NOTES ON THE CABLES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16415, 21 June 1915, Page 6

NOTES ON THE CABLES

Cγ Shrapnel. THE RUSSIANS IN GALICIA. The Russians are falling back on the Rava-R-uska-Grodek-Komarrio line. From Vienna comes the leport that tne Germans have reached Ciesanof, north-cast of Lubaczov, on the road to Rava-ltas.ka. It has been euggestid in these notes that the Russians would defend Lemberg in the mountainous and hilly country between that town and Rava-Ruska, and irom the Austrian report oomes the confirmation of the theory. The Austrians say that large Russian forces are appearing in the mountainous country ea<st of Niomirov and Janov. The former town is about 28 miles northwest of Lemberg, and Janov is 12i miles west of the capital city. The Austro-German torces are now approaching Grodek, where the Rus- I sians intend making a stand. Further eoirth, in the basin of the headwaters of the Dniester, the Austriane announce a victorious advance towards the Vistula. This advance is somewhat confusing to follow, as the place names mentioned are not to be found on the maps. The Austrians claim to have reached the mouth of one of the tributaries of the Dniester. As last week they -were fighting across the Dniester at Mikolauf, the present advance must be westward of that point, somewhere west of the Stryj railway bridge over the Dniester. The claims of the Austriane are not very convincing. The reference to the- new and large Russian forces west and north-west of Lemberg suggests that the Austrq-German forces are beginning to flag in their exertions. Further south along the Dniester there is no mention of further Austrian successes, except at Tornograd. which cannot be located, and certnirly does not mean Tarnopol, as we would have had nruch advertising of such an important advance from the Dniester. In their invasion of Bessarabia the Austnans, as it was hinted would happen, have discovered a trap, and have had, according to a report from Bucharest, to rotreat across the Pruth to the Dniester. From the Austrian Teport one would bo inclined to think that the' Austrian artillery was ( dealing out de*th to defeated Russians, -wneress the artillery seems actually tolm covering the retreat of the Austrian?. They have had to retreat from Bessarabia to Bojan, within nine miles of Zernovitz. It tho Russians continue this advance with they can roll up the extreme right wing of the Austrians and compel them to retreat from Zaleszoyki and fall back on Kolomea. Such a retreat would not. however, greatly affect the operations of the German? -who are moving against Lemberg: but if the Russians nushf-rl their advance beyond Nadvorna and Stanislau, the Anpfriane menacing Lemberg on tho south would themselves be seriously in danger of hav'ng their communications with Hungary destroyed.

THE ITALIANS' CAMPAIGN. Iho Italians up to the present have had the best of.the fighting on land. They have planned their strategy with their natural intelligence. Every qay the chances of a ewift Austrc-German rush upon the plains ot .Northern Italy are vanisning. Italian troops are steadily obtaining possession of all the leading passes from the 'lrentino and northwards and eastwards of the province of Friuli. The Alpini, or mountain troops, are proving the value of their training, and aro more than a match for the Austrians in mountain fighting, just as the French Alpine Chasseurs are the terrifying * blue-coated devils " of the Germans. The Germans had conceived the idea that, ae in France, they would be able to make a rush through the passes of the Trentino on to the rich plains of Northern Italy, -where they would thoroughly burglarise the dis , - triet and then settle down to trench warfare until the Italians should have had enough of war. Undoubtedly this would have been their plan if the course of events had eo favoured them that they would have been able to put it into execution. Now, however, that the Germans and Austrians have, been so long delayed in Galicia, it will take at least a million men to shift the Italians, and even then the shifting will bs highly problematical.

At Tolmino the Italians are pushing forward in epito of the increasing strength of the Austrians, and they have assured themselves of what they expected—that it would be in tho region of the Julian and Carnic Alps that they would find,the main forces of the Austrians. The Italians presumed that the road to Trieste would bo. left open as a bait which they should take, while the Austrians. concentrated in the north of the 'loruzo, would sweep down into Friuli and Venetia and cut of the invading forces. The Italians were given little credit for intelligence. They avoided that simple bait, and are now concentrating in great strength around Tolmino, which they intend to invest, with the object of passing on to the railways that lead to Vienna and BudaPesth. When they have conquered the region from the head of the Julian Alps to the Carnic Alps they will then be in a position to throw large forces acroes the lower Isonzo into Istria. North of Montfalcone the Italians arc attacking Goriiia, whirh, aho, most be possessed before any attack on Trieste can bo safely carried out. In- the Trentino, while the main body is advancing from Ala towards Trent, another force is advancing through the eastern passes, and closing in upon Rovereto. The Austrians evidently reepgnise their inability at present to stem this advance, and are slowly retiring, and destroying roads, bridges, and villages behind them. That must be taken as a sign that they are anticipating the Italian occupation of the province.

THE POSITION OF RUMANIA. From Borne was received la«st week a message saying that Russia and Rumania had come to a tentative agreement respecting the spoite of war. That, of course, may be a report manufactured in Italy for Austrian consumption. If the report ie true, it will keep a great force of Austrians locked up on the Rumanian border, and make the work of the Italian invasion comparatively easy, when it ehould be insuperably difficult. In this particular Rumania, though not a participant in tho conflict, is a force which is playing a greater part than she is receiving credit for. It is the fear of her entry which, in part, is producing the great Austro-German offensive in Galicia, and she is thus assisting in the prevention of reinforcements being sent in forco either against France or Italy. THE HUMAN MATERIAL. The Frankfurter Zeitung deprecates excessive optimism in regard to the Galician campaign. It says that the Germans must not forget that Russia is dangerous because she has the human material, and that she can with difficulty be exhausted. That is exactly the point. With sufficient suoply of materials for war no single Power on earth can exhaust Russia in a land warfare as long as her rulers are determined to keep the field, and it must not be forgotten that this war against Germany is, on the part of tho Russians, a people's war. Every Russian, from the highest to the lowest, that has ccme in contact with the Germans has conceived an intense aversion to them, and to the Prussians especially. The Prussians' affectation of superiority, their pushing business ways, their arrogance, their contempt for the Russian intelligence, and their constant reference to the Russians as barberous semi-Asiatics has made the Russians enter this war with the joy of battle in their breasts. The hope of the Russians is that they will see the back of every German in Russia, and that the German octopus grip on the industries and trade of Russia will be forever broken. The Frankfurter Zeitung betrays a fear that the Galician campaign is not going to end so successfully as it has begun. That paper and the whole of Germany are fearlully watching Rumania, If RuEsia and Rumania have come to some agreement they tvill be more than a patch for the AustroGerman forces in Galicia. Moreover, if Rumania has sijrned a cy agreement with Russia, she must bo confident that Russia will eventually be on the winning side, and. given that she is about to join the conflict, it means that Russia has shown her in some way that the German offensive in Galicia is not an appalling misfortune, and that in her own .good time Russia will put an end to it. Russia has a good case to put before Rumania. She is prepared to adjust the boundaries of. European nations according to the racial instincts of the different peoples. This moans the destruct : on of the Austrian Empire and the federation of the Polish provinces of Austria, Russia, and Germany under tho suzerainty of Russia. In* that case Rumania will get Bukowina and Transylvania. Such a. proepect should make her anxious for the snocess of the Entente Powers, and still more anxious to assist Russia in her present difficulties in Galiciv If Russia were defeated and prostrated, Rumania, -would get nothing, arid in the end would be made to pay dearly for the moral assistance she has really given the Allies by 'forcing Austria to wate>i hor borders and by holding irp the surmlies which the Austro-German Powers wish to send to Turkey. JBj THE DARDANELLES. There k no further report from the Dardanelles. We know there is oontrniows fighting going on. The oontest has niiw

developed into one of trench warfare, and what that is like may be gathered from what has been reported so often for the last eight months from the Champagne, and from the Argonne and Woevro districts in i - anee.

What, new developments may be on hand we are not allowed to know; but we may surmise that some, greater effort is being made to encircle the Turke from the north. One thing is patent, that more artillery— heavy field guns and howitzer*—is required lhat has been already pointed out, and the latest Australian and Homo files are urging the same thing. The examination of the forts that were bombarded by the ships' guns ehows that, old as tliey were comparatively little harm was done to even to thoso which were most exposed to tho guns of the blockading squadrons. The ship* alone will never force the Straits or destroy the defence* of tho Narrows. As a covering force for the parties on land, they can. do much to assist in places, but there are a number of positions in the interior which the guns of the shjp3 cannot affect them. The Tnrke have dug themselves well in, and such positions or shelters can only be reached by projectiles descending almost vertically upon them. For thsjt work howitzers, and howitzers only, are retpured. Once the troops obtain possession of the Gallipoli 6 ide of the Narrows, their guns will be able to dominate the lower Asiatic, side, and make it, possible to clear the Narrows of minee and locate the torpedo rubes which axe in position. AMERICA AND THE WILLIAM P FRYE. The reply from the United States to the German Note regarding the William P. ifrye does not aomit tnat any American snip carrying contraband may be destroyed by the Germans and paid lor afterwards by Germany. That Note will disturb the smug arrogance of tie German potentates. It will show the Germans that they are not the sole and correct interpreters of international law. The German Emperor, if the German views were acotded to, would simply be the absolute international dictato?: - No democratic nation is going to allow the reactionaries of absolutism to abrogate its sovereign rights. Moreover, the ; American knows what is. sound business. [ It may strike the 'cute Yankees that -when the Allies have finished with Germany she will have no money to pay anybody. Pro bably that is what is in'the German mind, too. The Germans hope to be in the position that Russia occupied at the end of the Russo-Japanese war. when Russia virtually said to Japan: "If you want an indemnity, come and take it, ,T and Japan got nothing. Unfortunately for Germany, her interests are great in America, and, moreover, there are many great German liners interned in American waters, and the United States will know how to help itself. What is wanted now is that the other neutral nations should swing into line with the United States. Already Holland, Norway, and Eweden are becoming restive under the_ German assumption of indifference to their rights in regard to property and tne lives of their citizens.