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Taranaki Daily News, 5 August 1915, Page 6

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NEED FOP, SACRIFICES. (BISHOP AVERILI/S OPINION. The views of Dr. A. W. Averill, Anglican Bishop of Auckland, as to the effects of, and the lessons to be learned from the first year of war are given in the following interview: — " A general review of twelve months of war on such a colossal scale as the present conflict has revealed to us more and more of the astounding preparations made by Germany for the great and inevitable ' day,' when she hoped to bring Europe to her fee.t, and impose her ' Kultill"' upon Lite ' anaemic and decadent and barbarous' nations of Europe, which dared to challenge her right to universal conquest," said the bishop. She has revealed her perfect war machine, her marvellous power of organisation, her as yet apparently endless resources, and her unfailing, if superficial, optimism. As a foe she is a mighty and powerful force to reckon with, not only on account of ha - perfect organisation, but still more on account of her uiiscrupulousnesa and diabolical methods and her contempt for the laws of God or man. Germany is not beaten yet, and it is! somewhat premature to consider tl'.e division of the lion's skin before the lion is kil'ed. A nation which can hold the position against the armies of Britain, France and Russia, which Germany holds to-day, after twelve months of sanguinary war, is a nation which, from a military point of view, apart from its methods of frightfulness, is worthy of our si eel.

"One can only feci profoundly thankful that the position is as favorable as it is for the Allies, considering the grave risks which we ran at the beginning of the war, on account of our unpreparcdness and general ignorance of Germany's possibilities. We are a wiser people than we were twelve months ago, and v.'e know now that it is better to act than to talk —to work than to criticise. In spite of all our JTopes that finance may soon bring matters to a climax, we shall be very foolish to presume or to slacken our efforts in any direction. The war i,s not finished yet, and we are probably far awav from the ilnisli, AWAITING EARL KITCHENER'S COUP. " We are completing a year's war in a certain state of wonderment as to what and when will be the great blow for which Earl Kitchener has been preparing, and for which he lias so many fresh troops available," proceeded Dr. Averill. "The comparative inaction on the Western 'frontier, whilst many of I Germany's best troops are withdrawn [to the • East to inflict, if possible, a crushing blow upon Russia, seems to in- ; dicate that some new departure is near at hand. Otherwise, one would have imagined that there would have been some I greater activity in the West, in order I to relieve the pressure in the East.

" Can it be the want of munitions which is keeping back the progress of the Allies? One cannot think of the failure of muntion contractors and workers, or colliery owners and colliers, at such a crisis in the Empire's history witliout feeling's too deep for words. One would have thought that the spirit, of sacrifice would permeate owners and workers, employers and employed, when the lives of thousands of men were in their hands, and when failure to supply coal and munitions meant inevitable death and defeat. TRIBUTE TO WORK OF TIIE NAVY.

'■ In spite of our appreciation of the work and heroism of our boys and their brave comrades at the Dardanelles," added the bishop, "ill spite of our admiration of the splendid persistence of the Russians, in spite of our thankfulness for the thousands of millions of men offering for service in Britain and her dominions and dependencies, and in spite of our thankfulness for Italy's intervention, perhaps our admiration goes out most fervently to our splendid navy, keeping its silent vigil in the North Sea, and just waiting, waiting, waiting to do its duty. " Although the end is not in view, the result of the war is certain if we continue to mobilise all our forces, spiritual as well as material, for this great eonllict of opposing ideals which is shaking the world in its very foundations. Our rxtlo must still be: ' Forward, hopefully siVn'Jv.'" '