NOTES ON THE WAR.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11254, 7 December 1914, Page 8

NOTES ON THE WAR.

_«_ —*— — THE LAND CAMPAIGNS. There is an encouraging ring about this morning's messages from Franc© and .Flanders, and although ui> marked advance has been reported from any point, still there is 'evidence of rather more than the steady resistance that has hitherto characterised the Allies' work. The suggestion of a general increase of tho -pressure on the German lines is not accidental. It means that tho .Allies; havo been active at many points, and no doubt tho past 'week has seen a vigorous searching of tho enemy's lines with tho object of discovering weaknesses. The previous week-end witnessed comparatively little activity east of the Argonne ridge, because snow had fallen on tho Lorraiuo frontier and in tho Vosges, and then a dense fog impeded operations. But | there had been somo fighting west of Sou am, and there was evidenco of something moro than a. cannonade along tho Aisne, in the Sommo district and in Flanders. A week ago tho Allies were pushing their lines north .in-Flanders, and they were meeting with success in the Bomme district, while on the Aisne there were vigorous exchanges at several points. Virtually throughout the week the reports have claimed an advance in Flanders and the Argonno district, and lately a smart advance in Southern Alsaco coincided with a. visit 'of General Joffre to German territory. The ground actually gained may appear to be small, but it is a reasonable assumption that, the Allies are , now ', manoeuvring.for advantageous positions. rather than seeking to drive,the!enemy from Franco. This,is the/only' theory that explains the capture of Lesmetiil*. east of tho Moselle, beyond -'Pout-a-Mousson. . Here the French are hot very far outside the, range of. .the. gutjs . at the most southern of tbe.Mets forts, and the most obvious value of the little town is that its.possession furnishes an advance post for tho protection bffho bridge-head across tho Moselle. / In Flanders, similarly,: the:: .fighting has been for the possession 'of useful points that will bo of value whether the next development is a German attack or an Allied advanced '"■'' There must have been some vigorous work along tho front from Nieuport to Dixmude, where the Allies have the inundated area to stop German rushing tactics, and between Dixmude and -Ypres the position looks to be improving. North of "Spres tho Allies have been active on the. Roulers road, indicating' that the enemy has been forced back some distance. South of Ypres, too, tho Germans-'hare given ground. There has plainly been a marked reduction in the German pressure all along the'front in Flanders. So far nothing definite has been heard of tho operations of tho enormous Gorman forces that were said to be .-mass-

ing at La liassee and Arras, and judging from the fact that King George and President Poiucare have been'visiting the lines in this neighbourhood, it is a fair inference that • comparative nuietness reigns. - : : The Russian reports suggest that the Germans have taken up strong positions in West Poland, with the'marshy, valley of the Warta at their back. There is tio detail on 'which to 'estimate the progress of the Russians, who should now bo _ developing their attack without serious interruption, assuming that they have the- command of superior Forces of men and guns." Tho German left, resting on tho Vistula, cannot afford to advance far irom the railway line, and'ati winter has now fairly set in the conditions in the open' country ivill begin to favour the. Russians, -at my rato in the*matter of transport, rho German right wing, extending iown to -Czenstochowa, is to all appearuicqs, simply being held back by the Russians, pending the issue of the'fightng further to the north, for there has joen no report from this area- lately. The operations in 'Galicia-have been eft unreported, but the Russians have >een active in. the south, because their : orccs across tho Carpathians, in Hungary, have occupied more than one mportant town. The latest, capture-v? 3artfeld, in the Sa-ros district. The tdvancc of the Russians has been made 'y way of the Dukla Pass, south • cf faslo, and tho road down which-they ire marching strikes tho railway at Aperies, or Presova. The purpose of (his diversion is- obvious- enough, renembering that the Russian _ design is dways to develop their; main attack i-gainst Austria and Silesia.- .'But the nost important point arising - out of ,his invasion of Hungary is that it ;hows tbe Russians'to be confident of ;heir general position. When the com)incd German' and Austrian forces nade their grand advance to the Vig;ula the Russians withdrew all their imall armies from Bnkowina, Galicia md Hungary to meet the attack. This :ime there has been no such ..concenyration. Bukowina has been, occupied, ;he advance through Galicia has proceeded, and presumably the .operations iround Cracow are being continued. rhe reason is that the Aiistrians are lot now co-operating directly with the 3-ernians, bnt are using alltheir energies to prevent the investment of Dracow. * . Thei"© 5s little room for doubt/that the Servian capital is now in the hands >f the Anstrians. Some little time ago bhe Government announced that- tbe Serb armies were being withdrawn to iefend the frontiers, indicating that tho Anstrians had diverted troops from the northern frontier, presumably feeling that the Germans were uow in sufficient strength to keep the Russians busy. The invasion of Servia followed. There was a big fight a few d3ys ago iit Valjevo and_ Lazarevac, nnd no ioubt the Austrian invasion was dereloped so rapidly that it endangered

-he position of the garrison of Belgrade. The position, however, is not at all 3lear. There was some talk of the Russians sending help to the little countrv, but the help that tho Servians are getting is indirect. Tho Russian inrasion of Hungary is probablv biding dereload as rapidly as possible, aud it will be pushed still more energetically *s soon as the position in Poland is more secure. This will take the pressure from the Servian frontier, but the relief will not be felt perhaps for some iveeks to come.