The Southland Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. Luceo Non Uro. FRIDAY, MARCH 26, 1915. THE WAR.

Southland Times, Issue 17470, 26 March 1915, Page 4

The Southland Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. Luceo Non Uro. FRIDAY, MARCH 26, 1915. THE WAR.

This morning’s messages do not report a great deal of active fighting. The reported preparations by the enemy for a great attack on the Allies’ lines on the Yscr have not yet been completed: at any rate the attack has not been delivered. Meantime the Belgians are making progress on the right bank of the Yscr. Elsewhere on the Flanders front there appears to be little of importance to record. Both sides are probably very busily employed in overhauling, renovating and refitting after the winter in the trenches. The, fighting will begin soon enough, and when it does begin it promises to be extraordinarily severe. We may regard Neuve Chapelle as an experiment, and as it was completely successful it will be repeated. What the losses at Neuve Chapelle were has not been made known by the War Office, but "Eye-witr.ess” significantly observes that our troops have proved that they can bear heavy losses. When Joffre and French begin the stupendous task of throwing the Germans out of France and Belgium they will fully test the fortitude and endurance of their armies and we need n6t doubt but that the armies will emerge from the ordeal with all honour. With re-

gard to the Spring campaign the transcendent Importance of munitions has been accentuated, stressed and reiterated by Lord Kitchener, Sir John French and Mr Lloyd George, and in his Interview with the Havas Press Agency Sir John French noted that the necessity of economising in munitions under which the Germans found themselves had weakened the morale of the German infantry. In this respect the enemy may be very seriously crippled when the Spring campaign reaches maximum intensity. Germany’s difficulty is copper. A writer in the London Times who is referred to as one of the first of living authorities on the use and statistics of copper calculates that the enemy’s daily average consumption of brass up till the beginning of February was as follows: Class of Fire. Average per Day. Rifle fire 305 tons Maxim fire 30 tons Artillery lire .. .. .. ~ 105 tons Total .. 440 tons Less 17 tons cartridges recovered 17 tons Net total 423 tons The brass used by Germany and Austria for shell cases contains 72 per cent, of copper, and the writer in the Times estimates that the enemy requires 112,000 tons of copper a year, and if the rate of fire increases the quantity will be greater still. The maximum output of which Germany and Austria are capable is set down at 40,000 tons, so that on a calculation favourable to the enemy in that the estimate of consumption is low and that of production high, there is a deficiency of 72,000 tons a year. That deficiency may trouble Germany, and if it necessitates economy in gunfire the German infantry will fight at a great disadvantage. It is not surprising to hear that Germans In America and Americans of German origin have plotted to send contraband to Germany through Copenhagen. Every ruse and resort that ingenuity and astuteness can suggest will be employed to get foodstuffs and raw materials into Germany, and German gold will flow like water to effect the purpose. But the British blockade is increasing in effectiveness and the American plot was detected after several consignments had got through. These open channels will gradually he stopped, and if Italy joins the Allies Germany's difficulties will become much more acute.

In the Eastern theatre particularly violent fighting is reported. According to Petrograd messages the Germans have been strongly reinforced on the right bank of the Narew and are attacking with desperate energy but without success. The Russians are slowly but surely capturing the trenches on the heights. Prasnysz is the centre of the fighting on the right bank of the Narew, which is the continuation of the Bohr, on which stands Ossowiec. Apparently the siege of Ossowlec has completely failed, the Russian defences proving too good for the German artillery. The reported abandonment before Ossowiec of two of the famous 12-ccntimeter guns is interesting, for so far the Germans have not allowed one of these giant weapons to fall into the hands of the Allies. If the report is true all that there is to know about the great guns that were the surprise of tho war will soon be known in every ordnance factory in. Russia, France and Britain. The report may not lie true, however. It may be as “premature” as the reported capture of Memel. That story was given out with every attention to detail. The Russians entered the town, hut the inhabitants joined the enemy's troops, and to teach them a lesson the Russians withdrew and shelled the town briskly. They then entered again and occupied the place. Most of the inhabitants fled to Konigsherg, there was a panic in East Prussia and a clamour that something should be done. It seems incredible that all this wealth of detail should have born founded on inaccurate reports, and yet there is no room for two opinions with regard to the official announcement from Petrograd that ‘‘our detachment reconnoitring Memel has fallen hack into Russia." That means that Memel was never occupied in force and that the town is again von Hindenburg's. The reported capture of two of the 12centimeter guns may be just as far wrong. It is evident that though the German forward movement in Poland has failed, the enemy is holding his ground with the greatest tenacity and the Grand Duke Nicholas is finding von Ilindenhurg a stubborn and resourceful opponent. The German commander is still able to bring up reinforcements to the point at which they are most needed, thanks to I lie invaluable railway lines which run parallel to his own. In Galicia the Russians continue to force the enemy hack, the fall of Przeniysl greatly facilitating (heir work. The Austrians have sustained enormous losses. Since January 21st the Russians have taken 110,000 prisoners, 30 guns and 320 machine guns in field operations. In addition 120,000 men and 700 guns were taken at Przcmysl. These are staggering figures, but there is reason to believe that they are not exaggerated. The Russians have won some great victories in Galicia.