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Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume VI, Issue 348, 6 February 1917, Page 4

It is quite out of the question that we, in these peace-begirt islands, should have any adequate conception of the intense activity which at present characterises the shipbuilding yards of the Old Country. While out here we have a large body of men doing their best to delay the shipping whose full use is so vitally essential to the successful conduct of the war. the workmen of the British ship-yards are plying the hammer night and day to make good the ravages of the German submarines. But at the same time naval construction is going on at a pace hitherto quite unknown in its most active eras. A representative of the journal “Engineering,’’ who was recently permitted to visit, certain naval yards, was greatly impressed by the' evidence, which he found on every hand, of great efficiency and a- capacity for rapid but thoroughly reliable work. He saw many new warships, and he referred to their qualities as followslt may be accepted without entering into details, that the newer ships are greatly superior in every element of fighting efficiency to those of former days. Beyond this it would be imprudent to go. As to the rapidity of construction, the achievements have far surpassed those of peace time. Some of the greatest ships yet conceived have been hui.lt well within eighteen months from the date when the tactical conditions to be met in design were first enunciated bv the naval authorities ; in normal times the period required would have been quite double. This result in rapid construction has been got by the organisation of the shipbuilding works in order to economise labour, to ensure that the maximum number of men may be employed on the ship without each getting in the other’s way and by the co-ordination of the work of different departments, so as to ensure the maximum of output in a given time. Again, in the building of smaller craft those firms having experience have played the patriotic part of contributing readily to the needs of inexperienced, although otherwise competitive .firms by guiding them in the execution ot work, which was entirely new to them. Many ship-building firms are to-day turning out most satisfactory warships who. before the war, had no knowledge of Admiralty conditions.

Readers will hare noted that the news from Russia’s main front has been almost entirely confined, to operations on the extreme right wing west of Riga. The importance of the position for whose possession the Russians and Germans have been almost incessantly struggling during the last three weeks is thus explained by the military contributor to a Sydney exchange. South and south-west of Riga, he says, there is a chain of lakes, and swamps, and bisecting the line is the River Aa. Between the east bank of the Aa- and a large swamp called Tirul there is a long narrow stretch of ground, which is a sort of natural bridge through the marshes, and which affords a means of communication between the coast of Riga Gulf and the region around Mitau in the interior. On th’s connecting strip is the village of Kalncem Now, since the line of lakes and swamps is practically the front between the Germans and the Russians. this Kalncem ridge has high strategic value. Until recently the Germans held it, and it was strongly fortified. But some three weeks ago the Russians made a sudden and overwhelming attack, and, with little besides the bare bayonet, they took the whole of the ridge, and seized a huge quantity of war material and guns, and over a thousand prisoners. It was not an operation of major importance', but it greatly disconcerted the German Staff.'because, by occupying the ridge, the Russians practically held the gateway to- the junction town of Mitau, 12 miles away, and on Mitau hinge the whole of the German communications in ibis region. Since the firsr successful Russian surprise onslaught the fighting has been almost continuous, and von Hindenburg-, quickly realising the importance of the position, rushed up heavy reinforcements of both men and gnus, with the result that the Germans hqve recovered part of the causeway. The Russians, however, are clinging tenaciously to the position, and the latest news we have had indicates a back and forward surge of conflict, which leaves the ultimate mastery still in doubt. Apparently, the infantry of both sides is moi ing freely over the frozen surface, and a good deal of open fighting io going on. Whether the Germans are merely seeking to discourage further Russian enterprise in this direction, or whether they lune serious designs on Riga, has yet to be disclosed.

Both yesterday’s anil to-dav cables arc mainly devoted to America’s determiuntiou. and to discussions of its significance ami proprobable consequence'-. fte.-pii»’ the President's pious hope that Germany would revise her resolution and make a declaration of iu>r nuneecssary. the general trend of the messages from all part'- is such as to suggest that wav between Amorim ami Germany i-> regarded as inevitable. The American announcement has also stiffened the attitude of European neutrals, ano Spain esoeeiallv. who. by her geographical position. is virtually exempt from the danger of -udden invasion by the Huns, is strong in her protests and backing th»-ni up by action. In the meantime Count Bernstorff is in some sort of a quandary as to how he is going to ca-rv out the President's notice to quit, and “safe conduct.” is asked for him from Great Britain. The best scheme would appear to Re to ship him ou some neutral •vessel and withhold t’rom (kniiuin infoi - n t" n to t idt ititv th t iic the count a chance ol being hoist it 11 if t his <vn] c t it fl tll t 11 ft i h n v s fr >m it < f Ta 111 ilut q tn ti onts i ten Itnv but tn the western theatre there continue to be hvelv electric jndieatrnis t the lomin. toim in I Bir Dmif, is Hug tepoit mt tuithn little gain of ground in the northern section ot the boinme offensive line. \Du h mt a e vv hi 1 vv i i e c i c ’ vfsteidav but s< -ij. < d pib 11 ti i -in i miict th aniv 11 t General Falkenhavn at Munster, in I } i Al c h i it i ai I*h t a large concentration of enemv troops lias been effected, but whether with a viev to aggifssivc a tion. or in apprenension of a Irencn thrust, is not suggested. From the Tigris comes word of somej further ,d' "ained by the British.