NOTES ON THE CABLES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16785, 29 August 1916, Page 6

NOTES ON THE CABLES.

By Sttr&pnbk

ARTILLERY OPERATIONS ON THE SOMME. The intensity of the fighting on the Sommo front is increasing. For tho third time since tho battle of the Mar no Uio British aro proving themselves superior to the Germans in attack. At Neuve Chapello and Loos it was no fault of tho British infantry that the attacks wero not carried further than they wero. Tho main causes of the failure of those offensives to' reach the strategical points that were desired havo been variously stated by critics, and aro now general knowledge. That at Neuvo Chapello -was apparently a tentative attack in which somo glaring blunders wero made, and, if its purposo was not to test the strength of tho German resisting power, it is difficult to eee why tho attack was launched. Mistakes in handling both the artillery* and reserves were coram itbed, and many officers- wero "broken" for their shortcomings. The attacks at Loos and Hulluch were premature necessities and, in tho losses suffered by the British, showed that there was still much to be done both immediately behind the lines and "back of back" in organisation. Very high reputations were blasted at Loos. Still, very good work was done there, and with sufficient reserves and some sacrifice, inevitable in such an effort, the German lines could have been broken. The German hold on Franco was badly shaken by tho attacks at Loos and tho Champagne, and above all some relief was brought to tho Russians —as was the intention. Those attacks were compelled to a great extent by the enemy. To this thoir Hidden discontinuance and absence of finality aro to bo ascribed. This time tho attacks on the Somme are in point of time and place the choice of the Allies, and it wilt require a miraculous accretion of strength in the great enemy machine to deprive the offensive of the results that are aimed at. On Sir Douglas Haig has fallen the mantle of Earl Kitchener, the Kitchener that went to Khartum, and on his present showing. Sir Douglas will go far if the politicians do not interfere with him. Britain has found at least two men who will worthily carry on the work of Lord Kitchener —namely, Sir Wm. Robertson (chief of the General Staff), and Sir Douglas Haig. France has in General Joffro and the brilliant Fock, two Generals who are second to none in Europe. In the operations that are being carried on, and that are to be carried out, few mistakes will be mado in the great plan. In every great battle that has taken place there have been times when things might have been done better, but tho victorious end has always been achieved when the general plan is carried out by the commander who has the means and tho opportunity of carrying it out, and Generals Haig and Fooh have the means, and only the defection of Russia would deprive the Anglo-French combination of the opportunity. At Verdun the Germans walked into a trap; on tho Somme they have been trapped, not of their own volition. The allied intention in both battles is the same— the destruction of the enemy's reserve strength and then of his main strength. That is being accomplished at a rato which the German staff can never have contemplated. German papers were wont to sneer at the inactivity of the Kitchener armies, and made great play amongst neutrals, and even Russia and France concerning the immobility and impotence of the British, while the British armies were being equipped. They have now cause to regret they have called forth a display of the courage and might of Britain Thiepval and Guillemont are mighty bastions at each end of a most formidable eight-mile front. Thiepval is being razed from the earth, and tho same fate is in store for Guillemont as soon as the plan of the battle shall demand tho effort. As far as can be judged, Thiepval is encompassed on three sides. Though the position 6outh and east is fairly clear, that on the west side is not definitely marked by tho cable messages. There has been no clear indication that the British have crossed tho Hamel-Thiepval road, which runs due north west of Thiepval. As Ilamel is only a little over a mile and a-quarter from Thiepval, the British guns on the right bank of tho Ancre can, however, enfilade tho German trenches west and north-west of the position of tho village. Those trenches must for a long time, as far as time goes in this battle, havo been untenable; and it is quite probable, therefore, that the British have made an advance between the village and tho river. Only by such an advance can the Germans in Thiepval bo really entrapped, except it bo understood that the barrage fire from the river sido and the south and east holds them within a ring of shrapnel and high explosive shells. If that is so, and tho village is also being swept with fire, its capture should be effected with a comparatively small loss, as long as the attackers are plentifully supplied with hand grenades, to bomb the machine gun emplacements and the dugouts that may have escaped destruction. Along the rest of tho line the British are gaining ground on tho high ridge towards Courcelette and Martinpuich Tho immensity of the British artillery preparation can be imagined when, as tho cabled reports say, those places are also being surrounded by a barrage curtain. From tho latest information to hand, it appears that the British intend to straighten out thenline from Hebuternc or Serre to Guinchy. That is about all that can at present bo surmised as to their intentions. Everywhere, however, the British are making the necessary slow and steady progress, and dping so in a way that is economical of life. The concentration of guns, great and small, by both belligerent sides on tho Somme i 3 tho greatest in the history of tho war, and tho expenditure of heavy ammunition must be colossal and the noise appalling. It is credibly understood that both tho French and British soldiers aro delighted with the work of tho men behind the guns

ITALY. Italy has at last placed herself in her rightful position by declaring- war upon Germany. Not only has she rescued herself from a possible accusation of selfishness, but has also taken her stand alongside. the Allies a3 a champion of democratic ideals and civilisation against feudalism and that insane anachronism preached by the KaiserI—the1 —the Dirino right of kings, which Britain put an end to in 1688. What was still worse, it was the intention of the Kaiser and his Prussians to make the Prussians tho world's ruling aristocrats, and all conquered nations were to bo tributary States to Prussia. There was to bo a return to tho barbaric domination of peoples such as held in the time of Assyria, Egypt, and Rome Tho nations over which Germany contemplated conquest had already been designated as slave nations by certain German publicists or literary exponents of Germany's place in tho sun. Among those especially so designated wcro tho Latin races. Thj great Pan-German dream embraced not only Franco and Southern Europo, but also all the Latin States of South and Central America. Italy was held in the Triple Alliance only as a comtcmptible tool to thwart France. Long before tho war began Italy was becoming restive and tho unscrupulous seizure of Bosnia and Herzegovina opened her eyes. A further awakening was given tho Italians by tho secret encouragement which Germany gave to tho Turks when Italy seized Tripoli. The final widening of itilj's vision occurred when Austria and Germany declared war without taking any cog/ir-awo of what Italy thought about international affairs. On grounds of self rcsput, Italy has good reasons for taking sides with the Allies.

For military reasons Italy's belated declaration must bo considered wise. Her position "was anomalous. In fighting Austria she was really fighting Germany, but in the absence of a declaration oi war against Germany sho could not send her troops where they wero likely to ooino in contact with German troops, and yet thoro were good strategical reasons whv she should send them to Albania and Salonika. She was also faced with the fact that the Germans controlled Austria, and lhat in many ways tho Gorman General Staff was assisting tho Austrians. Germany was undoubtedly supplying Austria with advice, high explosives, and submarine parts. It was an incongruous state of affairs, and could not logic-ally exist longer. Italy's hands wero tied, both in giving help to tho Allies and in tho matter of receiving help. Now sho will bo able to caso her position in tho north by sonding troops to Salonika, and even into France, if necessary. Her best plan, how over, is to aid tho reconqucst of Serbia from tho Austrians and assist her Allies to invado Austria along the Danube by way of Hungary.

SALONIKA. On the Salonika front nothing outstanding has taken place. The Anglo-French, beyond bombarding tho Doiran front, havo not shown thoir attention. The Serbians aro in tho region of Lake Ostrovo, pushing tho Bulgarians back into tho mountains. Their offonsivo has probably broken tho back of the attempt of tliQ Bulgars to work round by way of Fiorina to tho flank of the Allies on the -west side of tho Vardar and towards the shores of the Gulf of Salonika in order to impress the Greeks.