Certainty of Victory.

Levin Daily Chronicle, 11 October 1917, Page 4

Certainty of Victory.

GENERAL SMUTS CONFIDENT. BRITISH TACTICS EXPLAINED. LONDON, Sept. 18. An interview regarding Germany's position has been given by General J. C. Smuts, a member of the War Cabinet, to the London representative of the Paris newspaper Le Journal.

'' She has little or no improvement t-o hope for," said General Smuts. "Can anyone doubt, on the other hand, the growing feelings of terror which possess her as she sees the nations Tange themselves side by side against her? Her food problem is becoming daily naoro and more acute, her economic future hopelessly compromised, and her name more and more detested. In short, she is faced with the prospect of being strangled to death unless the Entente reopens the doors of the world to her.

"There is nothing that Germany longs for more ardently than pence. All kor people feel that their position is desperate, but before thinking- of peace we must be certain of having finished with military imperialism.

What docs the future offer her ,cvcn on the impossible hypothesis of a reversal of the military situation?

"Before accepting any peace those who were charged with the destinies of the nations should give serious reflection to the terms, for on the peace tihat we would sign would depend the peace and future of the whole world. The stake was tho largest for which the human race had ever played. Patience and confidence were all that we now needed in order to be certain of gaining it.

"This war was a war of machinery. Instructed by experience Britain had adopted tactics which might not be very showy, but the results of whlsh were mathematically certain. These tactics consisted of progressing by advances strictly limited on ground rendered impossible to hold by the superiority of our artillery. These tactics cost a minimum to us and inflicted a maximum of loss to the enemy.. The public understood these methods and their success, and there was no more question regarding winning. To-day the allies had won, and the Germans know it.

"The final result of the persistent pressure of our army," concluded General Smuts, "is very well anticipated in Germany, dospitc tho reassuring communiques. Germany's military victories in the east cannot outweigh hor defeat in a world sense. Hence Germany's desire for peace. But despite the horrors of the carnage, we must continue till the lesson is graven deep in the heart of the German people."