The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE SATURDAY, AUGUST 11, 1917. PERILS OF THE PRESS.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 11 August 1917, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

SATURDAY, AUGUST 11, 1917. PERILS OF THE PRESS.

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

A large, imposing looking letter reached us last night from somebody in the Defence Department named Gibbons or McGibbons, from memory we believe it had the Mac prefix. It was to advise us that a book of War. Regulations had been published by the Government Printer, and that a certain number of copies had been reserved for the Press. We are very much obliged to Mr. Mac Gibbons, but as he wants two shillings from us that we haven't got after paying our debts we must perforce decline his kind offer. We could scarcely decipher the signature to the leifter, but it refeembles an autograph that has come upon us throughout the war almost as thick as flies in summer. As a matter of fact, we don't want any - more war regulations, we have been so inundated with them that they are at present clogging the little intelligence we ever had, to add more would, we are afraid, cause it to collapse altogether. If we are not mistaken the author of the book offered at the low price of two shillings, has been engaged by the Defence Department during the past three years, to assist the Hon. James Allen in inventing, writing and worrying newspapers throughout the Dominion with what they term War Regulations, The man is a genius at the game, and it seems rather surprising that the British War Office should do an injustice to the Empire in allowing such light to be obscured by the.' '.New Zealand Press bushel. We have regulations and regulations of regulations; regulations threatening us with condign penalties have reached us to-day, only to be followed by quite contradictory rcgula

tions to-morrow. To be sure of not transgressing these multitudinous regulations it was either necessary to employ a lawyer in the office to study them and to search anything we might write for breaches thereof, or to put the constantly inflowing regulations and revisions of regulations into the fire directly they were opened, and take the risk of penalties in blind shots. "We selected the latter, course, isi#t in

strategic ability; it lias occurred to him that we might do something like this and he has written a whole book of regulations, which he seems determined to get on to our office table; we are just as determined the other way. He is evidently a military man, but he has made a military blunder, in his misdirected charge on our cash-box; there isn't two shillings there Mr. MeGibbon The 100 per cent put on our press messages, and quite a lot of other embargoes on the newspaper we used to sell at a penny has cleared it right out. It is really regrettable, because this book may be a final thrust, and we would certainly like to be freed from the pesky, prolific source from which has flown so constantly the confusing, conflicting current of war, regulation literature. Now we have insult added to injury; a Mac of another ilk is tearing his hair in Parliament, calling newspapers bad names and saying all sorts of nasty things about them because, they, in mortal fear of War. regulation penalties, do not publish the news about the war that he would like to have. "We are not going to waste words on Mr. McCoombs, M.P., any further than to say that if he and his fellows in the House are so stupid as to permit the war regulations making prodigy to continue his regulation making it is senseless to rave at newspapers about not giving Defence Departmental news. Two or three newspapers have already been dragged before the courts and mulcted in penalties. No, Mr. McCoombs, you may rave and howl out your charges of conspiracy against us, but with the law ranged against you we must decline your invitation. Have a curb put on the Attorney-General, and limit his employment of,Mr. McGibbon at regulation-making and you will not have to yell, "conspirators" at the Press. What with despots and fools newspapers hardly know where they are.

THE WAR.

A great shock to one or other of the contending armies, perhaps both, in Flanders is about to fall. The Germans are very nervy and anxious. They want to know what the British have been doing during the recent heavy rains, but the British and the French as well, are just going on improving their positions from whence to make the jump off. Whether the Hun Command is honest in its statements about Germany's fate being decided in Flanders or not, it seems they are very anxious to call as many of their troops from the Russian and other fronts to meet the blow they know is inevitable. The Kaiser is more than usually busy in reviewing and deluging his armies in Flanders with speeches, and he has called on the active services of his new Chancellor, on the principle that two heads are better than one. If speeches will win the war Wilhelm is making sure of victory, but he is backing his talk up with large concentrations of both men and guns. The Berliner Taggcblatt is aware that the Franco-British are now out for something decisive; that merely the first stage, what it calls "the first savage blow" has been delivered. It says that the last push imposed uncanny tension on the German infantry; that the British used land dreadnoughts, winged infantry and that British infantry broke the German infantry like a malicious storm, making pathways and broad gaps through • them. They have to defend their Üboat campaign or Germany is defeated. The Flanders coast must be retained or the Hun case is hopeless, the British established in Flanders would drive Germany off the sea, and secure control of Germany's industrial districts; their arsenals, munition works, and their warship bottles could effectively be reached from Flanders, and Flanders must be held or the war is over, and Germany hasn't won it. Italy seems to have struck mortal fear into the heart of Austria, for desperate, even frantic efforts to fortify against an Italian attack are proceeding. Germany is begging for men to assist on the Russian front, but Austria cannot help beyond calling up a few more of her aged men. Russia is giving hope; her armies making some organised opposition that is holding up the invading Germans. It seems that the Ukraine authorities' belief that the invasion of Southern Russia will be stopped is going to be verified. The latest advices from the front have greatly heartened the Russian people; the rallying of the troops is satisfactory, and it now looks as though Russia will be able to take some part on the huge general offensive that is threatening on the Western, Italian and Salonkan fronts.