SOME FOOLISH TALK.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 April 1917, Page 8

SOME FOOLISH TALK.

A good deal of the usual nonsense is being talked on both sides about the retreat. Major Moniht tells the German public that they should be pleased with the retreat, "for it means that Von Hlndenbnrg is luring the British and French in order to inflict upon them unprecedented losses," We need not bogrudge the German people any satisfaction which they are able to extract from that sort of pill'le. On the other hand, w'hen the Paris correspondent of the New York World declares that "the German High Command are stunned by the rapidity of General Nivolle's pursuit" lie lis/talkim; palpable nonsense. The Germans are making a successful and leisurely retreat from ft very dangerous position. They aro taking their own time about it, and thus far there b no sign that the Anglo-French are in ft position to strike a decisive blow. Only after a long time probably will it ho known for certain whether our present appparent lack of enterprise la dug to the weather, to our preparations being still incomplete, or to our arrniea being so placed strategically that they are in no position to take advantage of their present opportunity, However »gtisf*c, tory the German retreat may he as a sign of weakness on their part, aiu however substantial the advantage* which wo may derive from it, the spectacle of the enemy slipping away without serious loss froin a positiqn in which they ran the risk of being out to, pieces is not ono which would have appealed to, a strategist of Nnnpleon/n stamp. The strategical ||onors {una far rest with HiiHlenburg, and will continue to rest with him sq far as this retreat i s concerned unless the Anglo-French atrikc decisiv* blows within the ns»t day «r two. ".' ' • .

ASTOPY '' / §pmp curiosity is pxpreased. is to the faff g/ Bri«), mogfo'M, bot.li past and preset. p..„„ f),j | )e gi pl ,i ng fl f tii» Soinme. .£i.ii s iv c on July 1 )»st to l|ie taking-.riiupguiiie— a ■period of ratiifr m.vet La* «j<l,t moutJis aad «-)ui|-rll

progressed due eastward about ten miles. una captured on March J7, and on March 20 Sir Douglas Haig reports that we have reached Vein, six miles due east of Bapaume. We are apparently progressing eastward now at the rate of about two miles a day. The French advance is somewhat faster, but the Germans in front of them are falling back more rapidly, in order to get out of the extreme point of the salient. If our present progress is consistently maintained, it should take us from lf> to •20 days to reach the Belgian, frontier, advancing through Cambrai to a point due east of Arras. If the enemy make a stand there a pause of some weeks will probably follow, while the rojds, railways, bridges and comimmicatiojis generally are being repaired and the heavy artillery brought up. Should thp Germans fall right back out of Belgium, then the samo rate of progress will bring us to the German frontier.-in,,.another 40 days, or, say, about seven'veoks from now. Of course, a successful offensive by the Anglo-French would accelerate matters.