THE WEEK'S WAR

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16217, 21 May 1918, Page 6

THE WEEK'S WAR

I COLONIAL SECRETARY'S ; RETORT. | GERMANY'S PROBLEMS. ! (TRESS ASSOCIATION TELEOUAM.) WELLINGTON, May 20. '1 bo following telegraphic summary of the war news has been received by the Governor-General from the Secretary of Stato for ihe Colonies: — The growing unrest among the subject nations of tho Austrian Empire is [ becoming too strong for the Govern- ! raent at Vienna, and the Emperor, im- | pelled by the instinct of self-preserva-tion. has taken further steps on tho | road subjection to Germany. Though ihe terms of tho new alliance .have not been made public, a Vienna telegram refers to its extension and deepening. Even if the Austrian I Emperor at one time desired to escape from German control, ho is powerless to do so, since the interests of tho Hapsburgs are bound up with the predominance of the German and land-owning classes. The emancipation of subject races can only lie achieved with help from without. All til.- Allies will work in co-operation to satisfy their just claims. In Germany itself, reactionary forces are still rampant. The Prussian Lower House has rejected equal franchise. 111 a by-election in Saxony, the Independent Socialists lost a seat, while twelve members of the minority groii]) have have been sentenced at Leipzig to penal servitude. The further aggression of Germany in Russia has led to friction between "the German mission at Moscow and tho Russian Government, and tho aggression of Turkey in the long-coveted Persian province of Azerbainau is causing alarm and resentment to the Persian Government. Germany is now employing against Switzerland the tactics recently used against Holland. Tho British Mission which recently arrived at Rio Janeiro, was much gratified by the cordial reception and warm welcome it received. Operations on the. Western front for tho week ending May 10th: — The second week passed with only minor operations. There nre two points especially to notice in theso. Tho first is that the local objective in each case is to seize an ohesorvation point. The second point is, in each case of enemy initiative, the operation ended in complete and costly failure, even where, as on tho Voormencele-La-Clytte front, ho employed and sacrificed considerable bodies of fresh troops, hut each operation by tho Allies, namely, at Locre, Moriancourt, and Grivesnes, lias beon a complete success. This is a sweeping statement, and German propagandists spare 110 words to provo tho exact opposite. The map proves at 110 single point did the enemy gain his objective or succeed in holding any local gain for moro than a fow hours. Enemy protestations of Allied failures characterise every local gain by the French in tho Locre sector as an attempt to retake Kemrnel Hill, an objective which, as tho enemy knows to his cost, would call for an operation on a verv considerable scale and could not possibly ho aimed at by local effort. Tho length to which enemy publicists have gono in this perversion of the truth is powerful evidence of the necessity felt for concealing from tho German people anything which may detract from their confidenco in the Army, which they are told is invincible. but which they are beginning fo suspect were better described as cannon fodder. Though minor operations havo only local or tactical value, they have strategical significance, indicating points whero the enemy is piepared to incur considerable sacrifice thereby to gain observation posts. From his persistence wo may draw conclusions regarding the position to which the enemy attaches special value for future purposes. _ While minor manoeuvres for positions havo been taking place along the front lines, it must not bo forgotten that intense activity is continuous in tl-? rear services on both sides. In the air service the Allies' claim to supremacy rests on more than mere protection. A comparative statement for tho month of April, 1918, of the number of bombs dropped by British airmen in France behind the enemy lines and dropped by tho enemy in the area occupied by the British troops, shows: British. Enemy. By day ... 17.8G7 GB7 By night ... 6,033 1346 Totals . ... 23,900 2023 Evidence is provided by the demoralsed complaints of German prisoners tiiat 3vcn wneu me enemy iia >0 witnurawn for a rest British airmen allow thern no peace. One described feelingly how 24 of his comrades were killed by a single British bombing at tacit 011 Bapaume on April 30th. 'the fundamental cause which is gradually disintegrating the Central. European Alliance is lack of food. .Lit- 1 tie can be extorted from Germany's illitvs, some of whom aro already experiencing actual starvation. lo obtain grain elsewhere will necessitate ising force, making further demands ! in the troops, which she cannot spare. ' this exploitation of her allies by Gernany for her own ends to their detri- 1 nent sows the seeds of discord among •hem. For two reasons Germany ■ ins been forced to seek a decision on :be field as early as possible. )elay would involve the risk of a break- 1 ng-up of the alliance, Svhich she cannot ■ fford. Hor victory in the coming sum- ■ ner campaign must be absolute, or ; rorse than valueless, for German}' will iave exhausted her reserves, whilst even j hould tho French and British find . homselves similarly reduced, the Amcri- \ an army will just be approaching its enitli. By commencing preparations, Jermany thinks sho will bo able to chieve a decisive victory within a timo imit. The Allies are already confident, .'ith tho infusion of American troops, •hose first drafts .are already incororated in French and British divisions, hat they can withstand the full force 0 f I he enomy assault until tho American rmy in tho field has grown to the samo ! roportions as those of the French and. he British. It is a question of time. Ivory day's delay increases tho strength f the American army in France, c ig Gerni uiy nearer to the end of her imo limit. Tll Mesopotamia General Marshall is dvaneing apace. After occupying 'irkuk. he pursued the Turks over'the essgad. and patrols are now within 70 liles of Mosul. A flank column, mov- I 1 ig nn the Tigris from Tekrit, is co- { * pernting with tho main advance along 1 bo caravan road. The roads into Persia ' ri this side are now blocked for the 1 itrks, wherein lies the main result of \ Jenernl Marshall's stratC'cry. r The Air Ministry reports that German ir prisoners recently captured, show a < oticeablo falling-off in moral, and make u attempt to deny our superiority in io air. There is groat aerial activity 1 the Belgian coast, particularly l/v • ur bombing in'nchip''s. Tho coastal lses of Ostend and Zeobrtigge arc re?atedly attacked., arid the oncmy irassed in his endeavour to repair th'o image caused by the recent successful ival operations. Tho Food .Ministry reports that, livo ock is coming forward more freely lan anticipated, and arrivals of frozen eat have rendered a somewhat larger ition possible. Tho partial substitu■>n of bacon for encourages tho )no that the live stock in the country ill be fairly well maintained. The real imports have now improved, but II iceso is short. :nd this scarcity affects io workei s.. 1' ood ciueues have praecallv disappeared. The urgent prol>- T m is to secure sufficient supplies in tho itumn, so as to avoid scarcity during e early part of next year. J