Untitled

Hokitika Guardian, 8 October 1918, Page 2

The Kaiser's capitulation to the inevitable means that we are on the thresliholtl of peace. With the great War Lord abdicating bi» position at the head of his Army and Navy, that Army and Navy which he so recently asked to light on to death, the complete collapse of the. German military machine is at hand His confession of failure, to lead his 1 forces to victory, will damage his pres- | tige, already a declining quantity. His i autocratic position puts him on a pinn- ! aide before the nation, and if he is dis- ' posed to step from that elevated and commanding situation, his lessor lights ' and the rank and file will not be dispos- | ed to carry on the war on their account i The Emperor disposed to make peace ! on any terms is significant that all js lost, ami the peace now with the battle still raging in Hie enemy countries is proof that the. cause of the Fatherland is hopeless. Not only will the German Army and Navy realise this, but the people themselves. Behind any army and navy there is great home service of munition workers qnd suppliers, to say nothing of it,lie civilian opinion. The whole nation will thus become impressed with the hopelessness of the situation, and peace on the best terms possible is all that can be looked for. j With peace in sight as n matter of neces- ! sity, it cannot be long before what is left of the enemy guns cease to roar. The German gutis have been lost by the hundred of late, significant of the state now arriving, and the people as n whole j realising this outstanding fnct ( the com- ' plete collapse of the military eppo- j sit ion to the Allied forces is at lytnd.

K-w&r&j r.'.rio, cirjno-irizig jc~ all sorts of trophies -" ito mark their triumph, there was not much hope of the war ending this year. It i s good at thjs stage to take c ount of the confidence of Foe'h, Haig and Pershing, all of whom were resolute in the determination that the enemy should not snatch a victory. Foeh was hopeful always. Haig exhorted Lis men to fight on with their hack to the wall; Pershing was busy marshalling Iris forces, ijor the counter blow which delivered, lias succeeded in getting right home. The course of events were shaping as a remarkable series of victory on the western front lias been apparent for some time. Tt ha's been told all along, that there tlu> real fortunes of war were to i lie determined. For that reason the Allies gathered in strength and Germany j had to throw in all her weight, too. ; Other fronts wore weakened and some have had distinctive Allied victories, ' notably in Palestine and th e Balkans. | They were complimentary to the real situation in the West. The Allies took | n great hold there and held on with a i determination to win. They appear to have broken the morale of the enemy, and that once gone, defeat was sure, and was being brought about day by day.