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Hokitika Guardian, 26 August 1918, Page 2

Tur. Allied offensive contiuuc-s with unabated vigor and effective. For weeks now the enemy have been at (be disadvantage. Where a short stand lias been .possible, the respite was brief, for the Allies soon appeared in force strong enough to compel further evacuations. Each move on the part of the Allies has appeared to be of the nature of a surprise, the element which counts for so much success in warfare. Looking buck over the days when live course of events took an opposite turn one can only marvel at the excellence of the Allied leadership in the difficult circumstance in which the defensive forces found themselves. As a war correspondent remarks, a review of the Marne offensive reveals Foch’s remarkable natience and foresight. Wlnyr» flic British received a severe reverse, and when the position on the Western front was com promised, Foch met one German blow after another, but refused to make a premature counter offensive until the psychological moment, when the Germans were exhausted at Rheims, and after they "had made progress on the Marne front. Tt required great firmness on Foch’s part to disregard the danger of throwing in the whole of his reserves in a great counter thrust, which proved successful. Had it failed it would have been disastrous to t-V French and tlie Germans would have gained the Marne without difficultv. All through those trying days the military leaders counselled paience, but at the same time demanded heavy sacrifice from their men. General Haig’s fa-

iagus order to fight to the death vriii not be readily forgotten. It gave an inkling of the desperate character of the sifuption. While we rejoice at the turn of tlie tide, do not let us forget what those gallant troops did in March and May particularly stem the enemy onslaught and to bar his way to those objectives the attainment of which would have been acclaimed a great and far-reaching victory.

Thk effect of the pronounced ndvanco of the Allies is likely to have in turn far-reaching roults. The achievement is to the credit of all concerned and especially to the Americans, who when the hour came’ for Foeh to strike responded brilliantly with troops whose training hardly could have been completed. The American force in France as the time hardly could have been familiar with war conditions, for though their victory was important their losses were substantial. Nevertheless, America shared in producing ;i '■'condition of affairs on the Western Front altogether satisfactory. Some of the war critics aver that the changes arising from Foch’s offensive produced the most, favourable situation for the | Allies since the outbreak' of hostilities, | for by now the question of reserve is ! solved, and there is the certain feeling 'that the millions are growing rather than waning, and that the dceisiie factor of man power is at last irrevocably with the Allies. It seems clear that Germany lias now to reckon on a lessening degree of reserve man power. There is no hopeful outlook for the enemy in this respect, whereas the Allies have the. free, will offer of the vast resources of America to draw on. The end of the war hv a* decisive military victory is now possible—ami rendered possible by the great accretion of strength from America. How soon the final victorj will come it is hard to predict with certaintv. In the ordinary course next* year should he the deciding _ period, but. the. political and moral situation within the Central Powers might hasten the end at any moment. The present. Allied successes if continued for a while will tend most certainly to that desirable result.