zborow, on the Upper Strypa, is broken, and that the breach has been temporarily closed by Turks. But Rome messages are seldom very trustworthy. The Germans claim that repeated Russian attacks on Brzezany were unable to advance, and thev report strong artillery 'iprk at Koniuchy, Zborow, on tho Stoched, and at Brody. The official report of neither side, however, contains any evidence of a material Russian advance.

All reports agree that the enemy are pushing up reinforcements, and this is tho one item of nows the truth of which may be taken for granted. If tho Russians

are to break through the enemy’s front, they need to make rapid progress. Tho great railway centre of Lemberg, with its network of lines radiating in all directions, will enable Hindenbnrg to send reinforcements to the decisive point with great

rapidity, and the advantage of the initiative will not last long. At the opening of ms great offensive in 1916 General Brusiloll stated that he hoped to win such a victory as would prove decisive of tho war. To-day it is reported from London that tho general has stated, in an interview, that his offensive last year might have ended the war if the High Command had co-operated, which it did not, and that it was the retreat of 1916 which made him a revolutionary. The retreat referred to was the Rumanian debacle in Wallachia and Transylvania,

General Brusiloffs public utterances always "evcal him as a man of very sanguine temperament. Probably he takes a somewhat exaggerated view of what might have been accomplished, because at the outset the strategy which followed Rumania’s entry was hopelessly mistaken. But it would probably have been possible to save Wallachia, and retain for the Allies the groat strategical advantages which Rumania's entry had opened up for them. At

the time when Rumania’s peril first became apparent, it was remarked in those notes that if Russian reinforcements did not arrive in time to save her someone would deserve to be shot. Subsequent revelations and General Brusiloff’s statement prove that the remark was not a bit too strong. A GERMAN OFFENSIVE.

What appears to have been something like an attempt at a grand offensive has been delivered by the Germans against the French positions along the Cliemin-des-Dames, on the north bank of the Aisno. The front attacked, according to the French communique, extended from north of Jouy to the eastern edge of the California Plateau. That plateau lies around Hurtebise, and we may reckon -that the offensive extended eastward about as far as Craonne, or along a front of fully 15 miles. The chief German efforts were directed against a point east of Froidmont

Farm, which lies near the point where the Ausne Canal cuts through the CheminI des-Dames, and near where the fighting \ front crosses from the south to the north ' of that road.; against a point north of the Poteau d’Allies, which hes between Gerny and Huitebise; and also against the casemates of the California Plateau. It was a night offensive, and the Germans launched powerful , columns, of picked storming troops in night-long assaults against the French positions. But the French claim that the attacking columns practically annihilated, that they wore promptly hurled out of the one or two points where they obtained a footing in the French lines, and that they were unable to retain a single metre of ground. The offensive seems to have been a complete and disastrous but the only reference to it thus far in * the German reports is the

statement.that “we repulsed two French attacks eastward of Corny, and forwarded our positions, taking prisoners”—a masterly example of the art of economising the truth. The attacks were directed mainly against the, French positions lying north of the Ghemin-des-Dames. These positions run along a ridge which overlooks the valley of the little river Ailette. The river extends along the whole front from east to ' west from a point south of Craonne to a point north of Froidmont Farm, where it joins the Aisne Canal and runs northwest. The contending armies are watching and bombarding each other across the valley, the Germans occupying the ridges to the north. ' ® THE SUBMARINE TOLL. The week’s Josses from submarines have again been substantial, but they are satisfactory to the extent that there has been a marked reduction in the total. Only 15 - vessels over 1,600 tons have been sunk, as against 21 in the last summary, and 5 vessels under that figure as against 7; jrhita only 16 vessels have been unsuccessfully attacked, as against 23. On the other hand, there is some reduction of the number of arrivals and departures, the figures.being 2,745 and 2,846 respectively, ns against 2,876 and 2,925; while 11 fishing vessels have also been sunk. Last week’s figures represented a reduction on those of the ■vreek before, and apparently tv e have onco more struck the down grade. How long it will last it is impossible to foretell; but, judging by past experience, a period of decline in the sinkings is likely to be followed by a sudden rise again, just as we appear to be getting the upper hand of the submarines. -The reason for these periods ol decline followed by sudden increases is a mystery. The fluctuations in too weather conditions do not seem capable of accounting for them. Possibly, however, the Germans train their submarine crows m squadrons, and send out their new boats in fairly large fleets. If bo, then a sudden rise in sinkings would be accounted for by the entry into action of a powerful ■ fleet of new submarines, and the subsequent decline by their being gradually thinned out again. 6 The Italians report the loss of one steamer and eight small sailing vessels. • AMERICA IN EUROPE.

The submarines have signally failed to prevent the whole of General Pershing's Expeditionary Force from\crossing the Atlantic and arriving safely France. Their arrival without the loss of a single life is officially announced, but no clue as to numbers is given. The transports were twice attacked, the first brush being in a part of the Atlantic, which had been presumed -to be free from submarines. From this wo may infer that the convoy gave the usual trade routes a wide berth, and also that ; the course intended to bo followed was communicated to Germany by spies beforehand. Considering the swarm of Germans in America, the establishment of an efficient German spy service should be easy. A second attack was made beyond the point where an additional convoy of American warships had been picked up. Both attacks failed, and it is said that one submarine was sunk, . General Pershing and his Staff arrived in , France some weeks ago, and great training camps will doubtless have been organised by this, in conjunction with the French military authorities. Here the American troops, as they arrive, will begin to train within sound of the guns. Their officers will be able to take occasional trips to. the trenches , to keep in touch with all the latest tactical developments, and doubtless large numbers of experienced British and' French officers will give a hand in licking into shape the partly-trained de-

tachments. With those advantages, America should liavo a • very powerful and splen-didly-equipped army in the field by next summer, ,if the submarines do not prove too rami of a handicap. THE HARWICH RAID. There are one or two points of interest about the latest German aeroplane raid upon England. It would jump off from the Belgian coast, in tho region of Zeebruggo, both because that is the nearest point to English territory and because to fly over Dutch territory on such an errand would be a violation of Dutch neutrality. Having fulfilled its mission by bombing Harwich, the aeroplane squadron would again make for the Belgian coast. The strategical aspects of tho position have not escaped the notice of the British authorities, and powerful squadrons of aeroplanes are maintained at Dunkirk, the French port on the Channel, which is situated only a few miles behind the fighting lino. From tho .Belgian coast to Harwich, which stands on tho northern shore of -the Thames Estuary, is 80 miles, whereas from Dunkirk to .a point on tho lino of retreat of tho raiding squadron is only about 50 miles. So a cable despatched from England on the inslant that the arrival of a raiding squadron is known enables an aeroplane squadron held in instant readiness at Dunkirk to get. across the Gorman lino of retreat before the enemy can scuttle back to Belgium again. As a result, wo have this time brought down two of tho raiders in flames, and a third was seen to bo damaged. Tho Dunkirk squadrons will worry tho'raiders considcr-