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Press, Volume LIII, Issue 15870, 9 April 1917, Page 6

The message sent by his Majesty the King on the Empire's behalf to President Wilson, offering heartfelt congratulations upon America's entry into the war for the great ideals indicated in his speech to Congress, will doubtless be gratifying to the people of the United* States, and oortainly expresses the practically unanimous feeling throughout tho British Empire. It can be safely. asserted that we never desired the entry of America into tho war for any selfish reasons of our own. We always realised that America, by tho production and furnishing of food and munitions to tho Allies, was rendering them very material service, and it was by no means clear that they would be benefited by America entering into the. war. But it did deem to us incongruous, not to say unworthy, on the part of a great nation speaking our own language and bound to us by many ties, that she should witness, apparently unmoved, the tearing-up of one solemn engagement after another by Germany, followed by the invention and cold-blooded perpetration of horrors and atrocities in warfare such as would disgrace tho lowest tribe of cannibals. We breathe more freely now that the great Eng-lish-speaking nation of the West has. definitely declared itself on the sido of civilisation and of freedom.

At tho opening of tho war the Governments of tho Allies appeared engaged in a conspiracy to muzzle as far as possible, the Press of all countries in order to reduce to a minimum the spread of information regarding tho war. They have now learned that the enlightenment of the people and the formation of a sound public opinion are not the least important factors in the successful conduct of a war on the present world-wide scale, seeing how important it is to keep up tho "moral" of tho nation. Tho latest illustration of this changed attitude is to be seen in the fact that tho Prime Minister of England, on behalf of the War Cabinet, and the ex-Prime Minister. Mr Asquith, have availed themselves of the offices of an

American newspaper representative for tho purposo of conveying to the American people a message of congratulation and of good cheer in reference to America's entry into tho war. Both messages seem to us to be very felicitously expressed, and likely to havo a good effect in drawing together tho two great English-speaking nations in bonds of sympathy and loyal cooperation against "tho most savage foo " that over menaced the freedom of " the world."

From President "Wilson and ,tho American Congress to the meeting convened by tho "Labour Representation "Committee" in Victoria square on Saturday night is indeed a steep descent from tho sublime to tho ridiculous. Nevertheless, there docs seem something monstrous and incredible in the fact that, when a great pacifist like President Wilson is now forced tho

conclusion that the choice lies between "peace with humiliation and war -with "honour"—as Mr Asquith puts it< — there should he found even three or four New Zealanders ready to stand up in public and urge the weakening of our efforts against Germany just as the crisis of tho war is at hand. The Americans feel that it is a fight against the greatest«menaco with which civilisation has over been confronted, and it is "up to thorn to lend a hand." Wc have been engaged in the war for closo upon three years, and some of the finest of our sons have laid down their lives in the cause. To suggest that we should now draw back—that we should abandon those of our kith and kin who are fighting in the trenches, is so repellent to every right-thinking person, that one would think n 0 words need bo wasted in combating tbe idea. To elect to a public position persons professing •-licit .sentiments would be stultifying tho City of Ciiristchurch in a way that it has never been stultified before.

Mr W. T. Massey's interesting account ol' the Battle of Wadi Ghazzeh ihows that tho weather again befriended the enemy. A thick fog enveloped the iield of battle, thus delaying tho attack so as to prevent tho completion of the operations before nightfall, and allowing the enemy's reinforcements to come up. Otherwise the city of Gaza would have fallen. Tho country resembles parts of South Africa In that it is intersected with deep nullahs or ravines called in Syria wadis. Time was of great importance, the object being to cut off the garrison of tho town before reinforcements could arrivo from the enemy's base, known to be near Bcersheba, some eight or nine hours' march from Gaza. The Anzacs and Yeomanry were closing in on the north-east to assist tho infantry, when the enemy reinforcements made their appearance on our right flank; and our cavalry being between two fires, had to withdraw.

The Wadi Ghazsseh is a very deeplycut watercourse somewhat resembling our own terraced riverbeds. At this tinio of the year—when "the latter rains" referred to in tho Bible are looked for—there would probably bo some water in the wadis, although the heaviest rainfall takes place in January. The whole of Palestine is now ablaze wich spring flowers, and next month begins the hot, dry summer. From the middlo of May to the end of October "the heavens are as brass."