PROGRESS OF THE WAR

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9630, 10 April 1917, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

We have the statement from Rome, on German authority, that von Jtlindenburg is dissatisfied with the leadership of some of his prominent generals on the Somme front. Why? Are they not leading their men into those positions prepared for the destruction of the advancing British? Wo understood from the German reports that the great retreat was a ruse, carefully planned for purposes of improvement and ambuscade. What a masquerade it was, to be sure! Nobody ever doubted that the German armies, the best troops that Germany could put into line, had retreated, because they were driven out of the very formidable positions which their commanders flattered themselves they could hold till the Day of Judgmen t. In the beginning they made a fight for it; in the end they made a bolt of it. And the High Command put up a lie to shelter them from the scorn of their own people. Those of our people who were hurt in the fight think the German line will never he broken. Those who raced after the bolt are of opinion that they will got to Berlin before the end of the summer. Thus has optimism succeeded very natural pessimism. And the justification is that the limit line of the great retreat, duo to hard hammering, is being hammered backward in its turn. The optimism represents the true spirit ot victory. • • • One German military critic of repute cannot conceal his astonishment that the German retreat continues beyond the limit fixed by that omnipotent concern, the General Staff.* It is a pleasing side of Prussian militarism. To the same side belongs the disappointment of the saviour of that great man-eater, because his generals don’t make their men fight fetter. The upshot is that, as described by a German report, the new line is already so seriously compromised that the enemy is expected to fall back on, another line insufficiently fortified. It is good confirmation of our view that the men who could not hold the original formidable positions would not he able to hold other positions not so formidably organised. The retreat is, to use the German account, continuing beyond the'limit fixed by the General Staff. It is going to other positions not vet sufficiently fortified. And, of course, it will go on continuing. The boys (Australians) who saw the demoralisation of the enemy at Bapaume and said they would soon ho in Berlin are more right than the pessimists who said the German Uno : could never bo broken. It is not broken yet. It is giving way. But it will he broken before the Allies have done with it. We como hack always to this original question: If the German troops could not hold the original formidable positions. how can they hold any position less formidable? To that, question only one answer is possible. That answer tho German armies will supply until they are destroyed.

Sir Douglas Haig reports further advance in his centre, and reading his report one remembers his account of the huge losses suffered in the fighting of the last few days, as shown by the masses of dead left behind by the enemy. To-day there is the addition of a tremendous explosion of one of the enemy’s big munition dumps near Arras, which shows that the British general is increasing the pressure of his left against the enemy. The statement of the “Standard” here comes into view, that there is a general bombardment from the British guns all along the enemy’s lino; add the tremendous fighting in the air, and it becomes very clear that the great spring drive of which we have heard so much is developing steadily and fast. The infantry are not all in touch with the egiemy. But they will be directly, >

This aerial work is worth studying for a moment. Mr Beacii Thomas describes it as wonderful. And ho details for us the extraordinary speed of it, on both sides, and the great power of aerial manoeuvre to which both sides have attained. Bike great birds of prey these flyers can poise high up in viewless space, to swoop down thousands of feet on some object—train, a battalion of infantry, a railway junction, falling thousands of feet sheer down, to riddle with bombs, and soar away before the enemy has time to take aim. Tho great birds fight each other in tho air, taking advantage of tho clouds to do tho work of evasion or surprise as the case may be, aucl, of course, there are many casualties. The Germans take advantage of this to indulge their habit of gross misstatement, exaggerating the losses of the Allies and minimising their own. Mr Beach Thomas tells us that the enemy has reorganised his air forces since he lost tho command of the air with such disastrous results in the Somme battles. But he has not improved bis initiative, and our men are quite confident that they will destroy him when the clear weather deprives him- of. tho clouds in which he trusts.

It is noteworthy that this fighting goes on behind the German lines. It is a battle of squadrons and single planes, at vast speeds in manoeuvres so intricate and rapid as to bo difficult for any eye to follow. But always is it behind tho German line, which means that the enemy who has come out to win the command of tho air on which the accuracy of his gunfire depends, and therefore the ability of his new lines to hold, has not succeeded. That is the truth which shames tho devils of the Parliamentary inquisition which would have the world believe that our flyers outclassed and beaton have lost the command of the air. That is one effect of tho fightmg, proving that our people are neither outclassed nor beaten, but stall in command. They are keening hack the enemy behind his own front where no is useless to hia gunners.

Another effect is to demonstrate that tho British are preparing for a tremendous blow at the enemy s whole line, planned to give decisive results, provided the enemy stays to meet jt. But our flyers do not confine themselves to keeping the enemy behind his lines. They pass him by, ranging his terrain, photographing ijs country, reconnoitring his forces, tombing everything of importance that he possesses. These are the signs of a great onslaught in preparation,, and they are visible while the enemy’s hold of his new line is shaking, and his men are giving way. At the same time the British attention to his lines is not confined to the sector of the big push, but gives us raids and bombardments to the northwards right away up to Ypres. We are on the eve of great events. *■ • * •

The French continue their bombardment of the enemy from the Somme to the Aisne, and they have brought St. Quentin into the sphere—a fact which we get from the enemy’s report. It seems probable that both armies will make their spring at the now German line together, and that they will make it soon. On the French side the artillery work goes on through tho Champagne sector into the Argonne. At the same time the enemy keeps up his bombardment of Reims. Whether this means anything more than mere strafing for the purpose of revengeful strafing, remains to be seen. If he is concentrating for an offensive in this region with the view of weakening the pressure on his shaky lino further north and west remains to he seen.

From Petrograd the reports show considerable strengthening of the position of the Duma and the Provisional Government, while the fighting along the East front shows slight increases at various points.

British air raids at Zeebrugge and Bruges are reported with some damage to the enemy- As these arc becoming jiersistent one may be permitted to wonder whether something serious may not bo in preparation for forcing a landing on the Flemish coast, Tho reason on the surface is obviously to hinder submarine and destroyer preparation at the port named. But the great swarms of various craft now in commission suggest many possibilities, which may add considerable interest to the campaign before the spring is over.

Orders from Germany to German civilians to get out of Palestine as quickly as possible for fear of trouble with the Turkish population suggest that Berlin has made up its mind to accept the threatened invasion of the country so greatly emphasised by the battle of Gaza as a thing not to he prevented.

The note of American preparation grows apace. The largest item is the request of the Administration for sanction of a loan of a thousand million sterling. It is the biggest financial operation of the whole war, by far; also from the fact that six hundred millions are intended to help the Allies on the most generous terms. Here we hare the soul of America again. That is what is talking, not the money. The Secretary for War has declared the necessity for conscription, and says that four millions of men are immediately detachable from commerce. The details ot armament published imply a determination to inaugurate the manufacture of munitions on an immense scale. The War Council is to meet at once, with representatives present of Britain and France, and we realise that co-ordin-ate work will bo put in hand at once. Equipment for European war has been ordered, and the number of enemy spies arrested has gone up from 70, reported yesterday, to 300. On the whole, the thoroughness of American co-operation is already manifested on a vast, scale. The Cuban declaration of war does not add, apparently, to the military resources, but it is valuable as closing the ports to German war vessels and depriving submarine pirates of the chance of establishing bases, and preventing supplies of coal and various necessaries from going out for the benefit of sea raiders. The enthusiastic acceptance of the declaration by the Cuban people is a proof of their gratitude for the liberation effected by the Spanish-American war.

A great league of the nations of South and Central America, with perhaps the exception of the Argentine is reported as imminent, and likely to ioin the Entente. At all events the report enables us to realise the general horror inspired by German, barbarism and the strong influence of the American example.

The German hypocrisy of peace has ceased with the entry of America into the war, which it was designed to prevent. In its place we have an equally

hypocritical .statement that Germany will make no further overtures until tue Allies acknowledge themselves beaten. Still further hypocrisy gives Us the Kaiser’s project of constitutional and electoral reform. It gives us tile measure of the fear produced in Berlin by ihc Russian example, 'i hat fear will not be lessened by the. news that the trend of Russian opinion towards the establishment of a Republic is growing more certain and more rapid, together with the determination to conquer at all hazards the autocratic power of Germany. In this connection the enthusiastic welcome offered by the head of the great American Republic to the Democracy ot Russia is very suggestive.