The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE SATURDAY, MAY 20, 1916. THE WEEK OF WAR.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 8, Issue 119, 20 May 1916, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

SATURDAY, MAY 20, 1916. THE WEEK OF WAR.

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

In the past week of war there is, at least, one decisive victory to comment upon. It is probable that Russians latest triumph was achieved on historic battle ground, where some of the greatest battles of ancient times were fought, but that does not concern us so much as the part it is going to play in the complete subjugation of the Turks in Asia, and everywhere else for that matter. Germany has left her Turkish confrere to do the best he can for himself and all Enver Pasha’s cries for help during the past two months had to bo unheeded simply because Germany had neither a man nor a gun more than she required to save her own face on the Western front. It is now almost certain that Russia is in possession of Mosul, but if not actually in possession, she is well astride the railway line, the only highway left between Bagdad and Constantinople, and therefore Turkish forces around the former places, these to whom General Townshend •had to surrender, are entirely cut off from supplies of food and ammunition, and must sooner or later hoist the white flag or be exterminated. This battle has settled the Egyptian question and decided the Suez invasion, both possibilities have now gone out of Turkish consideration. The huge forces being sent from India for operation in Mesopotamia will release, in t-he near future, large bodies of Russians, and a much less force of British and Australians will be needed in Egypt The colossal Turkish preparations at Aleppo will be rendered stingless, and the troops there concentrated under Djemal Pasha will have been diverted from Egypt by the stealthy enrolling of tlie Russian Juggernaut. German , propaganda in Persia, and Turkish and German infjueircol [towards Afghanistan and India, may he regarded as entirely at an end. Germany is beaten to a finish in Asia, and it is probable that all her men, that were

under Von der Goltz, have been re-

called for operations on the western front, or to face the Allied offensive from Salonika. There is now very little doubt that Russia and England will shortly show fighting front reaching from the Black Sea to the Persian Gulf, and it now seems that the British expedition from Basra to Bagdad was part of a coordinated plan, and its chief object was to make the enemy believe that that was the force from which they had most to fear. The surprising impotency of the Turks to disturb the British relieving force under General Lake is now fully explained. Every possible Turk that could be mustered in the Bagdad region has proved incapable of stopping the enrolling Russians. This latest Turkish debacle will assuredly have a 1 vital and far-reaching effect on the power s and people at Constantinople. It was thought that the European Moslems would have been driven into Asia never to return, but it seems that Turkey in Asia is first to be entirely conquered, reducing the Turks to having to go just where they are told, and then only on sufferance. It is the beginning cf the end so far as Turkey as a nation, is concerned, and with it the worst drag on modern civilisation, and the confrere of German culture passes away, we hope, soon to be followed by Teuton culture itself. There is little news of importance to attract attention on other fronts, j There is a good deal of talk of rather a bombastic, arrogant nature about what Germany is going to do in Russia, but our estimate of its worth may be tempered with the fact that it is not the unarmed Russia that Germany has to meet in 1916. " Hindeuburg cannot even secur© local successes; Russia’s powers of mobility and rapid concentration have improved on a level with her armaments and equipment, rendering anything of the drive ,nature of last year quite out of the question. Roumania seems to be getting ready; a fifteen million internal war loan was nearly trebly subscribed, showing that the Roumanians are going to make goed use of the money they got from Germany for wheat she was practically compelled to sell. Germany forced Roumania to sell her wheat, now Roumania is going to mak e Germany take the bullets and bayonets she bought with the money. It seems that the coordinated time for general pressure on all fronts has not yet arrived, but there are feverish movements in the way of rather aggressive sparrings which are strongly Indicative of what is to follow. German' plans -were entirely upset with 'he failure at Verdun, and while new ones ere being evolved Germany does net seem inclined to admit her defeat and keeps on pounding away at the spot from whence might spring a thrust for Metz, outflanking the German line. The absence of news is remarkable, but this astonishing- secrecy and quietude may be regarded as the calm that precedes the storm. The position of the Allies and their chances of early victory have improved very much.