GERMANY’S FAILURES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 1383, 8 April 1915, Page 2

GERMANY’S FAILURES.

Tiu>; positiou of Hie allies after six months of war is discussed by Lord Sydenham in the Eondon Times of February 4. He contends that Germany though still unconquered is beaten. Reviewing the situation as a whole, he says that no reasonable grounds for any reversal of the verdict of the past six mouths can be suggested. Relatively to the allies, the Germans must grow steadily weaker in men and material. Every plan of their strategists has come to naught. With the possible exception of the Russian reverse—quickly retrieved—near Osterode, August, the German armies have not won -a single victory, and when the perfeciiou of their preparations, enabling them to strike before anyone of the allies was ready, is recalled, this must be regarded as the most outstanding fact in six months of war- As General von der Goltz has pointed out: “The boldest and best planned strategical offensive leads to hual ruin when the available means are not sufficient for the successful attainment of the last objective, the possession of which insures peace,” Great masses of the Germau people have never heard of Treitschke or von Bernharcli; but they have been well disciplined by Prussian agency into the belief that the State is above all human laws, and can do no wrongs, and that patriotism demands obedience to the ruling caste. They were given to understand that a short and sharp campaign would confer ou Germany the hegemony of Europe at last, and that thus only could their legitimate ambitions be satisfied, and lull scope be provided for their Intellectual aspirations. They had unbounded confidence in the vast military machine held ready for instant war as was no other army in Europe. They have now to learn that the machine was inadequate to the stupendous tasks which its chiefs forced upon it, that the losses already exceed 2,000,000, and that victory has proved unattainable. They have discovered that the food reserves were grossly over-estimated and could suffice only for the short campaign on which their strategists counted. Other knowledge of several kinds will shortly dawn upon the German people, to whom the truth has been denied of set purpose by the rulers whom they trusted, but who would not trust them. Brave, vigorous and patriotic as they are, they may well ask whither they are being led and whose were the errors that have brought a nation, which last year was ou the flood tide of prosperity, to economic disaster.