GENERAL REVIEW OF THE WAR.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17426, 21 September 1918, Page 8

GENERAL REVIEW OF THE WAR.

POSITION ON WEST FRONT. SITUATION IN RUSSIA AND TRANS-CAUCASIA. THE BAKU REVERSE. , Australian and NJZ. Cable Association. aVv< ! LONDON, September 19. ci- - - (Received Sept. 20, at y.30 p.m.) jThe. Germans have constructed a line . (.across the base of the tit. Miln-el salient, jto which they have retired, but it is believed to be of no great strength. The ' Germans realise that any iurtiier advance i in this sector will involve Metz and important lateral communications from iStrassburg to Metz, via Montmedy. They . : therefore are likely to offer determined re- . resistance. The i'rench are emphatic. in ■ their praise of the American staff work . carryiiig out on such a large scale an - attaoli' wiien comparatively new to the game. As the position threatens the •whole line of the iVleuse northwards, its influence on the future course of the war v may be very great. The enemy probably intends to hold the : Hindenburg line until winter renders fur- : ther operations impossible. The German -strength on,the west front is now reduced to lyi divisions. Fifteen divisions have -.recently been broken up, while in more than 20 divisions battalions have been reduced .to the strength of three companies. Evidence exists showing that the enemy great difficulty in arranging reliefs for, divisions in the line. No further fighting is reported from ;, :v northern Russia beyond skirmishes favour-s-able to us. The Bolshevists have fallen back from the Onega-Oberserkaya road, enabling us to secure this line of commuXHcation. The Czecho-Slovaks in European ■ -Russia are 'hard pressed. Within the last <10 days the Bolshevists, apparently .assisted by a considerable number of Gerifiajis, - occupied Volsk, Simbirsk, and Kazan. The Czechs are very tired, and lack munitions, equipment, and stores. -The fall of Kazan appears entirely due to lack of ammunition. The Germans are ■/.' reported to be concentrating heavily in ■- .. the KJiarkhoff-Beligorod area, apparently •with a view to advancing to the Volga to prevent General Alexiefi from joining the Czechs about Samari. The Bolshevist v . force between the Czechs in the Ekaterinburg area and General' Poole's forces at ■ -Archangel are estimated at 18,000. The : 'total Bolshevist and German forces eventu''ally -engaged with the Czechs aTe ■ over 100,000. It is noteworthy that already the Czechs are exercising an' important effect " on the western frdrrt by keeping the enemy engaged in Russia. This is exactly what our Russian policy has in |;;.i view. Germany's offer to withdraw from Northern Russia if we do the same is ap- , parently due to the difficulty of inducing : the Finns to participate in the war, and | to a desire to avoid commitments in view of the ■ situation on the western front. ; Germany, however, continues her preparations, and we must be prepared for a, ••• serious attack oh the railway and boast. : It was recognised from the first that our sending an expedition to Balm was hazardous. It was known that the Arme- : • riian National Council had made a definite peace with the Turks, and had sent emissaries .to Constantinople and Berlin, but it was believed that 80,000 Armenians at Baku were out of touch with the v National Council, and that they, with .the of non-Bolshevists and a small •. British force, would offer stout resistance; i. : while the' strategical gain if Baku was held firm would justify the risk. On July 25 the Bolshevists at Baku were over- , thrown, and a new Government was created, which begged British assistance. We acquiesced, but could only 6end a small force, owing to the difficulty of oommunications. The local forces at Baku .numbered 10,500. When the Armenian ■ troops, were tested on August■ 7 they proved unreliable. They refused to fight, !• ~and dispersed to their homes, causing the : . .failure of the attack against a Turkish enveloping movement north on Baku. On August 26 a determined Turkish attack was beaten off by the North Staffords and Worcesters, who, though fighting gallantly, had to. give ground. A second attack on -another sector also failed. By the end ' of August it was realised that the cooperation of the local forces was insufficiently effective to justify the retention of our detachment, and evacuation was ordered on September L On the same day 'the Turks again attacked, resulting in tie Warwickshires haying to cover the Armenian and Russian retirement. It is j feared that they lost heavily. On Sepl tember 2 the Russian General Bicharakow; occupied Petrovsk, and promised reinforcements. A small detachment reached Baku , on September 9. This gave us a breath- ■ ; ing space, inspired the Allies to hold on, and induced the Caspian fleet to refuse 1 to evacuate the British. Meanwhile the Armenians were negotiating to hand over Baku to the enemy, and the fleet trained the guns on the Armenian quarter. The ••• Turks on Monday attacked in force, and the fight lasted for 16 hours, the brunt. .. being borne by the British. As is now « known,, the British evacuated Baku. It is presumed that the Russians provided I-,.- General Dunsterville with the necessary shipping. The Turks have recently undertaken an advance from Tabriz as far as • •:. Jemarubad, and our watching detachment ■ retired.