Untitled

Nelson Evening Mail, 22 July 1916, Page 4

The two most important objectives of the Allies" offensive at the present tinware the capture of Kovol by the Russians and Peronne and La-paume by tne Franco-British troops. The capture < f these centres would undoubtedly dislocate the enemy's lateral communications for considerable distances. The least possible advantage to the Allies would lie forcing the Germans to concentrate more heavily in these areas at a- tim-i when they are rinding it increasingly difficult to hold their lines. The old condition of deadlock has passed away, and the time is coming when Germany will find it impossible to hold her extended lines. When the general retreat commences the hour of the Allies' great opportunity will have struck.

Yesterday the cables told of strong enemy defensive lines o7i the Stoekhod as part of the defences of Kovel. It has been the enemy's endeavours to deprive the Russians of much of the advantage of Brusiloff's advance north of the Dniester by holding them up at Kove! by a counter-thrust. But though the difficulties are great, there is evidence that the Russians have the position in hand and the salient, near Kovel may soon be straightened out.

And so far as Peronne is concerned the German hold on the town is becoming daily more and more precarious. French guns are alreadv firing across the river at- Biaehes. and the wedge that centres in. this town has been widened by the capture of part of Barleux and of T.a, Maisonette, which is about half-way between Barleux and Biaehes.

One of Sir Douglas Haig's latest reports states that the British troops have regained ground at Delv-ille Wood and at JOongueval. Before the British had established themselves in the new positions they were surprised but fought heroically against fourfold odds and gradually regained the. mastery. Tf has beeii evident for some time that many large German forces had been gathered to meet the British here, and it is very satisfactory to know our troops are masters of the situation. It is pointed out in one of to-day's cables that if the German attack had been successful if would have endangered the front where the 'Franco-British forces meet always a critical point. Considering that the British Were »ur-pri?-ed when organising new positions, it is very significant that large German forces were unable to inflict anything in the nature of a- defeat upon o>if troops. Whatever else the offensive has succeeded in doing it has forced the Germans to send large reinforcements to the region of the Somme at a time when British and- French superiority "has been established, to a greater or less degree on the entire front.

Trones Wood, recently captured by the British, it is interesting to recall to mind, is half-way between Montauban and Combles, which is stated to be the British objective in this region. Its importance lies mainly in the fact that it is the junction of five roads, and that it stands in the loop of railway that runs up north-west from Peroime and,.round, north-west of Combles, through Bernafag Wood and Trones Wood and Montauban and Carnoy to Fricourt and Albert. Part of this line we now hold, and the advance through the Avood was made with the object of proceeding along the line towards Combles.

It is of course useless to prophesy when the war will <md. At the same time we may venture the opinion that those people who are entertaining hopes of peace this year are laying themselves open to disappointment. Certainly a vc.'y creafc chancre has come about during che past few -weeks. The war has entered upon an.' entirely new phase, and the continued pressure by the Allies ma .- mean that the problem of the future is as much psychological as military. The first of three great stages of the war, it has been said, was the Battle of the Ma rue. up' to which anything was possible. The second was the great Russian retreat, which proved that Russia cannot he beaten. And the third: stair a is represented by the development of the Kitchener armies, which, coming -on top of the great efforts of the Fren:ii„ has made the defeat of the Allies in the West impossible. This scope of German enterprise, and, together with the Russian pressure in the Eas'j, is doubtless the cause of the controversy in Germany regarding the re-shaping oi peace plans. It will be remembered that only a few short weeks ago the German Chancellor asserted that the present "war map" was alone acceptable as a basis of peace argument. Now the Chancellor is the champion of the anti-annexation policy and, we were told yesterday, ho is supported by the leading journals, not because such policy is right, but because, as the Munieher Post puts it, the lives of the Fatherland defenders must not be sacrificed for annexation -schemes, "which cannot be carried out." Germany's will to conquer has been strong, but nprMi her will not to yield depends the question of the duration of the war. . The psychological aspi el of the question is more fully dealt with in to-day's leading article.