The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1917. PRESENT ASPECTS OF THE WAR.

Taihape Daily Times, 15 December 1917, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1917. PRESENT ASPECTS OF THE WAR.

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

Both parties in the war are still sparring for local positions and advantages, an important difference is that the Allies are pursuing definite plans, while the Central Powers have had their plans so shattered that their efforts now are largely governed byexigency. German leaders are boasting about what they are about to accomplish on the WesTs'rn front; the Franco-British are to be attacked with such overwhelming forces of men and guns that nothing can withstand. Britain has hitherto had experience of what their enemies have mistakenly termed*invincible armadas, and there is less probability that anything of the kind Germany can now despatch by either land or sea being more successful than those failures that are now subjects of history: Allied military leaders are confident that all enemy strength possible of being concentrated on the West front will' not be able to break the Allien Ifnes. Moreover, they claim that the initiative is entirely with the Allies, and can be used wherever conditions are favourable. The Allies will undoubtecTly hold all the enemy forces possible on the Western front pending very important developments elsewhere; we need not fear the HindenburgLudendorff nonsense about crushing the Allies and finishing the war before America can come in. T3~ey know now that America is in to the extent of a million and a half of men, with all their equipment, aeroplanes, and guns. These Americans they will find a rather serious set-off to the worn war-weary men that may be brought from Austria or the East front. Apparently, Russian developments are not progresing quite in accordance with German desires; fortes have arisen which were omitted In German calculations, and it is now questionable whether her War Lords are not of opinion that it would have been better had the Russian stink-pot never been stirred up, Lenin, alias Cederblum,and Trotsky, alias Braunstein —Huns in Slav guise—are undergoing a process of wing-clipping, and it is said that they are virtually the prisoners of those whom they sought to lead. Korniloff is again distinguishing himself, thoroughly disposing of the Bolsheviks in his way to junctioning with Kaledin and his forces. This journal has persistently held that Japanese armies would be drawn into active hostilities; that they would possess Vladivostock, and control the Siberian railway.' Both are now accomplished facts, and pro-ally Russia can now be more rapidly equipped and armed than can the ' pro-German. A Chinese force has seized the great Siberian about four hundred miles from Vladivostock, well on to the Baikal Lake, and it is possible for Mongolian forces to cross their frontier and seize the line -very much nearer the Urals, which arc the border between European and Asiatic Russia. Developments rendered possible by the seizure of this line are of very great import indeed; it islargely by this railway that Russia has been kept supplied with munitions, rendering possible the magnificent thrusts made by Brusiloff and Korniloff in Galicia. The railway that supplied Russia with munuitions and guns can also furnish armies that may prove troublesome to Germany. An official answer has been given lii the British Parliament fo questions

about Salonika; Mr. Bouar Law de-

clured that but for the fox-ce there Germany would have been In complete possession of the Balkan Peninsula. Now, united Greece would fight with the Allies. The sickening boast to Belgiuinise Italy has been made ridiculous, the campaign only rendered possible by lying and treachery is stopped, and Austrians once more find their armies breaking on the Italian Alps. Contrary to expectations, British forces in Mesopotamia continue their sweeping operations, and appearances are not wanting t>hat the Mesopotamian army and that of General Allenby in Palestine, may yet junction somewhere Kt neighbourhood of Aleppo. The mu<?h-talked-of Turko-German concentration, under Falkenhayn, at Aleppo, has not yet /made its presence obvious. It is certainly time it materialised, as B'ritish forces are now dangerously closing in, both from Bagdad and Jerusalem. Turkey has lost two of the three cities that were deemed essential to Its unbroken Empire, Constantinople only 'remains, and there are now distant probabilities that it may have to stand a seige if Turkey does not save it by arranging a separate peace. A very significantly worded cable came to hand yesterday which, at least, is already indicative of the seriousness of Turkey's position. British delegates are conferring with Mouktar Bey, a Turkish delegate, with a vie\v to an exchange of British for Turkish prisoners. Suddenly, the startling news is broadcasted that Moukt&r Bey has appealed*to the Turkish Government for full powers to negotiate a separate peace with the Allies. It can only be asumed that the Turkish authorities had some such developments in train when their delegate was appointed, and whatever the full outcome may be, it will, at least, be productive of a distinctly better understanding by Turkey of what the Allies are fighting for, and what are comprehensively expressed in the lately proclaimed American slogan: "Freedom for all, for ever!" Turkey has practically lost Mesopotamia, Armenia, Persia, and Arabia, and Her rulers are' concerned about the nation's "entity. This entity can be attained with certainty by peaceful, bloodless, and costless methods; fighting on is fraught with serious uncertainties for Turkey. A separate peace with Turkey would be deadly for it would almost assuredly open the waterway to the Black Sea for Allied war and wheat ships. The fighting of the men of our Empire, from August, 1914, to the present day, has Furnished one long, unbroken cause for unqualified faith in their ability to secure final victory. Despite the Bolos and Caillauxes of France and Italy, the Germans with Russian aliases in Russia, the shivering wealthy pacifists in ' Britain, the panic-stricken Watts of Australia, and the pessimisi tic faint-hearts in New Zealand, who shrink with fear whenever a Hindenburg howl is megaphoned abroad, the Allies are near winning the war. Of course, war is pregnant with disaster—all fighting is, the unforeseen may happen to the giant facing a pigmy—but nothing, however disastrous to Britain and France can prevent the Allies attaining final victoFyl he who believes otherwise is a traitor.