Germans on defensive

Spent attack in Poland

Retreat in Carpathians

Incidents in the west

There has been very little in the nature of careful calculation by the general public as to our losses in the war but the total given in the House of Commons yesterday, 104,000 of all ranks up to February 4 approximated very closely the figure of popular belief.

It is a bid total for six months but really much smaller than any we had a right to expect considering the nature of the fighting and the wonders achieved.

The 104,000 casualties comprise killed, wounded and missing and though the proportions are not given it is probable that the killed number between 12,000 to 15,000.

In the South African war it must be remembered that our total losses were 145,000 including 100,000 soldiers invalided home.

From this statement two conclusions may be drawn. The first is that the process of creating new armies proceeds smoothly and satisfactorily. The second is that that we can do with as many more men as we can likely get.

The possibility of an early conclusion to the war depends upon the forces that can be promptly put into the field and it would be well for every man of military age and fitness to remember that.

Still, though we could do better we have done remarkably well.

It is no more than the bare truth to declare that that our forces now in France, Belgium or Egypt or preparing for foreign service are not only larger than any other nation had ever dreamed of raising until the war broke out but are full the peers of any of our famous armies in the past in all soldierly qualities and also are being immeasurably better catered for.

Have the Turks had enough of it?

It has been officially reported that they are in full retreat towards the east and that there are now no enemy forces within 20 miles of the Suez Canal.

Is this to be the end of the invasion of Egypt? Or does it mean that the enemy have merely fallen back to the nearest good water supply.

Time will prove, but Turkish hopes cannot be very high at the moment.

Two communiques from Russian headquarters record further successes by our allies particularly in the central Carpathians where fighting is reported along the entire front.

East of the Dukla Pass the enemy’s resistance at three fortified frontiers has been shattered and in the pursuit which followed over 2000 prisoners and much war material was captured. Altogether in eleven days fighting over 11,000 prisoners have been taken. In other parts of the Carpathians the enemy has been compelled to retreat.

In Central Poland the struggle has slowed in violence, the Germans now being placed on the defensive while in Northern Poland a number of skirmishes are reported all ending in the Russians’ favour.