CURRENT TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 August 1916, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS.

. IMPORTANCE OF ERZINGAN. . The capture of Erzingan by the Russians was a success of very great importance, that town being regarded as a strategic centre. Erzingan constitutes in the Asiatic struggle one of those central strategical points of which Napoleon was so fond, from which it is possible to strike in several directions. It stands auout 70 miles due north of Kharput, which is at the head of the caravan route which runs through Diabekr and Xcsibin to Mosul and Bagdad. The occupation of Erzingan will enable the Russians to advance upon Kharput from two directions —from Erzingan itself, which lies to the north, and from Erzeruf, which lies to the north-east. In addition, the Russians should he able to advance upon Diabekr, which lies 80 miles south-east of Kharput and midway between that place and Nesibin from Sairt, which stands SO miles due east. They should be able to turn the formidable barrier of the Armenian Taurus, and threaten the Turkish rear. Thus it is probable that one of the future ellects of the fall of Erzingan will bo the capture o'f Kharput and Diabekr, and this Will render possible an advance down the caravan route upon Nesidin. If that place falls, the principal Turkish line of communication with Mesopotamia will be cut. They will still have the Euphrates line, but that is merely a caravan track ever 303 miles long, and quite unequal to supplying a large army. The Turkish forces operating on the Mosul-Uewaiuluz line will be threatened from several directions, and compelled to fall back, and the Russian columns, combining at Mosul, should be able to advance down the Tigris upon Bagdad from the north. The British are at prevented from rendering effective co-oper-ation by the floods, but about September the drv season commences. In the meantime they should be completing their preparations and will then be able to resume their advance upon Bagdad. IF the Russians have succeeded in cutting the Turkish "line of communication at Xcsibin by that time we may expect to see the city fall. A BOYCOTT OF GERMANY,

As an instance of how the war has affected the views of some pacifists and free-traders, a pamphlet recently written by H. Sefton-Jones oil ''German Crimes and Our Remedy," is of interest. Mr. Sefton-lones who describes himself as '"a pacificist and free-trader," summarises his views a.-> follows:—"Repatriation immediately after the war of all interned Germans throughout the British Empire. Unless this is carried out with relentless and systematic p"eeision (1) the concealed war in our ter-

ritorv against llio national welfare will be resumed by every underhand means which the perverted ingenuity of the foe can devise; (2) the thousands of interned Herman.-; will compete with our returning soldiers for situations. Kni'ther, the simultaneous return of all Germans to their fatherland will transfer to that country the jirobiem of their support, and thereby add further to the effectiveness of the international interdict. All ports of the. Allies closed to German seamen, and to ships owned by Germans or sailing under the (ierman flag. All Cicrman investments, patents, royalties, copyrights and goodwill pf every kind should, during the embargo, be held for the licnelit of the Stati', colony or dominion in which they accrue, in liquidation of the wa;< indemnities. Imposition of a differencial tariff on all goods of ("lerman origin, amounting to at least 2"> per cent, ad valorem over and above any taxation imposed on such goods imported from elsewhere." FR EXCII. T.OSSBS. Ifr. Gardiner, editor of the London Daily Xews, who has visited the Frencn front, states that the French have lost one million men, dead. Officially, the French casualties have never been published, but the latest figure corroborates what was said at the Bristol Confer•life some months ago, w'hen deputies from Paris put the dead p.t 800,001). On pre-war calculations this would mean that the total casualties must be over four millions, of whom, say, H millions might be expected to return to the colors. This total, however, looks altogether incredible. Possibly, the percentage of dead is 'higher than normal, owing to admitted insufficiency of the Red Cross service at the beginning of the war. when many wounded succumbed who might have been saved under more favorable conditions. France is cut off from some of her most populous provinces, and the drain upon her manhood may account for .Mr. Gardiner'.; further statement—which will cause *ome surprise—that, when the Hermans first aliacked Verdun General Jolfrc was prepared for a withdrawal. It may also help to account for the persistency of the German attacks at Verdun in spite of tremendous losses. The Germans are, no doubt, pretty well informed about the extent of the French casualties. They may reckon that in a war of "attrition" France can be worn out more effectually than any of her Allies.