IN HAND.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 52, 1 March 1916, Page 4

IN HAND.

"It is to be hoped," cays Colonel Repington, "that public and political' clamour will'not force General Joffre to a premature offensive." Colonel Eepington is right in warning people not to embarrass the generals, but the danger he mentions is very remote. Neither French nor British civilians are likely to put pressure on the Staffs; if they ever felt inclined to do so they know better by this time. Besides, General Joffre is a very strong man, and will go his own way regardless of public anxiety or criticism. Disregard for political considerations and civilian opinion has been a feature of French strategy since the retreat from the Belgian frontier. General Joffre was strong enough to retreat and uncover Paris' until he was in a position to stand and strike. He has been strong enough to play the waiting game. Last summer an effort to relieve the pressure on the Russians was looked for, but he did not move till he was ready, by which time the Russian retreat was nearly over. The brightest feature of the situation in France to-day is that General Joffre is not making any great attack elsewhere to relieve the pressure on Verdun He is confident of being able to hold the enemy, and he knows that if the enemy does not entirely succeed he will disastrously fail. The vivid stories of the battle that are published to-day show bow ghastly the carnage has&bcen. The German advance has been Blow, and tbe ground gained has been won jit a tremendous r Six days'; ■ fighting >of terrible intensity-: ha vh • r?«iited in "a gain of less, .than'four miles;. During the offensive fin- -Champagne most of the French advance was made in the first ! rush on the morning of September 25. There is also no sign that the French have asked the Russians to take off some of the pressure by attacking. Without being over-confident, one can say that the Allies have the situation in hand. ■They are coolly refusii. < to play the enemy's game for him. "Germany is like a boxer who,, .after having had the advantage in the first ten or fifteen rounds owing to hjs. suoerior fitting power,"JeeH himself tiring, while his opponent avoids heavy blows and waits until hiss-epponent is exhausted The tiring boxer., rushes-ia'to-finish off the match before his fresher opponent gets too much of an advantage, but still the other remains cooliy and carefully on the defensive, husbanding his strength until it can be used with the greatest effect. This is.the situation on land to-day. At sea there are also signs that greater activity by the enemy is contemplated. In a visit by the Kaiser to his fleet an English writer 6 ee3 "the strongest hint" that a naval climax is coming. The Kaiser has probably paid several visits to liis fleet since the war began, so this one may have no significance, but it is worth recalling that he visited one "of his principal naval bases before the "blockade" began. The "new" jrar,o:tmerchantmen.w.ailo begin at midnight hear the results of the first days of this warfare, it will not do to dismiss the" German announcement as an empty threat. But it k worth while recalling that the opening weeks of last year's "blockade" were not sensational. Here are the number of shiira sunk in the first month: — February 24 7 March 3 ...... ..._ 0 MaTch 10 „ 4 March 17 i 8 Before the "blockade" began eleven ships had been sunk, just as 225 had been sunk before the "sink-at-sight" campaign 'began last night. As for the new typo of submarine, the Navy probably knows a good deal about it already. If the Germans have built a large number of these craft, and have now loosed them, they will have tested one or some of them in the warfare for which the type is designed. It is not improbable these have encountered ■ the Fleet, with 'disastrous results to themselves.