The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE THURSDAY, JUNE 13, 1918. THE THRUST FOR PARIS.

Taihape Daily Times, 13 June 1918, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

THURSDAY, JUNE 13, 1918. THE THRUST FOR PARIS.

(With which is Incorporated The hape Post and Vralo*mo News).

The German people are having,, good cause to J Complete the revision of their prc-wsir estimates'of'the fighling value of the nations they were about to seek to conquer and bring under the domination of their Kaiser and his system of cultur. “The wooden sword” of America has already cleft, the skulk of many of Germany’s choicest soldiers and sent others reeling back in defeat; the contemptible little army of Britain has since 1914 grown to become a hideous nightmare to Germany, hnd is more feared by the Kaiser and his sycophants than anything else on earth. The thrust for Paris is doubtlessly given his All-highest Majesty very considerable food for thought about a people he scorned and sneered at as being effeminate, unereate, retrograde, and negligible from a military point of view. The history of France proclaims a great and glorious past, not surpassed even by that of Germany, and this war, particularly the brilliant fighting of the last few days, leaves not one doubt about French honour, bravery, and being fully equal at this moment to whatever it has been in the past. The word Plemont will cause French hearts to tingle with consuming pride hundreds of years hence, and Germans of the future will see the word as something that contributed to the final defeat of all that a boastful, powerful, cruel military government could organise and amass during half-a/century of indefatigable preparation. No amount of barbarous conduct in conquered territory; no hideous treatment of women, children and aged people has succeeded in striking fear into the hearts of the French people. As they trudge back for miles with their children, or a few r valuables, footsore, along the long long trail to -where the guns of a savage enemy cannot reach them, neither old or young have a shadow dulling their bravery, courage and determination; they all have firm confidence in the time to come when the right shall completely triumph over satanic might. They trudge on exhorting their young men to greater deeds of glory, if possible, than any yet chronicled or accomplished. One cannot avoid a thrill of admiration while reading of such magnificent courage as that shown by a small force on Plemont; they defended that little hillock until the massed myriads of Huns pressed the life out of the last man of them. Has any body of the enemy, at any time in the war, given greater evidence of manly courage, a courage that should for ever wipe out any stigma of cowardice or effeminacy, and brand the braggarts as shameful, cruel liars? Germans fight bravely in hordes, but a mere handful of Frepchmen will face those hordes with a courageousness unsurpassable by any armies of any peoples. The battle now raging is to be known as one that contributed much to final victory of the Allies. Such slaughter of German soldiers —we might truly say massacre—cannot bo kept secret from the German people for long. Train after train of dying and wounded w T ill’ proclaim 'the vincibility of the Kaiser’s glorious troops throughout the Central nations, spreading riot and revolution that has already got considerable headway. Those same trains of mutilated and broken Germans will also forcibly impress the German and Austrian people that the gallant Frenchmen have earned the title to invincibility to a degree not dulled by any act of their enemies. Officers of the French staff affirm that “This is the real battle,” meaning that its fierceness exceeds anything before experienced. The Chcm des Dames battle was mild in comparison with it, yet never before have the Germans paid so dearly in human life for such small gains. The thrust for the French capital between Noyon and Montdidier, following the valley of the Matz, cannot succeed against such resistance. Many thousands of Germans have fallen for what will most likely prove to be nothing, for while an extreme advance of five miles has been made in the centre, the successive massed waves attacking both flanks w r cre mown down until the ground was piled with the dead and crying wounded. The French flanks held fast, and Paris is not even menaced; the lost ground in the centre has yet to be contested by counterattacks when there is no- longer room to deploy other German reserves into this fiery vortex. Von Hutier’s army

is already showing signs of exhaustion; on his loft are the tired out men commanded by the Crown Prince. Still further eastward is the fresh army under Prince Rupprecht, facing the British at Rhcims. Will Ruppreeht march his men across the Crown Prince’s rear to take up the battle when Yon Hutier is compelled to desist? It is hardly believable that Germany will accept defeat of the Paris picnic project so early in the game. Three armies were considered by Ludcndorff to be ample for forcing a way to the French capital; one of them has been fought to a standstill; the second is being so literally massacred without making any appreciable headway, and the third must cither come to its assistance or commence upon an exploit of its own. There is some evidence ' that Foch is patiently yet anxiously, waiting for Rupprccht’s decision; will German pride induce a movement favourable to Foch’s plans? The French are offering such resistance that Von Hutier must be reinforced or accept, at least, failure. The Allies are in great strength before Rheiins, for, despite all the enemy could do they did not shift our men from that once famous and beautiful city. The question now seems, will or dare Rupprecht weaken his front at Rhcims and to the eastward to send such assistance that would be of any value to Hutier, in the Matz Valley? If he does will an opportunity be given for Foch to launch his great counter-attack. There is an atmosphere of expectancy amongst experts in France that the movements of the enemy arc such as to give the awaited opening. Will Rupprecht attack the British or join the party march on Paris, leaving the British at Rhcims a very dangerous menace to his left flank as he marches through the opening made by the Crown Prince? The second battle is not finished, but M. Clemenccau, the French Prime Ministry, says Chore Is no menace to Paris yet.