PROGRESS OF THE WAR

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 9958, 30 April 1918, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Marcel Huti'n declares that von .Ludendorff is trying to draw the,' Allies’ reserve to Flanders, so th£t ho may strike against the Somme estuary without fear of reinforcements .to his adversary. It is a simple belief which may be dismissed with a smile, _ with all the other suggestions, .even including the British High Military Authority. By the way, it is a disappointment to learn that the High Authority has not yet got the appointment in tlie field which was said to bo K<? in S bi s way. For the man who invented the Blucher analogy and stuck to it in his special reports while French troops' were lighting alongside the British, is not fit to bo let loose on paper, however valuable he may be on the field of battle.

. • , • . * , The main, question for us distant and most anxious observers of tin? battle in Flanders, concerns the terrain of the possible retreat of the northern arrows past Ypres for the defence of the Channel ports, Dunkirk, Calais, and jgoulogns* Upon that Question somo light is thrown by a statement that there is much elation in Entente circles at the recovery, of I’Ooro. It is swded that before the roepyery tion was at one tuno suori that it became a. question of having recourse to inundation to impede ' the enemy’s advance.” This means tliiit the defence of the low country can be very greatly strengthened by inundation, but that inundation is the very last of .all the possible defences. ;Ijis t pleasant to thus loam that with’part of the Flandors-Franca ridge (Oassel to I’Ocre) in their hands, the Allies can hold tho low country to tho coast comfortably. Apparently it will bo an easy matter for General Plumer’s army to retreat, should further retreat be necessary,’ past Ypres, with its northern flank protected by the present Ysor inundation, to a lino centred on Poporinghe, whore it would be protected in front by fresh inundations, and on its southern flank by tho high ground with the chain of hills from Cassel to Scherponherg. This defence would connect with Hazebrouok, and lap over into the line defending Hazelbrouck, passing by Morvis, Cccquin and tho Nieppo Forest to ’ St. Venant and Robocq, whence the defence runs to Givenchy, etc. These considerations seem to decide the safety of Flanders and tho three northern Channel ports. * • *

This provided, I’Ooro, now regained, is hold. For I’Ocre is on tho ridge of hills Oassel to Soherpenbcrg. In front (oast) lies tho Kemrnel Brook, to which “wo advanced,” as' tho Gorman bulletin stated. Wo may add that if “wo” had followed tho said brook, wo would have found ourselves in the deep waters of the Ymk inun-

datiou. If the ridge to I’Ocre and Scherpenberg is held, tho whole line will bo s afo. But so long as the enemy holds Kemmel and Wytschaote the lower position will not be too Comfortable, for Kemmel is only five miles from Poperiugho, and Wytschaeto not more than eight. I‘Oore, Scherpenberg, Mont Noir, and Mpnt Rouge would always rain shells on Rommel and Wytschftete during obliquo bombard? munt from them of tho defences in the. low country behind the inundation, But the comfort would be limited, for Ivenimel is,, described as the best observation post in the regiou, The defence.,would. it follows, be very much nearer perfection if Kemmel and Wytsohaete could bo retaken. It is probable, wo judge by the High 3sljtt»ry Authority’s hint, published yes? terclay, .that a strong' counter will be tried for restoring the position to absolute comfort and safety by recapturing Kemmel anff IVytschaeto.

IV e have to-day a statement from the front that there is no sign of slackening in the Gorman offensive, Jt piay be that yop Ludondorff haft undertaken to do the work at ft certain price in casualties-r-say a million and ft half—but whatever }ie has undertaken he is doing as hard as he can. There are reports‘ that the immense casualties are disquieting the German public. But there is nous that the disquiet is going to interfere wth the conduct of tho war. The” fact is evident that the enemy command is going through with the job whatever’ it may cost him. That is the fact flic Allies, hove to reckon with, and so fay as we can aeo they ftro reckoning correctly and 1 preparing to frustrate fhe enemy's object by every means in their power. All tlm tftlk'of thra awful effect on German public opinion is beside the mark, at the present stage. Moreover) the numerous declarations that the enemy’s losses wjll prevent his perseverance are unreliable, Hie losses nmy or may not '■be'so great as we are led to believeThey probably arp not. But whatever 'they are it is evident frppi the 1 frequent and powerful renewals of his attacks that so far, at all events, ho can afford them.

...It, of course, stands to reason that the enemy must go on as ho has begun. His fate in the war depends on his going on, and going on as rapidly as he cap make his great machine more. He has improved that machine for that very purpose. He has trained and exercised 1 special bodies cf troops for attack,- he has got together >n immense power of artillery, he hue built many tanks, and he is making full use of the huge booty in military resources which he has obtained by the collapse of Russia, which ho has very skilfully exploited. His exploitation has been unscrupulous, pf course; but that does not affect hie gains or his. use of them. Ha cannot be fought with rhptorm. Guns, munitions, men and leadership are the factors of resistance, We must throw rhetoric overboard, to be retrieved when peace is discussed And then it will bje pointless unless we have the enemy- N°w we must concentrate on the fighting,

To he led away by the statements of'prisoners is foolish. ’Prisoners are alwavs more op less demoralised. tell us that they despair of the offensive only means that they are disgusted at being captured. Mr Perry Robinson, who gives sqme statements today, is careful to discount them in this way, If ail correspondents did the same it would he well, It must bo admitted that in the past they have misled public opinion greatly by harping on, ,the wailings of prisoners and .theiridrpSgiod appearance, They produced an impression that the enemy was sick of fighting, hut the fact that stands out most prominently is that the enemy is fighting better than he over fought before. Ho is fighting very much better than he fought in tho first battle of Ypres at the end of 1914. Tho proof i s that he has 'in this offensive gained territory from troops, more numerous and equipped incomparably better than were tho troops ‘who beat him at Ypres I.

As to dogmatising about the enio. rny’a change of method, substituting mere harassment for strategy, that is even worse than opening the gates of a fool’s paradise with keys made by prisoners. In this respect we have today a far saner note than the one which' astonished the world yesterday. It is to the effect that tho enemy is striking his hardest through Flanders at the Channel ports. He failed before Amiens and before Arras, and ho has transferred his vigour to. Flanders. Ho is not there "for the purpose of wearing down our reserves. He is there to force his passage to the ports, and destroy the northern army by the way. This correspondent declares that ho will develop his capture of Kemmel and the -high ground about it to widen his area of the commanding positions by pinching off tho three remaining hills of the sector I’Ocre, Scherpenborg, Mont Rouge, which command the country before Poperingho, as the ground ho holds commands the country before Ypres.

'f , , , • * * The fulfilment of this prediction of development west of Kemrael is announcod by Sir Douglas Haig’s report of tho enemy’s attempt to retake I’Ocro, at the foot of Scherpenborg, ph Sunday. Mr Perry Robinson throws light on tho whole battle, detailing the great fight for I’Ocro on Saturday, in which the enemy, after three bloody repulses, finally carried the., place, only to be flung out again by’the countor-attack of our gallant Allies. In tolling of tho repulse today, ho details tho fighting along tho whole of this front, from Metorom to tho Ypres-Comincs Canal. Motrem is at tho foot of the hill Mont Rouge, tho westernmost of the three hills tho enemy is trying to pinch off from our .lino, to complete his domination of the country between them at Poperinghe. Metorera is two miles east by south of Mont des Cats, I’Oore is a mile east of Mont Rouge, and about a mile southwest of Scherpenborg. These three hills are each about five milea from Poperingho, and the distance between des Cats and I’Ocre is about sis miles. Tho enemy’s object is clearly to enlarge his hold of the highest ground by six milea to tho west. In front of their line are lower slopes averaging throughout tho six-mile length a width of two miles measured north and south. This is part of the great assault now being hurled at tho Flanders sector. If it gets that six miles the enemy’s command of the Poperingho region will be as complete as his command of tho Ypres region to tho east of it. The attack is definitely stopped from Moterem to I’Ocro. At the former place* Mr Perry Robinson mentions that Australian troop's are fighting with their usual bravery and skill, with the applause of tho whole army.

Whilo this attempt, is going forward for exeaaroow expects the attack to bo

renewed —ihc enemy is making use of bis command' of the high ground from Kemmel eastward to pound the Vpres region into dust, devastating all the ground behind and around Ygres. Obviously the retention of the ridge now being attacked-east of Kemmel (1 ’Ocro to Mpnt des pats) is vital to the defence of Flanders. Obviously also, the recapture pf Kemmel and Wytschaete would vert* greatly assist that defence.

The statement is made, and is confirmed by IVfr Percival Phillips, that the British line Ypres Ims been readjusted. The new Ijpo was noted yesterday in the German bulletin as lying from Zilleboke, two miles east of Ypres, by Hooge, to Vorlo'eranhoek, thence hortb-weefward in a course pquth of liangemarok. The porthorn army was. therefore, drawn nearer _ to the Ypr-es client with Isft resting on or near the old- Yser inundatitm. Apparently this move Iras beep mad® with a view to events on the high ground to.the south. If bbgt ground becomes too difficult under the great pressure of t,he enemy’s advance, the retreat of the northern army will be quickened, towards a Ijne passing north and south through Peperipglie, pud It may haya to take the benafit of the new inundation mentioned and discussed above, -

The High Military Authority to-day being interviewed, dropping his suggestion of the enemy’p temporarily diminished objective ip Flanders, tells ns that General Fpch ip manoeuvring to wear dowp the enemy, that he proposes to do it for tbfeo weeks, at fho end of which he may deliver a grept couptor-uitaok. If the wearing-dowa manages tp hpld the ridge pow being attacked, the counter will assail Kemmol and Wytschaete, completely freeing {ho Flanders positiop. That |s what wo bejieved to be the situation, reading all the messages together. The hopeful sign is that ■ the Allied commanders think the baftlo of Flanders will , last three weeks before they win, it . If they aro right there is _no cause for anxiety. Anyhow, the situation is extremely serious.

The French report a. tremendous enemy bombardment on the whole Amiens front south of the Somme; which lookg as if the enemy has prepared a great attack to break through, cot for positions. The point will be clearer presently. What is clear is that holh sections of the enemy’s scheme pf attack will presently ho again in furious n°tlon.' Elsewhere there are raids and immha r droeuts, which do not suggest anything important, with one exception. That looks like a renewal of the attempt, to open out the German advance to free the passage of supplies and reinforcements for the attack on the crests in the battle of Flanders, This is where the enemy’s left foot has been held since his attack opened with the attack from Givenehy to Armentierea, Ip the ip>torval the roads to the sector of the attack on Hahehrouck and hjoterem have been under the British gnns, .with great disadvantage to the enemy.