GERMAN DEMORALISATION.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 5 July 1917, Page 2

GERMAN DEMORALISATION.

MESSINES SHAKES MORAL. LONDON, June 28 The pessimistic tone of the German Press towards a fourth winter in the trenches again rises the question of how far Germany is feeling and concealing the effects of war and exhaustion. Regarding this Mr. Pirrie Robinson ("Times Correspondent”), writing on Friday, says that the latest prisoners talk much regarding Germany’s growing difficulties, both military and internal.

Mr. Robinson, while <|rointing out that there is a wide difference between demoralisation and total exhaustion, considers it absolutely certain that Germany’s military strength is positively and visibly less than before the Somme offensive, while the troops’ morale on the Messincs front is more shaken by the British victory than by the September victory on the Somme, which means that before mid-summer we have broken down Germany’s longwinter recuperation. Other correspondents generally agree with Mr Robinson’s conclusions, but admit that Germany's military strength is still considerable. It is even more difficult to gauge German’s internal condition. The Haytian Minister, M. Fouchard, who has just arrived in Geneva from Berlin, describes Germany’s condition as “Hungry, but unyielding. ” There are no signs of revolution, nor is there any anti- dynastic tendency. M. Fouchard thinks that Germany will find it difficult to hold out for a fourth winter. Much, however, depends on the blockade.

TOUCHING FAITH IN U-BOATS. Australia# officers from the front agree that there is some demoralisation in the German army compared with the Somme offensive in 1916. It is particularly noticeable in the decreased efficiency at the counter-attacks. One officer estimated that the loss of 20 or 30 per cent of the attackers is now sufficient to check the most determined counter-attacks, compared with 50 or 70 per cent in the first year of the war. German prisoners—officers as well as men of all grades —invariably reveal the most touching belief in the efficacy of the U-boat campaign, which they confidently expect will compel Britain to terminate the -war before the end of the summer. Nevertheless, it is significant that the prisoners now do not expect a German victory through the U-boats, and merely hope to bring about some sort of peace. An Australian officer thus sums up : the present situation on the western front: “The German moral is still respectable, but is undoubtably weakening. On the whole the great German fighting machine is not as good as it was, while the Empire’s fighting machine is better than ever. Any Empire battalion, no matter where it is from —British, Scotch, Irish, 'Australian, Canadian, or South African—would beat any given German battalion in a fair fight.”

THE MESSINES MAMMOTH. It is agreed that the Australian troops were never better nor more cheerful and confident. They are enjoying the summer weather to the utmost, and are fit for any amount of hard fighting. They realise that much bigger fighting is ahead before victory. The Messincs mining, which the Germans admit was one of the finest pieces of mining in the war, was largely the work of the Australian tunnelling companies. Mr Robinson states that while digging on the Messincs front the troops unearthed a splendid specimen of mammoth, with' the flint instruments, of groat antiqity, with which the beast was killed and cut up. This treasure trove is being handled with due scientific care.