A DISTINGUISHED NEUTRAL ON OFFICIAL GERMAN ATTITUDE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2914, 28 October 1916, Page 9

A DISTINGUISHED NEUTRAL ON OFFICIAL GERMAN ATTITUDE

' THE AUTHORITIES REALISE THAT THE WAR IS LOST. Australian-New Zealand Cable Association. London, October 26. The "Daily Chronicle's" correspondent at Stockholm reports that a distinguished neutral, a resident of Berlin, who is visiting Sweden, gives facts of the official' German attitude to the present position of the war. The authorities, ho says, realise that the war is lost! They know that Germany still has the power to manufacture.munitions at a formidable rate, but that the output of the Allies is greater. Secondly, they'recognise that the reserves of men are insufficient to allow Germany to conduct the war-to a victorious issue, though a defensive war 'can be conducted for a considerable . time. They acknowledge that sooner or, later the Allies must break through on the Somme. ... ' ■■ Ho estimates the limit of-German endurance at twelve months. The authorities are co-ordinating their efforts to secure a peace which will not brand them as defeated. _ ; Germany is determined to smash Rumania, and use her submarines to hurt Britain to tho utmost, believing *that Britain will thus quicker accept peace. ' ■ FOUR BLAST FURNACES DESTROYED AT METZ. - ... • (Rec. October 27, 5:35 p.m.) Amsterdam, October 26. Fotfr blast furnaces wore destroyed at Metz during the last French air raid, and' sixty workers killed. . [It was officially roported yesterday that eleven British bombardment aeroplanes, accompanied by five protecting aeroplanes, at midday on Mondaj, Bombarded; blast furnaces at Hagondange, on which they threw a ton and a quarter of projectiles.' Several fires were caused. The aviators observed that a French aeroplane raid there on the previous night had done much damage.]