PROGRESS OF THE WAR.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LXVIII, Issue 14202, 3 February 1915, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR.

A Paris communique states that the artillery struggle has increased in intensity on both sides in the western theatre. A portion of a German regiment drove back the British post at Guinchy, but the British counter-attack-ed and' recaptured the lost ground, a3 well as some of the enemy's trenches. Fierce fighting continues in the westcm theatre of war, despite the severe nature of the weather. The Germans ou Monday violently assaulted the Allies' trenches north of Bcthunc, in the La Bassec road, but were repulsed, leaving a large number of dead. German infantry at Bcaumonthamcl, north of Albert, attempted a surprise attack on the Allies, but were forced to lly. There has been great activity at Fontaine Madame and Bois de la Grurie. Towards Bagatelle a German attack was repulsed. The French are making headway in Alsace. The Germans evacuated Cernay, which the French guns made untenable, and in turn are bombarding the town in order to prevent the French from occupying it. The French are also shelling the forest of Nonnebruch, where the Germans are entrenched, barring the advance to Mulhausen. The fighting all along the battle front in the west is still" of the nature of a siege, with slight advances here and there. Tho Germans occupy positions of great utility for resisting the Allies' advance, these actually having been prepared before the retreat from Paris took place. The gun positions were all picked out, and put in order before the Germans retired to the heights now occupied by them. These fortified spots have since been greatly strengthened, making them as impregnable as possible But the German military power is being crushed by the Allies The enemy cannot advance; they have been gradually losing the power of offensive, while the Allies have been increasing that power. In both the western and eastern theatres of war the Germans have been compelled to adopt a mode of warfare that is unsuited to the morale of their soldiers. The offensive in France is lost to Germany for ever. Her troops may make a showy advance at some points, but the Allies, as the cables show today, are able to check the advance anywhere along the line. Of course the serious fighting will not begin till next month at the earliest. Just now a good deal of feinting is going on, both sides indulging in that practice. But the Allies have been successful in finding out the main strength of the enemy, both as to their numbers and to the strategical positions they hold. There are points where, if the Allies break through, all the German positions in France will become untenable. There is, for instance, the line from Peronne to Nuyon, the section between Rhcims and Nillc-sur-Tourbe in the Argonne, and the region round Lens, Arras and La Bassec.

The Copenhagen correspondent of the Daily Mail states that Count Buriau, on the occasion of his recent visit to the Kaiser, drew a doleful picture of the plight of the Dual Monarchy. He urged that the time had arrived for the Germanic Powers to consider most seriously the possibilities of a tolerable peace. The Count declared that the Russians must be repulsed at all costs, but he was doubtful if it were possible to resist the Russians and Servians, and probably the Roumanians as well. A definite defeat will mean a debacle and the partition of the Aus-tro-Hungarian Empire. He advised Germany not to fundamentally reject any thought of peace on the ground of the disarmament of Europe. The German reply to the Count was that Germany would send 1,500,000 soldiers to France in the spring to crush tho Allies' forces and compel peace.

It is officially reported from Petrograd that the Russian cavalry penetrated the German lines for some distance north of Sierpe. German attacks at Lipno and Dobrzin on Saturday were repulsed. The Germans were thrown back to the north and west of Wloclawsk, leaving many dead. The German offensive south of Bolimow has developed into active operations with very largo forces. The German offensive is being marked with great tenacity, and is being conducted in closo formation. The latest Petrograd communique states that after a vigorous counter-attack the Russians recaptured the trenches at Bolimow which had been previously lost. The German losses were colossal. The Germans in the fighting along the Pipno-Dobrorin front during the past week lost 6000 killed. The Russians in three days along the Wyslok-Nijniaia front captured 78 German officers and over 4000 men, besides many guns.

The Russian.victory at Corless was

decisive, resulting in the annihilation of the only division of the enemy's force which escaped at'Sary Kamysh and Kara* Urgan. ,