WILL THE WAR END TIDE YEAR ?

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1692, 29 March 1917, Page 2

WILL THE WAR END TIDE YEAR ?

WHITING in the March 17th number of Stead's Review, Mr Stead insists Ilni( (he wur cannot last beyond 1017. After a brief examination of (lie general position, he says: —“This line of argument leads to the conclusion (hat a supreme effort is to be made by the Allies, and (ptiekly made, too. That effort has to finally demonstrate the ability of the Entente nations to overcome Germany in the held. If it does, in marked manner, so (hat (here can be no doubt as (o the (inal and early victory of the Allies, the war will end this year. If. on the other hand, the most violent Entente offensive fails to break the deadlock in the west, the causes operating against a further continuance of the struggle are so strong that peace —in my opinion—is certain to come (his yea) - . The real question is whether the means the Allies are taking to win a crushing victory will give it them or not. Whether they will achieve a success, which justifies the refusal to even consider peace suggestions three months ago. If they do not, then we have Mr Lloyd George’s word for it that “ any man or set of men who wantonly, or without sufficient cause, prolonged a terrible conflict like this would have on his soul a crime that ocaans could not cleanse,” a statement which justifies us in assuming that if, during the next few months, our supreme attempt fails to end the deadlock, (here will be no one found willing to shoulder the responsibility of further prolonging the war.