The Taihape Daily Times WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1916. MOST SIGNIFICANT CIRCUMSTANCES.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 200, 20 September 1916, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1916. MOST SIGNIFICANT CIRCUMSTANCES.

AVD WAIMAEINO ADVOCATE (With which is incorporated The Tal hapw Post and Waixnarino News.)

[ Amongst cables received yesterday were two items of intelligence or rather more than ordinary significance. The first was a message from Berlin, which was nothing short of a eulogism of the great advance recently made by the Pranco-British forces in the Somme thrust. This occasion is certainly one that would need to be plainly stated, because the loss of territory and levelling of boasted strongholds were too obvious to be denied any mention, but such franki ness and thoroughness in truthful new r svending is so opposed to German custom and usage that one is naturally on the alert for evidences of some subtle intention or object. Von Weigjand, in his despatch of the 16th, not only states the facts, but the censor has allowed him to bestow some praise and to show his admiration of the clever achievement of Germany's most hated enemies. Praise and honest recognition of anything coming out of B’ritain by German officialism is such a rarity, and so far removed from what experience has led us to expect, so opposed to the “Gott Strafe England” crusade, that one is forced to regard this solitary instance with some suspicion. It seems from Von Wicgaud’s veiled prophecy that Comb ies and Peronne, and perhaps other important places must fall, involving a withdrawal of the whole Go

line to shorten it and so make defence more effective, is merely to prepare the world for a defeat that is already obvious to everyone. The Hun censor has allowed Von Weigand to say that the Franco-British attack was splendidly carried out; that it was the most effective blow delivered in the Somme offensive; that a victory was achieved on a twelve mile front; that it was the best team work the Allies had yet carried out, just to throw the defeated into high light and to make some excuse for them being so decisively beaten, but the main object of this extraordinary German frankness is to prepare the world for the retreat otthe whole line, which is not now very far distant.

The other significant item that came to hand yesterday is that which tells us that German-American, as well as British shipping companies, now have their strips in full readiness for resuming running between America and

Europe. The pretension of the message is to tell us that twenty millions

of European money will be returned by Americans to Europe in one year after the war, but the obvious intention is to let us know that the great German shipping! syndicates are acting as though they knew that their ships would be free to roam the ocean in the very near future. These companies have already booked over one hundred thousand passages from Amer ica to Europe. It is natural to asic why there is such a rush of passenger business, and the only answer to such a question is- that shipping companies must have intimated in some way to Americans that the journey will shortly be rendered possible by a cessation of hostilities. The Cunard and Anchor Lines say they are quite prepared for the coming heavy traffic, and that they are keeping their vessels in shape for immediate emergency demands! The enormous expenditure involved is the result of something known to them which is not yet known to us. The readiness for immediate emergency demands is a sign of the times, a portent of what must happen if the war tide continues to flow as it is flowing) at present. That these ship ping people are booking thousands of passages and are. ready for immediate emergency demands, is the surest indication that peace may come at any time; that Germany has passed the zenith of, hei-.p.o.wer;,, that if she cannot, stem an Allied .effort to completely smash her lines now, she cannot do it hereafter with weakened forces, and they realise that it is only a matter ,of soon Germany will cease to wantpnly sacrifice the lives of her That she realises the fact that her efforts have ended in com

plete disaster 'is reflected in her shipping companies having; their vessels kept in shape for immediate emergency demands, and, 1 further, that they have already booked over one hundred thousand passages from America to Europe. That Cerman-Amencan companies are displaying this activity just at this time and not previously, is significant of something; if not the de-< feat of the Central. Powers, what?