Torpedo outrage

American response awaited

Fighting for Riga

GERMANY may offer a variety of excuses for the torpedoing without warning of the Allan line Hesperian, and may even attempt to justify the outrage, but nowhere, one imagines, will any “explanation” be regarded as good enough.

The absence of American passengers is not likely to prevent a fresh outburst of indignation in the United States but how far indignation carries a nation along the path to war we have seen and the United States must be left to pursue its own policy without suggestion from this side.

Generally, however, the effect of the enemy’s latest dastardly effort will be further to discredit Germany’s word in the eyes of the neutrals and the ‘blunder’ may tell heavily against them in the quarters where they desire to create confidence.

In the meantime, despite the fact that they are all abundantly discredited in advance, some curiosity will be felt as to the form Germany’s excuses will take.

They are not likely to tell us the truth or anything approaching it.

Otherwise we might hear that it was a parting shot from Tirpitz, whose amour propre was thus placed before this country’s honour or interests.

What America thinks about the matter we shall begin to know before the day is out.

The news from the Russian front is some what perplexing.

The enemy continue to exert great pressure and in the Riga region have apparently scored a considerable success for the Friedrichstadt bridgehead is reported to be in their possession.

Other things being equal this would have been a heavy blow to the Russians, but it is also stated that the Russians have recrossed the Dwina 15 miles lower down so that the Germans East of Riga may possibly be in a dangerous position.

Again further evidence of the unimpaired moral of the Russian troops is proved by their startling re-appearance at Grodno.

This dash back was entirely successful and its purpose completely achieved.

For some time the Germans had been trying to cut off forces retiring from this neighbourhood and from the occupation of what was becoming a dangerous salient.

The enemy move was being carried out with a swiftness which made its success probable.

The sudden swoop upon the town of an extremely mobile Russian force changed the appearance of things, for a while eight machine guns and some prisoners were captured in the exploit the neighbouring troops, whose position had appeared to be perilous, were enabled to get away unmolested.

In Volynhin, where the enemy is attempting to secure possession of the railway leading to Dubno and Rovno, the Russians are offering a very stubborn resistance.

A counter-offensive on the right bank of the Stryr has developed successfully.

Further south the enemy claim to have established a firm footing on the east bank of the Lower Sereth.

In the centre, North-East of Brest, the advance continues though the enemy is meeting with a determined resistance in the region of Drebiezyn.