THE CURRENT BATTUE.

Taihape Daily Times, 1 June 1918, Page 4

THE CURRENT BATTUE.

In the most recent phase of the German offensive our commanders have been surprised, that is now evident and admitted in some quarters. The rapidity with which our weaklyheld lines were overwhelmed and half-a-dozen or more villages and towns captured needs no further corroborative evidence. We must, however, take the fortunes of war as they come, but there does seem abundance of room for wishing that our general officering was more nearly equal in efficiency to that of the enemy. We feel that much life is wasted by incompetence of someone, but a point of this nature, however well supported, canhot with fairness be dwelt upon until the whole circumstances of the seeming debacle are made known. It has been suggested that our armies have willingly given way to build up such a salient for the enemy uratTcan be easily toppled over with disaster to him. We do not think so; the price we have paid, we cannot help thinking, is in advance of that we have exacted. It is by.. no means pessimism to take facts and/appearances as they appeal to our reason, -to do otherwise is to build; around us a 1 fool’s paradise. We have: no doubt whatver about Foch’s ability to stem the rush, and we believe he will do so before anything so serious as the cutting of the ParisChalons railway happens. Our lines have been attacked at the point fur-' thest from bur concentrations of reserves, indicating clearly that German spying cannot be left out of any consideration. GermHfT “generals knew how long it would take to get our reserves in action, and they .took every measure possible to make the. movements of their attack so rapid that they could not only imprison and destroy huge numbers of . our forces, but also secure immense strategic and tactical advantages. It is a race for the line of the Marne between the attackers and-Foch’s reservs. Foch seems to be inviting his ‘enemy on to the ground where he 'so signally defeated him in 1914. On the other hand the Kaiser may be seeking to undo the defeat of four years ago on the same ground. The rush is on to open territory; there are no easily defensible positions; it must be “open warfare, and it seems to be a question of who is best prepared for it. The retreat was so rapid that many bridges could not be destroyed, therefore the enemy big guns will come along with utmost speed without the annoying trouble or improvising bridges over the two rivers—Aisne and Yesle. It was“stated that the rush would be definitely stopped in forty-eight hours, and although that time may be exceeded It is a sure indication that adequate reserves are near at hand, and we shall probably have some news of them today. The loss of the particular country now invaded is not of serious import so long as the Paris-Chalong railway is saved. What is of very serious consequence Is the sacrifice of our men. The Germans claim to have taken twenty-five thousand prisoners and from the helter-skelter nature of the thrust we do not think there is much exaggeration in the claim. The most determined and bitter fighting continus, but there Is good cause lo hope for better news to-day.