THE END OF THE WAR.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2428, 6 April 1915, Page 5

THE END OF THE WAR.

IS IT IN SIGHT ?

SOME RECENT OPINIONS REVIEWED

"I tell everyone, what everyone tells me—the war will lost three years; but in my own mind I can hardly believe it. I wonder how long the Boohe (German) will hold out when the war is oarried into his own country?" Tho above extract from a, published, letter written by Mr. -Uudyara v-Kiplihg to a French friend is interesting, because of this light it throws on the opinion held by British military: men regarding the war. Mr. Kipling, whoso admiration for tho British soldier has so often been expressed in his stories, has many experienced . military.. officers among his friends, apd judging from the above extract from ; his-letter the majority of his friends who ar6 taking aotive part in tho military operations, believe that tho ond of the war is still a long way off. Mr.; Kipljng himself takes a.-more optimistio view of the situation, and as a layman expresses in his letter the opinion that the Germans will not hold out long once the war is oarried into Germany and that they will not be able to hold much' longer their defensive positions in France and Belgium. In the course of this letter he puts forward the view that the Germans will not dare to abandon the defensive lines which they occupy in France and Belendeavour to strengthen these lines, and will use up their last reserves ui doing bo. In that case the Allies, he declares, should be able •ii. ± through the German lines without greai.coßt when the time oome» «em to make a supreme effort. Estimates as to the duration of the war are less common now than they were at the outbreak of hostilities. The general opinion among the people of ureat is that the worst of the struggle is still to come, although confidence in the. result is undiminished, inis is the view; publicly expressed trom time to time by men holding responsible official positions. Mr. Tenuant, the Under-Secretary of State for i\ar, m concluding hia speech when in--traducing a few days ago tho Army Estie Ho,ISo of Commons, Bald: It has not been possible for me ° "? ak ! '?/ ev,eu : of all the operations in the field, or of the truly marvellous achievements of the British Army during the' last six months. Nor am I £» iJ*t ™ ke , an -V forecast,of what may -* r j °r' u , s : T' lo variations and vicissitudes of this great struggle may 6VeU f e , ate r sacrifices from the yet had aS te bVide" Pr . im ®, Minister, Mr. 'Asquith'. speaking in the House of Commons at of the session, said, inrl ference to the talk of a general elei tIOU before the end of the yearin. m? tho lifo the present' T»m!» T c< ? me to an end in' January next, unless it is prolonged aLTl mg » \ mv , acfc ' "I - Have fast Jw lonK - tlle Ms sion will': , , V we a J° going to havt thesfainl? W n - H ° W 1 "swei , n S s • , e are now in the pre. biliHrtr unspeakable possioiJities. No human being can take ml the r f pon6i^it y of naming 'vpywv&gLXsi of the war, but when, shortly afterthn outbreak 0 f hostilities, he accepted Pnme Minister's offer of tlm- PoK ? .post of Secretary of Sta4fo e r'£r b te ' the ' British torces, He began iiis-preparatioDß nn ..assumption tliat the P staggle woSFd be a prolonged one. It was the nature of these preparations which > gave general currency to the idea that tho war would Tast three years Many oftiS ing which were distributed ]r,n Ug "£ U r . 4 cou f tr r bore the invitotion, Enlist for- three years •or duration, of. the war.". At present'no one tlle 'i ,l ' ar ,viU last more diSA II is no' coneluded by that time Great Britain will continue the fight with vigour. Mr Mmstoh Churchill, the First Lord of the tf n «! ra iir' Publicly stated tl,at eren r / J lllOlllß to continue the fight Great Britain : would: cam V.it on until Germany was 'reduced V such state that she would no longer be a, menace to the peace of Europe. But m spite of the fact that the bulk or responsible and expert' opinion inclines to the. view that,the, end-of the fP. 1 ® sight, it is generally admitted thai the next fow months vrill witness a vigorous development of thfi struggle, and that the development; ' pay have on iniporfchht' effectrin brine;.' wg the war'to a' tipeeUy"' tefminhtwh,.' Un all sides there is ft determination to renew the conflict on land with increased vigour as soon as the approach of spring, which according to the calendar is, due at"-the - end of March, brings about a change in the weather, and in the condition of tho so that offensive - operatibns on a large 6Cale may be undertaken. During the winter months many thousands of new troops have been in training in Germany as well as in Great Britain, and they -will be sent forward in the spring to reinforce the armies nt : the front. The fighting, once...the weather, improves, will be of .a.desperato character, and it will be continuea almost with6ut interruptioh. If necessary, fighting can be carried on until October without serious interruption by the' weather. It remains to be seen wlut effcct- successive months of desperate , fighting under favourable weather conditions' will have on the belligerents. If the next .- six months do not see the end of the war, they will at least supply some data ,on which to form a definite opinion whe* ther the end is in sight. ' - -