BRITISH OFFENSIVE REVIEWED

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2820, 11 July 1916, Page 5

BRITISH OFFENSIVE REVIEWED

STATEMENT BY LORD DERBY THE "KILLING-OFF" POLICY NO SPECTACULAR SPURTS Australian-New Zealand Cable Association. London, July 9. Tlio Brooklyn "Eagle" publishes an interview with Lord Derby (Minister for Munitions) on the results of tho British offensive. Lord Derby said that tho offensive was marked by the extreme gallantry of the action and the buoyancy of spirit displayed. The British offensive ■' on the Western front was proceeding in logical accordance with the British policy of wearing down the enemy. "The advance along twenty miles of difficult country, defended by immense masses of enemy troops, equipped with every deadly 1 device, cannot effect a sudden "collapse of the resistance," lie said. "The war irill not Ik ended by spectacular assaults upon detached sectors of the Gorman line, but by putting as many Gorman soldiers out of action as lies in the Allies' power. The British were now contributing a splendid effort to that end, and the effort was meeting with a full measure of expected succcss. ' Trained to the Minute, "Our preparations wero complete to the last detail. , 'I'lie supply of munitions, the results of months of strenuous and nation-wide endeavour, is adequate Jo the demands of an unprecedented bombardment. The co-ordination of each . - department of .tue Army seeins perfect. * "I li'avo always deplored tho wicked tendency to under-estfmtite German efficiency, but the British Armies have demonstrated during tho last seven 'days that their organisation is inferior to no army organisation in Europe. Neuve Chapelle and Loos were tlie initiation of tho new British Annies, and the Battle of the Soinmo has supremely proved that our volunteer soldiers will be "worthy of the, most splendid British traditions. "The British hospital arrangements are proving superb, soldiers, twenty.four hours after being wounded, recciv--in-' expert attention in tho London hospitals. This is a fair indication o£ the efficiency of the new British Armies. "The steel helmet lias completely vindicated its ad&pfion. Minor head wounds are now Tare. The advance necessarily, entails casualties, but out losses are not unduly large. A considerablß percentage of the casualties are those who have been slightly wounded. We are demanding tha full price for every British life." Is it the Big Push? Asked if this present British offensive is . tno "big push," Lord Denl>y said: "Anything which decimates tho German army is tho 'big push/ I do -not believe it is possible to characterise any 1 given operation as tho final offensive The task of defeating Germany will be slow, and cannot materially affected by spectacular spurts. Wo shall defeat Germany by incessant pressure. That' is why the offensive is proceeding steadily and surely, day by day, and is more 1 significant than any sepnrate incursion through the German front. I am only a civilian, but it seems obvious to me that the present advances .by the French, Russian, Italian, and British Armies are the only sort of push which will ultimately end the war. "Tlic advance of the British is necessarily slower than the -French, under General Foch. The Germans seem la have known of our imminent offensive, and masses of Germans concentrated to meet our attack. General Foch's attack was apparently unexpected. "There is no likelihood of Germany collapsing like the Austriiins before General Brusiloff. Wo have a'hard fight, demanding the best British manhood we can give. Tho war will end only one way—and that way is the "British way."