The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1915. THE WAR.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 348, 18 December 1915, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1915. THE WAR.

(With which is incorporated The Taitape Post and Waimarino News.)

It appears that war operations are not to be a give-and-take affair during the just commenced winter as it was last year. Both on the Eastern and on the "Western fronts, it has been stated that as soon as frosts make the ground firm to travel upon, some sensational movements are to take place. It is certain that the Allies are preparing the way for anoth;er reat offensive—in fact, the Ger- ' mans on the Belgium coast thought the time had come a week ago and they made preparations for a retreat, anticipatiig that a British army was about to be landed. But th« time for landing had not then arrived; that is something " still) in store for our enemies. Several cables, re- | ceived reecntly, point to colossal mak-ing-ready, and if the estimate of guns arriving is only approximately correct there will be the bloodiest and most deadly struggle of the whoSe war. There is a great optimism among Allied troops, who seem to be absolutely certain of success. The British Navy is giving the Huns a very engaging time from Zeebrugge to Ostend, and no surprise need be felt if a landing is effected in the near future. We shall be surprised, however, if it is as far south on the coast as either of those two places For great doings on the Western front we have still to wait. On the Eastern front the Russians continue to push both Germans and Austrians back. The Kaiser explains this indignity as a falling-back on better ground whereon to spend t-he winter. Some of the palatial subterranean winter quarters where Germans are supposed to be hibernating have been captured by the Russians and found to be very sparsely populated. Germany, along the whole line, is on the defensive and has been forced to give ground at many points. In Galicia, in the Buhowna province, a strong offensive is maintained by the Russians, and although most desperate efforts have been made to [stem the Russian tide it still flows on, if only sluggishly. It is, however, having the desired effect on Roumania, whose people now seen) to bo impressed with the fact, that ihe Allies must win. For use on tie extern front, Russia is amply equipped 'fnr withstanding iany of such rittockt tWt made ,-shen she wax weß.awar.e tto* the Slav " I hadn't a shot in the caisson but beyond

this Eussia has limitations in providing

for new armies. The men are there but their equipment is slow and difficult. In all probability the time is not for distant when Germans will have to withstand a coordinated attack on all fronts. A clearing of the w~and feeling for weak spots is proceeding on the west as strenuous efforts are being made to equip new Russian armies in the East. To get a true perspective all fronts must be taken into view, and when this is done it is fairly clear that a colossal coordination Is >« active preparation. On East and West hard frosts are awaited so that the

biggest guns may be moved into de sired positions, and all movements indicate that something unprecedented is about to happen. The Balkan tangle has not yet been unravelled' in a way that conduces to feelings of security and entire peace of mind. King Oonstantine has, despite all the excuses we can gather or invent in his favour, proved to be a "twister" of the pesluest and most

dangerous type. Whether circumstances have so changed that he may be regarded trustworthy how, seems to be settled as British and French troops are being feverishly poured into Greece day and night. It is not an easy matter to predict what will, happen on that great south-eastern peninsula. We know that the Germans boast of being able to push the Allies out of Salonica in a few days, in fact the time for the fulfilment of her first prophecy in this connection is past. We have also heard a good deal about the Imperial Kaiser making a grand entry into Constantinople, but how far the Allies arc ready to make these prophesies ridiculous we cannot tell, and information of the whole Balkan situations is so meagre and conflicting that no near estimate is possibe. We can do little more than •hope and guess. We do know that preparations of huge proportions are being made, and the fact that the Allies have decided to hold on to Salonica, is some guarantee that they are well able to uphold their view of the outcome. There appears to be a hesitancy on the part of Germany and also of Bulgaria to beard the lion in his lair, but it may be that guns and still more guns are being concentrated on the effort that is to come. This Balkan tangent may be responsible for the lives of many thousands of brave men, but we have it on the greatest military and naval authorities in the world that the determining fight is to be fought on the east or west, but more probably in France and Belgium. At present almost all peoples are on the tiptoe of pectation for the sensational events that are so eagerly being prepared for.