THE ENEMY'S MISTAKES.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 207, 30 August 1918, Page 4

THE ENEMY'S MISTAKES.

We had wondered whether the absence, from our cable news of comment by Sir Frederick Maurice wan due to the censorship, hut the general's silence is now explained by the statement that lie has been on a visit to the front, llis retnnrks on the operations are the most valuable unoflieial comment that we get ; and the article he wrote on his return from France, a summary of which was published yesterday, is exceptionally interesting. Incidentally we may remark that there is a touch of humour in the spectacle of this officer, who was retired for a grave breach of discipline in circumstances that produced a political crisis—visiting the licittlc-front. presumably interviewing his old acquaintance* anions the generals and returning home tn enlighten the public- from knowledge that no nt her military critic can pon-

-(vs. Some of tlie oonversntionn bet ween (lYncral Miitiricr unci his friends at the front, might make piquant reading. What (Jenernl Mannee nave nf the situat iuii in April romcn from a man who | knows what he i* writing nhout. Ho I pays that if tin , (Jermans luul piwhod nn towards Amiens at. the end of April, , after they took Villersßrt'tnnneux,! Amiens miist have fallen. Fortunately, Ccnoral Kawlinson real wed the danjjer, anil. countcr-iUtaeklng with a small force, retook the important position. Hut before tluit. he goes on to say. the (iennane liad mode the mistake of committing themselves to an offensive in Plunders, when they should have persisted with the Amiens thrust. Probably when they attacked south of Armentiores the (iormnns <lid not mean to do !W much as t>.ey afterwards did; having thrust bark our line suddenly, they decided to exploit their advantage, and the result was a considerable (jain in" ground, ending in the Woody defeat on the Bailleul-VprcH line. Had the men used on that front been thrown in against Amiens, (ieneral Maurice thinks that the French and the British arniioe would almont certainly have been separated. It is interesting to note that a few 'weeks ago Mr. Lloyd CJoorge *aid much the sa-me thing: "The enemy's early successes had caused very anxioue momenta. Owing to the losses of men and material, a second Herman blow might have overwhelmed the British Army."

(-•ener.-il .Maurice likens this mistnkc in dissipating forces to "tie. mistake yon Moltke made in 1014." He is referring, no doubt, to the disposition of Herman troops on the eastern and western theatres in HII4, when Moltke sent to East Prussia, to drive back the Russian invoders, troops that might have given him victory over the French and British. This was a ease in which political considerations interfered with strategy. The Herman (Jovernment and the ruling class would not permit Kast Prussia — the home of so many Junkers — to be overrun: had they had the courage to let Kast I'ruißia go for the time being, the history of the 1914 campaign might have been different. A similar mistake was made in the liret battle of Ypres. Instead of concentrating at the one point and driving through, the (ierraans dissipated their strength by attacking at several points on the northern wing of the Allied linn. As it was. they almost succeeded. There is an interesting resemblance between our position at Ypree in those traffic autumn days in 1014, and that before Amiens in April. In reading of that heroic resistance four years ago. one wonders whether the fiertnans knew exactly how desperate odr position was. and. if they did not, what would have happened had they known. Pimilarly, the question arises, were they at fault about our strength before Amiens? Were we weaker than t.hev realised, and. if so, to what extent did the generalship of our leaders and the heroism of our soldiers deceive them? General Matirice'e comments re-direct attention to the fact that although in this long struggle (lie Germans have shown great capacity for war, they have made ffrave blunders, from the opening days of the war to the last few weeks, when they gave Marshal Koch the opportunities for his brilliant counter-offensive!!. Let us he thankful that they have made thepc blunders, for they started with everything in their favour for the achievement of their gigantic and terrible purpose.