The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE SATURDAY, MAY 6, 1916. GERMANY’S SIGNIFICANT MOVEMENTS.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 8, Issue 107, 6 May 1916, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

SATURDAY, MAY 6, 1916. GERMANY’S SIGNIFICANT MOVEMENTS.

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

For the first time since war commenced on the western front Germany is making preparations that can only he the result of fear of opposing armies that have acquired a striking force and power greater than that of her own erstwhile invincible and conquering millions. Germany is clearly afraid of an invasion of her own land by the French, Avho may be assisted by one hundred thousand of first-class Russian soldiers, and the first great objective, Metz, is being cleared of all its civil population. The fact that such a large and important centre is to b e occupied by the military solely, indicates that the blow is expected in the very near future. From a special massing of troops, guns, aircraft and munitions in Belgium it appears that the Kaiser is under the impression that he is to be hit hard in the two most vital points of his whole western front, on his left flank by the French and Russians, on his right flank by the British. Whether thi s is precisely what the ominous German movements mean or not, we may rest assured that the whole civil population of Metz would not have been ordered to quit were it not for a strong fear of successful invasion. Germany thinks her power is to be challenged at once, but from Mr Lloyd George’s remarks yesterday, in .saying that the Allies were overwhelmingly superior from a numerical standpoint, but it was necessary to be overwhelmingly better equipped, it seems as though England’s munition-man is purposely confusing, because he has several times previously said that our munition output was equal to all needs. Why (lid he threaten to leave the Cabinet if compulsion was not made law, if he cannot fully equip the men he already has? We are inclined to the belief thah> the equipment Mr. Lloyd George wants is that which will ensure repairs to wastage in men, and for the equipment of our fighting forces with reserves of men that will be equal to any emergency, for that unexpected which sometimes happens. If there is any backwardness in our munitions supply why does Cabinet

talk about freeing a number of the huge ship-building yards from makingwar material? No, there can be little doubt that the equipment our armies need is in the shape of larger reserves and what will assure a ready ‘filling up of all wastage. It is indeed gratifying and heartening to know that all Britain has arrived at comparative unanimity in connection with the need for immediately passing an universal service measure. Through all the confusing talk about equipment, and the alleged, farcical result

of the secret session of Parliament, there are visible gleams of intelligence which indicate what really did take place. It was what labour, libex--al, socialist and all other members

learned at that secret session that won the almost oppositionless passage of Mr. Asquith’s Service Bill. The secret meeting was net a farce, nor would Lloyd George say “France and Britain must put every available man in the field forthwith,” if France and Britain Avere unable to equip them. He even impresses us with the futility of so doing by quoting Russia’s want of equipment as the sole cause of her disaster last year. Mr. Lloyd George, or B’ritain, is not going to invite similar disaster. Germany’s huge massing of troops and munitions in. Belgium taken with' the clearance of all civilian life from Metz is the strongest indications possible of Avhat Germany expects, and of what Ave may expect also. Germany certainly would not order everybody to quit Metz unless she had fears for that town’s safety. Germany has, moreover, been made aliA'e to the fact France is quite able to pin her armies down Avhere they are by her experiences at Verdun. Germany is fully aAvare that Russian troops have not landed in France to help in stemming a German torrent, but to savcll the French torrent that is about to sweep into Germany, overwhelming Metz in its course. Positons are changing and in the neAV orde.r of things it is Germany that has to do the stemming, and as these torrents rush in from all quarters, east, Avest, from Italy, Salonika and other places, Germany will need tAventy times the stemming poaver possessed by the Allies Avhen the huge German torrent was stemmed at the Marne. The Avar outlook is becoming very interesting.