The New Zealand Tablet THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 1915. THE WAR

New Zealand Tablet, 17 June 1915, Page 33

The New Zealand Tablet THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 1915. THE WAR

tfferafi* HE principal items of interest-in the war MIIO J[ news of the week have been the publication ®j£ of a tolerably full summary of the American jU*£srf Note to Germany in regard to the sinking °f the Lusitania; the arrival of a painfully #SC heavy batch of casualty lists from the * &!?' Dardanelles : and the apparent hold-up of w the German offensive in Galicia and arrest of the threatened swoop on Lemberg. Taking the last first, the latest cables would lead us to infer that the issue is still somewhat undecided; but sufficient facts have come through to make it clear that the Russians have made a remarkable recovery, and are now once again firmly standing their ground. As to the cause of their recent rout—for it was little less—there are various theories. The Germans claim that their victory was gained by the successful use of gas ; the diplomats at Washington hold that the Russian debacle was due to shortage of munitions, arising from the hold-up of supplies during the week of the ChinaJapanese crisis. Whether the latter episode .was or was not an element in the situation is open to discussion ; but there seems good reason for supposing that lack of munitions, from whatever cause it may have arisen, was the .- determining factor in the Russian defeat. An army like that of Russia, which has shown such" conspicuous bravery and tenacity, does not maintain continuous and unbroken retreat unless something, has occurred which renders resistance absolutely impossible. As to the American Note, it is of the milk-and-watery character which we have learned to expect from President Wilson. More than one hundred innocent nonconibatant American citizens were done to death by Germany's lawless and unjustifiable attack on the great liner; and the President of a great nation can do nothing better in vindication of its rights than ' look confidently to see the justice and. humanity of the Government of Germany vindicated in all the cases where Americans have been wronged and their rights as neutrals invaded.' The utterance is positively childish:in its weakness and futility and America is once, again humiliated and belittled before the nations of the world.

I'-'.:' The lists of killed and missing; representing// as it is understood,■ the accumulation of several weeks, which ! have . just been published in our dailies, ’ come • as f a heavy blow to the Dominion.; ■ The death toll is : unusually‘. large ; ■ but the sacrifice} it may : be confidently declared, is neither grudged nor regretted. v The men who so cheerfully responded to the Empire’s call, ahd the parents who so nobly gave them, did not do so, we may be sure, without fully counting the cost. They knew that there was*,, serious work- and.-serious risks ahead; and the danger was freely and fearlessly faced. The one desire of all was that our. boys should play the man and do their, duty ; 'find this they have done, to their everlasting honor and 1 glory. We note with justifiable pride, though with more than a tinge of sadness, that our Catholic men are fully represented in the lists which speak so eloquently of courage and heroism. In the Otago casualties, of which alone we have certain knowledge, the Catholic losses are one in five of the total number; and this proportion may even be exceeded in the other provincial districts. One consolation, at least, and that the greatest possible, we are able to offer the bereaved and sorrowing relatives. The reports of the behaviour of our Catholic boys since they left our shores have been uniformly good. We learn from our chaplains that they have been scrupulously attentive to their religious duties, and frequent and regular in their attendance at the Sacraments, many going as often as twice a week to the ‘'sacred tribunal of penance. At peace with God, with a clear conscience, and a soul free from the stain and guilt of sin, they were ready for whatever might befall. God rest them all and bring peace and comfort to the near and dear ones who mourn their loss.