Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star SATURDAY, APRIL, 20TH, 1918. THE WEEK.

Hokitika Guardian, 20 April 1918, Page 2

Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star SATURDAY, APRIL, 20TH, 1918. THE WEEK.

The ebb and flow of events on the Western front have been matters for grave concern during the week. The position, however is not without improving hopefuluess all the time. It is over a month now since flic Germans began their much advertised offensive. The • event was not unlooked for, and it was given out that the Allies were ready and equal to all demands, in fact awaited the clash with confidence. But there was a great element of surprise about the onslaught after all. Despite the excellent, scouting done in advance to

probe out tin; German strength and dispositions, the* Allies information must have been wide of the mark indeed as to the real strength of the enemy. The actual revelations in this respect have been as startling as were the falsity of the general ideas of the enemies’ strength at' the outbreak of the war. Even as late as .January last it wasofficially announced on hehalf of the Allies, that the year which had just passed had established-the clear superiority of the- Allied forces .on the Western Front, where, they arc \yithin reasonable distance of numericial and material equality! This view, it is clear now, was built upon very false optimism.

Certainly there were some notable Allied victories in the West last year which helped ifo the comforting views held by the quidnuncs. There was the German retreat in March last, between Arras and the Aisne for a depth of .‘lO miles the loss of Vimv Ridge and near 20,000 prisoners; the advance at Messines aim the taking of nearly 2d,000 prisoners; the, French victory on the Ailette and 12.000 prisoners. Then the -most surprising battle of all—Cambrai—where the Germans began their counter-at-tacks, the first effective stroke leading up to the present situation.

Nkw Zkar.ANDKits were particularly interested at Massines because thereat our own men played so notable a part of this victory General Haig said: “It afforded final and conclusive proof’that neither tli strength of a position, nor the knowledge, and timely preparation to meet an impending assault, can save* the enemy from complete defeat.’’ Rut the scene has changed. Massines is again in the hands of the enemy, to gather with tracts of territory which cost the Allies a huge toll ; also, many troops have, been lost as prisoners, guns and munitions and general war booty was captured in great quantity, fn short, the enemy have turned the tables in the West.. It. was done swiftly, comparatively, as only complete and effective surprises can be brought off. The enemy set themselves to work by a pro-published time-table. • That, however is one of their tricks of subterfugecamouflage, as the French say. Their arrival at fixed points is long overdue, but they are maintaining the pressure with unexampled sacrifice and determi trillion to win a decisive victory at any and all costs’. Having provoked America to enter the war, Germany seeks in the last favourable season before A nierica can enter the lists in deciding strength, to force an end to the war. by seeking to wipe out the strongest of the belligerents. The. British Army has been the sheet anchor of 'Allied hopes in the West and the enemy effort now is to destroy that strong arm from off the battle front. The German attack is now directed towards the channel ports, the way to which is hatred by British troops. The enemy is pressing from time to time, and fury to the fighting never slackens.. Important points and considerable territory have been lost by the British,

but- the array remains intact. Some divisions,-have been badly mauled indeed but- the line continues strong and is resisting bravely.

N’nvFimrF.r.Kss, the northern line hold pviiply by .the British is seriously threaA week ago. Mr W. Murdoch, the war correspondent remarked that reinforcements were moving hither, but “a further retreat is to be expected,” be added: “even if. the Ypres salient and the Arras positions become untenable we can maintain, the line guarding the English Channel.” This is pro-

bihly more true now than it was a week ago. There has been a very heavy 101 l during the past i'ow days on the enemy, while the Allied reinforcements are pouring to such an extent that the French are now in the fray with the British. Time is actually fighting with Hie Allies. Every day’s delay weakens the enemy, and the hold up breaks down their confidence . The loss of Ypres, if it should come to pas 3, and it is not- improbable on fl>e face of things viewed at this distance from the sequence of events, will he regret (able, but the oxacuation will he made only under dire necessity and when everything possible lias been done bv the heroic defenders fo save the historic ground. Its loss does not by any means spell defeat, even though it means giving up to the enemy flic last remnant of Belgian soil. The longer it is field file safer are tile Channel ports, and unless Tores falls quickly the designs on the coastal towns will become very remote indeed.. It is a time for the fullest trust and confidence in tiie Allied forces. They have been fighting now for over a month against very superior odds. They have denied the eiiciny the speedy accomplishment of their objectives, and .what | has been won has been acquired only at a cost which must he seriously weak- j ening and disheartening to the enemy.

I Tins prom isos to bo the deriding battle ' ol : the Will'. The question is how long i will it last, and whirl) side ran hold out to the other end. We are l.mek to the generic issue laid down by Lord Kitchener at the outset of the war, that victory will rest with the side which has the greatest army at the finish. With America, now completely on the side of the Allies, that final condition will rest, undoubtedly, with the Allies. The battle lias begun in the most favourable season of the .year,, leaving long months for it to rago over. There. is nothing authentic about the reserves of the epem.v, but troops continue to pour in as though

the supply were in exhaustible —though it. cannot be that. Still, it must he great. As to the Allied reserves, the anxious and impatient are looking for counter attacks'Avith an eagerness which would boa" general's undoing. The of war must lie left to those iriS’omtnand, and we must have confidence that they will counter attack and seek to advance when they believe the time opportune. We must not forget that the stakes in regard to this groat battle are the greatest ever fought for. It is not for a passing victory such as those which delighted Us in 1917. The belligerents are now fighting for the final victory, and no impetuous conduct must throw away a chance. The Toss of ground for the time being is trifling, if a great army can be saved for tile final deal of the war game. The Allies, actually, arc enticing the enemy to throw in all his strength now, no doubt hoping that 1 the greater part of the army will be worn down or rendered negligible when the supreme moment for a counter-at-tack comes.

Thk times arc anxious for the onlookers who can do .nothing to help. Hut they must, at least, possess patience and display courage in the time of trial, lie -British, in fact, in every sense of the nobility of character the nation boasts o'f, and while displaying confidence in our troops, and looking hopefully towards the final victory, do not lot us neglect the ordinary duties of citizenship. Let us cultivate loyalty, and in that adhesion tp the country’s cause, .never forget for one moment the great sacrifice being made

for uk, by those stemming the onrush' of tho Herman hordes. Tliokc gallants stand between us and national disaster. They earn the highest renown ever won by our soldiery, for never before have our soldiers faced so 'fierce a host for so great a ‘cause —the whole service of humanity. Remembering all this let us think of the obligations we incur, obligations which as a nation can never be disclosed while a single soldier or a dependent of a soldier, remains to remind us of the national debt. The anxious times wo are passing through here, are at least free from the greater perils which attend our kith and bin in the Motherland. Wo arc most fortunately placed, and we should be prepared to do the most to recognise to the fullest degree what is being done for our safety. Tho obedience to command and the •sacrifice our soldiers are making, should stir ns to resolutions equally beneficial- to the' national unity. Let the nation he truly born again and display a regenerate spirit one to the other. In' that way the purifying influence of the war will not lie applied to us in vain.

In taking leave of members in tin* House of llop rcse.nta fives on Monday night. the Prime Minister said that he wished to congratulate memhors on the prosperous state of the Dominion after three and a half years of war. They might have to face adversity in the near future. If shipping was available New Zealand would he able to find without much difficulty the money to carry on the war. He was very glad to sav that the outlook seemed to be better than it was three or’four days ago. He hoped that we had turned he corner, and that we should have no such anxieties as some of them had suffered during the past three or four days. In regard to shipping, there would be bad times for three months. During the Argentine season shipping would go there, but when the Argentine season stopped about August, he thought the ships would conic to Now Zealand again. Ho did not thinkNew Zealand would suffer much from the scarcity of shipping, because the freezing, companies had greatly increased their storage capacity. All the cheese would go, and ail the butter would also !if> doubt go. but a fair proportion of it would have to stand over until the ships came back to us. There were two and a half million eareases of meat in store, and instruction's from the Imperial Government were to give preference to beef. He did not think all tlio meat could be got away, j but he did think the greater part of it ■ would be shi'ppod. New Zealand had come well out of the war, but produc- j tion must bo maintained as long as possible. J' rum this it will be seen | that it is still possible for the Dominion to go on achieving greatness, and < the crisis momentarily over clouded . or not. let 11s go on cheerfully till we roach the Jiiuil victory, so ardently hop- ! ed for over the extended period of the I war. , .

A i.THOiroxf in 'the short, 'session there worn not any now votes for specific works. C'ntler tlie Finance. Act. the* TTouse provided on the recoimnenda-t-ioil of tiie (Government a liberal sum to '-‘carry on.” What this meant in

detail was mentioned briefly by the .Minister of Finance when speaking on tlie closing day of the session. In the ordinary course, lie said, the Minister of Public Works could add 25 per cent, to the amount of the votes to carry on works until June 110th, but under the Act just passed it was provided that lie should add nine-twelfths of the vote, to carry on for the nine months between March 31st and December 31.

Ho gave some account ol’ the moneys that would bo available for works. In ■regard particularly to the Education Department, people were anxious to know whether provision had been made for the creation of school houses. They all knew how anxious the Minister of Education was 'to provide accommodation for growing children, and these works were necessary. The Minister of Education would have £37.000 unexpended of the £IOO,OOO that had been voted. There would be placed at Ills disposal £70,000 additional'. While he had considerable sums at his disposal, it was. l not intended that ho should rush off and spend it all at once, lie could do so if he wished to do so. 'The moneys would be spent first on the most urgent works, lie wished publicly to thank the local bodies for the reasonable manner in which they had met him. He Imped people would continue to be moderate in their requests, because men were not available to do works. l|o had more money at his disposal than lie could spend, because men were not available to work on roads and railways. This being the ease it must be confessed New Zealand is getting through this devastating war not at all inconveniently to any serious degree—another reason for the practice of the hopeful spirit the people should maintain. ' '