PROGRESS OF THE WAR.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LXVIII, Issue 14206, 8 February 1915, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR.

An official Paris statement says that the Allies have progressed north of licausejour, and have repulsed the enemy north of Massiges and south of Altkirch. Heavy lighting has occurred on the. Bethune-La Bassee line.

The fighting at Borjimoff continues with unabated vigour, and military critics declare that the world has never seen such fighting. The Germans appear to have thrown military science to the four winds, and to have relied ou .sheer weight of numbers, reckless expenditure of lives, and a hurricane of shells. It is stated that tho German methods indicate that success is now a matter of life or death. If the battle is, as the military experts declare, the greatest in the world's history, the losses on both sides will be colossal. Many of the battles of the past havo resulted in a terrible toll being taken of life. At the battle of Mukden, fought between the .Japanese and Russians, the killed and wounded were estimated at from 100,000 to 200,000, the Russians alone being said to have lost close on 120,000 men killed or wounded. In the "Battle of Nations," fought at Leipzig irom October JGth to ISth, 1813, 480,000 men participated. Napoleon had 180,000 men and the Allies 300,000 under Prince Schuwar/.enherg, Marshal Blucher, and Beruadotte. The allies' casualties amounted to o.'!,0l)0, and the French to 30,----000. an additional 38,000 French soldiers being taken prisoners. In that desperate struggle at Borodino on September 7th, 1812, there were 257,000 Russians and Frenchmen engaged, and the losses are set down at .80,000. The Russians have crossed the river B/.ura near its mouth, and have captured a part of the enemy's positions near "Oakowa. They have also dislodged the Germans at the bridgehead near Borjimoff. In connection with the Turkish attack on the Suez Canal, the Alexandria correspondent of the "Morning Post" states that considerable surprise was expressed at the fact that 12,000 Turks reached the canal when they were without a commissariat. It is conjectured that the main army may succeed in crossing the desert, since the Germans are making a desperate effort to build a railway to the frontier via Sebuastieh, Lydda and Gaza. The defeat.of the Turks has caused a change in native opinion, many high dignitaries, who hitherto hold pro-German views, now wholly supporting the British. Private Ham,' the New Zealand contingenter, who was dangerously wounded in the neck at Sernpeum, has died. A Rome cablegram states that the war correspondents in Egypt do not now view the situation with alarm after the result of the fight, with the Turks at, the canal.

The ex-Sultan of Turkey (Abdul Ha mid) has advised the Young Turks to conclude peace with the Allies as the only means of preserving Turkey's independence, it was Abdul Hamid whom the Party of Union and Progress deposed from the throne a few year-? atro on tho eve of what was hailed to bo the dawn of a new Turkey. The "U.P." Party were going to civilise Turkey and placo her on the level of other "European Powers. There was to be civil and religious liberty and a programme of proposed legislation was drawn up which was undoubtedly of a progressive character. Turks who had been exiled by Abdul, and who had lived many years in France, had become imbued "with French ideas, and set to work to formulate a government on similar lines to the French system. Long years they plotted, and finally the moment came to strike. The whole world was staggered one morning by (he completeness with which these exiles had done their work. Abdul was given a few hours to shake the dust of Constantinople off his shoes, and Turkey hailed with delight the change. But, unfortunately for the Turk, the same state of affairs came about that resulted-in the "Reign of Terror" in the French revolution. The men who were working for the salvation of Turkey were gradually ousted from authority, and unscrupulous individuals seized the reins, of Poorer. A condition of affairs was brought about even worse than existed under Abdul. And it was the.'policy of these men, prominent among whom was Enver Pasha, that

brought Turkey into the "clash - of arms" against the Allies. When the whole circumstances arc reviewed, it is hardly likely that the Young Turk Party will take the advice of Abdul and sue for peace.