WAR OUTLOOK.

Taihape Daily Times, 15 November 1917, Page 2

WAR OUTLOOK.

GERMANY’S STRENGTH,

N.S.W. PREMIER’S GRAVE WARNING.

If there was a depressing note at the largely attended citizens’ luncheon given in honour of the Premier at the Tow Hall yesterday, it was the pessimistic note which Mr. Holman himself struck in the course of his eloquent speech on his war experiences abroad (says the Sydney “Daily Telegraph” of November 2.)

Mr. Holman reviewed the position as he found it in England on his arrival from Australia. He was met, he said, with gloom and depression in Government circles, following Vjf. chaos that had come to be so characteristic of Russian social existence; by the apprehension that disrupted and disunited Italy would fail tin some critical circumstance and involve the Allied cause, and by the,, feeling consequent upon the energetic submarine campaign.

However, Mr. Holman, was not all pessimism. While pointing out that tears for the political unity of Italy were entertained, he spoke of the superiority of the Allied arms on the Western front, and re-echoed the opinion of the British statesmen that it would be impossible for the submarines to bring about the starvation of the people of Great Britain.

“When I landed in England,” Mr. Holman said: “I found in the country an extraordinary wave of depression. The Russian Revolution had succeeded, and had freed Russia from a pro-German plot, only in its turn to bo taken control of by German agency It had been then so manipulated that Russia had almost ceased to count in the councils of the Allied or the calculations of the war.

“The next reason for the depression was now to me. It was to find that Italy was a nation of divided councils. “The Cabinet which had been ruling- Italy for the two years previously was a pro-Ally Cabinet, but there was in the Italian Parliament an immense section—probably a majority of the House—in favour of joining Germany. I discovered that one of the nightmares of the British and military leaders was that some disaster 'woijld take place* on the Italian front which would leave the country open to political dissension, that would load to a separate peace.

"THAT DISASTEE HAS COME.” "That disaster has come. Whether it will have the apprehended political consequences the next few weeks will show. \\ Idle the military reverse itself does not necessarily matter, and may easily be compensated for by late] 1 victories, should that reverse, as ’ dreaded in Great Britain, lead to any change of Italian policy the. difficulties of the Allied bo overwhelmingly increased. . Finally I found the German auth--01 itics had entered upon -a submarine campaign which was distinctly threatening the food supplies of Great Britain, and found the British Government primarily concerned with the problem of feeding the people of Britain during the winter.”

Before his astonished gaze, continued the Premier, he saw Germany succeeding—perhaps to be later successful against Italy, and threatening Groat Britain. In military matters Germany was perhaps practically leading the rest of the world. He wished to take the opportunity to tell that great gathering what the position then was. '‘Put yourselves in the shoos of the enemy. The Germans saw themselves attacked by five Powers-—-the minor Powers may be ignored. They had succeeded in removing the Russian Power so largely that Russia ceased to count. They hoped to do the same thing to Italy. They had succeeded in inflicting a most important defeat on the French army under General Hi voile. That left them facing England and possibly 'America. They believed that they could defeat England by means of the submarines. America was still at that time a problem of the future, and even in the event of the United States declaring war the country would be unable to strike a decisive blow before many months elapsed. OPT IMIS hi UNJUSTIFIED. “T-uat, then, was the critical position in which the Allies stood. The buoyant belies that the Allies would soon be marching into B’erlin so often expressed during- the conscription I referendum campaign in the Commonu salth, and the feeling of optimism also in evidence when I left, fell from me like a dream. The position was suc h as to call for the earnest consideration of every part of the Empire and every country of the Allies. My own provincial viewpoint, as a citizen of the far-distant and littleinformed portion of the Empire, regarding the Germans, was that the German military authorities were inflated with conceit concerning the ability of their arms. I found, after consultation with the British and Allied leaders, that this was a wrong idea — that the Germans ’.vers working on a plan, and had succeeded Th perfecting

their plans. They had demolished Russia; They had inflicted a measure of exhaustion upon France; and they hoped to starve England. “What do you think of a nation which, after three years of war, was, able to look at the position from such a viewpoint? This is the Power we are fighting—a Power which, if it succeeds, will enslave the world and trample its freedom under its iron heel.”

“It was only the support of the gjreat democracy of the United States,” said Mr Holman ? “which lent hope for the victory of the Allied banners, reared in the cause of right.” POSITION IMPROVED. “But the position had improved. The attack on Great Britain was defeated, not because the submarine menace had been successfully coped with, but by the building of more ships. It was the construction which had decreased the amount of mercantile shipping loss, and not the smashing of submarines. As far as their numbers count they were still a success_ They .had read a great deal of the discontent with the Admiralty, but he prayed them to understand that that discontent was not dictated by the lack of gratitude for the magnificent work of the Admiralty during the three years of war. It was said by many of the wisest in England that the Admiralty had neglected its part against the submarines to the extent that it had no pre-arranged plans. The Admiralty had failed to protect the mercantile marine of England against its under-water attackers.

“What has been done to meet the menace was to build more ships, to place such areas of England under cultivation that in another year it will be possible for her to feed herself. All these things have strengthened Great Britain, and when I left England Mr Lloyd George declared that England cannot be starved. (Applause.) ALLIES IN THE WEST.

“In the latest battles/’ said the Premier, “the French troops have shown their superiority to the During the past three or four months an unending offensive has been organised and carried on by Sir Douglas Haig ? with the co-operation of the French. It had progressed as rapidly as the circumstances of modern warfare will permit. The Germans-have not taken a piece of ground in that period which they have not been forced to evacuate within 24 nours. On the other hand, there has never been any ground taken by the Allies which they have failed to retain.” (Cheers.) The Premier concluded:

“We sde France, at the commencement of the war, the Sentinel of Humanity standing on the bulwarks, now reduced—not to impotence, for that would he an over-statement — but to a greatly diminished effort, and the Sacred Ark of the Covenant of Liberty left to the care of the An-glo-Saxon race. (Cheers). In this world and in this age of crises and success and freedom are only possible to the (Applause.) It is right for us to be worthy of the biod and breeding of the nation from which we came, and to enter as a Commonwealth upon the great task to which we have given our hand, and from which, I hope, the people of Australia will never quail.” (Sustained applause.) “ONLY THE ONE END.”

“Several people who attended the luncheon tendered me at the Town Hall,” said Mr Holman subsequently, “have told me that they came away depressed by what they called, the ‘pessimistic’ tone of my references to the war. I am not pessimistic. But facts are facts. Those I though known to the people of Europe and America, were still unknown in Australia. I, however, have always felt that the first essential for our people is that we may know exactly what we are up against.” “Before I left England the present crisis in Italy was anticipated. It has come as a thunderbolt to Australia. The situation in Russia, was known, and its effects foreshadowed, months before we in Australia knew anything of it. This foreknowledge stiffened the people of Great Britain and France just as I believe the news will stiffen the people of Australia. The British people are never at their best till they are up against the worst. “In the full knowledge of my experience, I still believe that there can be only one end to this war —the annihilation of Prussian power. The operations of German influence are gigantic—its effects spring up in the most unexpected places. It is Ihe cause of Russia’s and is responsible for the present disruption of Italy. Its influence is now being felt in America > We have had some experience of its power in our own midst. “So I do not regard a r 'h.-r conclusion of the war as iTinkable than

that of complete victory. The dogged resolution and the national union of Great Britain, the wonderful organising powers and keen determination of the United States, may have to serve for some time, as the principal •stays of the Allies’ cause. But they are there. I have witnessed them. No thing is more wonderful than the enthusiasm with which America, is now arming for the war, or the determination with which Great Britain is prosecuting it after three years of suffering. The fresh vitality of the two great branches of the Anglo -Saxon race is bound to outlast the galvanise efforts into which the enemy is puttingall his diminished power, “These galvanic efforts are sufficient no doubt, to kill us unless they arc cheeked. They will be checked. Britain and France are doing this until the deciding might of America can

bo exerted upon the scene. The fullest accord prevails between the, three nations and the three Governments, and although we see the enemy striking heavy blows and gaining groat temporary successes, there can only be one conclusion to the struggle if we arc true to ourselves.”