PROGRESS OF THE WAR

New Zealand Times, Volume XL, Issue 9156, 23 September 1915, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

The British Budget is the great event of the day. It is more interesting than the battles of the war, because it carries the war along with all forces supplied, not our forces alone, but all the forces of our Allies. Besides, there are just now, in the immediate neighhood of the Budget delivery at all events, no battles. It is a relief to turn from the interminable bombardments hero and there and everywhere, and tho captures and recaptures of trenches, and all the other substitutes for the "alarms and incursions" of war. to the Budget night in Parliament. The introductory paragraphs of the cable compiler are as bad as they can be, biased, unbalanced, jerky, about the .worst descriptive account that could be imagined. But the interest of the proceedings and the greatness of the occasion get over that handicap. » * • Wo realise the general interest in the biggest Budget ever presented; the spectacie of iintish financial strength is fascinating; the ease .with which great gaps are filled has something of the work of the wizards of legerdemain and the-sfcrength of the Sandows vho lift great weights and display big muscles. The impressive tiling is tho contrast between the ease of this handling and the predictions of the pessimists. The world has been, talking for months with bated breath or the horrible burdens tho war must bring, and wondering in subdued horror what the Chancellor of the Exchequer was going to do about it when tho day of reckoning overtook him.

The figures impress by their titanic scale: 190 millions for the Navy, 715 for the Army, 415 for the outsider, 170 for the ordinary expenditure, and the gigantic revenue of 387 millions. The nest to impress ar« the details of the income tax and the kindred imposts, ranging from 2s 5d in the pound (w.th £l5O of exemption) upwards; and when the Chancellor referred to the willingness of the people to pay, ho was loudly cheered. One almost stands stupefied before a tax of 60 per cent, on profits, with the example of one payer having to" find £34,000. • • • All these matters and more were touched on in the debate that followed, and it is amazing to read that the Budget, gigantio as it is, was received with a sense of relief that it is not making greater inroads on the national pocket. Some speakers declared that the figures have killed free trade. But they forgot that this is a_ war Budget. "The money anyhow" is the motto, as fairly as possible, but certain and prompt. However, the evident determination to discourage imports will give material to the antifreetraders to rejoice with, and to the Oobdenite wherewithal to feed his lamentation. I- • • • Be that as it may, the Budget reveals the vast financial power of Britain. The Chancellor asks for . a revenue of 387 millions, nearly doubling the existing revenue, and the nation gives a cheerful response. It is evident, however, that to pay these great taxes, for great they are, though less than feared, people will have to practise economy. The Budget enables us to understand why various Ministers, in their walks abroad, have been inculcating the duty of economic saving. One wonders, looking at the matter from here, whether' many will find difficulty in paying up promptly.. The man of millions, paying £34,000, may have to look round, just as much at least as the.man of £250 a year, who will have to put down £l2 10s, and may want even more time. It will take some 1 timo to realise the full force of this Budget. But the patience of the nation under it is patent at a glance. That is the wonder of it. _ It is more. It is one great justification for our hope of final victory over the enemy. • • • In the midst of the "eclat" of the diplomatic exposures in America, we have the German Foreign Minister's views about the submarine blockade. The exposure is complete of a system ot fraud and treachery of the worst, carried on under the shield of diplomatic protection by the German agents and principals—from the "dumping" ot vast quantities of contraband into neutral countries, under pretence that they will, rot there, where they are not wanted, after refusal of admission to Germany, where they are of vital necessity, to the promotion of strikes and many things unspecified because in cypher. After such exposure, it is suggestive that the German Foreign Minister—Herr von Jagow—writes that enemy passenger ships will not be subjected to attack without warning, and that precise and definite instructions have been given to the commanders of submarines. One feels inclined to conclude that the former promise to do this thing was not accompanied by any. instructions to the commanders of submarines. Evidently the promise then made to Uncle Sam was not intended to be kept. What security is there that the present promise will fare any better? Be that as it may, we have once again the definite promise of Germany that submarine work is to be done for the future on the lines of above-water work. This time the policy is "approved by the Kaiser." Are we to believe that the Kaiser was ignored on the previous occasion? If the Foreign Minister of Germany is to be believed, the German submarine piracy is to be converted into civilised warfare. Can we believe him? In view of the breach of the last promise, and of the many dishonesties revea'ed by the diplomatic exposure, belief is very d : fficult. We shall believe in the cessation of the submarine piracy when it ceases. • a a The Minister wants to have the Arabic , case submitted to arbitration. What is there to arbitrate about? The testimony of the Arabic's people' is that not even the appearance of an attack was made by her on the submarine, and against this there are the conjectures of the German authorities and some suppositions. There is nothing to arbitrate. Berlin is

once again playing with the President.

Some interesting light is thrown on tho Russian retreat from Yilna by "The Times" correspondent at Petrograd. His account shows what a near thing it was for the Russians. He does not give the bearing of the action any more clearly than the others do. In fact, the bearings are impossible when applied to the map. But the general line is now easy enough to realise. The German commander attacked V'ilna by combined movement of two armies, while his cavalry forced and tried to cut the Russian general off from the north, and prevent his retreat east. According to the Russians, they were already leaving Vilna. Therefore, they were forced to leave before they were ready, and were very nearly destroyed by t>he German assault in consequence. But by dint of hard fighting they got away. It seems, however, that they are not yet clear of tho enemy, as the "Times" correspondent reports a strong force of the enemy to the east of the retreating defeated. Vilna forces. There is no mention of anything of that kind from the German side. Neither do the German reports say anything of the great cavalry turning movement round the swamps. They merely report the advance of General Eichorn's army south of Vilna, on the Lida line, position. It would seem that this is the movement on which tbe German commander is relying for pushing the left wing of what is now the central group of the Russian retreating armies from the Minsk-Moscow line. The Germans, however, merely report that General Eichorn's men are "progressing." That, of course, may mean anything. It is clear that the left wing escaped from the envelopment intended for its destruction, and that rather narrowly. But it is not clear that it is in difficulties still. And the story of the great turning cavalry raid which looked improbable yesterday seems to grow more mythical today. This aspect, of the situation is given more precisely by the account of the French General Madand, acting as correspondent with the Russian 'army. He admits the very narrow escape of the army of the left wing from Vilna, ascribing it to the splendid and desperate resistance of its rearguards, and he concludes by describing its retreat on Minsk by Lida as being carried out under favourable conditions. Evidently Eidhhorn's troops are simply following up t this retreat imder normal conditions.

The Petrograd* official report agrees substantially with the French onicer, describing the trap of Marshal von Hindenburg as having nearly closed on the Russians at VJna. It states that the Kussians prevented the closing, opened the opening wider, and marched through, covered by their rearguards. It declares they are retreating, and gives a poor account of the German troops, but describes the numßers of their artillery and machine guns as "impressive." Of the northern army, now quite separate and commanded by Russki, the report says that it Is safely dug in on the Dwina prepared for all eventualities. * • • The Balkan news contains an important report that the King of Greece and his Minister Venizelos are in complete accord about their course in the event of an Austro-German attack on the Serbian armies. As the treaty with Serbia binds Greece to help in case of attack, the course referred to is to sustain the Serbian troops. Whatever Bulgaria be inclined to do, Greece it seems fair to infer will march to the help of the Serbians. But the ideas of the King of Bulgaria have been steadied by the interview he has had with the leaders of the Opposition, and by the newspaper protest against any attempt to help the Turk. Then there is the report that Roumania, after refusing permission for the violation of neutrality by the passage through 'Roumanian territory of Austro German troops, is preparing to stoutly resist any attempt to take passage by force. Roumania, , moreover, has been freed by the Russian victories on the Sereth from the danger of an Austro.German army's approach from the direction of Bessarabia. German accounts have reported the movements of troops wh'ch resemble the preliminaries of a general advance against the Serbian army, but the above facts seem to offer decisive reason for believing that no such advance will be attempted. They imply that the Balkans are going to stand firm behind the Serbian defence. •' • • A Copenhagen report is that Berlin military circles declare that the advance against Serbia is being carried out, and that the German and Austrian newspapers speak well of the Serbian troops and their power of resistance. Things appear to be coming to a head in this matter of the German march through Serbia. On the Western front the Germans, according to a report from Amsterdam, admit that the French artillery bombardment has destroyed one of rhe strongest German positions on tho Aisne-Marne Canal, west of Reims, and forced its abandonment. This maintains the impression of yesterday that the perpetual hammering along the Western front from Alsace to the North Sea is weakening the German hold, generally. At present, however, it is no more than an impression. We know that the German strategic positions have .been seriously bombarded by a superior artillery, and it seems fair to conclude that this expenditure of ammunition and energy has rot been for nothing. The Allies are not engaged in pyrotechnics. They are making war. What will come of it we shall perhaps see presently. But the season is getting on towards winter, though much might happen in the last two months of the autumn.

Conscription is not mentioned in the British messages to-day. The only reference is the report of the speech of Mr Barrowman, of the Trades Union Congress, calling on Mr Lloyd George to talk less and go on with the war. It is a remarkable utterance to come from the Labour side. Certainly Mr Lloyd George has talked a great deal I since the day he roused the nation about the backwardness of the munition output. The movement that followed seemed to promise decisive results, and there have been good results. But there has been more talking than ever, and Labour is getting j tired of it. It wants Mr Lloyd George to form his style on Kitchener, who devotes himself "to getting on with the war in silence. He has made no speeches, but he has made a good many soldiers, and lie goes on making them and building them up into well-equipped, well-officered armies without troubling even to answer those

who axe imploring him to say that he wants to have more material for roldiers forced into his hands. On the contrary, he only says briefly that ho is satisfied with things as they are, for tho present at all events.

The discussion on conscription has reached Australia. A bishop gives us a fine historic review of enforced military service, and s Premier urges that however good such service may .be Australia ought not to do anything in the matter of conscription just now which might embarrass the British Government. The bishop sajs that without conscription we must accept defeat, while' the Premier declares thai we must not have conscription for fear of preventing the British Government from winning the war. This is typical of the controversy all over the Empire.

As the bishop implies, the Romans conquered the world with -universal military service, and the French Kepublio and Napoleon showed that conscript levies could carry all before them. He added the British naval press gangs to his story. But about the value of the pressed sailor men there is some doubt. For example, General Hamilton, in the book he wrote for Lord Haldane, quoted statistics showing that the desertions dur-_ ing the great wars from tho Navy about equalled the number of pressed men.