PROGRESS OF THE WAR

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9632, 12 April 1917, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

, The great ■ battle proceeds vigorously in spite' of untimely snow—a good tost of the excellence of the organisation. The outstanding feature is the astonishment of the experts at the brilliant success of the, first day. Nothing like it has been seen in the war, and of that success the bright particular feature seems to have been the magnificent dash and sustained fighting power of the Canadians, whose victory at Vimy—storming the main position on the eastern edge of the ridge—was reported yesterday. They swept the enemy out of three lines of trenches on the , upward slope, paused : a moment to pull themselves together, and then carried the, summit with a brilliant rush. Their performance is snoken of as the most brilliant feat of the war. : That, of course, is no discredit to any previous performance.

Rather does it mark the difference between the old and the ne,w. The old division of British effort was distinguished for solid work and heroic endurance against tremendous odds. Ic began at Mons, rose to .an incredible height at Le Gateau —the battle which Smith-Dorrien now claims that_ he fought against the wish of the Marshal commanding—and made its chiel record in the terrible battles of Ypres. In the second battle of Ypres the Canadians contributed a splendid instance of the same kind of heroic defensive fighting, ■ but no one could class that or any of the other fights of the time as brilliant successes, great as were the victories obtained. The brilliancy of the British earlier period was contributed by Sir Douglas Haig’s crossing of the Aisne and the operation by which ho made good his line on the ridge above. When the British took the offensive for the battle of the North Sea, .as it was called, there was much brilliancy of attack, but the enormous numbers and vast artillery superiority of the enemy soon took away that character, bringing the dogged side of British heroism into prominence. Later (in the autumn of 1915) the fighting again took the form of a brilliant offensive, particularly at Neuve Chapelle and Loos, but the perfection was marred by inadequate staff arrangements and deficiencies of munitionraent, showing that the task undertaken was beyond the power of the spirited troops to whom it had been assigned.

The great battles of the Somme were not wanting in brilliancy. The earlier o£ these made the dogged character more prominent, with fighting against a very formidable defence, proving the correctness of the explanation that the drive was a necessity imposed while the preparation was still incomplete. As the drive proceeded the preparation improved, and with it the •brilliancy of the successes, which rose to a great height at Pozieres, Piers, Longueval and the operations which brought the fall of Com hies. The third

stage brought a climax of brilliancy with a rapidity of conquest which after the swift and easy captures of Gommecourt. Beau Hamci and the redoubts, compelled the German retreat. With Haig’s sledge-hammer blow now in progress, the brilliancy of success rose to the greatest height yet attained, and the Canadian capture of Vimy was the crowning victory. For artillery preparation and accompanying barrage, for the dash of infantry attack thus adequately protected against the old order of ghastly losses, and for perfection of staff work, this victory stands unrivalled. It is the greatest test of the skill evolved and matured on the battlefield by tbe necessities of the new method of warfare, which m the opinion of experts seemed to threaten the dreaded stalemate. The Canadians wore in the post of honour at the psychological moment, and seized their opportunity magnificently as veteran troops in the pink of condition supported by marvels of equipment —that seems to bo the pith and marrow of tile encomiums so fully bestowed on their great- achievement.

The courage and. conduct of these fine troops means a great deal more. As thoy would be the first to declare, they have no monopoly of these qualities They arc of the British Army, the new Army of Kitchener’s creation which, merged in the old Army that fought with such astonishing gallantry in the earlier battles of the war, and they have proved that every unit of that’surprising force is capable of the greatest things in the round of soldierly dutv. The capture of Vimy, together with the fighting on other sectors that accompanied Vimy, and the series of great battles which have since July last led up to Vimy, proves the perfection of the military instrument constructed by Kitchener in the hour of the Empire’s need. The enemy began by sneering_ at them c.s amateur soldiers, and is acknowledging their thorough soldiership by surrendering to them in whole battalions on the field of which they are complete masters.

A vivid description of the effects of the preliminary bombardment at Vimy by Mr Gibbs enables us to appreciate the skill to which the Britsh gunners .—of the now army, remember—have attained, and the consequent demoralisation of the defending troops. When the bayonets reached them the hearts of the infantry failed thorn, making it clear that against such tactics the German defence simply cannot stand. The spirit which brought our men through difficulties and hardships of the same kind, repelling the repeated attacks of vastly superior numbers, is not in the armies of the Kaiser. They are, we repeat, simply unable to hold their positions against the new tactics now brought to perfection in the hands of the resolute and dashing soldiery of the Entente. That is now the dominant note of the campaign.

Has the Vimy ridge been entirely cleared? Sir Douglas Haig reports severe fighting, on its northern end, with the capture of sorne of the enemy positions there. Mr Gibbs, however, in a latter report, says that the Canadians cleared the enemy out of all the positions during the night. This accounts for the advance from tho ridge "to Parbus, in the low ground, about a mile south of the main captured pisition of Vimy. Further south our men are at Fampous, in the Scarpa Valley, four miles east of Arras, and at Monohy lo Freux, five miles south-east- of the same, city, on the Arras-Cambrai road. Between Vimy "and Monohy the distance is seven miles.

Now, Mr Gibbs describes the enemy in full retreat on all the roads in that sector —between these two places—with their, columns hammered by the fire of the pursuing British guns. It follows that the enemy has been turned out of all his positions, front and rear, and is in full flight, under close and damaging pursuit. Such a thing , has not happened since the great victory of the Marne, and in this instance, though the retreat is by no means so wide—as yet—the pursuit appears to be closer and more galling. The enemy, driven out of shelter, and forced to crowd - the roads with bis columns of retreat, is being subjected to terrible artillery fire, and we may be sure that'the British infantry are not lagging behind. It is the moment for vigorous, determined, enthusiastic pursuit. How long will the enemy stand this hammering in the open? The front of pursuit is about nine or ten miles, for Sir Douglas reports further advance in the valley of the Cojoul, between Monchy and Groisolles, which fell 'into our hands some days ago. Along that ten miles the enemy is in danger of disaster. If the pursuit gets closer and drives in the rearguards, his line will probably break into rout, and then it will be for him —The Deluge.

At Fgmpoux the pursuit is' eleven miles from Douai, at Monchy, it is 17 miles from Cambrai—the two places being 15 miles apart. It is evident from the capture of the last named that tlie enemy’s dominating positions at Arras have fallen as completely as Vimy, and whart he has to fall back on is not at all clear, if indeed he has anything. He certainly relied on the great strength of those Vimy and Arras positions. Last week none of them had been attacked. The British General had attacked the enemy’s new line from Bcaurains, south of Arras, to St. Quentin, and had reached Henin, on the Cojeul, leaving the stronglyheld heights ■of the Arras positions. He had taken Croiselles, 14 miles from Cambrai, pushed his centre further to the south within nine miles of Cambrai, and his right close to St. Quentin. Yesterday he bad got his centre and right further forward, and to-day he reports still further advance. His right ■is now well north of St. Quentin; which is left with one exit, the main railway line (Namur to Paris), which passes through the place, while _ the French are bombarding bis positions to the south and east vigorously. To-day Sir Douglas reports some straightening of Jiis line, bringing it up in places between the bulges established as reported yesterday.

The enemy’s line, from Arras to St. Quentin was tottering, falling back before the British general, to the great discontent of '•’on Hindenhurg, and the astonishment of the German military experts. Into that situation the British general struck his tremendous blow, and the result is a retreat on choked roads under heavy artillery fire with infantry racing after in masses, on a width of some ten miles. Ten miles on which the enemy relied for the safety of his new line, are gone, and in their place the tottering new line sees a retreat which may at any moment bcccftae a rout. He realises at the same time that his powerful opponent is able to deal more such blows as this last tremendous

stroke, against which he is unable to stand up in his most fortified positions. His dug-outs so much vaunted, what are they? They hare become positions in which his men have to roar for mercy. * » *

It is an awkward position for the enemy. Von Hindcnburg lias just addressed some brave words to the world through a Spanish newspaper. Ho has to use brave words. Xo one can blame him for making the best of the situation. Most men will indeed agree that his spirit is considerably better than that of the troops under his command on the West front. But the value of his optimistic remarks will be best gauged by the West front developments. Perfectly safe this West front, he said in this interview; in fact, very much better and stronger than it was last year when it stopped the British and French assaults. The West front had answered already with the retreat on the Ar-ras-St. Quentin line. Xow it answers again with the loss of ten miles of the strongest positions ever erected by ' the German armies, gone in 24 hours’ fighting without hops of recovery, yielding 12,000 prisoners, over 100 guns, among them many of the terrible oight-inchcrs, CO trench mortars, and 163 machine-guns. It answers further with that retreat on choked roads under heavy and devastating fire. _ It answers, in fact, with the probability of a tremendous disaster.

The French arc not idle while this great episode of war is developing on their left. They are increasing their bombardment on tho enemy from the Somme to the Aisne, and they have advanced appreciably nearer to Laou. Their guns command the only exit irom St. Quentin from the south, as the British guns do from the north. To the east they report lively work in tho Champagne, with an advance in tho region of Maison-de-Champagne; and they hold the ground they gained the other day af Snpigneul, in the gap of Eeims, by which they may force their pressure against Laoij from the east to , aid their pressure from tho west.

The enemy is alive to the menace of these proceedings against a lino which is tottering in its new ;positions, and has lost ten miles under a hammer, stroke which is driving, defeated troops before it. He is meeting bombardment with bombardment, heavily in the neighbourhood of the lower Aisne, and heavily against Reims. Ho heavy is his fire at the latter .place that there is a report that the civil population has been warned that the town may be evacuated. This, in view of all recent, reports, seems very unlikely, is not official, and certainly requires confirmation.

On the whole position the latest report is that of Mr Reach Thomas. It throws light on the great' battle now raging from the Aisne to Vimy, with the British Army storming against the whole main line of Hindenburg’s new positions, and pursuing the old section, which is seeking refuge in retreat to a lino of positions between Rouai and Oamhrai. Wo realise that it is one of the greatest battles of the war, a battle of vast possibilities for our people more than for the enemy, immensely interesting as showing the approach of decision.

Against these possibilities there is the Hindenburg interview, which consists of words. Words will not stop the British hammer strokes or the play of the seventy-fives of France. ■ Von Hindenbnrg’s hope is that the submarine piracy may save the situation. It is the one string on which bo harps through the whole ■ interview. And against that wo have the statement of the “New York Times,’’ one of the best-informed papers in America, that the British are now destroying the pirates at the rate of one a day. At the same time America is falsifying Hindenburg’s slighting criticism by putting forward great preparations with a display of enthusiastic practical pi'eparation on the part of the whole American nation.

There is a disquieting sign from Russia, in the report that the WorkersSoldlers’ Committee has begun to insist. on peace. But the committee was badly frustrated . the other day, and it .is not- unlikelv. that this, may bo its dying flurry. Wo shall see very soon. For the present we prefer to trust_ to the solid determination of the Russian army and nation to secure .adequate victory. The report of the Russian determination to give up all claim to Constantinople is probably a part of the demonstration of the Committee, and therefore probably worthless.

Another typical example of the German f.dirit has reached WeHintgon from the front. This is a replica of the medal struck by Germany to commemorate the sinking of the Lusitania. On the obverse side of the medal, under- the-Tegend “Keine Bannware” (no contraband), the Teuton designer has represented the sinking of tho 1/usitania. The liner has been embellished with guns, aeroplanes, etc., on boa/rd, and (is being engulfed by gigantic waves. Though the designer, has evidently forgotten to represent the women and children sinking in the waves, he has made up for it by supplying with his imagination the guns and aeroplanes to the sinking liner. On the reverse side of the medal the designer has given a quaint and characteristic specimen of Hunnish humour. The figure of death is represented sitting at the booking office of the Ounard”Line, giving out tickets to prospective passengers. The medal in question has been received from Lance-Cor-poial Rouiston, who left with one of the Australian Reinforcements. LanceCorporal Rouiston, who is a son of Mrs A. Rouiston, of Stafford street, is at present in Birmingham Hospital, and has been at the front practically since the outbreak of war.

Apart from his drinking performances, Daniel Keane has made a reputation for himself whenever ho has appeared in ■ the Magistrate’s -Court with the expansive grin that has perpetually hovered over his face during his brief sojourn in the dock. Yesterday, when he appeared to answer the usual charge of drunkenness, the grin was still there; in fact, his mouth appeared to extend from ear to ear. The police reminded the magistrate that Keane had a large number of previous convictions against him. The smile on the face of the erring one shrank somewhat. His Worship mentioned something about a prohibition order, whereat the grin almost reached vanishing point. “Do you want to go to Kotoroa for twelve months?” severely questioned His Worship. For the first time on record Keane’s mien was quite serious. His head shook vigorously. “Then you’ll have to take a pull,” shot hack the magistrate. ‘‘Forty shillings or, seven days and a prohibition older to bo taken out against you for twelve months.” Keane loft the dock with an expression that would have done credit to the most chronic pessimist.