Progress of the War,

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16216, 20 May 1918, Page 6

Progress of the War,

The cabled messages relating to tho naval aspects of the war have told us so much about the activities of the 17boats that it is a welcome relief to find the .Admiralty lifting the veil 'and telling us something, even if only a little, about the sterling work being clone by our own submarines. The report to-day dealing with the activities iji the Baltic of the small British flotilla, ''never more than nine," gives sufficient details to show that when tile hill story of their campaign is made public it will rank with the best deeJs of the Navy during the war. To have sunk, amongst other craft, a German battleship, three cruisers, a Amerika liner, and many transports and cargo boats—in every case with a scrupulous regard to the laws rf civilised warfare—is a record which proves beyond any question that in the submarine campaign, as well as on the seas, in the air, and on the land, the British are more than a match for the unscrupulous enemy of civilisation with all his barbarous, inhuman methods rf fighting. Tho news from the vari ms | fronts is again meagre and confined do: the new customary infantry and aerial raids, to tho accompaniment of t.ho never-ceasing hostile gunfire. In a comprehensive review of the situatbn on the West front, Major-Goneral Mau-

rice expresses the opinion that the third phase of the offensive is about, to commence, hut there are no indications in the official communiques from which we may infer that this is so. Fighting of a somewhat severe nature in .East Africa, a successful raid by ihe Arabs of the lledjaz, and local operations in Albania by French and Italian troops, comprise tho only other military activities recorded to-day.

A New Zealand military officer who was in England during the German offensive, says that the spirit of the British people durjjig that tinio was absolutely splendid. The bus drivers wero just going on striko, and there were very serious difficulties -with the Society of Amalgamated Engineers, but tho German offensive settled all differences, and closed up the ranks. It was felt that the situation was very grave, but tho courage and determination of the people seemed to rise higher than ever. There was a solid determination that even if Germany succeeded in getting to Paris aiid the Channel ports, and England was left to fight alone until American help was forthcoming in some strength, she should fight on, sure of victory in the end. Tho same authority says that people in New Zealand have not the remotest idea of tho privations which the British public aro enduring in regard to food, or tho cheerfulness with which they are doing it. It is a fact, he says, that it> is impossible for one person to buy a •wholo rabbit in a shop; it is cYivided into three, and one of these divisions is all that can bo bought with a meat ticket. To niako the small allowance of meat go further, it is frequently made into a sausage with about throe times the quantity of broad and seasoning. Many well-to-do people never see butter, and get only a scanty allowance of margarine. A dcccnt working carthorse is now worth £IGO, and horses fit only for slaughter fetch as much as £40. A good deal of horse-flesh is nowbeing eaten in Britain. * ■ Of the numerous pamphlets on the war, issued for educational purposes, one of the best ivc have seen is entitled "The Time of Decision —Tho Past Year —The Struggle of Light and Darkness — The Road to Victory." It is an abridgment of tho article "The Gathering of tho Nations" in the issue of the "Round Table" for December last, and is mado with permission, by Mr F. L. Carter, of Clifton College, Bristol, formerly of Christ's College, Christchurch. It vory clearly describes the new situation brought about by tho collnpsc of Russia, and our ground for confidence as regards the future: — "The only part of the world that -str.nds Lv Berlin and the Kaiser is that controlled by tho Kaiser's soldiers. The only supports that the Gormans have aro machine-guns, bavonets, and poison gas. They have lost all feelings of humanity. They

fiave lost all sense of honour. They have mndo enemies of tho human race. They no longer believe in their Parliament. They no longer believe in their statesmen. They bank on the hope that the peoples, particularly the workers of the Allied nations, have not the same power of endurance and self-control as they have themselves." This forcible little-publication goes on to contrast the German creed with the ideals for which the Allies are fighting.

The former teaches —"That other people are not neighbours, hut rivals and enemies. That everyone must bo handed over body and roul to the military class. That treachery and violence .ire the first principles of conduct between States." The writer shows conclusively that there can be no lasting peace by negotiation; that the Germans, as von Freytag Loriughoven's book shows, are already thinking of the "next war," and that unless the spirit of German militarism is finally broken and discredited by us and our Allies now, not only the German people, but the whole population of Central Europe, numbering 150.000,000 souls, will be trained and regulated as ono great military machine to attack us in ten, twenty or thirty years' time. We are not surprised to learn that the Lord Mayor of Bristol ordered 3000 copies of this pamphlet for distribution among trades unionists in that city, and that when the mail left the Liverpool and Bradford Chambers of Commerce had appointed committees to see what could te done in regard to the distribution of tho pamphlet.