The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 1917. PROGRESS OF THE WAR.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 July 1917, Page 4

The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 1917. PROGRESS OF THE WAR.

The recent speeches made by the British Prime Minister at Glasgow and Dundee are full of interest and may he regarded as remarkably optimistic in tone. Naturally the two most prominent subjects dealt with were the submarine campaign and Sir Douglas Haig's offensive 1:1 tl>o V.*e=t front. With regard to the submarine menace, Mr. Lloyd George considered that after carefully reckoning possibilities, the Government had come to the conclusion, after the Ibest advice, that the submarines cannot starve Britain, nor drive the Allies' armies out' of the fields albroad, adding that if the British did their part the submarines would be as great a failure as the Zeppelins. According to recent news from America submarines are operating on the American side of the Atlantic and a search is being made for their base, which is thought to be 111 Cuban •waters. However much we may be inclined to participate in Mr. Lloyd George's optimism it would be the height of folly to lose sight of the fact that Germany is concentrating determinedly on submarine construction. .She is building larger and better armed submarines and her output of this weapon is being pushed forward with feverish haste. It is obvious that submarines v/oukl be far more difficult to detect in the deep waters of the Atlantic than in the shallower waters of the 'North Sea. Moreover there are indications that the Germans 'have devoted much care and attention to the strategical use of these craft as well as to the question of furnishing them with supplies by means of "mother" ships sent out in pairs, one acting as a receiving ship for resting the crews, while the other furnishes supplies of oil, munitions and stores. Apparently there is a definite organisation governing the tactics of these vessels in order to cover all the avenues of approach to Europe and provide a fairly continuous line of blockade. It would seem that the days of solitary operations by submarines are numbered with the .past, and that these craft are now linked up in one great scheme of attack by operating in squadrons and

covering each trade route systematically, it being part of the scheme to hunt in couples. While the destruction of submarines on the trade routes presents many difficulties, the protection of the [ area around the British Isles is considered to be quite feasible at a cost of i something like five millions sterling by means of a net 150 ieet deep, with a ten feet mesh of half inch steel wire, and though the submarines have now a device for cutting netting, the use of mines attached to the nets at intervals would mean certain destruction to the marauders, Britain, with America's help, is striving to defeat the submarines, and though we must expect losses to be inflicted by this hidden foe, they will

bo minimised to the utmost as far as liuman ingenuity and courage will allow. The operations on the West front are naturally attracting an absorbing interest, and Mr. Lloyd George gave a very attractive picture of tlic way in which the 'British were pounding a sense of inferiority into every pore of the German military mind. Sir Douglas Haig's report of the captures made last month is good reading, but the 2\ew Zealand casualty lists have ibeen heavy and the actual progress not great. At present the | Germans arc striving their 'hardest to find out where the next Mow will fall, but the British superiority in air craft has prevented German observers from obtaining information. That another smashing blow will shortly 'he dealt is certain. Britain is now in the position of having ample supplies of munitions to successfully prosecute the war, hut progress cannot ha other than slow until a crushing defeat is inflicted on the enemy. The outstanding feature of the war is not so much the terrible destruction caused hy the artillery, hut the marvellous work of the aircraft. In this department America will he of the greatest assistance to the Allies and

given a sufficient number of fighting aeroplanes the annihilation of the enemy will he greatly expedited. This process is all the more possible by Teason of' the aircraft heing a'blo to attach the enemy's reserves and supplies, so that in the near future we might reasonably expect to receive far more encouraging news than of late. The French apparently have as much as they can do to 'hold out against the enemy, so that the co-operation of Americans would he of the greatest service. Russia is resuming activity on the east front, and General Erussiloff may be able to get in some telling work, Ibut we are not justified in expecting great things from this quarter. iAt th'e same time, now that the Greek menace is removed, there is the possibility of Russia, Roumania and Serbia on the one side and the Anglo•'rench, with perhaps Italians on the other, making a combined offensive against Bulgaria and thence into Galieia.

.iiig Ferdinand is evidently fearing some such move and is appealing to Germany for help, hut it is hardly likely that Germany will trouble any further ahout Bulgaria. One by one the neutrals are turning against the Central Powers, but there seems to be a consensus of opinion that the war will not end this year, also that there will be no peace until Germany is democratised, The outlook for the Allies is decidedly improving and though the end may yet be afar off, courage and confidence will sustain them in their great task, in which they will still need the utmost support the Dominions can give.