The Daily News. THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 1916. GERMANY'S WAR DYNASTY'S LAST CHANCE.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 March 1916, Page 4

The Daily News. THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 1916. GERMANY'S WAR DYNASTY'S LAST CHANCE.

The awful carnage that is taking place around Douaumont may well appal all civilised people, and it is but natural that the real reason for this volcanic fury should be sought for. According to Mr. J. L. Garvin, editor of the London Observer, the underlying motive of this mad sacrifice of life is to be found in the desperation of the Kaiser and those who stand with him for the autocratic domination of the German nation. "In the next three months,'' says Mr. Garvin, "we must be prepared to meet everything that Germany can contrive or risk on land, at sea, and in the air. It is Germany's war dynasty's last chance." We know that a desperate and strong willed autocrat like the Kaiser values as nothing the lives of his soldiers. They are mere machines to do his will, and at his bidding must march in masses to be mown down by the opposing forces or hurled into human fragments that the German War Lord may boast of his invincible army and of his own omnipotency. It requires no special gift of second sight to descry this wholesale destroyer of his countrymen, standing on the heights of Orues watching wave after wave of German infantry breaking helplessly against the impassable wall of fire created by the French.. Can' we not imagine his thoughts as instead of witnessing his brave men advancing to 'ietory, he sees his broken and dispirited brigades retiring under the diabolical fire leaving hundreds of thousands for ever "invincible" over all enemies, except Death, for there lie the_dead heaped up in thousands on the hillside—butchered on the altar of a German Emperor's vanity. It is Germany's war dynasty's last chance. Why? .Defeat of the Germans, emphasised as it must be by the unparalleled number of the slain, will mean the downfall of Prussian militarism, and with it the overthrow of the Kaiser and his satelites. They are not now fighting for German world dominance, for that is a myth which lias evaporated long since, but they are dangerously desperate in self-defence. Their existence is at stake and they are gambling away the flower of German I manhood on the forlorn hope of victory. After nearly two thousand years of the influence of Christianity we may well stand aghast at such an awful spectacle. Not content with the colossal wastage of life on the field of battle, the barbaric Huns are contriving every possible engine of destruction for use against peaceful citizens of all countries while traversing the seven seas or dwelling in their homes on land. There is no limit to their malevolence, no satiating their lust for slaughter. And the pity of it is that until these ruthless barbarians are utterly crushed their ferocity will not be curbed—rather will it increase as the hour of their doom approaches. We must, therefore, be of good courage and press onwards to victory as speedily as possible so to shorten the terrible anxiety that cmanatea from the horrors committed by the German military caste. It is reassuring to know that at Verdun the French line is improving daily, whereas the Germans are using their last resources. The great German War Lord could hardly gloat over the prospect that met his guze when perched on the height of Ornes, and it is quite possible that as he witnessed the havoc inflicted on his troops he realised that his day of triumph was over, and that nis glory had departed. If he is still in doubt it will soon be made clear that ltis power for evil has entered upon the last lap, and that the forlorn hope of victory has vanished for ever.

THE AUTUMX SHOW It is Willi much pleasure that we offer to Hie Taranaki Metropolitan Agricultural Society our warmest congratulations on the success which has attended their forty-first annual show, which was opened on the Xew Plymouth racecourse yesterday. At one time there seemed t» be a probability that this show would have to go by default, but the mere idea of such a retrograde step acted as a powerful stimulus to special efforts being made to largely increase (lie Society's membership and to infuse enthusiasm into the farmers of the district. Fortunately the Society had in its president (Mr. J. 8. Connett) a most enthusiastic and indefatigable worker, and it is largely owing to his persistent and tactful efforts that the Society lias been placed on a far more satisfactory basis than Alas been the ease for some years past. Tlie results of hie energetic campaign to anther the best interests of the Society ■vcrc in evidence yesterday on the show'l'ound, when it woe seen that entries vpre present from nearly every part of 'ae province. In a dairying district like TaranaW it was to be expected that ;attle, and especially Jerseys and Ayr.'ftlres, would be largely represented, and

the entries tliat came forward in the cattle classes were certainly a credit to Taranaki farmers. It will be seen from tlie comments on the various classes (to be found in another column) that the milking section of the cattle exhibited was of exceptionally fine quality, and that the number of entries was distinctly good, while competition was keen. This is as it should be, for it is to encourage the attainment of perfection that is one of the Society's chief reasons for existence. The only cattle class that failed to attract many entrios was the Holsteins, especially in the grade class, but the lack of exhibits of this breed was amply made up for by the entries in the Ayrshires and Jerseys, which constituted as fine a showing as could be wished for. The gratifying feature of the show is the evidence that is afforded of the awakened interest of tlie fanners throughout the district, and it is to be hoped that this interest will be maintained and strengthened year by year. The Society's 1916 show amply justifies the time, trouble and labor, expended on it by-all the officers, and visitors to-day will, we are confident, endorse the verdict of yesterday. The success achieved clearly demonstrates the truth of tlie old proverb that "where there is a will, there is a way," and while felicitating the Society on its entering on a new career of extended utility, we again urge the farmers of the district to vie with each other in making each succeeding show better than its predecessor, and thereby add to the fame of Taranaki as n primary producing centre.