HAIG'S PROMISE
WE SHALL BREAK THE GERMAN FRONT
BRITISH COMMANDER'S
OPTIMISM
(From the London "Daily News.") . Field-Marshal Sir Douglas Haig, who 13/ the commander of five British armies, comprising two million men, received me—writes M. Tudesq, tbo correspondent of the "Journal"—in an old castle which the war has transiornied for practical purposos into a telegraph station. The roof is covered with hundreds of wires. Tho Commander speaks French without an acceis* and quite ffuently. "Is the great offensive near, and do you believo it will succeed in crushing the German front?" asked M. Tudesq. Immediately came the reply:—"lt does not malter who starts the offensive—French, German, or British. No niattor where the enemy starts—north, south, or on any. of the salients formed in his flanks, as a feeler or on tho old battlefield^—we \&m ready to receive him. His folly will cost him dearly. We arc keeping our armies in training. Our cavalry is awaiting the opening of the gate so that the enemy's defeat may be turned into a rout. The enemy will not have the possibility of entrenching himself oven far behind the lines. The Only Result. "Shall we break the Gorman front? Why, without doubt we shall, completely and at many places. The Germans have behind most of their front a powerful network of railways with which to defend themselves. _ The first attacks of the great offensive may at first' be limited and uncertain. It took months to check tlis nation of more, than 60, million men. It. will take several months .still to annihilate it. But we 6hall strike without respite and terribly, right up to the total destruction of its_ army..' Peace cannot be anything without absolute victory, and this victory the strength of our armies will givo to us. : "The Allies must not let themselves be intimidated by the suggestions or menaces of Germany. In offering peace Germany thinks only how to' prepare for the next.war. If by misfortune we should yieldi to her perfidious appeals, in three years the drama would recommence. Bit by bit, country by country,- in dividing us she would again take up her dream of destruction. It would.be England first that would be attacked, then France, then other peoples'. would' reorganise her blow which had missed. For the tranquillity of the world Germany mu6t forever be broken up. Our soldiers with their good sense and their instinct understand that they are sealing ivith their blood their desire to v establish.peace by victory." . • ' A Picture of Headquarters. " M. Tudesq says it was in the clear light.of a frosty morning already giving signs of coming spring that the interview took place. Like house, like master, everything about the place was soldier-like. The park is extensive and studded with lofty trees. The residence, hidden away and covered _witn snow, was striking in its simplicity. The Union Jack floated proudly-over the main entrance. Sentries stood, on striking figure of- : the Marshal will go down to history. His aristocratic bearing, which, he domes from his Scottish ancestry,, and that radiatin" graciousness which the burden ot holding in his hands, the destiny ot hundreds of thousands of men confers, give to his slightest word or action a tone of particular human grandeur. It is sufficient to look at the steel eyes of this leader of men to dmne4.be implacable will. It is' sufficient to hear the modulated voice to know what a heart beats in the breast - of- this warrior. . ~ . T At the close of the interview I. understood the prestige which lie wields and the admiration which he excites compared with Hindenburg. One could not help thinking that each . pe°P le pets the deader it deserves-in Germany an old fox; here.a gentleman. One of his first questions was: Have vou seen my, soldiers 'in tienches?"-a question which "betrayed the pride and solicitude ot a fatner. Then. Sir Douglas went :on:. War is not merely a bhock of armies necessary In order to conduct it to make • prodigious preparations and provide an immense amount of machinery. Our two gravest concerns at- presentee ' railway lines and artillery. have had to construct in the rear during the past-few months alone more than 300 kilometres- (over 200 miles) of railway ' S ' Railway Advisers. ''-.■'.'•'. "Recently I called together directors of the largest railway companies in England. 1 showed them on the spot what had been done and what still remained to he done. - They,understood the urgency and magnitude of-the task. Formerly the traveller, scarcely thought of taking anything but Win line Paris to Lille or Pans to Calais. The war Has overturned the valub of things, and now iV is the small and most insignificant line which sometimes becomes the mam line. With regard to the munitions we have realised the maximum. At present we can evon furnish our Allies beyond their requirements, but we want more artillery, heavy artillery especially. It is not a question on this point of ing on an equal footing; with the enemy, but of crushing him with all our power."—Exchange. Decision in the West.. In tho Havas Agency's account of the interview (quoted by Reuter) Sir Douglas Haic's reference to the supply of guns is .quoted-as follows:— '"What -we want /now in greater quantity are guns and railways. ■ We shall never havo too many 'guns. They are goods that you caunot make in. a day, and. which are wearing out all the time. I may say as regards the wastage of our guns that we get agreeable surprises, but we do not rely on. any chalice help, and we go on casting guns. The same with rails, that invaluable auxiliary of the armies in the field. Directors of tho English railway companies who came over gave me everything I asked for, and even more, for they carried their patriotism so far cveii as to strip their lines of ballast of which wo were in want." . Sir Douglas Haig went on: "there is another mutter which'must not be lost sight of, and it is that tho Western front is and will remain the principal front of operations. I am convinced that the decision of tho war will tako placo on the Western front, and that is why wo must devote all our plans.to making that front defensively and offensively the' best. _ - "This trench war must give way to a war of movement, 'which alone will procure for us tho «reat advantages that we count upon. There is no doubt that tho German Western front; will be broken by the- Franco : Bntish Armies. This year will bo decisive in tho sense that it will see the war decided on tho battlefield. That is to say, an event after which Germany will appear defeated militarily.; - "It may be that the year of the decision will also bo the year of peace. We all hope that it may be, and we shall do all that lies in our.power that this may be so. Nevertheless, I wish to speak with nIL frankness : to.; ray. country and to its Allies and to say to them that if Germany, which is a groat nation, by which I mean a numerous nation, cannot bo entirely beaten this year, we shall not hesitate to carry on the war."
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Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3061, 24 April 1917, Page 8
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1,206HAIG'S PROMISE Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3061, 24 April 1917, Page 8
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