The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE. FRIDAY, APRIL 5, 1918. THE RUMBLINGS OF WAR.

Taihape Daily Times, 5 April 1918, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE.

FRIDAY, APRIL 5, 1918. THE RUMBLINGS OF WAR.

. VVitii vviijcti is iucurporaiec The Ta»-

uayo Tod and u aii'.un.iM i\ewa).

It seems there is good reason to believe tne great ohensive now taking place in France was planned oetore the Luropean autumn last year, and that the huge concentrations contiguous to Switzerland and similar concentrations in Belgium were really the -first moves of importance mane. It was then known to Germany mat Russia was cut or the war for any offensive purpose, and it was believed that unhappy country would be an easy prey from whence gieat supplies oi roou could continuously be taken to ieeu up German troops for the final eiiort in France that might result in some phase ol victory. The credulous Russians have, by virtue of the pressing needs or German hunger, been rapidly enlightened as to German assurances and oi agreements made at the Litovsk Conference, for the Huns have never made any pretence, from the day tne agreement Avas signed, of keeping it, or abiding by any of its provisions. German need of the separate peace, primarily, was food, and Germans armies were sent direct to where it was thought food existed in plenty. When Russia felt the noose around her Hues, being drawn tighter her misguided leaders turned to Britain and America for help. While the utmost that was possible or it was advisable to do, was done, time had been given to Germany to concentrate for one desperate lunge.in France with very nearly every man that the Central Powers could gather together. It will be re-

membered that whatever defeats have been inflicted on the Russians, there has on each occasion been a terrible rebound, and it is now evident that the campaign of corruption, in which “other scraps of paper” have conspicuously figured, is to be productive of a ■r, rebound} and this .while the - German Command are under the impression il is. impossible. It is officially stated that within v two months Russia will nave an army of millions; compulson military service is being introduced, and the corner-stone of the new regime is “No politics, iron discipline, and the death sentence.” Of such a nature then are the foundations of the new Russian Army, the nucleus of which is recapturing important cities and territory in the invaded food country. The Russian people have determined that their empire shall not be ignominiously destroyed and cleaned off the map by German lying and corruption. It is this now obvious fact that is giving Hindenburg very deep-seated concern. He realises to the full .that disaster on, all sides will .attend delay on the West Front; he must do w r hat he set out to accomplish rapidly, or he must ignominiously fail. With the growth of the German military system there has been evolved the superman idea; almost a sense of infallibility and invincibility has taken root in the military mind, phenomena in evidence of this being fairly plentiful. It was this new sense that prompted Hindenburg to boast that he would be in Paris on the first, day of April. It was the superman, the military infallibility and invincibility obsession that caused him to really believe that nothing on earth, or in heaven, could stop him. He, doubtless, was fully convinced that he and his glorious superman troops would be in Paris on the first of April and he did not hesitate a minute In making the boast. It is this erratic sub-sense, made-in-Gemany, that has been responsible for the disastrous blunders her military leaders have made. The world is indeed a small place, but it is too large for Germany to conquer, and too annoyingly complex for superman corruption to hypnotise into submission. Hindenburg has made another blunder with his “Kaiser Army.” This grand title was doubtlessly given to the massed concentration in France and Belgium because it was deemed invincible and its leaders were thought to be infallible in their military ex-cathedra deliberations. The Kaiser Army not only sec out to capture Paris and reach the coast of the British Channel, but it was an essential of ultimate victory that both should be accomplished by the first of April. Many have been deceived on that day, but here we have a case in which a nation of supermen have been undeceived, and of fear having taken possession of them. The German military caste has had one more rude awakening to the fact that the assumed super-sense neither confers infallibility or invincibility. They have been brought back to the .understanding that the world has not yet returned to the age of gods from which the ancient Greeks fell; and they are afraid. They hacr based their chance of victory on

time; they had to be in Paris bi urst April or they could not finally succeed. The men and guns thai //ere to swarm behind British lines, and drive them into the sea are having to be reorganised into storm battalions. The naval brigade thrown in were told they were going to have a walk through, a few only are left alive and these few did walk through as prisoners to tell the tale. Hindenburg is being terribly harried while arranging another forceful attacK. New Zealanders and Australians —the Anzacs—were eager to get at those Prussian guards and Brandenburgers, and their most splendid ‘traditions have been well upheld. The first of April invincible army is at present waiting for further orders from the infallible Hindenburg, as well as for permission from the Briiish, French and American armies to I resume their march on Paris. The or-ider-from Hindenburg may come buc * the invincible Kaiser Army cannot j proceed far without the permission of , the Anzacs, and other Allied soldiers that at present effectually bar the way. We know and Hindenburg knows what a massacre of supermen will result from a return to force, but

Hindenburg cannot now draw bad: and to stand still even is defeat, x. . must go forward, orHry to, as the rumblings in Germany are becoming, as insistent as the rumblings of the Allied guns. Further offensive measures must be taken in mad desperation. In addition to a recrudescence from Arras to Montdidier it will be surprising if a despairing throw of the dice is not made in an endeavour to reach Calais. The first of Aprfi plans were defeated; they opened with everything in Hindenburg’s favour; meteoric conditions enabled the first surprise being made most complete. Heavy mists enabled the attackers to even surround some British troops before they knew a battle had commenced, but such surprises cannot be repeated, and instead of the ordinary held line to break against, there is an immensely reinforced wall of fresh troops, of men who glory in coming to the lists against Prussian Guards. '.Germany has been defeated on time, a defeat her invincible armies cannot retrieve, simply because their greatest effort has been madc_ while inferior 1 thrusts have in future to be made against a hugely strengthened enemy. The counter-attack of the Allies is yet to come, which Hindenburg has admitted his knowledge of. Battles have reached an almost unbelievable magnitude and we rest assured that, the counters that are said to be something that will teach Hindenburg the art of war will be such as are calculated by Generalissimo Foch to prove a distinctly deciding factor in bringing an early peace. If the war. drags on it is good to know that Russia will have millions ready to march in two months.