Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star SATURDAY, JULY 20th. 1918. THE WEEK.

Hokitika Guardian, 20 July 1918, Page 2

Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star SATURDAY, JULY 20th. 1918. THE WEEK.

'lTik opining of the German offensive in the vicinity of Rhetins had none of the essence surprise that signalised the other offensives by the enemy earlier in the year. Though the messages indicate that the offensive was arranged on a grand scale, the success*:;obtained are not- of any great extent, as compared with the previous drives ’lib* fact that the French anticipated the opening stages of the attack by opening an intense artillery bombardment before the enemy had moved, leads one. to gather that their intelligence department had done good and effective work. The enemy attack is being eontinned fiercely but the absence of surpricc, eliminated, the possibility of ■their securing any great advantage appears to be -con dderably minimised. The course of the offensive will be eagerly followed, especially as the enemy are credited with making this the effective drive of their great attemptto bring the war to a decisive conclusion. The Allied command appears to be well satisfied with the results so far achieved and there is every indication that- the latest:, enemy drive* will be promptly and substantially defeated.

In the nows of” the enemy attack, the. defence of the Americans has been giyen great prominence. They have been holding important positions on the bnttlefront of the present drive, and the grand stand they made against the- German forces has been forcibl' told. That they wore not stage struck in the first real taste of the. might of the. enemy hammer, in self-evident because the attacks were not only withstood, but effective counter attacks were made, and much ground regained. The Americans have come to ste' it out- and their effective help will be a great factor in the great struggle as the days go by. America will not: have any need to be ashamed of tie fighting forces of her new Army in France, judging by the efforts hoc men have already made.

In the present offensive the Germans appeared to he renewing the pressure in the direction in which they were aiming when they were compelled to call a halt in June, their objective being still the road to Paris. Rut the period of their comparative inactivity, during which they were making fresh preparations, has not left them quite so advantageously situated as they were at the close of the preceding phase of their offensive. The British, French, and American troops have gained numerous local successes in the interval. They have been energetically preparing and strengthening themselves against the probable enemy lines of attack, while seizing important poihts calculated to help the defence and hamper the offensive. The renewal of tlie German attack should in any ease have found the Allies ready to meet the fresh strain to winch their powers of resistance will he subjected. They are confident, as they have reason to be. of their •ability to keep the enemy from the attainment of his objectives, and, all things considered, wnat Germany lias been able to accomplish by colossal efforts atid huge .sacrifices since .March 2.lst does not offer very great encouragement to her hope that a decisive success on the western front is still within her power to grasp.

Tick German Foreign Minister Herr Kuhlmann expressed a view that is highly unpopular in Germany when he asserted recently that, while further victories might be expected in the* .summer ajul autumn, he would not venture to prophesy the duration of a war the end of which could not be readied by purely military decisions. This was tantamount to an admission that Ha blow struck by Germany on the western front could be expected to produce the result of which sue is aiming—namely,the reduction of the Allies to a pass at which they would be compelled to accept a German pence,— and the author of it has, in being disgraced, paid the penalty of his frankness. The all-dominating German Military Command, impelled by circumstances over which it has had no control to sweep aside all doubters and make good its own predictions, is once more launching its thunder-bolts. Having put its hand to the plough, and committed Germany to a' desperate enterprise fearful.in its cost and only to be justified by a great victory, it dare not look back. It is incumbent on it to honour, so far as it can do so, the promises in the faith of which tile Ocr

man masses are suffering trials and privations that must have rendered the conditions of life almost unbearable. But the longer the hope of the German people is deferred the more restive will they become and the less patient of paying the price without enjoying tlm triumph.

The news that came through yesterday stating that General Foch had struck back at the enemy, and that an Allied counter-offensive had begun on the Aisrie front, on a width of twentyfive) miles, and was satisfactorily progressing, was indeed glad news. General Foch. with an inscrutable mask, lias been holding his hand in spite oT the many attacks by the enemy and in spite of being forced to give ground, and at times very valuable ground indeed. withnuL hitting back beyond n series of nibbles and small local engagements. It was always understood that the Allied Generalissimo was holding' his hand for a definite purpose, and it j was the endeavour of the enemy to ; force his hand and make him throw in ‘ his reserve troops in defence of his attacked positions before he was ready to strike back a smashing blow. Time has been working -with the Allies, en-

v.tuLng America to rash an many troops t« strengthen the Allied front, and now apparently General Foeh lias deemed the hour has come, when he can with safety bring his reserves into the fray. The progress of the drive will he watched with deepest interest, as to a great extent will depend the fate of the struggle on the western front.

In the prolonged controversy in the French press over the ClemenceauC'/.ernin affair which followed the'publication of the Emperor Karl’s letter, many now and important facts have been brought to light regarding Austria’s ' alleged efforts ti open negotiations with one or another of the Allies. The main contention now seems to be whether the Austrfkn proposals afforded a basis for a just and durable peace, and on this point there is a marked cleavage .of opinion.

It has been stated that, in addition to the overtures made to France, Austria made others to Italy. 51. l.azare Vi oiler is reported by Deputy Eljen Prevot to have said in the Parliamentary lobbies “that the Austrian Emperor offered to send to France two or three persons possessing his confidence and instructed to repeat his first proposals and to complete them in regard to Italy and Roumania.. I believe that the Emperor admitted the possibility of conceding to Italy the territories which had been offered her as a price of neutrality, and perhaps even of considering the cession of Trieste. . . .” M. Paul Meunier, another well-known publicist, also states that Austria made separate offers to Italy, while in “La Vcrito” the Austrian peace efforts are tints summarised: The Emperor Karl’s letter, another Imperial letter, via llenedict XV directed to Italy, the Papal Note to the Allies, the various: official Austrian demarches to the Allies and to M Hrinnd in particular, with M. do Laneken as intermediary. On the one side —as indicated above —many journals express their belief in Austria’s sincerity ; the opposite view is that Ausria has all along been attempting tp lure the Allies into a trap. The “Temps” may he quoted as representing ’ the latter: “The Emperor of Austria proposed to France and England that they should abandon their Allies (Italy, Serbia, and Roumania), and should sacrifice Italy in particular.”