PROGRESS OF THE WAR

New Zealand Times, Volume XL, Issue 9076, 22 June 1915, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Tho American Note has not yet any answer from Berlin, except that some time is necessary for the - SpaqiiMmes which Berlin must make .before being able to give adequate answer. Semiofficial newspapers have often stated that the German right to do anything that pleases Germany cannot be questioned, and the German Notes on tho subject to which the last American Note is a reply plainly told the U.S. Government that it must get Britain to stop her .blockade before the German submarine blockade would bo modified.' It appears, therefore, .on the whole that tho request of Germany for time, to make inquiries is the beginning of a long process of evasion. Berlin, believing that President Wilson will be glad of anything that postpones action, has begun by sophistical procrastination. The submarine blockade in the meantime goes on. , But no American is struck, though the vessels of small States whose voice is in proportion to their power afe freely sent to the bottom. The larger British vessels escape, and no liners are reported as hit. The brunt of tho piracy is falling on the small • fisher folk. Moreover, tne murder feature is nothing like it was,,tor the crews of the wrecned vessels "generally manage to escape. Moreover, the blocKatiers nave actually co(ncle=cenaed to explain why they sank one .of tho small traders —"carrying mine props, wmch always have been contraeand of war.- On the whole thi. suomarme blockade, has for some rea son exhibited a milder spirit, as woh as less execution. Whether this is due to the resentment of all nations at the piracy and murder wmch culminated in. tne Lusitania massacre, or vvhethei it is caused by the activities of the British and French navies, or whether the American attitude has impressed on Berlin the need for caution,, it is just now impossible to say.

In the meantime, the munition trade of the United states flourishes, and will be further stimulated by the. very large orders which the new Minister of Munitions, Mr Lloyd George, has sent over to America. The Germans are also credited with givoiss large orders to the American muni-tion-makers, the recurrence of which is plain proof that the munitions ordered find their way somehow to Germany. There is also an apparently well authenticated story of a German attempt to buy up all the big factories. AU this is, of course, a curious commentary on the German pretence that the supply of' munitions oo the Allies by America is a breach of neutrality. That, ground wan

never tenable, and the German practice makes it less so than ever. That practice, as now revealed, is, t moreover, ndt new.’ The discovery of contraband by the British naval officers, smuggled in innocent cargoes, gave the true reason for the enormous increase during the war of munition material to neutral ports from the ports of the United States. It is, of course, perfectly well understood, as the United States Note pointed out, that the Berlin protest against the supply of munitions to the Allies by America was really a complaint that the Allies have the command of 'the sea. The frequent and systematic smuggling of contraband by Germany proved that Germany did not regard the supply by America was a breach of neutrality, i The protest was only another pretence of the German arrogance which seeks to substitute the German will for international law and the settled customs of nations.-

In the Lusitania case. New York orovides further light by which to read ' the German statement—contradicted flatly in _ the President’s Note —that the big liner carried guns. The witness who Testified that h© saw the {runs placed in position has just been indicted for perjury. If more, proof were wanted of the rottenness of the German side in the Lusitania case, this would supply it. But none is required. The President’s Note contradicting the German statement of the character of the Lusitania and of her ‘cargo, pointed out that if that statement were true, there would be obligation to ascertain the truth on the matter, and then ,to protect innocent life; and wound up this part of the case with a formal indictment of murder, such as no Government of a civilised Power has ever had to face.

The decoration of the man who did that great act of murder is an insult to the protesting Power, which can, if the President stands to his guns, have but one result. If the President submits to .any procrastination from Berlin after that addition of insult to injury, he will dishonour the American flag.

If the result is war with the United States, the American munitions will probably be kept for the American

forces, nav i and military, fn being and to be raised. Fortunately, the measures taken in Britain for the home manufacture of munitions have placed the organisation on a satisfactory basis. If the Allies lose the supply of American munitions, they will get better help from America. Moreover, it is better for the nation to depend on its own supplies, for every nation ought to be completely armed against all possible and probable enemies. The British Government, assisted by the spirit and the genius of the British" people, having nerfected the national power in this respect, has no reason to fear any foe. , » • *

In the midst of the chaos of uncertainties produced by the fighting on the many fronts of the war, we are invited by a neutral correspondent to believe that a certain chastening of the spirit of the German people is taco ruing discernible. He has a good deal to say in his letter to “The Times,” summarised iu one of our messages to-day. about the general wonder at the isolation of Germany, and increasing outspokenness of the criticism of the diplomacy which has produced it. But the best light on the internal conditions of Germany is revealed by the publication in the Paris “Matin” —a usually well-inform-ed and enterprising newspaper—of the Berlin Exchange quotations. AVhen Prussian 31 per cents show in the tenth month of the war a fall of 16 per cent., standing now at 59; and the German Imperial fours a fall of 42, standing now at 54; and the Austrian four and a halt's go down 50, standing now so low as 44; it is clear that the financial position is too alarming to let us doubt that public opinion is disturbed. If the “Matin” is correct, its quotations are the most important information we have had from Germany since the war began.

Word comes that a most absorbing question in Berlin to-day is the question growing, out of the destruction of the big Zeppelin the other day by the small aeroplane. The feat of the late Commander Warnsford —-whoso un fortunate death was announced the other day—has evidently both astonished and nonplussed the German people. They had placed implicit reliance on the Zeppelin as the invincible airship. Their dreams were of the destruction it was to deal out to warships, cities, and countrysides. Their hope of ultimate victory was in the squadrons of big Zeppelins, of which the number they were told is being increased with feverish haste. But hero comes a monoplane, with an intrepid champion, fearless of odds, who cheerfully engages the great airship, seizes the upper position by a swift manoeuvre and sends his great enemy to distraction with a few Well placed,'bombs. The talk among the experts of Berlin is .of how this marvel came to pass. There is no question of accident, for ( the fight was fair and in presence of a vast audience, of armies and cities. The only question is of the character of the machine which carried the British champion to victory. The talk | is of some contrivance ■to quicken the uprising of the small craft, of the angles of observation to increase the horizons of tho,flyer, of this and that improvement. But the mystery rein ains with the truth, which is that the Zeppelin tas found its master. Until the mystery is cleared,, the path of .the Zeppelin is likely to be circumscribed. So long as burs conceal the mystery unless it, bo hut. a mystery: .of daring skill—so long will those dreams ot 'German victories remain unrealised. - This is practically what the workmen of the inventor told him the other day, when they were discussing with him the -destruction of his great creatit>n and h© liad no word to say. Be and they knew that in England the glorious victory would be followed by a great spurt’ in the trade of building monoplanes, and they saw already great squadrons on the horizon ready for their raids on defenceless people—the raids that have disgraced the .aviation service of Germany, with their wanton slaughter and useless devastation. J ' ■ ' ‘ ■

We have an animated account from Paris of the heroic , capture of the German position at Lorette by the French troops. , It gives all conceivable details of the great process known as “digging in.” W© see how formidably tho Germans were “dug in ; they had every device of stone and steel and earth-work, wire entanglement and bomb-proof shelter. The French called it the (t jVlouth of Hell. We. realise- the furious persistence with ivhich they attacked the enemy in this tremendous position. AVe admire their prowess, and applaud their victory. After months of work, the German defence was turned out; That is the upshot of this p.ctffresque narrative.

Unfortunately, the French did not break the German line. The report explains why, declaring .that the. attacks were so long that the Germans had time to strengthen their . works in tho rear. But these are new. It is impossible they can he of the same formidable character as those out of which the enemy has been thrust by main force./. They will fall quicker than the others.

We have an equally fine idea of the British manner of fighting from a few words addressed by Sir John French to the 3rd Cavalry Division, which did great service in the last battle of Ypres. The Marshal complimented the men, talking to them as he knows how, describing their performance. He reminded them of the gas used that day coming “like a bolt from the blue”—he denounced its use a> dastardly, he described ii>—‘ ‘a wall, miles long and yards high,” which had caused confusion at first, of course, naturally—but haj been faced in the end. The gas made thick darkness, it b'ewildcred l it suffocated, it hurt, it killed. The men filled the gap'made in the line nevertheless—f aced through, stopped the exulting enemy, and hurled him out of the position. It was magnificent. 1

The men responded with enthusiasm. They broke their ranks, and, surrounding the Marshal, they cheered him while he stood saluting. We thus see what manner of man is Sir John French-, what he thinks of his men, and what they think of him. W© remember the story of what he did in -the first battle of Ypres, the great battle which stopped the tremendous onslaught of the German host bent on breaking through to Calais. The three British army corps holding the line were hard pressed. There was not a man in reserve, and the lines were so thin that further holding against the immense pressure of guns and men seemed impossible. ‘ Urgent calls for help were coming from all sides. “I can only send you my two

sentries and my staff,” said tie Marshal. ” Hold on —do the impossible!'’ Word came that the First Corps was giving way. A shell had wiped out nearly the whole staff, leaving only the general, Sir Douglas Haig, who happened to be out of the headquarters building. The Marshal rushed over in his motor car, found the line had fallen back four miles, and «at once took hold. He was everywhere at once, stimulating, speaking cheerful words, giving an order here, an order there. He was, the men said, general, staff officer, and soldier all at once. He got the line advancing, fighting its way. When the enemy pressed down on a point of it he promptly-sent forward some of its units in flank attack, short, fierce, deadly, relieving the pressure, until, pushing and striving, the line at last won back all its positions. The enemy fell back sullenly, and the great battle was decided. n.

It was personally won by that display of energetic generalship. One writer said it was dn : the very spot where Caesar, in similar fashion, had turned the battle against the Nervii when all seemed lost. Two thousand years between the two feats, and still generalship and sway of men, in battle s the same. The men of the 3rd Cavalry Division knew nothing of Caesar and the Nervii, hut they knew what French had done at the first battle of Ypres, when he praised them in’his direct military fashion for their work in the third. They gave him that great ovation as he stood saluting. It is a fine picture of war, and it strengthens the confidence of the Empire in its splendid Marshal.

The British, under his orders, have been making similar progress to the French. In co-operation, the Allies are steadily working their way through tho great Gorman line. A Dunkirk correspondent, by his description of the effect of the French advance—so vividly described as above —at Lorette, lets us see how. There will bo big results soon, surely. , The battle for Lemberg has begun, and is in progress. The German and the Austrian official accounts claim a great victory. The former says that General Mackensen’s onset defeated and forced back the Russian right between Grodek and Rawa-Ruska, the centre being therefore compelled to abandon Grodek, and the Austrian says that their general Ermoli’s army is -following up the retreating centre, fighting with it on both sides of the road leading to Lemberg. It adds that the Russian line is co-ordinating by falling back from the Dniester, and gives the impression - that it is abandoning the bridge head at Mikaieloff. It adds rather weakly that the, Austrian advance has taken 1000 prisoners. It seems a small price for a great disaster.

There is a Russian unofficial account which reports that 10,000 permits have been given to Russians to leave Lemberg. That would be likely in any case, because with a great battle raging so near, many of the civil population would like to getatvay early. It is a bad thing to get caught in a tide of battle, whether your side is victorious of beaten, or ir orderly retreat. Tho permits prove nothing of the AustroGermans’ claim of victory.

The unofficial account reports a great deluge of rain, making all rivers dangerous, and ■ extending the many marshes of this region formidably. If this be the case, it is hard to believe that such military ‘ operations ae aro above described can have taken place. In such, country, in such weather, modern armies, with their great trains of supply, do not move rapidly, and defence by stubborn troops as tho Russians are is much easier.

The Russian official account tells a different story. ’ It describes the steadiness of the Russian retreat on to the prepared positions, and chronicles how, on the right wing,* the enemy’s pursuit was delayed by a brilliant feat of the Russian horse. It makes no mention of retreat from the centre, and none of any attack on the new positi ons, to wards Ra wa-R uska, of tho Russian right. As to the centre, it says that the enemy’s assaults on. the lake positions were repulsed.

Of the Dniester position the Russian official report admits that the enemy crossed tho river, locates the crossing far down the stream below the main bridgehead, -where the river twists and turns, and reports driving him hack. It .is silent about the Michaeioff bridgehead, and we note the Austrian account, which alleges its abandonment, makes no mention of any Austrian crossing in pursuit. I • • ..

In this divergence of accounts, what are we to think, but that there is some exaggeration in the Aiistro-Ger-man claims of victory? They report what is virtually a tremendous Russian disaster, while one of them makes no mention of prisoners or booty, and the other counts only 1000* prisoners,. and chronicles no pursuit over a bridgehead which had been the scene of very determined battle. Under the circumstances we must await further news of the great battle for the possession of Lemberg. » * . . • A German officer is reported to have said that the German Navy has completed two formidable new. battleships, 48 submarines, and other craft. If that means that the German High Sea Fleet is going to try conclusions with Admiral Jellicoe, we can only say the sooner the better. There is nothing new to-day from tho Dardanelles or the Italian front.