The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE SATURDAY, MAY 12, 1917. THE BATTLE RAGES.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 12 May 1917, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

SATURDAY, MAY 12, 1917. THE BATTLE RAGES.

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

Fighting on the Western front is of a bitterness and magnitude never before experienced. Germany is bringing her millions from where they can as well as where they cannot be spared, and concentrating them, against the British in France. With the men are coming their guns and huge stores of munitions. Britain has cut a gap in their Hindenburg line which must be stopped even though it involves the destruction of the last German battalion, at least that is the impression given by the recklessness with which men are poured into zones in which life seems impossible. By the sheer weight of these human waves our men met with a slight check a few days ago. It was the first swing back of the pendulum they had experienced in that quarter, and it produced such an effect, that they were not long in recovering the best part of what they had lost, taking more with it. The battle of Arras is still being fought and its importance Is luridly reelected in the desperation ;' the enemy and the persistency with which Sir Douglas Haig is pressing ;<n. The opening the British have made is a particularly deep one, and Jhaving got so far it is almost humanly certain that the German line will be pierced and the position turned. 'All Germany is trying to prevent it, because it would prove a disaster the seriousness of which none but the German Command knows, and they are recklessly sending in their men

in waves, to be mown down like grass or to be taken prisoners by our soldiers. While this terrible slaughter of the Germans is proceeding; what is happening to our troops? Speaking with knowledge, responsibility and authority from his place in the House or commons, Mr. Bonar Law answers this question. He says that our casualties in the present offensive are from iii'ty to seventy-five per cent less than in the fighting ,on the Somme. If the world was thrilled by the brilliant British achievements on the Somme, what can be the view of nations on the comparatively cheap successes now being gained? Our success, says Mr. Bonar Law, is largely due to our distant artillery superiority, and if we desire to realise what this success

means, he says, let us reverse what has taken place; let us fancy for a moment that in this battle Germany

has in one month taken twenty thousand of cur lads prisoners, captured 1j137 guns and 227 trench mortars. What a picnic for our pessimists; •how they could wallow in their misery if they did not actually die of heart shock. The temporary loss of Fresuoy was what might be expected; the village stood on a point in our line thrust so far into that of the Germans that the enemy were on three sides of it, something like pushing one's arm into a nest of hornets. When the pests attacked in countless numbers on all sides there was no other course but to withdraw. As showing the unimportance of the episode it may be noted that lost ground has been re-captured and still further advance made. Britain's superiority in artillery and in aircraft will cause Sir Douglas Haig to hang on to the hole in the German line at Bullecourt till he gets through, then some of our pessimists will probably faint because our men did not capture Berlin. While Britain frankly reports the result of every action Germany is filling her people up with victories at places where no fighting is taking place. Our men have now advanced twenty-one miles ov<Sr the strongest fortified country the world has any .cognisance of, and there is every reason for us to believe, that the piercing of the enemy line is near at hand. The Germans were caught in their retreat and forced to fight, time only can reveal to what cover they will endeavour to reach. With such huge losses as they" are sustaining it is becoming questionable "whether they \»ill be able to retire to a position that can be held with any important measure of success. The question is, which side is going to win the great battle now raging? On (he result of this battle hangs an early peace. Our men have won all along; they are in the highest spirits and confident; they go out for victory, not to defend, and their courage, it is fair to assume, will carry them right through the big gap they have made in the enemy's defences. "" : '■''' '