MOTES ON THE WAS CABLES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17083, 15 August 1917, Page 6

MOTES ON THE WAS CABLES.

By Shrapnel.

" NOTHING SPECIAL TO REPORT." Sir Douglas Haig's report says there ia nothing special to report. Tho use of tho word "special" is tho most noticeable thing about his report. To say more than ho has been saying might bo fraught with tho risk of giving: information to tho enemy, "who weigh every word lie says, and if there is a loose phrase or • injudicious expression in his report seize upon it and twist it to influence tho German people and Germany's Allies and to mislead neutral States. Then all the British guns, great and email, on tho I'landers front are speaking; there is no need for a longer message. Their hoarso throats and tons of thousands of shrieking shells tell their own talo. Tho thunderous vibrations of tho artillery aro shaking tho windows and houses of the Dutch near tho distant borders on tho north of Flanders. The whole of the Flanders front is said to be wrapped in the smoke of the ceaseless contest; tho artillery concentrations on both sides outweigh those of Verdun and tho Somme. It is further stated that the numbers of the troops aro the greatest yet gathered on any battlefield. As the whole front from the sea to tho German border south of Lorraine is a battlefield, it would be more corrcct to say that the number of troops is tho greatest that has been concentrated on any active sector since the war began. The inference is that the Allies have commenced in Flanders tho greatest aggressive attempt of the war. As far as can be seen it is a straight out trial of strength becauso there aro no signs of a demonstration in forcc elsewhere, except that the French along the Aisne and in tho western Champagne are maintaining a threat to advance should an- opening present itself. Everything right up to the British trenches is organised to tho last detail for an advance in force and the order to elevate tho guns will be awaited with the utmost eagerness both by the infantry in the lines and by au those who are attempting to visualise the scene of such tremendous artillery activity. Both sides are striving their utmost to demoralise tho nerves of their opponents' infantry, for the trenches on both sides must long ago have been completer, destroyed. When the advance begins it wii'l extend from the Lys to the sea, and this time an advance of the Belgians with the other Allies may be looked for. Possibly by' now the Germans have everything in train for tho removal of their guns from the coast, and a portion of the British navy will be watching closely for any German vessels that may be preparing to escape from Zebrugge. THE AUSTRO-GERMANS IN MOLDAVIA. Great fighting is taking plaxxs in Moldavia. Iho Austro-German high commands have sot their minds upon oDtainmg possession of the great grain-producing plains of the eastern half of Moldavia and of tiio main trunk lines, ono of which runs up tlie right bank of the Sercth, while the other traverses the valley of the Burlad from Teduci to J assy-, and continues northwards from that town up a tributary of the Pruth to the extreme north of tho province. Between Teduci and Marasisti there is a loop lino about 15 miles long. That loop lino and Teduci are Marshal von Moclccnsen's objectives. Tho severe fighting i 3 taking place for the "point d'appui" a.t Marasisti, whioh, if not already in posscsson of tho enemy, soon, will be. Marshal Mackcnsen has, however, not yet cleared the eastern Allies from the neighbourhood of Focsaui, south of the loop line, and the country near Pancin, north-west of Marasisti. Tho Rumanians and. Russians are there putting up some good fighting, and further to the - north-west the RussoRumanian forces ho-ve been successful in tho struggle in the Trofcus valley,, near Ecna. If the Russians and Rumanians can hold Mackensen's strongly reinforced, armies on this front between Focsani and Ocna, they will have broken the back of his offensive, and unless the enemy away to the north fully 100 miles are advancing from Buko* wina upon Jassy, it will bo a long time before that town is reached from Marasisti. Marshal Maoketisen lias yet to cross the Serefch—a strong line of defence,—and he can break that defence only by . hemming in tho Russo-Rumanian forces between Marasisti and Pascani or Romon, on tho railway and Soreth, westward of Jassy. To do that he will require all the reinforcements ho has received, and more, provided tho Russians continue fighting alongside tho Rumanians as they are now doing.

M. Marcel Hutiri, the Parisian military critio, states that Marshal von Mackensen has received 14 new German, nine AustroHungarian, arid four Turco-Bulgarian divisions. Apparently some of these are already being used up in the battle round Marasisti. If 13,000 men be taken as the complement of tho reduced Austro-German divisions, Mackensen has added 351,000 men to his armies. To these axe opposed about 500,000 Rumanians and an unknown number of Russian divisions; but certainly a 6trong force of Russians, for Maokensen's advance, if successful, threatens not only Moldavia, but also Odessa and Kieff. It is not probable that Russia can view such a contingency without great concern,' and it is certain that the Russians in Moldavia are also receiving reinforcements as fast as General ITorniloff can send, them, for the conquest of Moldavia would be nearly as serious a matter to the Russians as to the Rumanians. To prevent Mackensen from further strengthening his armies, if there is really any sufficient co-ordination amongst the Allies, the Italians should soon be striking, and there should also be some signs of an offensive on tho Salonika front. The Russo-Rumanians must be looking for some relief by demonstrations on those fronts. A ROMAN DISCOVERY. An Italian paper contains a sensational report that Constantinople is thrown into a stajto of lively perturbation over some rumour that the British fleet, assisted by large land forces and air squadrons, is about to resume the attempt to force the Dardanelles. That project, unless tho Greeks are wildly anxious to make the attempt, is as likely to bo revived as the memory of Rameses the Great is. Britain has sufficient on her hand at Salonika, in Palestine, and in Mesopotamia without ■undertaking another divergent operation in tho East. The British forces at Gaza and at Bagdad may soon requiro every man, g-un, and shell that Britain can spare, unless the Russians in Armenia resume the offensive.