10 JUNE 1916, Page 3

The good news from the sea i9 balanced by equally

good land news from the South-East. The Russian offensive, which began about the same time as the battle of Jutland, was not only earlier than we had any right to expect, but also shows better in results. We have never failed in our belief in Russian prowess and Russian leading, but we are bound to say that the notion that the Russians would, or indeed could, get under way so quickly that they would take forty thousand prisoners (including nine hundred officers), seventy-seven guns, one hundred and thirty-four machine guns, forty-four trench mortars, and search- lights, telephones, field kitchens, arms, and other material of war in immense quantities in the first week of June, never entered our heads.