The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1916. THE OUTLOOK BY MAIL.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 8, Issue 35, 11 February 1916, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1916. THE OUTLOOK BY MAIL.

("With which is incorporated The Tai bape Post and Waimarino News.)

Neutral correspondent's reports, published in neutral country newspapers, are likely to give a clearer, more unbiassed view of the position of contending armies, and a more unprejudiced account of recent fighting than we expect from correspondents of the belligerent nations, therefore mails bringing oversea newspapers are eagerly looked forward to by very many of our people. The outlook, as gathered from the mails recently to hand, is mere satisfactory than that conveyed in previous budgets. Guessing has given p'ace very much more to what has been learned by the sojourn of experts in the chief battle 'areas, and it i s gratifying to know that almost in every case under notice the Allies occupy the stronger position in their judgment. With respect to the much-talked of rush for Calais that the world is waiting for with almcst bated breath, we are assurred that nothing could break through the fortifications and defences that have been erected by both French and English hard, continuous work, since fighting on a large scale was stopped. The huge armies have not been idle, but have constructed wcrks, that call forth wonder from experts of undoubted character. One states that the French are so thoroughly protected that their losses for the last few months have only averaged one per day out of every three thousand men. The International ■News correspondent writing 'as late as the 10 th January, and basing his opinion on the visible evidence of defensive organisation in Flanders, states positively that whatever violent attacks the Germans may be pre paring against tihfc .sector of the front they are bound to fail, 'with 1 heavy losses. He says that prophecies ! in this war have invariably been wide of the mark because it is a war the like of which the world has had no previous experience; he will not guess~ ■at how long the struggle will last but the impression overwhelmingly borne in upon him, after days of detailed observation on the spot, is that the armies he saw quartered there are so /completely, and so solidly implanted as to indicate that they expect to stay, not only for months, but for an indefinite number of years. At the battle of the Yser, when the German drive in the west was definitely broken, the French had then practically nothing to speak of in the way of defensive works. "Since then tens of thousands of soldiers, working night and day, have transformed the whole country into a maze of fortified trenches, . barbed wire defences, battery and machine gun shelters. He says trenches are no longer trenches, but elongated forts in which bricks, < stones, cement, armour plate, hardwood, and a countless number of earth-bags are hugely employed, and men are as well protected as a seaman in a warship's gun-turret. There is absolutely no mud or water in the trenches, braziers warm them and an efficient sanitary system has been established some distance from these wonderful dug-outs. Taken altogether the news by mail is most encouraging and it clears up many points left in doubt by the brevity of cables. Bht ail this, good as it is, appears to be negative in character. The two huge armies are seemingly unable to solve, by military means the problem for which they were mustered. If the enemy cannot smash through our defensive works, the question presented is, can we smash through his, and, if not, how is the war to end? It seems that the attritive methods adopted were not a matter of choice, they were forced upon us, and if defences are of such a nature that neither & ide can break them, it throws into high light the importance of the strangulating blockade that Britain is drawing tighter and tighter day by day. It is also evident that Russia must be the disturbing element to our enemies. Tf a drive with forces equal to those employed in the German drive are available to operate with the coming crash in the west, Germany, it seems, judged from every standpoint, cannot stand the strain, and must give way. Otmiiug events arc eagerly awaited.