Northern Advocate Daily With which is incorporated the Northern Mail Daily. SATURDAY, MAY 6, 1916. PROGRESS OF THE WAR.

Northern Advocate, 6 May 1916, Page 2

Northern Advocate Daily With which is incorporated the Northern Mail Daily.

SATURDAY, MAY 6, 1916. PROGRESS OF THE WAR.

Registered for transmission through

the post as a newspaper

One of the outstanding features of the war news this week is the surrender of Kut-el-Amara, to which town General Townsend had retreated after his check in attempting to reach Bagdad. This reverse has come as a keen disappointment, but we cannot claim it as a surprise. In fact, it is a wonder that the garrison was able to hold out so long. In the first flush of our disappointment, however, we must not take it that the campaign iv Mesopotamia is completely at an end. The loss of Kut-el-Amara with General Townsend and his men is a severe blow, and the fact must be acknowledged, but there is still work to do in that region, and it is possible that General Aylmer's forces may now be able to operate more freely and successfully in view of the fact that the

relief of Kut, against time, is no longer their objective. We must not forget, also, that the Russian forces are looming big upon that horizon. Owing to the scarcity of news it is difficult to form an accurate estimate of the advance made by our bigAlly in the Caucasian littoral, but there seems no reason to doubt that satisfactory progress is being made, and when the hitting power ; of the Russian and British forces is joined up there should be a fair opportunity of retrieving the reverse at Kut-ei-Aanara. News regarding General Aylmer's force will be anxiously awaited, as its future movements must be accepted at present as problematical. For the hour its objective has gone.

Recent messages indicate that the position in Ireland is returning to normal. The rebellion—if it may rightly be honoured with such a name—has practically been crushed. In Dublin the rioting has ceased and, as the cables say, the sileime of the graveyard prevails. But the military authorities, under the able guidance of General Maxwell, are leaving nothing to chance. The rebels are being hunted out "rump ami stump." The rebel leaders who signed the pro clamation on behalf of tiu- Provisional Republican Government have been shot, as previously reported, and a Field .Court Martial is dealing with the other traitors captured. A careful house-to-house search is also being made in Dublin to ensure a thorough cleansing of the city. Con diets in Gal way and other place:: are reported, but they are not of a. serious nature, and we may accept it that the; outbreak is now finally crushed. Some critics hold the opinion that the rising will result in a wholesome purging o,f Ireland, and the suppression of future agitation, but that is an issue too complex to cover in our weekly review of events.

Having briefly touched noon the surrender of. Kut-el-Amara and the Irish rioting we have about collected all the cream of the week's news. In the political arena, however, :'ie c ii."i-; been an important dovekipiiieni:. it will be remembcivd that a Cabinet j crisis arose owing to the inability of the Coalition Ministry to agree upon ! the question of compulsion. It was j eventually announced that trouble had j been avoided by a compromise in < which compulsion was to be employ- I ed if the weekly recruiting total fe:l j below the standard fixed by the re- '. quirement.s of the War Council. This '. measure when introduced, however, : met with such a cold reception in the , Commons that it was withdrawn. ■ Later Mr Asquith announced that Go- . vernment had decided upon immediate general compulsion and a Bill '• embodying this proposal has been introduced aud read a first time. The prevailing impression is that the measure will be passed with the approval of the majority of the member 5, biu some of tiie Labour representatives may be expecttd to raise objections. Judging from the Premier's remarks concerning the previous measure the new Compulsion i:.\V. will not apply to Irdand.

The Western front has provided lit

tie news this week. Only "scrappy" reports have been received which convey little or no idea as to how fighting is proceeding. It may be that there is "nothing doing," but there seems every reason to believe that the censorship is robbing the cable story of recent weeks of much of its interest. Bald communiques announce enemy attacks repulsed, positions stormed, intense artillery activu.v, and aerial battles. But they are only barebone statements which convey little information. One message received is rather interesting as it indicates a possiVe change in Mir 1 German plans. It states that in consequence of the Verdun failure the Germans are concentrating for a big offensive on the South-eastern frontier. It is quite probable that a big effort wiil be made to resume the Eastern advance, but on the other hand it may only be a move to cover a further attack at .:-' fresh point upon the Western front.

America and Germany have not yet settled their difference concerning submarine warfare. Tt is reported that President Wilson refused to accept the Kaiser's offer to submit the question to the arbitration of the King of Spain, and in the face of this refusal Germany is said to be preparing or reply, and the despatch of ii°r Note is expected hourly. The prevailing belief is that a big effort will be made to "keep sweet" with America without abandoning the piracy policy, and we can quite believe that President Wilsoti is not averse to finding an easy way to avoid trouble. .But the situation is delicate.

[Since the above was in type a cable received states that Germany has despatched her Note. Its character is considered unsatisfactory-]

There is practically no news from the Italian front, or the Balkans. It would be interesting to know just how long the Salonika army is to remain inactive. So far it appears to have been a purposeless campaign. Having failed to save Servia or Montenegro it seems to be on the eve of fulfilling its mission by an evacuation.