NOTES ON THE CABLES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16433, 12 July 1915, Page 6

NOTES ON THE CABLES.

By Bhbapnkl.

RUSSIA AND HER RETREATS.

The retreat of the Russians in its two main phases reminds one of the retreat of the Allies from the borders of Belgium to tho Marne —the magnificent rearguard work, and, at last, the right-about face and the overthrow of tho pursuing forces. During tho whole of the Galiaian retreat there was not a note of despair in the reports that were issued by the RiKsiane, though they showed once tnat they were praying for the offensive in the weet while they were executing their retreat in order, and taking a heavy toll of the enemy's forces. There was more fear outside Russia, than inside.

A leading Bulgarian general has expressed the opinion that the .Russian retreat » a patsing phase, and, if any staff understands the conditions that are obtaining in the Dual .Empire, it is the Bulgarian staff. Bulgaria is in the way of getting first-hand news from Austria. (She is a neutral with which Austria, and Germany wieh to be on the best of terms. Bulgarian citizens will have the privilege of free intercourse and travel throughout Austria; Bulgarian officers travelling through Austria will read the signs of Austrian internal weakness; and the very lact that a Bulgarian othcer expresses the opinion that the Austro-Ger-man succeiisea aio only a Hash in tne pan means tiuit the hopes of Germany ior her luture success are, provided the war lasts much longer, so idle that the Allies have only to persist as they are doiDg and her hoiue of cards rtiiisc collapse.

THE RECOIL OF THE SPRING. The Timtb's correspondent throws considerable light upon tiie retreat of the Russians trom the otryj valley to the Zlota Lika, a distance of auout 60 mi Iff*, when he says that it took the Austrians six weeks, during which time the Russians captured 53,000 prisoners and inflicted even greater losses, to force them back. While the Austrians were doing this, the Austro-Gennan forces from Cracow and tho Carpathian Hanks followed the retreating Russians from the Donajec to the Bug, a distance of 170 miles. Such a retreat was costly to both s>des, but the Russians were never caught in any serious difficulty, and if the losses of the enemy were so serkxis from theStryj to the Zlota Lipa, they must have been equ'ally serious in the I'i'O miles of rearguard actions. The Germans gave a total ot their captures, which, if accurate, must, from the numbers given, have amounted to one-quar-ter of the Russian forces. There can be little doubt from the depressed feelings that existed in Berlin after the recapture of Przemysl that the losses of the enemy were very great. Taken in conjunction with the fact that nowhere were the Russian lines broken, this sufficiently accounted ior the feeling of tailure that was exhibited in the German capital. 'Ihat the Russian losses were not ao serious as the German reports made out is seen in the fact that the driving power of the Austro-Germans began to flag about the time when the Russians evacuated Lemberg, and that the Russian lines were still nowhere pierced. Different writers have from time to time pointed out that, m handling the retreat of large forces, the Grand Duke Nicholas has no masters. One authority compared the retreating tactics to the action of a panther drawing well back on ite haunches for a powerful spring forward; while another has likened the Galician retreat to the pressing back of a powerful coiled spring, which greatly increases its power of recoil, the more it is pressed upon iteelf. These, according to the present appearances of •things in the eastern theatre, proved apt analogies. Where the enemy is not held up by the Russians he is being defeated. The enemy haa been badly defeated on both sides of the Vistula on a front of over 60 miles. The series of defeats that have been inflicted on him during the last 10 days points to the conclusion that the change of front and the lengthening of his lines have brought disaster upon General von Muokensen's forces. If the Russians have euffioient reinforcements at hand, together with a large force of their excellent oavalry, the last of these defeats will not be hoard of for some time. The Germans will have few men to spare for western operations, if they wish to stave off further rebuffs, and to accomplish their - turning movement against the Vistula line of fortresses. Right along the line from Kielce through Opatow, Bychawa, north of Krasnik, along the Por to Zamoek, and south of Hrubeeof, the Austro-Germans have either been severely defeated, losing large numbers of prisoners, or else have been very severely checked. In

some places near Krasnik the defeat seen* to have bccome a rout. If the Grand Duke has the forces and munitions coming quickly enough to hand, he now has an opportunity which he will not bs 6low to take. From the look of the positions, the Russians, with their increasing forces, hare a. chance to inflict a terrific blow upon the enemy's forces v and to drive them, huddled like sheep, into the passes of the Carpathians. If they have resolved to make a bid for decision, the Russians will not push matters very energetically on the Lower "Vistula in case, they create alarm, and it looks as though they had some such idea in mind. It will be interesting for a week or so to watch developments in the region of the Upper Vistula. The Austro-G' mans are now in fuch a position that they must either go on or withdraw. They may attempt to create a system of trench warfare such as exists in Franco, but they would be no use against Russian masses with the bayonet in their hands. Moreover, there is in the present position in South Poland no network of railways which may be utilised to distribute forces quickly or reinforce weakened parts. We shall in all likelihood soon hear of the Germans trying to create serious diversions further north to relieve the dangerous situation in the south. It is fairly certain that it is general von Mackensen who is now praying for a diversion, not the Russians. If it is true that the Russians have already reorganised the manufacture and supply of munitions, and that their anxiety on that head is allayed, Austria will have few men to spare to act against Italy. From whatever point of view the situation in Galicia is regarded, it looks

very serious for Austria, and it is not surprising that Serbia—poor war-ridden little Serbia—has been approached by the AustroGermans with the olive branch in hand. Serbia, to her honour, has rejected the terms. An American might say: "It was fiuoh a darned mean crawl, anyhow, that I guess Austria must be feeling bad." THE GERMAN NOTE. The Berlin reply to the American Note is beautiful in the humility and childishness of its argument. The German clain» to humanity after the awful treatment meted out to men, "women, and children in Belgium and France, and after the recent treatment of the working people in Liege, as given by a Belgian fugitive, are sickening in their hypocrisy and perversion of the truth. It is plain that nearly every argument used by Germany is an afterthought. Where it is not an after-thought it begs the question. The reply of the Americans should be what the Germans have 60 often alleged as their excuse for frightfulness in Belgium and France. "It is war, and if you are hipped by the British naval power, you have a fleet of which you are proud; so why not remove by fighting the difficulties which you have brought upon yourself, instead of coming crying to us? You have threatened us. You have insulted our Ambassador in Germany, and lampooned, caricatured, and abused us throughout the length and breadth of your land, and now you wish us to remove the power over you of a nation whose existence you wished to destroy, and against whom the whole of your wretched vanity and greed have constrained you to plot for the last 25 years."

In the proposal to let neutral ehips or American ehips carry passengers to Britain. is some conning. The hand of Herr Ballia can be seen in that. He wishes to deprive the opposition to his line of steamers which is now lying idle in American and German ports of the chance of making profits. It is now suspected that it was his hand that directed the submarine attack on the Lusitania—a piece of revenge against the Brit-ish-American White Star Line, because his own company, now bankrupt, was raised by the naval power of Britain. COMING B ViSNTS. There has been a meeting at Calais of the master-minds of the Allies. " It k significant from the fact that ILord TT;i»»Kener was there, and that there been no secrecy about the matter. That argues no weakness. Only the weak work underground. It shows that the Alltp« now do not care what Germany knows and thinks. The reason is not far to seek. British organisation has the question of the supply of munitions well in hand. , Germany has been using her utmost "frightfulneas," and she has been predicting the bombardment of Dover with her frightful new big gune. That is her psychological war method, much beloved at the - Wilhelmstraese, to cause political dissatisfaction among the socalled lower classes and create political dissensions—a tiling which the Germans rightly think is always possible in a democracy in times of stress.

It is now known that Both Britain and France have been collaborating in the manufacture of big guns, howitzers, and a email gun having such death-dealing powers that a shell case from it kills everything standing within a 100 yards radius, and injures all within 150 yards or more. In this new gun the British and French gunmakers have overcome the difficulty of firing the dangerous and deadly turpinite, which was liable to explode in the gun when the propellaat charge was fired. Moreover, the two nations have perfected a howitzer which is said to be superior in every way to the clumsy Teutonic 42 centimetre howitzer. The range of the new French gun is as great as that of the great German on-?, and the destructive force of the bursting charge of ite 6hell is greater than thai of the 42cm shell.