Brilliant work by British

Capture of a German position

Progress on the East

German retirement rumoured

While it is nearly always well to call a spade a spade and recognise defeat when we see it, too much importance must not be attached to provide for the Kaiser’s delectation at Soissons.

It is a set-back beyond a doubt but the German success is described as local or partial and is not likely to have any effect on operations as a whole.

A few days ago official messages encouraged the belief that Perthes was in French hands. Now we learn that fighting still continues for the second and third line of German trenches.

The conclusion is obvious, either the French have lost ground or they have never been quite so near the railway as reported.

Evidently the Germans are in considerable force and just as clearly the allies are not yet strong enough for a crushing offensive pushed home regardless of the price.

So much for the unsatisfactory position of the official reports, a message to hand this morning contains the gratifying intelligence that after a brilliant engagement yesterday, British forces captured a German position near La Bassen, killing and capturing many Germans, the British losses were slight.

The occupation of this point means a gain of over a kilometre.

According to unofficial reports received in Petrograd the Turks are gradually advancing into the interior of Persia, the former Governor of Azerbaijan in an interview, declares that Persian officials have been suborned by the Germans and he himself with 400 horsemen of the Persian guard fought a ten hour fight with the Turks enabling refugees to escape.

An official communique from the Russian headquarters states that it has been necessary to regroup the force in Azerbaijan though not under pressure from the enemy. The province has not been evacuated.

Russia’s new offensive on the right bank of the lower Vistula is developing favourably. On other parts of the Polish front there are no important changes to report though the Germans continue their local attacks. The slackening of the German’s artillery fire may indicate that they have begun the withdrawal of their heaviest guns.