THE WAR OUTLOOK REVIEWED

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 233, 20 June 1918, Page 5

THE WAR OUTLOOK REVIEWED

SPEECH BY MR. BONAR LAW : WHY THE'GERMANS CANNOT WIN I ' • i (Roc. Juno 19, 7.20 p.'m.) ! 1 tti rr \ „ ,r „ London, June 18. In the House of Commons Mr. Bonar Law, in moving for a credit vote of iivo hundred millions, said that the daily average expenditure for the current financial year was .£5,848,000, as compared with, the estimate of .£6,086,000, which was a saving of 0i millions to mid-June. While this reduction of expenditure must not l>e relied on for tho remainder of the year, it. might be taken as a general indication of the position. Our votes of credit had risen alarniing- , ly, and the total was now dC",+32,000,000. 'Tho present vote should suffice till the ; end. of August. The debt duo from tho Allies was ,£1,370,000,000, and from tho Dominions , _ Continuing, Mr. Bonar Law said that the Austrian offensive was part of an intensive offensive now proceeding on all battlefronts. It was 100 soon to say that tho danger was past. Three months had elapsed sinco the first German offensive on tho West front, and wo were now ablo to be confident regarding tho future. Tho Germans had three objectives-Paris, the Channel ports, and tho severance of tho Anglo-French armies. Wo had yielded ground, but tho enemy had not attained, a single objective, and tho results had justified the policy of a , united command. Tho enemy wanted t<> uso up our reserves before the Americans arrived, but ho had already failed, because tho Americans were not coining— ' they have come." Ho paid a tribute to the rapidity of tho arrival of tho American troops, and said that it would bo impossible for tho enemy to win by wearing down our reserves before ho exhausted his own. The universal feeling was that our airmen were the best on any front, and wo were rightly proud of them. Germany had been laying all her hopes of success on her submarines. All this had been changed. The menace still existed, but the construction of ships during April and May had exceeded the destruction. There was no danger, so far as foresight could see, of Germany starving Britain into submission. Germany had embarked on a campaign of unrestricted submarine warfare because she believed that America could not arrive in time to give serious help. Germany was now shown to be wrong. The numbers of American troops arriving and to como had reached a figure which would have been considered impossible a couple of months ago. "For the present there is a lull on tho West front. Our Staff know whero the German reserves arc, but the enemy's railway communications are so good that it is impossible to foretell where tho next blow will fall. Tho moral of our troops has 1 never been higher, and it is impossible to speak too highly of tho valour of the French in their fighting to save Paris. ]f the Germans fail to • secure thoir strategic objectives in three months' time the campaign will have failed, and will prove to have been the most disastrous advance they have ever launched." (Cheers.)Mr. Asquith's Plea for Russia. Mr. Asquith advised the Government to give fuller information as to tho progress of events' on all fronts. He was notJ disposed to write Eussia off tho slate as a negligible Quantity. "Wo should employ all tho resources of diplomacy and also give naval and military assistance if necessary while the opportunity offers in order to build up friendly relations and an alliance with Russia, which is naturally our friend rather than Germany's. Tho House should enable tho Russian democracy to realise that it has our evmpathies." It transpired during the debate that General Foch is definitely Comman-der-in-Chief of tho Allied Forces."As Critical As Ever." The House passed the vote of credit. Mr. Bonar Law, concluding tho debate, said: "I am rather shocked to hoar that overyo'ne considered my speech optimistic. I did not mean to be. I meant to give an exact description after consultation with tho military authorities. I agree with Mr. Asquith's statement that tho position is as critical os evor, but I have a firm conviction that wo shall como through."—Aus.-N.Z. C able Assn.