The Daily News. MONDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1916. HUN VENGEANCE ON ROUMANIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 October 1916, Page 4

The Daily News. MONDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1916. HUN VENGEANCE ON ROUMANIA.

It is quite possible that when the history of the war is written, German hatred will loom large as ono of the factors that brought about her undoing. Had the Germans refrained from trampling under foot every written and unwritten law for the observance of humane principles in warfare, there would have been evoked a certain amount of pity for the plight into which they have driven themselves, -but they have put themselves outside the pale of civilisation and sympathy, and having made their nest foul t'hey must lie in it. Britain has for a long time past been the special object of German 'hatred and vituperation, for the one and only reason that Britain barred the way of t'he Kaiser and his hosts on their self-ap-pointed mission to dominate the world. No self-respecting person likes to be thwarted in realising hi,s ambitions. Anger we can understand, but hatred of the fierce and vicious type developed by Germany utterly incomprehensible to all well-balanced minds. German hatred is the concentrated essence of that revealed ferocity, frightfulness and infuriated chagrin that obsesses the nation and fills the authorities with a mad desire for vengeance by every possible means. Foiled in their desperate efforts to crush Britain,, 'France or Russia, the barbaric Huns have concentrated all their available reserves to enable von Falkenhayn and Mackensen to "punish" Roumania, because that State has dared to throw off her neutrality and has joined the Allies in operations that seriously menace both Germany and Turkey, as well as Bulgaria, at a time when matters are going very badly for the Central Powers. The effect of this '■punitive" movement against Roumania cannot yet be forecasted, but there are indications that it will eventually prove to be a very costly and reckless waste of the waning resources of Austro-Ger-many. It is true that the German attacks caused the Roumanians to retreat in Southern Translyvania, but this was in some measure due to the Roumanians having previously transferred a number of divisions to the Dobriulja, where a great combined movement of the Allies may be looked for in the near future. Already the Russo-Roumanians have advanced from eight to twenty-five miles, in spite oE stubborn opposition. The general -situation remains unaltered, except that the Austrian advance has been .stopped, and the Roumanians have merely contracted their operations for the time being in Transylvania. When asked in the House of Commons whether the Allies were not going to do their utmost to protect the Roumanians from German fury, the Secretary for War (Mr. Lloyd George) replied that the Allies were fully alive to the necessity of according- the fullest support to Roumania against the enemy's vicious attack. 'He had not the least doubt that Germany was 'concentrating with a view to crushing Roumania in a spirit of hatred. There can be 110 question that the views of Mr. Lloyd George are equally tho;e of the Allies, and especially those of Russia. It is very significant that the Russians have already sent, important reinforcements to Roumania. In Northern Transylvania the Roumanians are already in effective touch with the Russians, and they hold the dominating passes and heights of the frontier mountains. But the enemy is at a. great disadvantage in no longer possessing a strategic reserve, added to which he is being attacked vigorously 011 -all fronts. Germany cannot fail to recognise that she disturbed a hornets' nest, and that her insatiable lust and mad desire for vengeance will still further reduce her ability to resist the ever-increasing pressure of the Allies. There is not the slightest ground for alarm at Falken-hayn's offensive. It will serve to brace up the Allies to further effort®. They fully undorstand the enemy's tactics and we may rest assured they will successfully cope with the latest phase of German dementia. Every nation that stood between Germany and her ambitions was to be crushed without mercy, and with every cruelty that could be devised, but intention and fulfilment are two very different things. The latest news from the various war theatres conclusively indicates the waning power of the enemy, and the development of tlie Allied strength and superiority. At the same time, to defeat them will require the fullest power we and our Allies can develop. Without doubt Germany's vindictive move against Roumania will result in punishment, but it will be the vicious Huns and not the Roumanians who will be the sufferers.