The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE SATURDAY, AUGUST 5th, 1916. WHEN WILL WAR END?

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 160, 5 August 1916, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOC A TE

SATURDAY, AUGUST sth, 1916. WHEN WILL WAR END?

i, With which is incorporated The Tal hape Post and Waimarino News.)

Just upon the commencement of the third year of war i s a time when one is likely to retrospectively view wh'at has taken place and form comparisons with the present, and prospects for the future. The one aspect that stands out clear above 'all other s is that Germany has lost the power to take the offensive, to decree where, when and how battles shall be fou'gjht. That power has passes to the Allies j and judging Germany by her own military decalogue, it is impossible for her to win the war. In fact, latest events have proved that, mighty as Germany was, and despite her widespread treachery in belligerent and neutral nations, she never possessed the striking power, the overbearing of numbers indicated in the onslaught from Liege to the Marne. Verdun is sufficient evidence of this, for while after six months assault Germans are beinlg driven off without ever getting in sight of their objective, the British in one month have completely destroyed, captured and taken firm possession of more strongly fortified ground on the Somme. Further proof, if needed, is the clean sweeping operations of our Russian allies. Aspects have so changed that the uppermost almost the only question in our mines on the war to-day is, how soon will it end? It may now be reasonably said the war may end at any time. Despite the bombast and insincere speech of German leaders, no man capable ex forming an intelligent opinion believes that Germany is flighting with a spars of hope for anything further than the best terms of peace. Germany knows better than wo do that the war is lest to her, and that further fighting is inertly draining the country of men anc money. It is a bitter pill for the pride of the Teuton super-man to swallow, but, although the process of swallowing! is nauseating to an extreme, they ( know the medicine,, has to be taken or

suffer a national death. The prospects

of an early peace are indeed hopeful. Wherever one turns, whether it be Asia, in the Balkans, on the Eastern front, .on the Italian front, or in France and Belgium, the indications pointing to Austro-German declination, and even to collapse, are undeniable. It is indeed hard to believe that Austria cas ever recover from the smashing blows that have been administered by Russia and to a less degree by Italy. Both these allies are well on towards invasion of Austrian territory, and by this time the Russian move on Kovel may have divided German from Austrian arms, and when this is accomplished the destruction of Austria must be sure and swift. The Germans no longer take Austria into their reckoning, for they have made Hindenburg supreme from the Baltic to the Roumanian frontier; it remains to be seen whether Austrians will figbt under German domination. On both the eastern and western fronts we are on the eve of great happenings, the result of which may be ftf so decisive a character that enemy -disintegration may follow. Turkey has asked for peace and been refused; Bulgaria is quailing before the righteously vengeful Servians, who are backed by huge Allied forces in Salonika; Austria is tottering; Germany is within near probability of complete isolation. It is difficult to believe that Germany can continue the struggle for long. Another indication favouring peace is the stoppage of Allied munition orders to America; only the larger shells are now being bought in much diminished quantities in the United States, and for periods well covering any emergency or contingency. Surely, when the dismantling of war munition works commences, it is an unmistakeable sign that the need for munitions is drawing to a close. Besides all this, one is a little perplexed about the recent utterances of leading authorities, military and political. Arrangements for after war trade are feverishly being pushed on.

Britain’s Prime Minister says the omens are favourable; he has commenced to define the Allies’ terms for peace, and members of the Cabinet have dubbed them satisfactory. Another Minister remarked that a great surprise is in store for Germany. Then there was such a calm confidence emanating from the speeches of Joffre, General Haig and M. Poincare at the French Anniversary of War, that justifies and tempts a reading between the lines, and we know that the late Lord Kitchener himself said peace might come suddenly. Nevertheless Germany, before giving*, ,\vay to the inevitable, may make one huge supreme effort to achieve something that will contribute to more favourable peace arrangements but we do believe that whatever effort she does decide upon she will be forced to make it in the very near future, for an early termination of the war is dependent upon a vi&orou s and merciless prosecution of the offensive that the Allies now wield. There are grounds for hoping that in 1916 this great war will end.