The Daily News. MONDAY, JANUARY 3, 1916. REVIEW OF THE WAR.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 January 1916, Page 4

The Daily News. MONDAY, JANUARY 3, 1916. REVIEW OF THE WAR.

The review of the war as furnished by Lord Sydenham to ike Australian press will be read with the greatest interest. The cable message credits Lord Sydenham with being one of the world's greatest military authorities, but that is rather misleading. He served with distinction in Egypt and the Soudan, helped to reconstruct the War Office, and acted a3 secretary to the Imperial Defence Committee, but he is better known as Governor of Victoria, &ad subsequently Governor of Bombay, while lis services have largely been utilised on foreign missions. At the same time he is well fitted to give impartial ftnd expert views on the chief incidents ol tbft war. He is by no means a cheering critic for he views the work of the Allies as consisting mostly of sacrifices, the only couuterstroke being the capture of the German colonies, and his chief source of consolation appears to rest on a favorable comparison with the ye»r 1797. He considers that the real crisis was passed in September, 1914, when the German plan of campaign was wrecked and' Paris saved. It is rather out of place to call the hold up of the German advance as the real crisis, except from a French point o" view, as there have been far more critical operations since both on the Western and Eastern fronts. He accurately atates that the present position when he says that the enemy is held fast on both these fronts, and that his power of offensive appears to depend on the subsidised Turks and Bulgars. Lord Sydenham's tribute to the Australian and New Zealand forces is as generous as it is appropriate, while his praise of France, Russia, and Italy is equally gratifying, but it is" on the Navy that he bases the main reason for' calm confidence in the future. The New Year's greetings by the King are couched iu hopeful terms, expressive of the warmest appreciation of the services of the whole of tho Allied forces, and should engender full .truslj la ,th» ulti-

[mate issue of the struggle. Quern Alexandra's heartfelt and comforting message to the -women of the Empire is characteristic of her tender • sympathy, exhibited on all occasions, but especially welcoino in the present crisis. By way of contrast of a most striking nature we have the Kaiser's bombastic message which places on the Allies all the "impotent madness" which has characterised the German campaigu, and its allusion to the Allies having given up hope for victory by fair means, also to their campaign of calumny, is a worthy outcome of German kultur and its total abstinence from truth. The Frankfurter Zeituug trie 3 very hard to glorify the German hosts, but is forced to admit that Germany's intentions have not been fulfilled, and then, to cover up the lack of success, drags in all the side issues at command, It is the summing up of the position by this"u>aper that will cause most amusement. "We have broken the spell that King Edward laid on us, and stand victorious from Arras to Bagdad." Such grandiose rubbish should surely not fail to evoke derision even in Germany, for not even the most simple and uninformed Teuton can be 'fooled with such absurd statements. The fear of defeat is evidently already taking root in Germany, and though there is an outburst of glee at the conscription trouble in Britain, it is of a neurotic and hysterical kind presaging a breakdown of long cherished hopes now doomed to failure. The Allies have during the past year met every call with a courage and devotion that well befits the firm resolve to prosecute the war to a successful issue. Their policy of attrition has proved a conspicuous success, and though the sacrifices entailed have been very Sieavy, the outlook is bright with promise. A review of the past year's operations must convey many lessons for us and for our enemies. Never since the outbreak of hostilities have the Allies been so well prepared for victory as they are now, and the coming spring should give clear evidence of the effect of these preparation. Lord Sydenham contends that, so far, we are without visible successes. This is not actually the fact, but what we are now concerned about is the future, and as to that there should be nothing but the fullest confidence.