The Daily News. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1915. THE BEGINNING OF THE END.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 November 1915, Page 4

The Daily News. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1915. THE BEGINNING OF THE END.

Up till now it has been impossible to see the end of the war, but at last light is to be seen on the horizon. It is provided in the various reports that have been appearing ill the cables during the past week or two regarding the terrific loss in the enemy's forces and the impossibility of the enemy keeping up the strength on the different fronts with first-line men. The normal loss in Germain's' ranks alone is over a quarter of a million •monthly, and this loss is evidently beginning to make itself felt. Every man Germany loses means her weakening, and the time will come when she will be unable io bear the strain further. She went into the war with her maximum strength. Indeed, she relied on her great forces to overwhelm her enemies suddenly. A long war was quite out of her reckoning. She figured she could mortally stab France in a few weeks at the most, and then be able to turn her attentions to Russia and smash her at will. Britain's turn was to come—but, later, when Germany had consolidated her position. Of course, all her plans, cunningly thoughtout as Uny were, went astray, and she

now finds herself confronted with dedeafo This is a mathematical certainty. •As we said, Germany wont into the war with her maximum forces. Prance called up two-thirds of her forces, -whilst (Russia mobilised ahout an eighth. England was regarded from a military point of view as a negligible quantity. She was able to put in the field but 200,000 men. At the present time we have sqmcthing like four millions ready, not taking into consideration the colonial forces or the huge masses India is known to have in training. In other words, Britain has as many soldiers in the field, and ready to take the field, as Germany has intact on all her fronts. Franco, allowing for wastage, lias nearly three millions, whilst Russia has inexhaustible reservoirs of good lighting men to draw upon. Then there is Italy with her two to three millions. The Allies have at least three to one in numerical superiority, which, it is to be remembered, is an ever-increasing one, (whilst the Central Powers' numbers are. daily decreasing. This is one of the great outstanding features of the struggle, and one that marks the beginning of the end. Germany has spent the best of her forces, and must depend now upon youths and old men. The enemy has made an onslaught on the Balkan.?, but her forces there, we now find, are very attenuated, and but for the assistance of the Bulgarians she could have made absolutely no impression. With the strengthening of the Allied forces, the landing of a big Italian army, as is promised, and the despatch •of a considerable Russian force to the coast of Bulgaria, there is every reason to hope tliat the enemy will be thwarted on this new front. Like the wild beast he he will dash his head against the bars encircling him. but there is an end to this exercise, and it is at last in sight.