The Taihape Daily Times SATURDAY, JULY 31, 1915. THE WAR.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 263, 31 July 1915, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times

SATURDAY, JULY 31, 1915. THE WAR.

and waimaeino ADVOCATE

(With which in inc<vp»Tat«d The Tn.Jhape Post *Aiia W&lmiirtn» Newi.)

The possibility of the German left being attacked through Denmark, or Holland, as suggested, in the extraordinary call to arms by Germany of every man in Schleswig, is not surprising news in view of the enormous preparations and risky reconnaisanees made by British aeroplane squadrons and submarines of •the very war centre of the enemy. 'Heligoland, Welhelmshavn, the Kiel' •Canal, and even Essen are subjected to frequent and persistent reconnaisanee from Allied hydroplanes, aeroplanes, and, as far as possible, submarines. It is not mere curiosity that journeys attended -with such dangers are taken. Observations of the most vital importance arc made, conditions and positions noted, for some supreme purpose.. Our armies are doing little* more thaa hoMing the positions they occupy, while there are a million fully trained and equipped men in England wait&ag to be sent somewhere. Over half a million of these men are on the east coast, from whence they can be shipped in «, very short time to any landing pfttce in .either Denmark, Holland, or Belgium, ."tlntil the sensational calj of the -Schleswig men to arms, to be at their ppsts i-n two hours from the &all being made, the objective of reserves in England was a matter of pufy conjecture, but Germany's action leaves no doubt whatever about wnere they are to ge and where they are to operate.- tilth ae-rov&nes and wireless telegraphy it -woisld be nothing short of. miraculous to keep tlie Allies' intentioiiß ijroia the enemy till the blow snis struck, feat Hie '■ evidoaeff- o£ fright' La matting a I to wit I vihett 'l» -ta-klag; P*»j# hsis' : been eleveirfy l^«Btiftßie4 : 'to.'a of 1 isji+ion- Gersau&y ¥ne-w Vfce gaore mm we.re xmd}' I» BrHai* some time 3"o, but. WkQ others, not knowing

3 j the trend of British, strategy the I could, they thought, take all the risk [ of them being usefully and effective! used in Trance or Belgium, or even a th Dardanelles, but when it dawnc upon them that yet another front wa _ to be made for them to defend some thing very near panic set in, for w< ean very well understand how w« should regard an order for every mai . in New Zealand to be at his post ready to bear arms, in two hours There could only be one thought—al most immediate invasion. Important news of the tatest German scare and Allied strategy may reach New Zealand any day;, in the meantime, it seems that nothing more than the tedious holding on and trench warfare may be expected on the westrn front. In the east a terrible struggle' is raging over an immense area. Warsaw is being assailed from three sides; north, east, and south; German lines representing three quarters of the periphery of a circlte, the Kussians, like a spider in a web, waiting in the centre" and dealing with each shake of the immense suppositious web as circumstances warrant. The press of the world is unanimous in the view that this great battle is one of the largest, most desperate, and will prove, whichever way it goes, one of the most' disastrous*. At present it is developing, working up to a crisis that is not likely to be reached for another week. Hundreds of thousands of lives are being '

thrown into a hellish inferno where poisonous shells and shrapnel perpetualJy sweep the ground. Thousands haye* perished, but the sacrifice goe? on; thousands more are ordered into . this certain death zone,' and will continue tiTI one side or the other becomes - exhausted. Eussia has the defensive' and therefore is not called 7 upon to- waste the life that the attaekers must <io ,to have any chanee at all of success,; This thrust for Warsaw will tax Kussia 's defensive capabilities to an extreme; she has chosen her own ground for resistance, and Petrograd soems fairly confident of success. We can only wait and hope that this confidence will' be realised, for it is a matter fraught with most vital> conse- , quencesv ,

Italy n>;.putting up a good fight, and although Austrian defence of salientpositions is of the most desperate character, the; capture of Gorizia, and the clearing of 1 ' the road for further ad-! vance seems, "within measurable distance. At the Dardanelles, our men arestill) history-making. Casualties are numerous, but reinforcements must be near' at hand 1 , ff not already landed, that* will help- to- lighten the task a little. We cannot help feeling some pride at' the eulbgy- tftat is being, heaped uponNew Z'eaihinfers in the highest placesof the; earttfy for there is no mistaking, it, or its quality. Pure merit preceded such recognition.