BRITAIN'S PART.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 March 1918, Page 5

BRITAIN'S PART.

A PARTICULARLY HEAVY ONE. HALF THE GERMAN FORCES AGAINST BRITISH. Received March 14, 8.45 p.m. London, March 13. A high military authority, who i.s at present on the West front, says that half the strength of the German forces is concentrated on the British frontThere have been several attempts to make out that the British were not holding their proper share of the line compared with the French, but in war the distance in yards is not everything; the important thing is the strength wherein the armies are employed. But for the necessity of combating the German propaganda, the military authority loathed to draw comparifon's between our efforts and our Allies'. He could not forget how gallantly France had borne the early stagiw of the war, but no member of the Entente had borne the burden to such an extent us the Biitisli Empire. The most hopeful augury for the future for the Entente was another fresh Anglo-Saxon Power preparing to tread the path we had trod and coming into the field to relieve us of some of the burden.

There was no field so promising as the air. If we were now, without America's assistance, steadily developing onr air supremacy and more than holding our own, no imagination can picture the result when the full American air force is in the field alongside the Anglo-French. Practically the whole burden of the war against Turkey has fallen on 113. The difficult terrain in Palestine precluded any dramatic coups, but General Alien-by was continually pressing the Turks.

DECISIONS OF UTMOST GRAVITY. TO BE TAKEN SHORTLY. FATE OF EMPIRE RESTS UPON THEM. Received March 14, 8 35 p.m. London, March 13. .Sir Compton Ricvkett, addressing the Free Church conference, said the Premier at present needa the nation's undivided support. Decisions of the utmost gravity, affecting the whole future life of the Empire, would .be taken next week, even in the next few days. He was not speaking of any immediate or catastrophic danger, but something which must be faced The decision 'between the Entente and the enemy was banging in the balance, and the solution may come more rapidly than they might think. " /

It is noteworthy that Sir Compton Rickett had just come from conversiug with Mr. Lloyd George.

IN THE AIR. ZEPPELIN RAID. LITTLE HARM DONE. London, -March 13. The Press Bureau reports that airships attacked the Yorkshire coast in the evening. A few bombs were droppod slightly inland. The raid is still in progress. London, March 13. The Press Bureau reports that three, enemy airships participated in last night's raid. Only one approached a defended locality, namely Hull. It dropped four bombs, demolished a house and a woman died of Bhock. The others wandered for hours in remote districts at great altitude and unloaded their bombs in the open country and then proceeded seawards. AEROPLANE RAID ON NORTH-EAST COAST. Reuter Service. Received March 14, 11.55 p.m. Vancouver, March 13. Aeroplanes raided the north-east coast of England.