Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star WEDNESDAY. OCTOBER 31st, 1917. THOUGHTS ON THE WAR..

Hokitika Guardian, 31 October 1917, Page 2

Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star WEDNESDAY. OCTOBER 31st, 1917. THOUGHTS ON THE WAR..

The admirable war Mr. C. E: W. Bean, who keeps Australia so well posted with news from the front of the doing of the men of the Commonwealth lias published some of Ids despatches in book form. All is not a record of happenings. There are pages where he passes to comment, and even to warning, to his readers. Ho has seen a great deal of the inside of the war, and is not disposed to treat the enemy contemptuously in regard to their fighting and staying qualities. H]is despatches though a year old, are not without interest to-day, and the course of events perturbing the Allies on the Italian front seem to be associated with the judgment be offers o n the way many people regard the war, and the means to bring it to a speedy ending. While Mr. Bean is enthusiastic in his praise of the gallantry of the Allies in general and the Anzncs in particular, lie never speaks di«naraginglv of the fighting qualities of (lie ememv. Tn this he sets an example to many special correspondents, who apparently fail to realise that by describing the Gormans as schoolboys, weaklings weeds, and cowards they are paying a very backhanded compliment to their own men. In fact, among the most effective letters are those in which

Mr. Bean warns tis against, over-confi-dence and the hopes born of a fadile optimism which lias persisted overlong. Tlio warning is addressed to the public, not to soldiers, who have never had any illusions on the point. Mr. Bean noticed even after two years of war h tendency to shirk the immediate issue and to adopt the Micawber-liko policy of hoping that something would turn up. It showed itself in a dozen ways. If the Allies could not break through on the Western front there was always a chance of a decision on Galli poli, and when that failed, there was the Salonika expedition. I'll ere was too much reliance placed on the? endeavour that the other fellow might, make —the popular imagination turned from one ally to another, and when these had not brought the decision, built largely on the intervention of successive Allies who came later into the field. There was also the vague belief in some future shattering offensive. But, observes the author, “A vague belief , in the success of such an offensive ought not t 6 he the sole mental effort that a greater part of a nation makes towards winning the war.” Still less desirable is the comfortable doctrine that if a British offensive fails that of some ally or another will triumph. “Wherever we have seen the war,’’ he continues, “there is always this tendency to look elsewhere for success. There is not tlio slightest doubt that wo have success in our power. The game tis ours if we will only play it. '.[lie talk about our resources and staying power is not all 'hot air.’ ” But we must play the game steadily and fastly to the top of our strength. No race would ever be won hv a crow in which each oar took things easily, trashier to the vigor oT the rest. Mr Bean deplores the state of mind which can j see signs for rejoicing in reports of ! German food restrictions, bread tickets, petty economies, and all the rest of it. These reports depress him. They show that we are fighting an enemy who is prepared for self-sacrifice, and keyed up to the supremest effort; a nation, moreover, whose soldiers can feel that the nation behind them is literally behind them,* and is helping their endeavours by every means possible. Those letters were written a year ago or more. Since then much water lias flown beneath the bridges, hut the advice here offered lias its purpose today. The Allies have still to steel themselves to greater deeds and to endure greater hardships and sacrifices. We are still climbing the hills from the valley below, as Lloyd George has put it, and though wo may see the glint of the sunshine on the ton. we still have some of the most perilous part of the climb to accomplish before we may bask in the full sunshine of victory. We must “carry on” bravely and noterminedlv.