Sir Douglas Haig has continued his methodical advance east of
the Vimy Ridge. At the end of last week he cleared the strong defences on the Souchez River covering Lens, and also took more than a mile of the enemy's front line further south, near Oppy. Elsewhere there have been the usual trench raids and the incessant gunfire. In June we captured in all 8,686 Germans, including 175 officers, and 67 guns. General Allenby, who did so well on the West Front, has now taken command in Egypt, in succession to General Sir Archibald Murray. From Gaza, where we face the Turks in position, there is still nothing to report. In Mesopotamia the troops at present have only the climate to contend with ; the Russian in the border hills to the north are displaying some activity. From East Africa General Van de Venter reports that the enemy, moving south from the unhealthy Rufiji Valley, are making for the Portuguese province of Mozambique, partly no doubt to get fresh food-supplies and partly to delay the inevitable end. The difficulty of maintaining mobile columns in such a wild country is, of course, enormous.
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