PROGRESS OF THE WAR

New Zealand Times, Volume XL, Issue 9045, 17 May 1915, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

, The Russian statement that the Germans are seventeen miles from Przemysl, outnumbering the defence by three to one, is not official. A German official statement of to-day adds that the troops of General Mackensen are opposite Przemysl. If the first of these is true, and the second is a corroboration, there can he hut one meaning. It is that since the Russian official statement of the stoppage of the German attack on the line of the Wisloka the enemy has brought up further reinforcements, which in the proportion of three to one are proving overwhelming. In that case, if the Russian commander is to avoid further retreat-r-and the danger of disastrous defeat—he mlzst reinforce his line considerably. True he has the strong fortress Przemysl in his new line of the San, and that will afford mm very considerable help. The Russian explanation of the retreat: from the VVisloka is that this is done with the object of defending a shorter front. .

Now the distance between the Vistula and the Carpathians crests is greater on the line of the San tnan it is further west on the line of either the Donajec or the Wisloka. If, therefore, we are to attach any moaning at all to the explanation—assuming it ’ to have reached us in correct form—we must regard it as an announcement that as an army is occupying Przemysl, the troops that have reti’eated from the Wisloka will have less ground to defend. In other words, that the retreat has been made with a view to utilising the fortress and its army iff the defence of the Russian lino.

i If that is the correct view it tallies with the recent Jttussian statement—made after the enemy effected , the crossing of the Donajec—that the real strength of the Grand Duke’s lino had not been touched—the enemy having only forced an advanced line acting.as a screen. Hence, of course, the outmrm coring. As the alleged appearance in the San valley of the advancing Germans has not been accompanied by any'reports of fighting; the inference would seem to be that .the Russians have retreated to a position where the Russian strength is equal to the German. This is what the Russians have done every time the Germans have struck a blow iu forte. In Roland twice, and in East Prussia also twice, these have been the tactics, and every time the Russian, retreat has ended in a stronger position and the bafflement of the Gorman advance.

' In the present instance the Russians, arc taking the matter very coolly. This overwhelming German strength ot three to one does not perturb them. They : are mot making desperate resistance—unless the unconfirmed Russian report of the capture of General Korniloff and his staff may be called a sign of desperate resistance—and whaff is mcre a they are not moving troops from their left to reinforce their right. On the contrary,-the, official report today is that the Russian force have had a great battle on their left, that they have compelled the enemy to abandon a line of 90 miles between the Bestritza river and the Roumanian frontier, that they have wrested the territories bn both banks of the Pruth from him, and that they are driving him back to the Hungarian frontier at a speed considerably accelerated by the vigorous use of their cavalry, which, dike the British and French cavalry, has established a strong ascendancy over the German arm. The Petrograd report of this battle on the left reads like the complete and final repulse of tho powerful attack begun some weeks ago by the Austro-Gcrman armies on the Russian left. We -are evidently expected to believe that at last this- formidable movement, which has been kept up with very hard fighting for so long, this movement which paralysed the Russian advance into Hungary, has been finally disposed of.

Now that movement was a determined thrust at the rear of the .Russian position. Whether aimed at Tarnopol or at Lemberg, it was a serious menace, and had a serious result. Had the thrust at the right, delivered some time after this stroke at the left, been as overwhelming as the Germans would have its believe, and as the unofficial Retrograd report seems to indicate, the Russians would not .be fighting the big battle on the left, and following up their success as if there were no disturbing factor elsewhere. We are therefore inclined to doubt the correctness of that unofficial admission, jb'or the moment, indeed, it is not very clear where the German advance really is, against the Russian right. The serenity of the Russian right and the determined advance on the Russian left forbid the conclusion that as yet there is any serious danger of losing Galicia. That the German commander has struck a tremendous blow at the Russian right on the Galician sector and forced it back 30 odd miles is not to be denied ; That he has taken the offensive from the Russian general in western Galicia is, of course, equally certain. But that he has overwhelmed him and is forcing Mm to disastrous or even dangerous retreat is not by any means in the same category of things. On the contrary, with his victorious offensive on tbe left the Russian commander is soon likofy to have largo forces at his disposal for helping him to hold his new position on the right very firmly .

The link between these positions is of course the centre in the Carpathians. That the Russian ■ centre holds all the passes, wo are bound to be-

liove until we have definite announcement of the occupation of the Dukia Pass bv the Austrians or Germans or mixed forces of both armies. Of course the unexpected has happened, as it often does in war. The Germans, thanks to their splendid strategic railway system, have stopped the Russian invasion of Hungary, and rolled' back the Russian menace against Silesia—the menace which the Russian general brilliantly maintained throughout the long winter. The Russian, however, has reserves behind which will be in the field before long. They cannot he far off, or the Russian mind would not be so serene. It is possible the Grand Duke may bo already planning a counter-stroke. At all events there is no reason to feel disquiet as vet about the position in Galicia. • * , • On the west the Ypres battle is raging by fits and starts, but its intensity has diminished. We have strengthened our hold of Hill No. 60, besides making good some advances. There is a graphic account of the battle further south, of our advance in fact, which we tried to maintain while resisting the great German assault on Ypres. The spectator tells us how the artillery failed to shake the German defence, and how the advantage gained had to be relinquished. The report that tho Clyde people—masters and men - have assured the Marshal and the Admiral that they will keep up the supply of munitions, together with other references to the supply, is very encouraging in this connection. Our troops have demonstrated that they can actually maintain a great attack far heavier than the attack they made on Neuve Chapello on March 10th— simultaneously with a great defence against an exceptionally determined assault of the German armies. If they can be kept supplied with all the ammunition they want, there need be no fear for the result of the campaign. Tho fact is the British numbers are telling.

The advance of our gallant Allies is another fine and most encouraging feature of tho situation. They are getting the benefit of fresh numbers, and they are showing, the superiority of their equipments. The constant battering from their side and ours, we have every reason to expect, lyill break the German line before long. The Germans have shown that they intend to strike blows too. The tradition of their service is “attack.” They will attack,, and as they always do in considerable force, with a great concentration of artillery. But it is evident noiv that they are no longer the masters.

The Dardanelles expedition continues to give a good account of itself. It is now coming into better -perspective. The official messages bring up the story to May 10th. They toll of the great power of the' Turkish attacks on our lines, and of' their repulse; they are supplemented by vivid unofficial accounts, one of which describes the great Turkish assault which lasted from ten at night till dawn, and was repulsed with a loss which the official message calls “terrible,” the enemy’s dead lying iu heaps in front of the Australasian positions. The invaluable assistance given by the fleet guns is also made very prominent. \Vo realise, in short, that the combined action of fleet and armies enabled a force comparatively small to heavily defeat a large and powerful enemy. The landing was tihdor the circumstances a most extraordinary feat of arms, and the making good in the interior was a series of great feats of arms. The landing of powerful forces will enable others ;to bo performed on a more extensive scale.

Tho strategy we now realise a little bettor. A strong battle is going on for tho Achi Baba position, where the Turkish, troops south of the Gaba TepeMaidos lino are concentrated, the ridge across there is held against all attempts to reinforce that southern Turkish position, and an action is developing apparently behind. Maidos. , That means, we take it, that the reports from Athens and Mitylene of an advance on Gallipoli through the broao portion Of the peninsula wore a little wild. Unofficially the preparations at Tenedos and elsewhere for forwarding troops and munitions to the landing places how secure are described as colossal.-

A detail, from Constantinople, is that 50,000 wounded Turks have arrived, there from, the Dardanelles. We are quite willing to believe that the number is large, for the fire of great guns is not concentrated on troops' for nothing, and the field artillery of the Allies' batteries has .been well served, and is very powerful. But 50,000! It is a correspondent of the' “Daily Mail” who vouches for the figures. We think corroboration is necessary.

The Goeben, it appears from one mes-sage,-tried to damage the Australasians, on the ridge in front of Maidos, but was driven off quite easily by the .[Nelson. The story is that she was “almost hit,” and at once made off. It does not restore brilliancy to her career.

Regarding the fOrts, one message tells us that only two of the forts ot the European side of the straits arc replying to the bombardment. We may conclude from that generally that the bombardment is progressing. But whatever it is doing, it is clear that wo have a good deal to learn, about if : yet. What is very evident is that the campaign for the forcing of this formidable position is being prosecuted with groat vigour by sea and land.

Thero is apparently not much to find fault with in the. American Note to Berlin. It demands not only reparation, but cessation of attacks on American citizens, whatever ships they may be in. Which is only logical, for the Germans have forbidden them ttf sail at all, under pain of death. And the German Ambassador has actually warned them by advertisement in tho lockl papers. The President has not forgotten to .stress 'that most . outrageous and unprecedented fact. The German Government has not answered. But the German Admiralty has attempted a justification of the Lusitania outrage, declaring that as only one torpedo was used, the swiff destruction of the great liner must be. attributed to the explosion ■ of a quantity of ammunition she was carrying. The plea begs the .question—quite apart from the question of whether there wia» any ammunition on board at all. That has not been proved; on the contrary, it is fairly clear that there was no ammunition. But it there had been; if the ship had been full of ammunition from tho keel to the top decks, her destruction was against tho law of nations. There was the right of search, and no other right. If Germany had no vessel capable of exercising that right, that

was her misfortune. The use of a vessel, unfit for that service, to sink a trader without warning was her very murderous fault.

The London meeting which called on the Government to declare the Kaiser and other persons in authority personally responsible will very rightly have the sympathy of the whole civilised world. As will also the demand of the meeting to confiscate the interned ships of Germany and the whole of the dO millions of German property in Britain. These German murderers have forfeited all rights whatever.

Their arrogant and unjust temper is further shown by the proposals made in Berlin to make reprisals' by the illtreatment of prisoners of war in Gorman custody, for the internment of German aliens in Britain. All aliens are interned in Germany. We have the same right of internment xs they have. Yet when we exercise it, they threaten reprisals. Everything must be allowed them, and nothing to their enemies.

Moreover, it is quite plain that if these Germans are not interned in Britain, two things will happen. (1) Some of them will burn London and the great cities; (2) and then all of them will be massacred by an indignant people not restrainable by any Government. The German Government does not know what it has done.