The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1918. IMPENDING ENEMY DISASTER.

Taihape Daily Times, 5 October 1918, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1918. IMPENDING ENEMY DISASTER.

(With which is Incorporated The ftAhape Pout and Wa!mn.rl-io News).

This week-end of war seems as | though it is going to be remarkably | prolific of disaster for the world's enemies; By deliberate lying Germany, with tales about sending forces to occupy Bulgaria, may delay for a day or two the unconditional surrender of Turkey. By the way, there are not wanting signs that a tacit uderstanding has already been arrived at between Turkey and the Allies. Parleying at Aleppo is reported, and we are advised that the British are to reoccupy Baku by arrangement that should be impossible with continuance of a state of belligerency. The Arlies are occupying Bulgaria with the de'termination to use it to the utmost in defeating what may be left of tne Central Powers, and the stories about Austro-Germans being in occupation of Sofia are utterly false, a lie to deceive Turkey and thereby gain time while winter draws nearer. The supreme war interest is centred in France and Belgium; it is there that the armies of the Kaiser are in nothing short of a disastrous dilemma; they are now in a veritable trap from which they can only escape with huge loss of life and the remnants of what they were early in' last July. The most far-reaching, comprehensive blow has fallen and the enemy are staggering under it; death lies everywhere; thousands are cut off and caged as prisoners, and those that are yet free know not how to escape from the trap into whfch Foch has forced them. The most formidable defences man could conceive have been crumpled up or shot into dust, and, although it has been said by an unknown correspondent that there are t other defences, the provisions being made for escape •by the Germans tell the whole • truth about the situation. Hundreds -of pontoon bridges have been, and are being, erected across the difficult river Meuse, which' runs between the German armies and German territory, and all permanent bridges over that river ■ are being mined. This only has one I meaning; the Germans that can reach the Meuse before the Allies are to pass over those hundreds of pontoons and destroy the permanent structures j so as to leave the Allies in France and Belgium while they escape. At present, the German armies at St. Quentin and Cambrai are liable to be forced to the Meuse heights in their rear and accept either annihilation or surrender, for we are told, officially, that the Allies are controlling the retreat. It may be regarded as certain that • Laon and 'Lille will both go, but. to avoid congestion on. the roads of flight they will no doubt be held as long as is necessary, or is possible. From every war expert and war correspondent we are told to expect most sensational victories, a series of victories happening simultaneously which collectively mean the utter and complete defeat of German militarism, and entire freedom for all nations to work out their own destiny with no menace or bullying from any quarter. It now seems impossible for Germany to hold on to any part of France or Belgium for more than a matter of a few months; with added disaster that anything like a backward winter would almost assuredly result in the evacuation of all western invaded territory must go on as rapidly as possible to save any great proportion of the German life that is now involved. Everywhere in the six great battles that are raging the enemy is getting away as fast as he can. It may be said he is hanging to his hold of Cambrai and other isolated defensive points, but that only proves and emphasises the state of desperation he has been forced into; he has to sacrifice life in such holding on to avoid destruction of his whole army before it can get away to the pontoon bridges that are in?, readiness across tihe | Meuse. In Belgium there can be no doubt about the frenzied hurry to get away, one great town after another Is; being captured; Dixmude, Roulers, Menin and Thourout are under Allied control and Lille, Turcoing and Roubaix are threatened. When once Germans relinquish the hold of their defences in their retreat it is evident there will be a terrific avalanche of Allied troops fall upon them, and the distance to Brussels and Liege .will rapidly be covered. The Franco-Am-ericans in the Argonne ' seem to be awaiting the auspicious moment for an order to burst through the last thin line of defence and rush along the , Meuse Valley to the rear of Laon and St. Quentin; while yet the Americans are evidently prepared to put forth their efforts in the Metz sector, threatening the Rhine Valley. This is the situation that cables to hand in the last two days clearly define, and we have only to reverse the situation, putting the Allies in the places the Germans occupy to realise its import to the full.