MOTHER COUNTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 May 1918, Page 5

MOTHER COUNTRY.

| LORD CUR2ON SPEAKS OUT. CPUXTHY SIOJv OF UNPATRIOTIC) ATTACKS. 'MILITARY SITUATION GRAVE. UNITY OF COMMAND INCREASING. Received May 12, 5.6 p.m. London, May 11. Viscount Curzon (Lord President" of the Council), addressing the Primrose League, said that Mr! Lloyd George was regarded as the symbol of the inexhaustible spirit and resolve of the British Empire, and, had he fallen, flags would have waved at Berlin. The country was sick of unpatriotic attacks on the Government, under cover of eminent soldiers and sailors. The moment that the country allowed the military administration to assume the upper hand, it would be on the path to disaster. Referring to the military situation, Lord Ourzon declared that it was grave. Bravo soldiers might have to give ground, but unity of command wag increasing. The only thing that we could not afford to lose was the war, and the only thing worth prosecuting was the war.—Reuter. A CAMPAIGN OF OBSTRUCTION, NATION DETERMINED TO END MISCHIEF. Received May 12, 5.5 pan. London, May 11, The Times, in a leader, says the conviction is gradually strengthening- in the public mind that the issues at stake in the Maurice affair go far beyond personalities. Mr. Lloyd George's disclosure enabled us to trace a campaign of obstruction, thwarting every stake towards perfect Allied unity. The nation is aroused and determined to end thi» intolerable mischief.—Times Service. MR. ASQUITH'S SUPPORTERS. DIVERGENT CRTTIOISMiS. Received May 12- 5.5 p.m. - London, May 10. Ninety-eight Liberals and seven Laborit es supported Mr.. Asquith, including Messrs, M'Kenna, Runciman, Samuel Burns, Spicer. Ramsay Macdonald, and Snowden. Many Liberals supported Mr. Lloyd George. The Daily News says that yesterday's melodrama doe s not affect General Maurice's charges. Mr. Lloyd George has burked inquiry, but the public will not waste time over his facts, as tbey are facts of his choosing. The Express and Daily Telegraph entirely approve of Mr. Lloyd George's answer, and consider the vindication of the Government complete. sßk The Morning Post says that the reimlF of the debate shows how lightly Parliament regards its responsibilities.—(Press Assoc. MOST FUTILE OF FIASCOS. MR. ASQUITH OUTGENERALLED. Received May 11, 5.5 p.m. London, May 10. The papers evince a chorus of praise at Mr. Lloyd George converting the attack based on General Maurice's letter into what one Ministerial organ describes as the most futile of fiascos." They declare that Mr. Asquith has been outgeneralled and outfought.—Reuter.

AMERICAN COMMENTS. GENERAL MAURICE ANNIHILATED. Received May 12, 11.30 p.m. New York, May 11. The majority of the evening, newspapers agree that Mr. Lloyd George's address has annihilated General Maurice. The Evening Post says the Premier gave a masterly exhibition of adroitness. He skated over thin ice, avoided really fundamental questions, and did not answer the charge that the British armies on the West front had been unduly weakened, just ihefore the offensive Press Assoc. GENERAL MAOMOE PLACED ON RETIRED LIST. Received May 13, 1.15 a.m. London, May 12. The Press Bureau states that the Army Council considered General Maurice's explanations, and decided that he be placed on retired pay, — Aus.-N.Z. Calble Assoc, and Reuter. THE GERMAN COLONIES. STRONG VIEWS BY SIR THOMAS MACKENZIE. Received May 12, 5,5 p.m. London May 11. Speaking at the Newspaper Press Fund dinner, Sir Thonras Mackenzie urg*d publk men to visit the Dominions instead of remaining at home in snug and contented ignorance of such vital questions as the future of the* late German colonies in the Pacific. If the Empire is to be kept together, it must bring to its councils men who voice the amphibious of the peoples of the Dominions, the importance of which public men should realise. Germany had been allowed to get a grip on the throats of the Dominions and almost to strangle them.

AMERICA'S NEW ARMY. BATTALIONS WELCOMED- VX % LONDON.- , - Received }lay 12, 5.5 pjn. London, May 11. Three battalions of America's new array marched through the "West End, great crowds cheering them. The King inspected the Americans at Buckingollß Palace.—Press Assoc. MEAT EXPORT TTRADE, COMMISSION TO AUSTRALIA ABANDONED. « Received May 12, 5.5 iplm.' London, May 11. The Minister of Agriculture has abut* doned his intention to send a Meat JJs» port Trade Commission to Austrißjj, ,

A GENERAL REVIEW., OF MILITARY OPBRATBSSft j Received iMay 12, 6& pjn. * London, Majy Is. v ;'i A high authority states that nottigg, \ of great importance has occurred fat r Franct. The attack at La. Clytte-V*- '• mczeele was merely local. The Germans - have put in considerable numbera of , J fresh divisions in the Somme and Pitt- -1 ders since last week, and it is afaiobt ' certain that they will continue to attack -l the heights in Flanders and will dfeo «■ Y deavor to capture the high ground ,4ri ' the direction of Amiens. i THE CAPTURE OP KHEKUffi $ The bad weather which began fcwißfy* \ four hours before we entered Kfcfag t prevented us from capturing mora i Turks. Our transport operataona irera i fraught with considerable difficulties. ,' Our operations have had ft jgond effect' J on the Persian border tribes, many at, ; whom are now co-operating with as. \ THE PALESTINE OPJEEtATHJBB. .; General Allemby's decision to rdfre toi " tlie original bridgeheads east of tie Jor- ' dan was not inflneEced by the lots of nine guns, but Vas entirely due to the fact that his operations had Mfe delayed at Mort, when success depended on rapidity of the operations, and he could not obtain results whereat be aimsd.— Press Assoc.

THE WEEKLY REVIEW, OP MILITARY OPERATIONS. Wellington, Last NJjJrf;. The following telegraphic review of' military operations- naa been received by the Governor-General from the Sec-' retary of State for the Colonies for the week ending May Bs • WESTERN FRONT POSITION. Since the enemy's drastic repulse on the Lys sector on April 29 only ninov operations have been carried out, namely, before Locre, westward of Morlainconrt and southward of the arm of the Ypres salient. *AU were repulsed heavily. Otherwise, apart irom raids and local shelling of the back areas, the week has been ominously quiSt. The position now is that the Germans aro determined to concentrate every available unit on one enormous offensive, and they are draining the country dry to force a decision before it is too late, while the Entente, who are so' confident, having been given the choice of fti small immediate American army for de« fence, or waiting till reinforced by £■ complete, powerful, gelf-snpporting American army, have chosen the latter. THE ALLIES' STRATEGY Sledge-hammer uses of masses by; enemy allies are being opposed by the strategy of meeting the Wow with the 1 smallest forces capable of standing up) to the shock, while keeping tbs strongest reserves possible. The troops on the wings are permitted to give ground, within limits, whenever the enemy has been made to pay a greater price than the ground is worth, the whole aim being to reduce the enemy to such ex* haustion that our reserve, at the right' moment, can restore the situation. In the present operations the British have played the part on the wings and withstood many times their own weight of enemy masses and retired slowly, exacting the fullest price. Meanwhile General Foch holds the bulk of the French in reserve, sending units oiily to points hard pressed. This strategy has been justified, in that three weeks has seen the enemy brought to a standstill without a single strategio objective being fulfilled, and his losses are so immense that his reserve is in danger of proving inadequate to his policy. THE GERMAN POSITION, The German commander, seeing how nearly he is delivering himself to the Allied Teserve, has been compelled to. accept temporary failure and call a halt. His position is.tactically exposed in two dangerous salients on waterlogged ground. His countrymen are dangerously dissatisfied at the immense price paid for the failure to terminate their sufferings. " His allies are on the verge of' quarrelling daily, and exhibit their growing dislike and distrust of their task "and of the master who robs them dT their lives and food. His reserves are Bearing complete exhaustion. Those of the Franco-British are still in being, while American preparations develop and thetime draws nearer when defeat is inevitable. Therefore, he muflt renew the offensive. His preparations must proceed feverishly, but, as It takes mouths to properly organise such an offensive, he must be satisfied with what he can. do in weeks. WHAT WE MAY EXPECT, , Wo may, therefore, expect a renewed furious onslaught before long. As the enemy is so committed to his strategical plan, we may await his main blow on the Arras-Amiens front, while necessity compels him to try to improve his position in the Lys sector. CONFIDENCE IN RESULT. The Allies may have complete confidence in the result. For the enemy, the Issue is a desperate endeavor to avoid defeat; for the Allies the issue is only that of victory deferred. A REPETITION OF VERDUN. The coming battle may bo a repetition of Verdun on a larger scale, and, if both sides be exhausted, the Allies will have vast powers of recuperation, while Germany has drained iter resources al-