The Daily News. THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 19l7. CONDUCT OF THE WAR.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 March 1917, Page 4

The Daily News. THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 1917. CONDUCT OF THE WAR.

The discussion which was raised in the House of Commons on the Army Estimates was, it will generally be considered, unwise and unprofitable. It was chiefly remarkable for the criticisms evoked from Mr Winston Churchill on the conduct of the war, particularly with reference to the Balkans campaign. Now, Mr Churchill should have been the last membei of the House to indulge in free criticism of the war operations. In the first place he is an ex-Minister, and shoulu therefore be ,perfectly conveisant with the fact that questions of high policy cannqt be debated, and in the next place he is not free from blame himself for the policy he adopted when in office. But he is one of those free lances who seem to avail themselves of any and every opportunity to keep in the limelight, no matter whether the interests of State suffer. It is evident that Mr Churchill considers the Balkan campaign will be unproductive of decisive results, for ho asserts that it should have been recognised that the hour for successful intervention in the Balkans had passed. In common with

the majority of people, Mr Churchill looked for important results in Macedonia from the Salonika expedition, but he is evidently quite unaware of the nature of the country, which is a maze of contour lines and river beds. The small maps give no idea of the intolerable difficulties, not only of dislodging an enemy who holds the great mountains which are the walls of Macedonia, but of transport. Most of the critics who have been writing and speaking so glibly about the Salonika campaign arc in complete ignorance of the conditions prevailing on this front. They must be actually seen and experienced, and only then can sane criticism be useful. Transport is the life of the modern army. Without transport it cannot get ammunition for its guns •' or food for its stomach. One who has been there says: "You may put your army in the field, but unless you can fetch and carry for it on the largest scale, it is defeated before the enemy appears. And behind ine lay the troubled miles of the Seres road. Everything required by tho men established down there on the plain 'had to come by that rood fifty aula*

from Salonika. Every tin of bully beef, a3 well as every shell, every biscuit, and every revolver cartridge, must be dragged up liere by the sweating grunting lorries. They must be brought up and down bills which would break the heart of any ordinary motorist, over a surface that would bring everlasting disgrace on any road authority which allowed it to stand for even the meanest of the lanes, within its jurisdiction. Inches deep in dust in summer, swimming with mud in winter, the Sores road threads between, up and down, and across the great bills. And it is the only way by which supplies can be I'l'Might up to the troops which occupy a considerable portion of the Struma front, and to all the units stationed along the road. Every mile of advance on that front, every fresh battalion flung into the line, meant an increase of difficulty which was almost insurmountable as it stood." The problem of this road is the problem of the whole Macedonia campaign. .And yet Mr Churchill contends that we need an increasing army in tho Balkans. As might be expected, Mr Bonar Law told Mr Churchill' that it was necessary to act in concert with the Allies; and he pointed out that to abandon the expedition, would not only throw open Greece, but would give the enemy complete control of the Balkans, and place our Balkan supports at the mercy of their enemies. The crux of Mr Bonar Law's case was the fact that we should not run the former risk of being attacked from behind in the event of a German advance. It is a' source of , satisfaction to turn Mr Churchill's criticisms to the wall, and give attention to some of his suggestions. The question that he raised as to what extent India was yet able to supplement our man-power is certainly of great importance. He contended that if the Secretary for India had, a year ago, endeavoured to raise half the divisions which he (Mr Churchill) advocated, he would probably have released ninety thousand British troops in Egypt and Salonika, and they would have been available for the AVest front and Mesopotamia. There are many who think that India's vast man-power has not been sufficiently drawn upon to uphold the Empire's cause, and the time has now arrived when every available man that can bear arms against our enemies should be put in the field. There are difficulties with regard to Indian troops, but not such as will bar the way to a far greater use being made of them than has hitherto been the case. There is also the question of utilising the manpower of Africa, and Mr Churchill's complaint under this head is one that we have already commented upon. There is no mention in the cabled report of Mr ißonar Law's reply, either of tho Indian or African man-power. It is quite possible that the omission was due to silence on Mr Bonar Law's part on this matter, which is doubtless included in the comprehensive term "high policy." All the same, the fact of many millions being available to help in our greatest time of need and not being utilised seem 3 to indicate that the critical problem of winning the war has not yet been thoroughly worked out. If Mr Churchill's suggestions in this direction bear fruit, we can well afford to forgive his criticisms. It is help that is wanted, and not obstacles, and it is quite probable that were conferences held in South Africa and India similar to those which have taken place with our allies, they would result in a sufficiency of manpower being provided to render a speedy and complete victory a matter of absolute certainty.