ANOTHER STAGGERING BLOW.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LX, Issue 16704, 24 July 1916, Page 5

ANOTHER STAGGERING BLOW.

OFFENSIVE LAUNCHED IN THE RIGA REGION.

GERMAN FIRST LINE PENETRATED.

IMPORTANT PROGRESS IN THE SOUTH.

BIG CAPTURE OF AUSTRO-GERMANS.

ENEMY VERY ANXIOUS ON WEST FRONT.

£t every point, according to the latest cables, the tide of war is steadily burning in favour of the Allies. General Kuropatkin has struck the Germans a heavy blow near Riga; Brussiloff and Kaledia are advancing steadily in the central sector; Letchitsky in the south has turned the Austrian flank, :md I the Austrians are reported to be evacuating Lemberg. Meanwhile the British and French are making slow but sure progress. In the Somme sector both the British and French are gradually gaining iground. The British are desperately fighting their way to the higher ground jOn the Martiripuich ridge, Jn the face of strong German heavy artillery reiofbVcements. Further south the French at Hardecourt ar9 working' up tosrarcls Combles. South of Peronne, near the canal, there is a lull. The cables explain that the recent French advance southwards to Vermand-Onvillers was for the purpose of protecting, their right flank from the German artillery. It is stated that the Germans' defence is to protect the bridge-heads at Brie fend Eterpigny. The bridge across the Somme canal at Brie is on the main toad between Amiens~and St. Quentin —a dead-straight road for forty miles. {The Bteroigny bridge a mile and a half further north, is off the main road, and not so important for transport purposes. The explanation given for the jVermand-Onvillers advance by the French may be the true one. At the same time it is as well to remember that the new Allied, line from Vermand-Onvil-lers to Thiepval covers a front of thorty miles, &nd the bridge at Brie is on the direct line to St. Quentin. According to General Haig, the supreme decision of the war will be gained on ihe .Western front. No doubt the present Allied offensive represente merely the opening moves in th e larger strategy and developments that Joffre and his tacticians have conceived. Apparently the object of the Allies is to smash right through all the German defences at one place, curl, the ends of their lines up, and pour their reserv.es through. General Haig must now be within measurable distance of success between Martinpuich and Longueval, though it is quite possible that the main thrust may be made at some other unexpected part of the new line. Gener^T Letchitsky's unexpected advance over the Carpathians has apparently thrown the Austrian armies into confusion. General Pflanzer's forces are reported to be retiring across the Carpathians, ai:d, according to the ' Cable Association, nearly all the Austrian armies are broken up. This latter statement is probably/an exaggeration. Pflanzer's army, which is threatened ' with isolation by the advance through DeJatyn north of the Qarpathians, and the thrust into Hungary ao the south, is withdrawing. Ths armies of Bothi|ner, Prince Ferdinand, and Yon Linsingen, however, are, according to lafcer cables, putting up a strenuous tight in the central sector under Yon Hindeni!)urg, though ft is certain their positions must be seriously affected by '. 'flanzer's, retirement. It was probably on account of their failing to foresee ' jitchitsky*s southern detour that ihe Archduke Ferdinand and Pflanzer were (Qeprived of their commands. / This morning's news from the Uussian fronts is good. Kuropatlpn's forces /have mado substantial progress on the Riga front, where the Russians are reyworted to have*"crossed the Dvina and taken three lines of trenches. Quite recently Hindenburg was reported to have been, transferred to the central sector for the defence of Kovel. Kuropatkin is apparently following General SEEaig's plan of systematically raiding the enemy's lines, a form of attack which is meeting with success.on both fronts. j There is evidently considerable friction in the German Ministry over the ntfc£&ion of submarine frightfulness. While the two parties are arguing the iUaestion, the North Sea, according to a recent cable, is full of large and iraIprovel submarines accompanied by Zeppelins, and there is every indication 'jthat the policy of frightfulness in every form will be continued.

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