PROGRESS OF THE WAR

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 9965, 8 May 1918, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

lestorday tho facts showed that for some reason the enemy’s violent cannonade on the Flemish lulls had produced no Wisult. Two reasons are assigned: (1) The wet ground' unable to carry a strong offensive; (2) the vigorous Allied cannonade, which pounded all the German infantry concentrations to pieces before they could be launched. From these we may conclude that the enemy had determined to brave the state of tho /ground, not affording to let things remain as they are in delay of his strategy, and that tho Allied artillery forced him to abandon the enterprise.

On the side of the Allies an advance on this sector was announced. The locality was given by Sir Douglas Haig as between Locre and “Drancourt,” the latter place evidently being Dranoutre. It secured a penetration of 500 yards on a 1200-yards front, by the French troops. Tho enemy claims to have repulsed, this attack, which means '(reading the two accounts together) that tho French gained the 500 yards of advance, and the enemy claimed to have stopped it from going further. The main capture was the position of Kondekot. a short distance east of the BailleulLocre road. It looks like the beginning of an attack upon Kemmel. 'When it has developed we may see an ad-» vance from Scherpenberg'to the northward, on Kemmel, which will then be assailed from two sides. A third advance from the Allied line—some point of the eastern section between Soherpenbere and Voorstraate, would enable the Allies to surround Kemmel and capture the position with the aid of their very strong artillery.

Mr Percival. Phillips's - statement that the enemy’s line here is one long bog, shows the difficulty of this operation. But tho powpr of the Allied artillery, as now very clearly demonstrated, permits the hope that tho operatigp will be pushed, and if suecessful extended against the Wytschaete and Messines ridges. Apparently, though, the enemy, according to Mr Phillip Gibbs, is still preparing to advance, tho tables are being turned against him, if they have not already been turned. The next few days promise, therefore, to be very interesting.

Mr Gibbs gives an illuminating account of the enemy’s general situation. He tells us that the enemy has many divisions in his fronts of Flanders and the Somme; that they are fully exposed to the Allied artillery, which pounds them to death, levelling such trenches as they have; that he has large reserves and little room to assemble, let alone deploy them; that his roads are few and bad, and constantly under withering fire, which condemns the enemy to use them at night; that nevertheless the confusion is very, grffct, reliefs and withdrawals getting wildly mixed, units missing their objectives wholesale, and all ambulance work.bndly broken up. Hisoomment is that these things are seriously upsetting the plans of the enemy’s High Command, but that the offensive will he Dressed nevertheless, in suite of the slaughter and the confusion until the public opinion of Germany forces a stop.

It is time to Leave off this perpetual leaning on the public opinion behind the German linos. This rotten, way of looking at things has so often misled us in the past that one wonders at the audacity of any wax correspondent ini continuing in the bad groove. In the present case a very different comment suggests itself, assuming the truth of all that word-painting of congested reserves, bad roads, and helpless endurance of devastating shell fixe. It is +hat the enemy is rapidly getting into a position, not only inviting, but clamouring for attack. If Mr Gibbs’s description is mot exaggerated, it is positively criminal to abstain from attacking the enemy. An army in the condition described by him is prepared for destruction by a vigilant, powerful adversary.

So long as the confusion continues, we can understand the strategy that waits for further demoralisation before it strikes. On the other hand, if a numerous enemy is allowed to improve bis situation, he may immediately thereafter assume a powerful offensive. General Foch, of course, understands the position, and may be implicitly trusted to do the right thing at the right time. If Mr Gibbs has not exaggerated, and if the reserves at General Foch’s command .are really, as stated, greater than those of the enemy, we may hope before long to see him deliver a great stroke of war.

On the Amiens side. Marshal Haig reports a substantial advance west and south-west of Morlanconrt, between the Ancre and the Somme. Moriancourt (five miles south-west of Albert) lies nearly midway between the two rivers, which are here about three miles apart. Its distance from Oorbie where the two rivers junction, i s about twelve miles, its distance from Amiens being, therefore, about seventeen miles. The advance has pushed the enemy eastward, further from Amiens, considerably improving the local tactical position of the Allies. Further south, on. the other side of the Somme, the Australians have effected -a similar improvement ia the ViUers- Bretonneux

region. In the Somme sector, then, the Allies are in a better position for either attack or defence, as the case may be. A few miles further north, at Hebuterne, beyond Albert and near Bucquoy, the New Zealanders have improved their position similarly. Sailly, on the Somme, taken by our troop*, is not far from Morlaucourt.

Router, at Headquarters, contributes the pleasing intelligence that the Allied artillery destroyed all the preparations which the enemy had made for a groat assault on the Flemish hills on Saturday. We mention it partly because it confirms the reports of Mr Phillips and Mr Gibbs, and chiefly because it throws light on the power of the Allied artillery, which can he exercised om all the sectors of the line of defence. «

There is more to-day about the German peace proposals. These, according to a “Central News” correspondent at Tho Hague, are definite. They came from the German Foreign Minister straight, and are to be forthwith submitted to Downing street. Ho sketches the outlines, as German abandonment of France and Flanders in return for a free hand in Russia, and negotiations for all other matters at a Round Table Conference. The thing is quite likely, for obvious reasons. But for its summary rejection there are quite as many reasons just as obvious. It is now quite clear that tho Allies are determined that if Germany is to he victorious it will be by battle if she can, not by negotiation when she thinks she may. ’

The ocoompanying attempts to sow dissensions on the West front are as contemptible and as little worth the respect of serious discussion. They are interesting, as are these peace proposals, only because they add to the numberless proofs this war has furnished of the absolute inability of tho German mind to appreciate facts. The Gormans will theorise for ever, brilliantly, but facts find them blind and stupid. India, South Africa, the-two Dominions, the Commonwealth, Egypt, America, reek with the evidence.

Far more to tho purpose is it to consider the efforts of America. The main American want is shipping. The progress of the American effort to get shipping offers the main interest of the American situation, on which so much depends. Tho history of this effort is beginning to be written. It is too long for any attempt to follow it here. Enough that tho effort is topping its difficulties. The other day we saw the first concrete ship floated, with more to follow on tho West Coast. To-day we learn that in one week (May sth) the Federal Shipping Board launched sixteen ships, aggregating 90,000 tons. Ihe rate is of 4,320,000 tons a year. True, it is but one week. On the other vv 5 it is a week of a solidly-estab-lished and progressing system. We read also that a Philadelphia, firm has just turned out a 6500-ton boat in twenty-seven days. That means a quarter of a million tong a year from ono firm. Add throe and their million carl T the other figure to ’ not far short of the 6,000,000 which America has undertaken to produce every year. These figures are a little loose from the calculation point ot view, of course. But they are very encouraging. J

The colouring of the whole front is Minor operations.” The chief of these is the Molancourt-Sailly work of the Australians, the gain being nearly a mile of front (1600 yards) to a depth of nearly half a mile, in two successful advances of 700 yards and 600 yards. In the north there' has been fighting k° con > an d on the Laiwe river, whether on the enemy initiative or ours is not mentioned. -The French report raids right and left of Reims. The entire budget of news emphasises the fact that the enemy has not renewed either of his offensives, but he has been on the defensive on both those fronts. Bad weather is reported on both.