The Taiape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 1917. BLUFF VERSUS CONFIDENCE.

Taihape Daily Times, 11 January 1918, Page 4

The Taiape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 1917. BLUFF VERSUS CONFIDENCE.

(With which is incorporated ilie iaihape Post and Waimanuo .News)

Two of the most noteworthy aspects of the war in France and Flanders arc the boastful heralding of an offensive that is to give the quietus to Britain, and the marvellous sang-froid with which British soldiers from the highest in command to the most modest Tommy regard it all. Many disappointments have occurred throughout the year just closed and now we arc permitted to see why. People wore led to expect something of a character to happen that would bring the end within view, if only with a telescopic -ye. Great military conferences were held, ending on every occasion to the unanimous satisfaction of all those who took part therein; but it was

evident plans did not subsequently materialise and develop according to the conference ’ book. It is true that throughout the past year the German armies on the West Front have not been able to stand against the assaults of either British or French. They have Been driven back time after time .and large areas of territory have been wrested from them. Fiftynine thousand prisoners were taken, and four-hundred large guns, as well as three thousand machine-guns, wore captured, .and .at no point have the British lost an inch to Germany. Still all this was only partially satisfying; there was a disappointment with results that was only explainable on psychological grounds. The people had been promised that the war would be over at some time during the year, but the fact of the struggle entering another year is .not depressing to a confidence destroying extent. Only some pacifists, pro-Germans and a few pessimists with their bewildered little intellect's became fearful of final results. In his epigrammatic review of the past,year’s operations Sir Douglas Haig has given' the key to Both the German boast and the FrancoBritish confidence. Prussian) militarism is trying to bluff the people in Allied countries into the belief that great forces have been liberated on the East Front owing to Russian defection; that it would be better to compel their governments to arrange a patched up peace now rather than bo compelled to do so by German victories, which, they boast, axe sure to result from the huge concentrations the cession of fighting on the Russian front has made practicable. Sir Douglas Haig casts the lying bluff back into Prussian teeth in his narration of the facts about operations during the past year. Germany has not waited till this late hour to bring every available man from Russia. We are told that Prussian bluff may be largely discounted, for there are not the number of men to come from the Russian front to strike even a shadow of concern, let alone fear, into the FrancoBritish armies. Our soldiers have known that they were being prevented from executing the past year’s plans; that the peace promised in 1917 did not eventuate because of the reinforcements of the enemy from the cast. It was the risk Germany took in stripping the Russian front that enabled her armies to frustrate General Nivelle is his great offensive, a failure that cost him his command. With Sir Douglas Hdig’s review of the year it is quite obvious why the plans of the Allied Military Conference wore only a partial success. Events in Russia enabled the Germans to transfer forty divisions to the W’est Front, alone, which the conference in 1916 could scarcely include in their reckonings. To render the British position still more difficult, ranks in France

had to be thinned to meet another a aJrny of Austro-Germans from the Russian front in Italy. That army is admittedly overpowered Italy is safe, and we are assured by Britain’s Commandcr-in-Chief, there is every reason to be satisfed with the sum total of results achieved. The additional strength the enemy has obtained or may obtain from the events in Russia and Italy has already been largely discounted, and the ultimate destruction of the enemy s foicco has been brought appreciably nearer. In operations at Arras, Mcssines, Lens and Yprcs one hundred and thirtyone divisions were defeated by less than half that number of British. In other words Sir Douglas tells us that the British and French have beaten, not only Germany’s armies on the West Front, but also those from the East Front, in Italy as wen as in France and Flanders, and we arc to discount as bluff the German boast about a great coming offensive. It is understood, of course, that a rccrudescnce of the severity of the struggle 'will result as Isoon as weather permits, similarly to previous years. Germany is no doubt putting every available man and .gun into her final effort to secure an advantageous peace. The Allies arc also making the most of time and opportunity to have as many of the American millions as possible lined up for the conflict, as well as in building up almost inconceivable stores of guns and munitions. At this 'time last year Germany was fighting give and .take battles with Russia, and pursuing similar tactics on the West Front to those now being followed. Right throughout the year her armies suffered defeat after defeat and towards the fall of the year it was very largely troops from the cast that were being beaten and driven back, and thereby, Sir Douglas Hjftig tells ns, ultimate destruction of flip enemy's forces has been brought appreciably nearer. When reading Ins review of

the past year’s operations in conjunction with Mr. Lloyd George’s and President Wilson's statements of war aims and the irreducible minimum of the 'Allied peace proposals and conditions, we feel the mercury rising in the national thermometer, and wo. quite understand the phenomenal confidence that pervades the Allied armies on all fronts.