THE NEXT THREE MONTHS.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 6, Issue 281, 1 June 1917, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE NEXT THREE MONTHS.

THE CRUCIAL PERIOD OF GERMANY'S FATE. By HORATIO BOTTOMLEY In The "Sunday Pictorial.'' In the following article Mr. Bottomley , in his vigorous and palpitating English, whilst assuring the country that tho enemy is beaten, warns it that before final capitulation Germany will make one desperate, wild and frantic effort to save Herself from annihilation, and predicts that the next three months will decide her fate. At the same time, he points out tins imperative necessity on the part of every citizen of the Empire to assist in the overthrow of tho foe.

/"kH, no, my friends, I am not at it | again! This is not tlio weather for tho scanty mantle of the prophet. However, I am going to tell you that | tho next threo months will determine j tho fato of Germany. 1 have been | colloeting a great deal of information—through somewhat specAal sounds — alwut the position of things in Hunland, and I have complete evidence that ' the Kaser and his devils know t/iat they j cannot hold out more than another ! three months—unless, in tlio meantime, ! some unforeseen success in the war I comos to their aid. Tho losses in men j have Ix-en infinitely greater than those disclosed by the official statfstics- —that goes without saying when dealing with a nation of congenital liars. The food supplies are running dangerously short, I and the harvest is a long way off. The 1 paper money is becoming very dirty, j and the printing machines, for produc- i nig it are nearly worn out. In the j Western theatre of war which for j practical purposes, is tho only ono i winch really matters —Germany knows ' that she is about to bo broken and . routed. Don't listen to the talk about , wonderful entrenchments and fort- ! iiieatioiiri behind her lines—some of my i Hying friends have had a look at them, j * * * So much lor tho Western Front. In tho Kast tilings may not bo quite a.s . satisfactory; but once get the Boche j on the run on the Rhino and it is all j "U.IV with tho Kaiser. Tnere isn't | an underwriter at Lloyd's who would ■ insure hid life for a week. : * * * What, then, must we expect during ' these vital three months? Obviously, j the enemy will make oiks mighty, des- • perate, frantic struggle for life. As i I said some weeks ago, we have him by ' the throat, but he is a burly brute, and 1 i may yet have a few dangerous kicks j le-it in him. So do not be alarmed if, I boforo the Spring '« over, wo witness j a revival of bright-fulness on the Big ' Scale. i I * * « We are already having a preliminary i taste in tho shape of the submarine j campaign: and let us admit- it is giv- | ing us a bit of a shaking. Being Sun- j day. I will say no unkind things about j any of my fellow-men, but during next i week I intend to suggest that there , are a few of them who ought to be hanging to lamp-posts for not having made provision for meeting a danger 1 wliiolreveryono knew was imminent. I , am, ol cour-e, referring to the poll- [ tienms to whom we entrusted the sate- ' tv of our Empire, and who, just a.s they dallied and diddled with the block- ' ado ignored the obvious precaution of j arming every British ship upon the ' sea. To-day, let us pray for their forgiveness; they will need our prayers. Tim submarine is one of Germany's last cards, and it is quite possblo that she has a. goodly pack of them up her sleeve. Cards, ofrourso! Then there is the ZepjK>lw—and the Aeroplane, I have reason to believe that German factories have been busy lor some months past increasing these infernal birds of the air: and it is more than probable that we shall have a lew more nocturnal shocks before the Summer conies. 01' course, we shall be told afterwards by the War Office that "no object of Military importance" has been gained bv those raids. But they are very unpleasant and dangerous times all the >nme; and I am nI raid that the l>creaved relatives of the-r victims will not appreciate the 'judicial nicety" of distinction between military and civilian death and damage.

but we must lace the grim truth. We. are dealing with the most 'powerful fighting machine the world has ever known, perfected after forty years or active scientific preparation—whilst we ate roast beef and plum pudding and snored heavily in our s-leep. The politician to whom was committed the principal responsibility for our safety sought his guidance from the literature, instead of the arsenals and dockyards of Germany—just as dear old Mr. Birrell was misled about the Sinn Kciners bv the improved character of Irish poetry! Oh, dear! Oh, dear!! Oh, dear!!! * * * And yet the British Empire lives—and yec it will prevail. But, in God's name, let us face the situation. Let us help the new Government by every means in our power—even though the transformation scene which its advent was to bring about seems to you a littlo long in coming. Let our Ministers pursue their solemn task without being harassed. That is our first duty. But there Ls another—equally imperative. Wh.it are WE, the civilian population, going to do during these vital threo months? * * • The answer is clear. Not only have we to give the Government our moral, financial and practical support, but wo have to impose upon ourselves sacrifices —of comfort, of food, of luxuries and of lalniiir. Last week I pleaded with Lord Devonport, the Food Controler, to "do it now" —that is to say, to put the whole nation on rations. But apparently ho is afraid to take th's step: although one would thing that if "Tommy,''' in the frozen firing line, and "Jack," in the icy North Sea, are on. food rations, surely we might be. However, we aro more than ever "placed upon our honour." We must economise in our food consumption, for beyond my doubt, the follies of the late Government have left our supplies in serious jeopardy. We must also offer cur serivces freely to Mr. Nevillo Chamberlain, who has been appointed Director of National Work. In addition to this, we must send every available man to the Colours. We must continue to give to the Government freely of our wealth. Tho War Loan issue.* is clo-ed (and incidentally, I predict for it a record demonstration of cur national wealth and determination, by a subscription unprecedented in t(ie history - f) f the world); but there are many ways in uleeh we may still pour gold-or. to be precise, our right to the gold of the country—into the national Treasury. Ix»t us avail our-

selves of every such opportunity. The next three month l ; arc n-s vital to us p.h ti the enemy. If wo crush her then, wo have crushed her for ever. Alknv sill, we must drop air domestic and political wrangling. I am sorry to .-,'<' that we are to have another Home Rule debate. No doubt Mr. Redmond feds compelled to do something to keep his party m hand; but I commend; to him the splendid example of his gallant l.rother, who occasionally runs «vor from the trenches to stimulate his countrymen to their natural tiny. Imagine sotting i;p an lrir>h Parliament just new' ""ix-t the sons of Ireland stand by England in this day of her peril—and Kix'h'.iul will not forget. Look how the women have won their cause by their patriot-sin. ]a' Mr. Redmond take ?, hint.

* * » \nd I am verv uneasy about thi-s talk of a General Election. An "appeal to tho country," with three million of its best citizens away, would he a crime; whilst to introduce politws into the Trenches would be a folly worse than a rrimc. Whatever his provocation.-Mr. l.lovd George must not repeat the trick of 190 C) of snntchinK a newjease of oihco on a khaki i w «e. If Parliament worries him in the performance of his great work his remedv is simple-PAHLIA-MKXT MUST BE SHUT UP. * * * Come, thru, irionck-ono and nil—tor the BijiPusli: the Push wh-h shall drive the Kaiser and lim hoxts to perd.tion everlasting, and make the world •i Letter, cleaner, purer place to im

And what about the Gorman Fleet. \ro we unite certain that no additions and improvements have been made to it during the past two year,.' Are we nuito sure that one of these days Of nodits, it will not-if only in sheer des-peration-cmcrgo rrom ite hidine-placc, accompanied po.-iWy by huge fleets of /epp.l.ns, Aeroplanes and Submarines. At. the same time, the enemy will possihlv make a final dash upon The Westem" front-thus staking her exigence upon one great iinglity gamble. # * * Not a very pleasant thouglit is it?—