The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE MONDAY, AUGUST 5, 1918. PROGRESS OF THE BATTLE.

Taihape Daily Times, 5 August 1918, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

MONDAY, AUGUST 5, 1918. PROGRESS OF THE BATTLE.

(With which is Incorporated The .r&ihape Post and Waluramo News).

War correspondents in France seem to think that although the Allies are destined to win a supremely important victory somewhere north of the Marne, there are not now favourable indications that any considerable part oi the German army will be cut off and captured. To say that there was no possibility of such a happening would be just as stupid as to assert that there was the utmost probability, but while the battle continues to rage on a scale of such magnitude who would venture to predict what the end will be? German newspapers are admitting the collapse of the rush for Paris, and they are subtly endeavouring to prepare the German mind for the appalling news of slaughter and loss the German army under the Crown Prince has sustained. In the meantime the Allies are pushing forward their efforts to achieve the maximum that it is possible to attain. The German military authorities are transmitting a doubtfully plausible story to the army and people to smooth over the terrible gap in their fighting force, and to account for the rapid retreat from the most vitally menacing point they have yet reached in the war. They are aware that they have to r«tire much further yet, but as they are not disclosing to their people the line which does matter and which they do intend to defend, it seems obvious that they do not know how far they will have to go. It. is not likely that the German people will be gulled with the story that it was never intended to hold the area ~ecently occupies, and that the army is retiring because it has effected its purpose. Not even a Boche could believe such a story, coupled with the intelligence that th« great offensive which is to bring final victory is postponed. Better class. Germans know that the great offensive for victory has been launch.ee. and that it has been miserably defeated by Foch; that the defeated armies are in full flight, fighting bitterly for their very existence, with the British, French and Americans in pressing pursuit. Ludendorff has issued a semiofficial note saying that in view of the new situation Germany has had to postpone for some time the decisive blow. He requires time for re-group, ing his forces owing to divisions from the Russian front refusing to light in France—the graveyard. But before be can re-group for a new blow for decisive victory he has to dispose oi the present appalling costly whipping he is getting from the Allies; he has to shake off the immense pressure before he cau definitely decide upon t» line over which the Allies cannot go. ■ General Maurice doubts' very muen whether either a line on the Ardre oi on the Vesle is possible for Ludendorff to successfully defend. He is sacrificing his men in huge numbers to gain time, but the Allies do not

seem disposed to allow the time he requires. There are reports of an immensely strong line on the Vesle, but owing to the merciless pressure of the Allies, we may- reasonably assume that this is rather what Germany Is striving for than what has been attained. The French are already threatening enemy positions on the Vesle, behind his retreating centre, and though he may meet with the most bitter resist, ance we may rest assured that a mission pregnant with so much disaster to the retreaters will not be lightly relinquished. It is only by huge sacrlfices of life and war material that the Crown Prince’s army has so far bebn saved from capture, and has made it possible to safely reach the Vesle. However, the Vesle is not the German line yet, and we may gather frora the

attacks upon it by French on one side and British on the other, at this early stage, that a line capable of being held is no nearer than that which they were compelled to retreat to in the first Battle of the Marne, fought nearly four years ago. The Germauu

are, of course, being driven back to a line with which they have perfect communications: a line to which guns, men and supplies may be taken witn tolerable certainty that if any very serious force was brought against It everything could be got away, not be in any great jeopardy from capture. As they near this line resistance of the Germans naturally becomes great, er, but we have no message yet to hand that says the Allies have any thought of stopping or weakening their effort, and itseems that there, is determination that no resting place shall be found along the valley of the Yeisle, the line from which the first great thrust in this quarter came. What effect this defeat of the German 1918 offensive will have~on the German people is an uncertain quantity; it is well-known that the people of the Rhine provinces are paralysed with fear, never knowing when their towns, homes, factories and railways may be blown to dust by the almost ever-pre-sent Allied airmen. Thousands of tons of bombs are being scattered over the chief industrial war centres, and schemes for visiting Berlin are quickly developing; trouble in Russia and Ukraine is increasing, another German Goveror has been assassinated; the Czecho-Slovaks are victoriously marching on Moscow, and viewing matters from all quarters the German military command has no easy task on hand. Unless armies are forthcoming that the world wots not of, Germany will find the defence of present lines a very considerable strain and the High Command may decide to shorten them. Even if the Crown Prince’s combination cannot be driven past the Yesle the honours of the 1913 fighting are overwhelmingly with the Allies.