WEEKLY SUMMARY

Taranaki Daily News, 11 June 1918, Page 4

WEEKLY SUMMARY

THE ALLIES' STRATEGY IN THE WEST EXPLAINED. PARLOUS CONDITIONS IN AUSTRIA. By Telegraph.—'Pleas Association. Wellington, Last Night. The following telegraphic review of the general war situation has been received by the Governor-General from the Secretary of State 'for the Colonies: Official news, June B.—Reports from all sources prove that but for German control Austria would collapse by economic bankruptcy and disintegration of the diverse nationalities under the Hapsburg dominion. In the riots due to labor troubles and food shortage near Prague, in Bohemia, three hundred persons were [recently arrested. The Arbeiter Zeitung's report of the trial describes 37 of these persons as lean, hungry working women with children on their laps, and halfgrown lads and girls. The growing fear of a revolution lias driven the Austrian Emperor more and more into the power of Germany, The German conditions are less critical, but sufficiently bad to force the military authorities to seek an immediate decision, and ensure that once the failure to achieve the annihilation of the Allies' armies has become apparent to the German people an important reaction of German opinion will follow At present the partial military successes enable the German statesmen to revert to their ambitious schemes of dominion in Europe and Asia. The only effective countermeasure is the defeat of the German armies, which is assured now that United States throws her decisive weight into the scale. AMERICA'S GREAT EFFORT. The military committee of the House of Representatives has authorised the President to call up an unlimited number of men; 250,000 tons of new American ships were put into service during May Over ,-£20,000,000 waa subscribed by American citizens in the recent campaign in aid of the American Red Cross. MISSION TO SOUTH AMERICA. The British mission to South America was received with marked sympathy in Buenos Aires, there being a remarkable street demonstration in its honor following the official welcome. ENEMY'S WESTERN OFFENSIVE. The enemy offensive on the Aisne, which commenced on Monday, May 27, reached the end of the first phase by the following Thursday night. Hitherto the direction of the attack was due south, and had penetrated to the Marne, the north bank of which is in the enemy's hands for over ten miles, but Rheims is still held by the Allies, and on the other flank, although Soissons was oaptured, the enemy was unable to drive the French from the high ground to west, The enemy then attempted to advance in a westerly direction, whether desiring to widen the deep salient in which he found himself, or march on Paris, To attempt to cross the Marne with hla front still pinched between Soissons and Rheims was dangerous and unprofitable. By May 31 the Allies had the situation so well in hand that in the next four days of fighting the enemy only succeeded in advancing his front between Noyon and Chateau Thierry to a depth averaging less than six miles, whilst west of Soissons the French regained considerable ground by a counter-attack. From Tuesday, June 4, onwards, it was clear that the enemy advance was held..

AN INTERESTING COMPARISON, It is interesting to compare the three enemy offensives of the Somme, Lys and Aisne. The Somme offensive opened on March 21, and reached its zenith on April 1, and stability was re-established on April 7 —less than three weeks in all. The enemy used 87 divisions. The Lys offensive opened on April 9, reached its zenith by the 18th. It broke out afresh on the 26th, and reached stability on the 29th—three weeks in all. Excluding the Kemmel attack, the enemy ÜBed 37 divisions in this operation The Aisne operation opened on May 27, reached its zenith on the 31st, and apparent stability was established on June 3—exactly a week, during which the enemy used between forty and fifty divisions. The comparison suggests that the main enemy offensive of the 1918 attack was in the Somme area, whilst those of the Lys and Aisne were the exploitation of unexpected opportunities Perhaps these will cause the enemy to modify his orig. inal intentions, but the disposition of his reserves suggests that he is not so committed to such a change. STRATEGIC CONSIDERATIONS. The enemy strategy fo far has been based on the advantage conferred by the interior position which the salient formation at the battle-line has given hini He has now created three such salients, and thereby given the Allies a similar situation in the intervals. This would operate to the Allies advantage should the enemy attempt to continue his advance on Paris. Whether the enemy adheres to his original objective of separating the Allies' armies by an advance down the Somme Valley, or should hia recent success draw him into an advance on Paris, his strategical objective will be identical —namely, to oblige the Allies to fight a decisive battle this summer. While the Allies' higher command can be trusted to assume the counter-offensive should the situathin be suitable for the movement, such action would likely involve tiie Annies in a decisive battle Wore the American army baa developed its full strength. The soundness of the Allied policy in awaiting the development of the American army is clearly demonstrated by the quality of these troops, as shown in a few small engagements in whieh sections of the American army hitherto have begn engaged. The enemy's anxiety to force a 'decisive action is evidence that they hold the same view. RATIONING, ETC. The Board of Trade reports that ft voluntary agreement has been reached to modify the provisioning scale for seamen specified in the Merchant Shipping Acts'. A substantial economy in food is anticipated by eliminating waste The restrictions in common industries is prop/sod to come into force on June 10. Working hours «ro to be reduced from 53% to 40 for mills on American cotton. Levies" to compensate the unemployed will *e payable on every loom or spindle running, instead of on the excess num-j ber over 50 per cent To • save coal, mills •woridng 40 hours only must stop ' Aj}*£feiugda£-«gdL Moadaj.

The Food Ministry ropcrts that the success of the rationing wlteme 'has caused a demand for rationing in otier articles in which there are local or ternporaray shortages, It has been decided |to ration lard from July' 13 at the rate of 2oz per head per week. Registration with tea retailers is compulsory, the supplies to the retailer being allocated on a basis of 20>/ z oz weekly to each registered customer. Supplies from ovcreeas continue, wid. thus the wastage entailed by tho «laugh. tor of immature cattle for home coip sumption is avoided. Tho shortage of I cheese still causes serious difficulty, particularly jn agricultural districts, where substitutes cannot conveniently be oibtained. If labor and weather conditions" enable the estimates of increased home cereal supplies to bo roaliscd, it will gc fair to compensate the Allies for tho inevitable losses in the cereal acreage consequent upon the recent Gcrnuia advance. <' AERIAL ACTIVITY. ' ' The Air Ministry reports a marked increase in aerial activity toy ibo-th sides on the Western front. The weather during the past week was usually flue, though at times the sky was overcast and the visibility (poor The Royal Air Forces and the Australian Flying Corps were enabled to surpass all previous bombing records. During the week, in the battle ztyne and on the Belgian coast, a total well over 2i70 tons of fcomb\ were dropped with excellent effect, and over--250.000 rounds of ammunition were fired in almost continuous operations day and night. Big railway junctions, &uoh as Valenciennes, and enemy's forward organisations, were attacked repeatedly, and the troops in rest billets behind tile lines were constantly harassed by our 'bomber*. Statements of prisonew and captured documents show the surceas of those wearing tactics. Useful reconnaissance and artillery work were accomplished by our aeroplanes and kite balloons, on the course of which over 10,000 photographs were taken. An incessant bombing offensive was »ho carried out on Bruges, Ostend, and Zeobrugge, and hits were secured on important naval and military works, Tho t enemy efcrained every nerve to keep pur bombers and reconnaissance machines from penetrating to their and air fighting was aevere. During the week 115 enemy aircraft were brought down and 40 driven down out of control, whilst 24 of our machines failed to return. The ascendancy of our scouts and two-seater fighters has thus been well maintained. Bombers penetrated the German frontier in gjf different raids and dropped bombs on military, objectives, including munition factories, at Manenlicm and railway station*, workshops, and at Karlsruhe, Landau, Kreutzwalte, on d Kartlww. Evidence accumulates of the growing moral and material effect produced,