The Daily News. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 1915. THE OUTLOOK.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 November 1915, Page 4

The Daily News. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 1915. THE OUTLOOK.

The enemy has now about expended his maximum force. His many attempts to bring about a final decision have failed, In Frajiee the Germans are outnumbered and holding their lines with difficulty. If the Allies are prepared to make the sacrifices, they can force back and bend, and perhaps break, the enemy's line, as was shown by the movement last month. The initiative on this' front has passed absolutely from the Germans to the Allies. This is a very significant fact, and marks a new phase in the history of the war. The Austro-Gcr-man offensive in Russia has also been arrested, and recent cables show that ■the initiative here lias passed to Russia, which is attacking valiantly and meeting the enemy on equal terms as regards big guns. But for lack of these and the necessary munitions, the German advance would have been checked year. Still, the retreat may, in its bearing upon the ultimate issue, have been more helpful to the Alljes than a campaign confined to the outer fringe of Poland. In the retreat the enemy has suffered cruelly. Russia, too, has suffered, but Russia's resources in men are practically inexhaustible. Germany's and Austria's 'Rre not. This is shown by their send-

ing forward olil men and ill-trained boys to fill the gaps, and to their poor quality is attributed the failure to take -Riga olid other important strategical points. Germany alone lias been losing, according to authorities, at least 250,000 men monthly, which is to say that she has already lost nearly 4,000,000 men, moat of whom, it has to be remembered, are first-line soldiers. A proportion of these casualties will, of course, return to the front, but there is a big proportion of sick always off duty, and the returned wounded would only about balance them. Italy is keeping employed a big body of Austrians, over whom she is slowly gaining mastery, and upon whom she has already taken heavy toll. The enemy seems at the moment to have the better of the argument in the Balkans, but if the Allies act with determination and can only put in the necessary men and guns, the situation is still not without hope. It is too late, of course, to save plucky little Serbia, but it is not too lato to block the road between the Germanic States and Constantinople. The Allies are about to make an important move there, and Kitchener may be behind it. If the report that the Russians are concentrating in large numbers in Bessarabia is true, then we may soon see a convergent attack upon the infamous Bulgars. It is possible that Roumania may play a part on the side of the Allies. But for the Bulgars it is apparent the Austro-Germans would never have made any progress in Servia. Had the Allies acted more promptly and sent substantial forces to the aid of Serbia, Bulgaria may have stayed her hand. But she will have to pay even laoro dearly for her treacherous behaviour than she did for similar treachery at the conclusion of the first Balkan war. Greece is still the puzzle of the East. The King is a pronounced proGerman, and he seems to hold bis people in the hollow of his hand. But the Allies have one tireless friend on tlieir side —Time. Germany is fighting against Time as surely as Time is fighting for us. The reason is that the resources of the Allies are much greater than those of ! the Germanic Powers, and that they become more and more available as time elapses. The Allies are daily increasing in strength both relatively and absolutely. The enemy is daily decreasing in strength; already nearly .half his efficients have gone. Without the assistance of the Bulgarians and the Turks a forward movement in the Balkans would have been impossible. If the same attrition of his forces continues the end of the war can be but a simple matter of arithmetic. There is another factor which is having its effect upon the wearing down of the enemy. It is the close grip the British X'avy i 9 maintaining over the Germanic seaboard. At one time the enemy could get foodstuffs through Sweden, but the British submarines have largely put an end to that. There is evidently a shortage of food for the civilian population, the poorer portion of which is feeling the pinch acutely. This is but the beginning of the European winter. What will be the position of the poor of Germany in another three months' time? It will be well nigh desperate. and create a situation that will be as difficult for the German authorities as it will be helpful to the Allies. This is essentially a war of exhaustion, and on that account tbe Allies must win, simply because they have the superiority in numbers of men, in financial and food resources, and arc now gaining a superiority in big gun 9 and munitions.