WAR REVIEW.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17861, 6 August 1918, Page 4

WAR REVIEW.

WEEK'S OPERATES.' • BEGINNING OF GERMAN RETREAT. [Per Press Association.] WELLINGTON. August ft The following summary; has been received by the Governor-General from tho Ministry of Information for the week ended August 2: WESTON FRONT. .

The German withdrawal on a twentyfive mile front between the Uurcq and the Ardre was not unexpected, owing to the difficult position in which the enemy was placed, but thougn he conducted it in an orderly and skimd , maimer and witnout. tiw ioss or gune, uo was compelled to abandon large quantities or auimuuiuon, stores auu nun-enal, xnciuuiug a great amount oi Diluting maternu, whion is an inuication uiut it was nis original intention to pass tno Marne in great strength and advance on I'uiis. iue enemy is at present* making such a determined resistance that it is evident he does not intend to be hurried in wiontirawing. Jais future inteuviona are doubttul. it is unlikely that fie will noid uis present une, lor such an extensive retirement has already been accomplished and it is so complete ah admission of deteat that a further with-, drawal could hardly ' make i a worse moral effect, and his position is most unfavourable. The River Aisne is in his rear and all its bridges near Missy are under French fire. There are only about eight roads to supply the salient bo that the congestion and difficulties of supply must be enormous, but the only hint of a possible further withdrawal is the burning of villages southwest of Soissous. So long as he continues to hold the line south of the Aisne. his position will always be a source of weakness. He has used seventy-one divibions ' ami only some twenty fresh ones remain at tho disposal of Prince Rupprecht. If the Germans use their remaining reserves in a fresh offensive it would be "a desperate gamble. How greatly Gcnerai Fdch's success and the rapid develop•merit of the American army have altered the relative situation of the Allies and the Germans can be noted from the fact that now for the first time this year tho Allies' fresh reserves are actually greater than those of the enemy despite the numerical superiority of the enemy along the whole front, hut it must be remembered that the Germans have not yet lost the initiative and even if they are unable to make a further offensive on the Wetsern front, they can always transfer forces to Italy or the,Balkans, though there is.no present indication of such an intention. Meanwhile the French Higher Command most warmly praises the British. Corps co-operat-ing on the eastern front or the salient. There js every reason to believe that the British progress here hastened the German retreat and had an important influence on the success of the operations.

ALLIES IN RUSSIAIn northern Russia the enemy will probably soon make an offensive against the Murman railway. Despite, the strong desiro of the inhabitants the Bolsheviks have been forced by Germany, if force was necessary, into the cession of the Murman* coaßt. This, ol course, means a pretext for rushing Finland into war with tho Allies and gives a good instance of how • much the Bolsheviks care for the principle of the free self-determination of peoples. In Siberia the Czeoho-Sloyaks hold their own and make progress to westward. But with regard to their operations in Eastern Siberia, the Bolsheviks and pro-German forces there are completely cut off from Russia, so that the Germans can only know what is going on from the Entente Press. Therefore, the less detailed information we give about events in Siberia the better. The peasant risini? in the Ukraine increases, and the railways are being destroyed. The Austrian troops are insufficient to cope with the people. THE BALKANS FRONT. On tho Salonika front large Greek divisions will shortly take the field. Tliis reflects the greatest, credit on M. Venezelos and the patriotic energy of the Greek nation, which has had to contend with the greatest difficulties owing to the demoralising effect of the older men of Constantino s regime Tno morale of the army is now excellent and the men have reached a high standard of training. There is a note of growing gloom among the Bulgarian troops, who intensely hate the Germans and Turks alike. Several times troops told to attack have shown n mutinous spirit, hut in spite of this the Bulgarians will probably continue fighting so long as their rights to Macedonia are questioned. AUSTRIA'S TROUBLES.

The Austrian change of Government is. unimportant, since its policy is unchanged. Dr von Seidler, the Premier, offended the Poles by promising to include the Ukraine and Galicia in a separate Ukrainian province. Therefore, the Poles refused to pass the Budget,, though they declared themselves ready to concede it to another similar Government. The Czechs, Jugo-Slavs and Socialists are absolutely opposed to tho present political course and the German nationalists are unable to give the Government a majority without the Polish Parliamentary Club, so that von Seidler has been sacrificed and a similar nonentity, with a different name, has been 'substituted. Galician newspapers give s revelations as to th© internal conditions' during the first week in July. There was a round-up in Cracow of thieves and robbers disguised - as officers and soldiers, also of military deserters. No fewer than 1600 were caught. Again a Lemberg paper writes: " Thieves and deserters latelv have been cbminer in masses to Lemberg. Some are fugitives straight from Transport is disorganised and in the conditions of a big town not far from the front itis easy to carry on tho work of robborv. Regular factories for forged military documents were established with a regular olearinc-housc for «ich documents. The thieves ard robbers were dressed in military uniforms and provided with such documents that thw .entered private dwellings and robbed oeoplo, especially in tramway oars. They also carried out expeditions into the provinces. When ohnlby crmstohles they frequently offered armed resistance." GERMANY AND RUSSIA.

German ambitions contemplate new tyrannies with regard to* the Baltic provinces, Poland, etc.. while in strong contrast the Allied Governments issue a manifesto, to the Russian people proclaiming that the help given by the Allies to Russia was solely in th:- interests of Russia's independence and freedom from alien interference and tyrannical influences. An illuminating comment _ -on German methods of expansion is afforded by the murders of Generals von Mirbaoh and von Eichorn. In this connection it is interesting to note the "Cologne Gazette's" appeal to Ireland, wjioin Germany proposes to understand completely 'by dint of the "characteristia German qualities of " science, tact and love," such as are already so nleasingly exemplified in violated Russia, Rumania, etc. FOOD POSITION.

Since America assures us that sufficient bacon will be provided for distribution without rationing, bacon and ham have been released' from coupon, and butcher's meat may bo purchased qn all four coupons of the meat leaf. The coupon value of meat purchasable has been reduced' from 7d worth to 5d worth, which means that ' supplementary ration books havo been with- * drawn, that the pie ration is free to self-suppliers and that persons in r©~ "»>- oeipt or direct «uppli©e only havp to , account for such parts of t4i* pig uj