SEDAN OVERSHADOWED.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXIX, Issue 3826, 13 January 1915, Page 5

SEDAN OVERSHADOWED.

THE TURKISH DEFEAT. REVIEW BY MILITARY EXPERTS. BATTLE ON THE MOUNTAIN TOPS. (Times and Sydney Sun Services.) LONDON, Jan. If. Russian military experts consider the Turkish defeat at Sary Katnish overshadows Von Moltke’s overwhelming defeat of the French at Sedan. It is the first time in military history that two large armies have fought at an altitude of ten thousand feet during a severe winter. A message from TiJlis states that Iskhan Pasha surrendered when only three hundred men remained. GAP. D 3 HAL ME RG! E R’S PASTORAL. GERMAN EFFORTS AT HUP-' PRESSION. (Received Jan. 13, 12.5 a.m.) AMSTERDAM, Jan. 12. Tiro “Telcgraaf” says that a German proclamation threatens severe punishment on anyone in possession of a copy of Cardinal Mcrcier’s pastoral. THE ARMY BE BATE. IS VOLUNTARY SYSTEM A FAILURE? (Received. Jan. 13. 12.5 a.m.; LONDON, Jan. 12. Lord Sydenham, in a loiter to “3 he Times”, says: “in view of the lack of knowledge of our military activities evidenced by the. Opposition in their questions in the House of Lords, some co-operation of the most acute intellects available, irrespective of party allegiance, is desirable.”^ Mr Ramsay MacDonald, correcting the report of his speech, states that he said: “If the policies which made the war continue, then the arguments in favor of conscription arc unanswerable.” Mr Arthur Henderson, M.P.. speak ing at Manchester, said that when the voluntary system had •_ proved such a success, it was inconsistent with the. view of political truce for any section, high or lew, to suggest that the Government was introducing conscription or compulsory service

DAP. SMC SUBMARINES. THE ALIEN DANGER. ALLEGED GERMAN BASE IN UNITED KINGDOM. Writing at the end of October, the Sydney “Sun’s” special representative mentions seine interesting facts and rumors. He says: “As for England, it is the most fierce hatred conceivable. I simply shuddered at their words.in mentioning her. Not only can nothing resist their 42 cm. guns, but they have now a 52 cm. guns, with which to bombard the English coast. They have also ether secret inventions with which they will land in England, whore they will leave not a tiling standing, and no one living. Their fleet is now in the Baltic for purely tactical reasons, while their submarines are gradually weakening the English fleet, they themselves having lost not a single vessel. They have also a scheme'for reducing England to starvation. Then will England pay to such a;i extent that she will be ruined for ever, and Sir Edward Grew will be cut into a thousand pieces.” Tins is the pleasant, joyful horoscope drawn for us by a Belgian lady, who sticks to her own home in Flanders, and who has had the forced company of three German officers at her table. It was hardly appetising news to receive at breakfast-time, though I know of one person who ate two portions ef everything to show how little Ijo cares for German bombast and threats. “"Well might "those who are even only a little behind the scene ignore the meditations conjured- up by the fright fulness of this letter. The Kaiser's armies in Flanders are, as write, well and truly beaten. On Tuesday afternoon there were several hours when the stars in thejrcourses fought against- us. The Allies’ line was thin and reinforcements were urgently required. They were shot to the front as quickly as transport could take them. It was a gamble against time. If the Germans pressed home their attack the Allies could not have stopped them cutting right through their line. "Wo ought to be very thankful that the Germans wore so punished in their attacks that when victory was within their grasp they wore too exhausted to take advantage "of it. They hesitated at the vital moment. New troops were thrown into the Allies’ trenches, and that was tlie end of the mavc-h to Calais. I am writing very confidently, lvecause I happen to. know that this is the opinion of Sir John French, and what lie thinks is good enough for me. He has fought the enemy to a standstill, but he cmnnot take the offensive until he. has larger numbers, to make bis advance irresistible. .Tv. of K.- lias sent across the Channel onlv steady, seasoned troops. The bulk of tlie Germans were first-line soldiers. Most of these have been killed or wounded. Their reserves are jejune and almost callow. Our territorials will bo more than a match for them, and long before this reaches-you this new division of our forces will ho- facing and chasing the Kaiser’s men. BLUE 'WATER EXCITEMENT. From the sea the- situation is equally cheery. The monitors on the coast have been given the company of destroyers and a natt-le-cruiser has joined them to pump death upoiy the Teutons out of her 14.2 guns. Nothing is said about the rest of our warships," but all tho sumo lively tilings are occurring in and around the North Sea. Needless to say, it is the .Govman submarine which is providing most of the sport, and by the way, the Admiral Genteaume, with the

points. Posen has been invaded, and the rich German province of Silesia isthreatened. These Russian successes mark the end of Germany’s great plan of wintering on the Vistula- ana San, and holding herself free from invasion while despatching all the troops she could to northern France to crush tho" allied, armies fighting on French soil, Germany hoped to be nine to hold that very strong defensive line till nextspring, while using tlie flower of her troops to destroy Franco and strike ■% vital blow at England. Tin: clever Russian strategy, which brought.up unsuspected ficsh troops at t« area tv, upset that plan. It compelled tiic German army in front of the Polish capital to beat a precipitate retreat; and the German retreat in tho north compelled tl le whole Austro-German line, right down to the Przemysi fortress in Galicia, to fail back as well. That withdrawal was delayed because of the slowness with which strategy develops itself in the huge battles of this war ; but it was no no tlie less inevitable, and after some stubborn fighting tlie Russian cornsnumlor-in-ehiof was able to announce a complete Russian victory on an unprecedented scale. Now tbe German Empire is, for the first time since tbe war began, seriously threatened with invasion on. its own. soil—on the Silesian frontier. Farther, the retreat of the German armies in the north means that the East Prussian frontier of tlie empire is also threatened, and this time there will be no word of Russia drawing back again. From these facts it is clear that tlie German plan of invading Russian Polan has ended in ignominious failure, and the new military situation which has arisen should soon' react to the advantage of the Allies in the western theatre of war. Had the German plan of holding up the Russian armies proved successful. Russia would have been prevented for months from giving any effective help to tho Allies. Her armies would have been hold up till the spring. To achieve victory Russian strategy took many risks. Important positions " of strategical strength were given up to the enemy after pretended resistance. Tlie Germans swept forward in what they believed to be a victorious march right up to tbe gates of Warsaw. The Austrians crossed the San River, fondly imagining thev were driving the Russians before them. The German ana Austrian Emperors exchanged compliments and iron crosses on the brilliant “successes” of their armies. Then. as described in “The Age,” the Grand Duka Nicholas struck in front of Warsaw, and rolled the Germans hack. The defeat cf the Austrians followed. No wonder the Russian commander in chief permitted himself, to cull attention to" the importance of these sue-rscs. -mi mat tne Tsar and bis ireops mined in a solemn To Drum in thanksgiving on the field of battle. “We owe this victory to tbe inexhaustible goodness of God." the Grand Duke Nicholas announced, “Who has blessed the- superhuman heroism cf our warriors, of whom Russia has a right to be proud. This victory will allow celt troops to proceed to the realisation cf fresh tasks which will inaugurate a new period of hostilities.’’ The Russians fcLowed up their advantage with i emorseless activity The enemy were expected, alter this defeat, to make a stand along, a previous! v prepared-defensive position behind tho: river YTarta. but they appeared to have- c-vacant.<i m/se positions, and to be seeking wife tv behind the Hue- cf fortresses cf Grande-nz, Thorn. Posen, and Bresl-yi. The swiftness of Russia's invasion of Germany is a sure Indication -of tlie magnitude of the dc-ic-at inflicted on. the Austro-German treops. It ismiov.manifest that Russia’s magnificent.successes agamst Germany and --u - - have uwn brouglic ulmur ry superior .Russian strategy amp fine figuring on tho part cf the Russian tveeps. The- military experts cf Great Britain "and Europe have been greatly. impress-?-:! by 'she wcii-dei ful efficiency _ and dan displayed by the. Russian armies in the western campaign. The German military caste has eontemptuously under-estimated the Russian soldiers since the Russo-Japanese war, but Russia bad laid the lesson or mat war to her heart, as Germany has new discovered to her Litter c-ost. . and there is no better fc uier ca the battle fields of Europe to-day than the sign soldier, and no better equipped and han't!'cd armies than those of Russia. The great Russian nation is absolutely united in the determination to wage this war to a relentless conclusion- and ti:e Russian soldiers and tlic-ir officers, closely united m a bond of fellowship that is entirely lacking in the German army, are equally determined to carry the national colors to final victory, regardless of ccst or losses. A special war correspondent of '-The Times '. who witnessed the whole of the Russo-Japanese campaign from the Japanese side, but- is new with the Russian forces, has been much impressed with the rnachine-li.ke efficiency* of th? vast Russian armies now attacking Germany, and the “incredible rapidity" of their advance. The transport is admirable, and the troops are pushed forward so rapidly that R 13 difficult to keep p;me with therm Military experts have been equally impressed by the brilliancy of the Russian strategy, which has made tho vaunted “military machine"’ of Germany appear a very cumbersome ancf creaky apparatus. The Russian strategy which rolled up tlie great German and Austrian armies along a front of one thousand miles, and drove them back in headlong flight, has inspired the utmost respect tor Russian, military prestige. Toe “Tunes’’ expresses the opinion that these successes make the Grand Duke Nicholas, the Oomiifancler-in-Chief of the Russian Armies, “perhaps the greatest individual figure of tho war.’ . Tins is high praise, but not too high, considering tho great feat he .-has successfully accomplished , comprising comprehensive and simultaneous military operations on a scale unparalleled in the history of warfare. After three months’ fighting and the failure of the German offensive east and west, two salient facts are clearly revealed by the results in the eastern theatre of war. t Russian strategy is better than German. and the Russian troops are better fighters titan the Germans. It Ts not likely that Russia’s rapid rate of can bo continued. There are throeViistricts within their own frontiers for which the- Germans and Austrians must fight and fight hard. The great fortified city of Cracow will not be given up by the Austrian-; without a severe struggle. Nor will the Germans admit jthe Russians into tho busy region ef Upper Silesia, of which the centre is Tarnowitz. without the fiercest opposition; and the groat industrial and trading city of Breslau, the second in size in the German Empire, will be defended by tho Germans to the extremity. It will_bo interesting to see how the Russian Commander-in-Clnef wi,l handle these three knotty problems. The general belief is that his strategy and determination will move ccual to them.