ABOUT THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3021, 7 March 1917, Page 6

ABOUT THE WAR

THE COMING OFFENSIVE

LECTURE BY DR. NEWMAN

"Nobody in the Army will tell you whether or hot the war > is going to end this year, but many! have hopes that it will, and there is a considerable possibility that it will," said Dr. A. K.. Newman, M.P., in the Town Hall last night, in. tho course of a lecture coiicorning his recent visit to the United Kingdom. "Ultimately we will win. There is no serious danger of the conquest of England. But there is this danger: We have a number of Allies lighting with us, and tho enemy may offer one or mdro of them specially advantageous peaca terms, with the object of leaving us alone in the war. It is for that reason, and also_ becauso the war is so terribly expensive, that Mr. Lloyd George and the Army heads are making a mighty effort to finish it this year. Everything hangs oa the British Empire now. _ We have to carry the responsibility for the Allies, and if we failed the whole Alliance would fall. We are supplying money, munitions, and food, as well as armies, and if we British cannot win the war, then Germany wins it. That is why we must not fail. We have got to see it out." Dr. Newman proceeded to refer to the coming "big push" on tho "Western front. Ho said it was all nonsense to suggest that the war could be decided in tho Balkans or on the Eastern front. The decisive battles had to be fought in-the. West, where the British and French faced the, most important masses of the German armies. Whether, those decisive battlos would bo fought this year, or next year, or even the year after tliatr, re'm'auided. to be seen, the heavy fighting would begin in April or May, as soon as tho weather was fine and the ground hard Stupendous preparations had been made by tho British and French armies, and the attacking forces would pounfl away at the. German lines right througlf tho summer in the hop© of breaking them and so bringing the war to an issue. It had been said that Hindenburg was contemplating a return to open fighting and the abandonment of trench warfare. Tho Allies would be delighted, to moot the Germans in the open. But the probability to bo_ faced was that the Germans would stick to tho trench warfare, and that as they were pressed back from one line thoy would hold another, so that the advance of the Allies Would be slow and accompanied by a tremendous expenditure of munitions and men. It was idle to prophesy as to the result. The wisest men of the nation, soldiers, statesmen, bankers, traders, had found their most confident predictions falsified during the courso of the present war, and the people of tho United Kingdom had coased to talk about tho future. They had set themselves grimly vo tho task of winningijho war with, the means that came to hand, dealing with problems as they arose and awaiting the results of their efforts with quiet determination. He believed himself that Germany was "groggy," although still tremendously strong, and that the next six months would show a very great change in tho general situation, but he had no prophecy to make regarding the day of peace.

Referring to the general development of tho war, Dr. Newman said that both sides would produce new and formidable engines of war during tho present year, but he was confident that the Allies had tho load in this respect. Britain and France had some surprises for the enemy in addition to their almost limitless stores of the proved weapons, shells and guns. Tho "tanks", had been a success, partly on alccount of their unexpected character, and many more of these engines wero being built. But the new tanks wero smaller and faster than tho moving fortresses that had been used during tho Somme offensive of last year. He lielioved that the losses of the Allied forces in the comiim offensive would not be as great proportionately, as tho losses in tho first Somme offensive, owing to the increase in the supply of munitions and the development of new tactics. But inevitably the losses would be enormously heavy. The submarines wero a grave peril, and Britain had to strain every nerve to prevent her' mercantile marine being cut to ribbons. But it appeared that the danger was being countered. The British Navy was prepared for anything that might come- and fully expected to meet the German Battle Fleet in action before tho close of the war. Naval men believed that the German Fleet would be sent to sea as a last desperate venture when the tide of battli! had turned definitely against the Germans on,land.

Dr. Newman said that one of the objects of liis visit to the Mother Country had been to "learn all about tho war." He could not say that he had bad "a good time." No man could honestly enjoy himself greatly in a country that was feoling keenly the sorrows and the deprivations of war. Almost every family had lost some loved members, and had ■others who were .daily risking their lives' at the front. Private and public entertainments were almost'at a standstill, except those required fo rsoldiers on leave, and the sbirit of the nation was serious and earnest. Dr. Newman emphasised his impression of Britain's command of the sea. Wherever he had sailed he had found British ships moving freely about the seas, while tho fleets of the enemy clung impotently to their harbours. On arrival in London he had found the place in darkness, and ho had soon learned that the precautions against Zeppelins wero thorough, and had to be observed. But, the Zeppelins had done very little damage, and they had performed a useful service in arousing British people to a sense of war, in promoting recruiting and hardening the determination of the nation. The cure for Zeppelins was the aeroplane, and Wellington people had great reason to be pVoud of the fact that a Wellington boy, Lieutenant Brandon, bad been one of the first aviators to bring down one of .ths ; .,ig German machines. The Zeppelins !:.-.(} (lone very little damage, even when they scored an occasional hit, and they wei-c of no importance in warfare except as so-hps in Hie North' 50.,-.. Britain could deal with them' now. He had visited as many of the New Zealand soldiers as possible in the hospitals, and 'he had fouhdi them very comfortable and well cared for. They liked to be in I heir own hospital's among tho New Zealand nurses, whero niarv women from the Dr-minion wore serving as cooks, housemaids, and general helps. They I'jokod for New Zealand news and rejoiced in every littje comfort that w;ts provided for thorn. Their courage hod been splendid. Thev had carved for Miomselves a wonderful name in the field of battle. Officers from other parts of the Empire spoke of them in' the highest terms, and he had come hack with a conviction that every man of them was a hero, who must be guarded and assisted when the war was over and the armies had to be disbanded. Dr. Newman mentioned the skill displayed by the New Zeabii'dors in bayonet lighting, and told of their cheery acceptance of the terribly arduous and oppressive conditions of modern warfare. Everywhere hi England ho had li«nrd nothing hut good of the New Zealanders. Their behaviour had b-. n excellent Ihroiiclinut, ami they Tikl earned the reputation of lieina gentlemen as well as s.ildiors. He described his visit to the New Zealand division on

the West front. Tho present British Army was the healthiest and best fed that Britain had ever put into the field, and tho Now fteqlanders woro no exception te .the rule. A great deal had been done in the way of providing for their entertainment as well as for bathjng and washing. The officers were very keen that the soldiers should have every possible comfort and amusement, and the efforts that had been made had been particularly successful. "Our boys are doing very well, but they are sick to death of it," said Dr. Newman. "They will stick it out, but they don't like it. Nobody likes it. The work at the front is such that nobody likes it, but they are coing to see it out." He. had been surprised at tho good health enjoyed by the men in spite of the hardships they had to endure.

A fairly large audience listened to the lecture with keen attention. A hearty vote of thanks was accorded the lecturer on the motion of the Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) who was in the chair.