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Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume VI, Issue 156, 15 June 1916, Page 4

The interruption, through storms, in the Russian communications from the front of which we were advised a couple of days ago, and which left us with but little news yesterday, has evidently been repaired, and to-day we have a report showing that, in the interval of comparative silence, very much has been accomplished. In the Volhynia district, north of the Galician boundary, a very substantial advance has been made, and the Russians are well on their way towards Kovel, the important railway junction which is no doubt their chief immediate objective in this region. With it in Russian hands, the AustroGerman lateral communtications between north and south will be badly interfered with and transfer of troops, if by any means in contemplation, will be rendered difficult. It may then be expected that a descent will be made towards Lemberg from the north, the opinion being expressed that the capture of that railway radiant will not be seriously attempted from the East, unless the Austrians are compelled., by reason of their general retirement, to virtually abandon it. The Volhynia district, we are told, is likely to be the arena in which General Brussiloff’s main effort will in the meantime be concentrated, for there his cavalry, of which'he is making such splendid use, is said to have the best facilities for operating. At the southern extremity of their lines, in the Bukovina, the Rusians have secured control of the railway north-west of Czernowitz, and are also moving on southward of that town, which looks as if fated soon to change hands Once more. Whether Hindenburg will feel himself impelled to send assistance southward to relieve his much-dis-tressed allies remains to be seen, but, should he do so, the Russians are doubtless on the alert to take instant .advantage of the weakness consequently created in his own defensive position. . The offensives he has so far attempted in the northern sectors have proved wholly ineffectual to disorganise the Russian plans in the South.. Russia in the east is evidently being as lavish as is Germany in the west in her expenditure of ammunition, but, with the aid of her countless horsemen, she is getting a very much better return. So far the Russian progress has suffered no appreciable check.

In the Mtestern theatre no material alteration has taken place in the general situation. The Canadians have succeeded in recovering some 1500 yards of "the trenches which some days back were occupied by the enemy, and some very minor exploits are attributed to the Australasian troops, of whom, no doubt, the cablegram rightly thinks we are anxious to hear something. At Verdun, the violent but futile assault near Thiaumont, of which we were told yesterday, has relapsed into a resumption of the incessant bombardment that characterises all the intervals between infini.ii attacks There is, however, no indication ot the French resistance b” ng bioktn The news from Italy is icaosuting and suggests that our Allies there are already reaping the benefit of Russia’s great movement, 'there is no word of any military activity in the Balkans, but the Alb s war ships have been bombarding Bulgarian ports. From Amsterdam comes a message stating that from the Frisian Islands a squadron of German warships has been sighted steaming westward, possibly for a raid on the English coast.