Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY. JULY 26, 1916. THE ALLIES' TIGHTENING GRIP.

Nelson Evening Mail, 26 July 1916, Page 4

Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY. JULY 26, 1916. THE ALLIES' TIGHTENING GRIP.

APPARENTLY Colonel Churchill's unreasonable complaint that Mr Asquith had not reviewed the military situation was more than Mr Lloyd George could listen to in silence. But the most striking part of his reply is his statement that British resourcefulness and intelligence is going to snatch victory "in a few mouths" over what appeared ;it one time "an invincible military Power." Of many reassuring statements by those who ought to know, this is certainly the most hopeful. But there is not wanting evidence, going to prove that Germany, in the words of 'Mr Karl von Wiegand. the pro-German correspondent in Berlin of the New York World, is in "a vice-like grip under pressure which is likely to increase on all points." As we stated the other day, up to a- few weeks ago Germany possessed the military initiative, but she has now lost tins advantage apparently for all time. Though the Germans stilt persist in their costly attacks at Verdun and at the expense of terrible sacrifices, have gained a little ground to the north-east of the fortress, the small gains there cannot compensate for the losses they have sustained on the Somme and that they and their Allies have suffered at the hands of the (Russians. At this juncture it is interesting to recall the main features in the position on the various fronts. These have been fully stated by Mr K. F. Allan, in an excellent review, and our purpose will be served by giving a brief .summary. In addition to the pressure on the Eastern aaid Western fronts and in the Trentino, the 'German prospects in the Near and Middle East must be equally disheartening. The Allied position at Salonika, says Mr Allan, is now far too strong to be imperilled by anything short of an overwhelming attack by forces at least, twice as large as Bulgaria can bring to bear upon .it. And General •Sarrail has not been content to consolidate his position at Salonika for defence alone. He has, it -would s-eem, been constructing roads to his outer lines and getting everything ready for offensive action against the time when the strategy of the co-operating Allied Staffs shall require a forward' move from Salonika either into Serbia or into Bulgaria for the purpose of breaking the through connection between the Central Empires and Turkey. Germany's eastern allies, it has always to be remembered, are bound to her by no other tics than those of selfinterest, and as soon as they fe»i that the tide is turning against her they will be eager to make what terms they can for themselves, without a thought for her* This means, of course, that the present successes may have a moral result quite apart from the military results. In the fßattle of the Somme the Anglo-French troops have had to undertake some very difficult tasks, and there are big obstacles ahead, but the fact remains that the Brit'ish Generals are quite satisfied with the progress made, and Allied superiority has been firmly established. Equally satisfactory is the continuance all along the British front and also on other sections of the French front of the heavy bombardments and constant trench-raiding that harass the enemy and prevent him from moving reserves from other parts of his line to the battle fronts at the critical sectors.

And the Russians, too, have not only been conducting a- vigorous and speriafised offensive in a selected theatre but they have also been displaying marked activity at other points more or less remote from tho actual battle region. While the Russians have now commenced an offensive in the north, the major operations are still in the direction of tho original rushes with which the southern offensive opened at the beginning of June. Perhaps the greatest successes have been won through the southern breach at iCzernowitz, -where the Russians have gained possession of the'-whole of ißukowina, put General von Pflanzer's army altogether out of action and secured the eastern passes over the

'Carpa thiny p. including the important •Jablonit/.a or Delatyn Pass, through

which runs the railway from Lemherg, ijy way of Ha lie/.. >( --.nislau, and Jvolomca, to tiro plains of Hungary. They have atao advanced at any rale with cavalry, considerably we-t of Kolomea, in tin- country between the .Dniester and the Pruth. It would almost seem, says Mr Allan, as though General Brusiioff were attempting a vast enveloping movement by extending his two wings -westward- from the Lutsk and O.ornowitz breaches, reaching the Polish rail\\>iy system in the north and the East railway system in the south so as to compel, if his strateiry works aright, a general retirement of all the enemy armies between Kovol and the. Carpathians:. This will be strougly opposed by the Germans. nn<~\ even if successful, will take considerable time.

The Franco-British advance, satisfactory as it has been, is, after all, as the Telegraph explains, important less strategically than because of the great blow dealt to Germany's self-confidence and 1 the actual losses inflicted. The probable strategic object of the advance is th© driving of a wedge into the German line just above where this forms an angle [Kjintinu" towards Paris, because the deeper such a wedge i.s driven the more insecure the whole angle must become, until the enemy may find it necessary to withdraw over a considerable area south of that attacked-. But even the capture of both Bapaume and Peroune would only amount to a first step in this strategic movement; for its thorough success the troops might have to pierce the German line nearly as deep as to Cambrai and St. Queutin. Even on a big map, 'Bapaume and Perorme are not. after all, very far behind the original German line.

Germany has been dealt a very severe blow. She has been forced back from a line she believed to be impregnable, and she is still being forced back still further: that, after all, is the most important thing. It must help to open her eyes to facts and her real situation; indeed, there i.s evidence that it is doing this. Not, however, that the strategic object of the advance, far as it still is from attainment; may not be realised yet. Both French and British are now at the third German line, and though this may not be the last, it is manifestly impossible that there should be other strong lines stretching all the way back to the Rhine. When it is said, as it often has been, that the whole of Belgium and' Northern France is seamed with German lines of defence, what is meant is this: Behind the first great barrier, with its three or more "lines" or trench systems, there lie certaiu'ly other similar barriers, one after another, until the Rhine is reached. But these barriers must be considerable distances apart, and if we can break clean through one. there should be a certain amount of opportunity for open work before the next is readied. Also, there is always the chance that the first or, failing that, the second, break-through may so disorganise the defenders that they may suffer enormous losses, and perhaps be unable to take proper advantage of their next barrier.