The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 1917. WAR ON ALL FRONTS.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 22 September 1917, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 1917. WAR ON ALL FRONTS.

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

Yesterday afternoon we gave the first information- of another great thrust by British forces in Belgium. Sir Douglas Haig reported that ho had attacked on a wide front east of Ypres, that many important German positions had been captured, that German losses were unusually heavy, that all British objectives had been gained, that our men were still advancing, and that batches of prisoners were continuing to come in. Toward which particular centre action is especially directed is not stated, but no doubt full amplification of this new offensive will reach us to-day. The appearances arc that the town of Roulers is being menaced, along the railway running from Ypres, and the village of Bacelaere, will in that case be mentioned among the first captures as it is on the Ypres-Roulers line. It will be remembered that when Bixschoote and Langmarck were captured the Huns thought it w r as time to move their headquarters from Roulers and they did so. The country now attacked is covered by a series of woods, but in the battle of Messines we were let into the secret of how such hitherto natural defences were rapidly made into unobstructed, easily travorsible country. These woods are first heavily shelled —the military process of bushfelling—they are then sprayed with blazing oil, quickly burning them away, converting impregnable defences into clear ground comparatively easy to attack over. The cable States' that several of these woods are already in British possession including the famous Bosches’ Wood, and our armies are still advancing and prisoners coming in. On the second of last June Hindenburg ostentatiously announced to the world that the French and British offensive in Flanders and France had come to a definite conclusion, Hindenburg did not believe his own words for he took care to move his headquarters from Roulers to a safer distance from British guns. His bombastic announcement was intended to impress Germany, and no doubt the point he had in view was gained, but British and French offensives have again and again given his utterance the lie direct. There is not a shadow of doubt that if

the British are successful in pushing on to Roulers, not in the present offensive, perhaps, that would be expecting too much, but within a reasonable time during the present season, they will have got so far behind the enemy lines on the Belgian coast as to render them very costly, if not entirely impossible to hold. Another great fight is at this moment raging and we can only hope and wait for the news of a victory that brings the end of the war much nearer. We have heard nothing further of the Allied Council of War that was to eventuate in Paris, but very significant news came from Italy yesterday. It was that Lord Derby and two of Britain’s noted strategist generals had been at the Italian front, on the Isonzo, for several days; that they had visited and had interchanges with the British artillery that is assisting Italy in the marvellous victories, achieved against the Austrians. We are well aware that Lord Derby and the two British generals are not there just for fun. We need not be told, and our enemies need not be told what their real mission is. We know and they know that they were there to investigate the claims made by Cadorna, the Italian generalissimo, that he was wmrking on the nearest and quickest road to final victory for the Allies. The publication of the visit and the personel, means one of two things, it is either to make the enemy believe that Italy’s views are going to be acted upon, or that they are really going to be supported by heavy Allied reinforcements and a thrust for Vienna is to commence almost at once. The news of this visit will render consternation in AustroHungary so extreme that anything may happen, whereas a thrust for Vienna would most likely result in unconditional surrender. We are now fully aware that the Allied War Council viewed Cadorna’s opinions very seriously and that the project has been investigated by the three men from Britain best calculated to givfe |the most reliable report, for what else is to happen sequential to the visit we have to wait. Can we hope with any reasonable assurance that Russia has turned the corner? Appearances seem to anwer'in the affirmative. The attack to most concern promised by the Germans was the naval threat, in which the whole of the grand fleet was to take part. Three times has such a, naval attack, having for its object the capture of Petrograd been proclaimed by Germany, and not a ship seems to have moved. Yesterday the fourth heralding of a naval thrust cam# from the London correspondent of the New York Herald, who says it 'is believed in well-informed circles that Germany is planning a quick stroke with the Baltic Fleet against the Russians before ice forms. Such an attack vail have to be very quick, for the British navy has ample and valuable experience of what it means to pit battleships against land batteries in an effort to invade. Even the latest war leviathons of the Elizabeth class dare only lay off at a great distance and pelt their missels ashore, even when there is no enemy navy, with destroyers, and submarines to harry and harrass them. If Germany contemplates any such exploit, there is something in it that we can know nothing about, but the probability is that this brag will fizzle out like the three that went before it. The Russians have taken the offensive against Riga and cables' give every indication that this offensive will rapidly grow in force and destructive power. It is already pushing the Germans back over the way they wore treacherously allowed to go, and the Russian Government has assumed an attitude of war administration that augurs well for giving Germany and Austria all and more than they can carry from the whole eastern front. In Macedonia there is growing Allied virility which must rosirtt in keeping Bulgars and Turks too busy in looking after their own countries to bo able to lend any assistance to Germany It is splendid news that comes from Albania, the Italians have crossed the country from the 'Adriatic and have captured Janina, a most important near the Servian frontier. This victorious Italian Army seems to be moving northward in co-ordination with the Allies in Macedonia and with the Italians moving southward to neste. An Austrian disaster is well possible in this locality, for if they retreat towards Trieste it will render that centre untenable, and if they retire into Servia their armies will become divided. Austro-Hungary is feelmg the war pressure to an extreme, but unless something quite unforeseen at present happens, there seems little winter, which her leaders and journals Germany does not like facing another prospect of coming this year, admit will be more severe than the three previous winters put together a's tho h T Pe ° Ple St6P lool^ aS th °^ h the “iHtary caste will eo on with the hope of saving i tsclf Ivaisensm from destruction.