The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1917 THE TROUBLE IN ITALY.

Taihape Daily Times, 1 November 1917, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times. A ND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1917 THE TROUBLE IN ITALY.

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

Recent happenings in tlie' great struggle of nations are not entirely free from signs of international developments. Swedish governing authorities have been caught red handed in South America and in Sweden, giving Germany help that does not become an honestly neutral people. Swedish papers have been seized on a ship leaving America which the British authorities have refused to release until the Swedish Government is inclined - to permit their publication, and as no permission has yet been given we must assume that Sweden is averse to publicity and the papers are of sufficient importance to be retained in British hands. Yesterday, we were advised that the Swedish exchange had taken an upward bound in the United States, and that Swedish money was being withdrawn from American investments. It is indeed difficult to sec what real self-interest Sweden has to serve by entering the war; on the other hand, it is very obvious that which ever side she took she would have a great deal to lose. German promises of territory or dominion should not prove a weighty inducement to Sweden to ally herself with the Teutonic military system, for whatever Sweden may do; whatever may happen in Russia, in Macedonia, in Mesopotamia, or in Italy, the AngloSaxon peoples of the world, new and ’old, have the man power and the money to fight on till victory is attained. For. there is no denying the fact that while the Central Powers have been compelled to throw every man that is able to bear a rifle into the vortex of death, Britain, at least, of all the Allies thinks the war can be won without rushing the whole of her manhood into the struggle. Through the entry of America several millions more men have been made available, the very best class of fighters. The determination of America to war in a prodig ions way, and the thoroughness and rapidity, with which preparations for war on a scale of great magnitude, and for an extended period are being made, will probably induce caution in Sweden and perhaps, in, at least, one other quarter. The sensation of the moment is, however, an overwhelming thrust against Italy. With this show, this exaggerated exhibition of a strength which we shall find has no very real existence, or rather, no possibility of being maintained, will come the most

determined peace campaign yet 1 fentered upon.j If Germany wants to win this war in battle there is only one front on which that is possible: On the West Front she is challenged to such a battle;- she has tried minor conclusions on the west, and has failed, and the German military comi 1 mand has had the fact fired and bayoneted into them that defeat is certain unless a halt can be called through a peace campaign. No one will seriously say that a final victory at arms lies through Ufcaly, Germany knows better than that. It was either a case of losing Austrian, Turkish, and Bulgarian co-operation, or weakening German forces elsewhere to concentrate against Italy, as that is the country from which an appeal for peace would be most listened to. Though we do not wish to belittle the seriousness .of this latest denoumont on the Italian front, we venture to affirm that the campaign has been taken fo pacify Germany’s worn out Allies, 'and as a means to a peace intended to save them from unconditional surrender, and not with the remotest hope of securing final victory by the sword and the complete defeat at arms of the Entente nations. This thrust against Italy will no more win the war than similar thrusts against Servia and Eoumania did. We may with confidence listen to General Smuts; he knows Germany and German methods; he has had considerable experience of them, and he has had facilities throughout the war of knowing Germany in a way that is not open to English people. He says emphatically that the Allies will not see Italy’s head on a platter. He continues,, “The position is serious, but it need not discourage us, nor need it discourage Italy, the Allies are going to stand by her to the bitter end.” There is a ring of truth, determination, and ability to perform about these words which strike right home and carry conviction, they are something on which to anchor our thoughts while uncertainty enshrouds this sudden onslaught. We neither know the enemy’s real strength or whether he has made such preparations as wfil permit of sustained effort. The cabled news on these aspects is very conflicting, but wo may feel sure that the Allies will pour in men, guns, munitions and transport more rapidly, than Germany can do, seeing the defeat after defeat she is having to patch up on the West Front. Germany’s exhibi' tion of gallery play to impress people and engineer a peace has come too late. It can no more win the war than the fireworks against Russia did, and it's chances of a successful peace campaign' are just about as remote. Truly, oiie is almost converted to the idea thate-a’ special providence is maintaining the cause of the Allies, for At is Inot understandable why Germany should go on wasting her life blood and her money on side shows, while nothing on earth could have stood against such an effort as it was possible for her: to make on the West Front. If what has stupidly, cruelly, punitively, been; done ( in Eoumania and Russia had been combined and concentrated at the time on the West before Britain was ready and America had not entered the arena, nothing could have stood against such a concentration of power but it was not to be, and the opportunity, was for ever lost. The fighting cannot be discussed profitably because there is so very 'little reliable information to build opinions upon, but there is not yet any cause at all for pessimism; there is nothing to dis courage either Britain or Italy, and although much more disappointing news may yet reach us, it will come while we arc fully, aware that the railway systems from Franco to Italy are being taxed to their fullest capacity in carrying British and French divisions, guns and all army equipment to the Italian front. All authorities are agreed that if Italy’s trouble is lack of men and artillery there is yet ample time to the German advance. America will now be forced to declare war <m Austria [and in all probability on Bulgaria and Turkey. We know, however, that the Allies are determined that Italy shall not bo sacrificed, which means that i Germany’s final effort to pacify her friends by another side show, calculated to open up a road to peace, is to end in failure. Britain and America are determined to have thing but unconditional surrender.