The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, MAY 30, 1917. THE TASK AHEAD.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 May 1917, Page 4

The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, MAY 30, 1917. THE TASK AHEAD.

-.,.,.,.„,,.. continues to act the part of a wild beast, iiulilforent to the claims of suffering humanity and utterly careless of the consequences. She sends a squadron of aeroplanes to shower death upon the unsuspecting and innocent inhabitants of»English villages; she deliberately announces her intention of attacking all the Allies' hospital ships; she continues her slave raids in Belgium and Northern Trance; and increases the monthly indemnity she is forcing stricken Belgium to provide. Germany is behaving as if there never will bo any judgment upon her atrocious conduct, as if no such thing as retribution will over overtake her, as if there is no end to her tether. "Frightfulness," of course, is part of her creed, but the effect of its employment is tho reverse of what she anticipated. Instead of quailing, the free people whom she lias so viciously and wantonly outraged are but steeled to greater efforts in their determination to overthrow her and the foul creed upon which her national relty gion is based. It is difficult for us to conceive a so-called civilised nation running amuck in this way, and that ere now Germany has not realised the hopelessness of the struggle she set out upon with such a light heart and disregard of national and humanitarian ifthies. But the fact that she still persists in her "frightfulness," seeking indeed to outdo all her past achievements in this fell direction, would go to show that the leaders, at any rate, believe they still have a chance of winning the war, or, at least, of securing an acceptable peace. Tliey believe —and rightly believe, it must be admitted—that if Britain can be beaten, tho war is as good as won. Only the other day Captain Persius, the Hun naval authority, argued that if the February rate of sinkings could be maintained Britain would be near the end of her food resources by July, which to llie Germans is the important month', because in August the new season's produce will be available and the danger, will have been averted until the home production is exhausted. We now have the authority of Lord Milner and the British Prime Minister that the danger of starvation of Britain has been averted, and we know, too, that the submarine lias been successfully countered and that its days of destructiveness are numbered. Britain cannot therefore be starved into submission as the Huns fondly hope, and the fact should soon become apparent to the most obtuse German mind. Thus the Huns' last T.ope of victory will h.ave been dissipated,, f No doubt thej£J

will try more desperately than ever to make Urms with Russia, and, if S',i"cossl'ul, will fight on in the hope of the other Allies crying enough, lint whatever the attitude of Russia—and one cannot speak too confidently in the light of recent happening*, of Russia—there will he no weakening on the part of Britain, France, Italy and -America. There is too much at stake—the future peace of the world —for them to even think of leaving undone the work they havo undertaken. They will fight on and endure to the end, however king that may be. With Russia's active help, it must be confessed that it will require the whole weight of their resources to defeat the .enemy, and it is no use our blinding ourselves to the fact. Whatever happens the brunt must fall upon Britain. France is Hearing the end of her resource, in men. This was realised before Gerer.il Joffre made his pathetic and moving appeal to the United States. A correspondent of the London Daily Mail wrote early in March in the following strain:—

Having lately seen the French Army at work, I am simply forced to this conclusion: It rests with (Great Britain henceforth to take the overwhelming part. The French Army is superb. Its latest retort to the Germans at liaisons do Champagne is amazing. . . . The French are ardent, irrepressible;' but they arc not super-human. Recall their work and losses in the first year and a half of war. Observe the length of their line. S(;;idy their figures. And then you will see at once that Great* Britain must do it. Do not gamble on the endless man power of Russia, on China, America, •>r starving Germany and Austria (neither is starving, and Austria was far better organised than was supposed here); or on the fall of the mark (other marks than Germnnv's are falling badIvi; and do not gamble on revolution in Germany—there 'is not the ghost of a chance of it. unless the War Staff gives in to the Allies before the German Army is broken and cedes German sdil. To gamble on any of the above chances onlv l,mosr.s the loss of reasoning power. Great Britain 'has—with Franco superbly at bay—to break the German line and the German heart that is behind that tremendous line. And the only way it can by any human possibility be done is by stem and wholesale sacrifices at borne in order to furnish our great Army find its matchless leader with the, stuff, with the lighting men and' munitions and food and labor.

America has since come into the struggle, and will assist Franco and Britain both on land and sea, but Britain alone Will be able this year to put in a decisive blow and follow it up adequately. Next year America's help on land will be essential if we are to give the enemy the coup de grace. Nothing is to be gained by minimising the task ahead of the A'llies, of Britain in particular, who must put every ounce of power into the light in order to win.