A PREMIER ON THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 52, 24 November 1917, Page 7

A PREMIER ON THE WAR

MB. HOLMAN'S 'VIEWS

v.ln "a 'recent:speech' Mr.- W. A. Hol'liiSijAPrefnier/of r,New South-Wales, ■ said'tnaVthowar appeated to be almost entirety depending" on the output of ... munitions. . Hβ.had asked Mr. Lloyd' ■ -■■• George of sr calculation had ever been made as. to iow -many <gung and sheila would be required at the present rate of progress to throw-the enemy out of occupied French-and Belgian territory.' ; The J?rime .Minister, said- no j that such : ._. ■ had. not- been..made... -He (Mr. H01... ... man) was npt spea&g in any.critical '.'•way,., but he, thpiigh"t that'such a cal'■■'ciilatipn.'ought" to [be made.. Since' offensive.had been started many . ■ ago th\e Allies had gained four /or five'roues..'; It had.meant the ■■employment', of .all the." industrial forces . . of , England and'. Franoe, and part of ...those of. America',, and if ihe war was ..going on,'at that rate.it would take the, Allies 20' or 25 years to push the ....Germajis-.out.of..French territory. "Are we to "hope for' niore'. rapid progress in . .the .future?" .., There'were chiefly two "...iiijmaa. ',.'.:'".'.', .'..'•■'•■. : ~-';/.One-.'answer _. was .that'at ..a certain ... po'ihfthe' German,'military resistance. .would give way. and!, would . collapse, .. without their, being actually driven out .. of .ocqupied ' territory.\ .The second . . .was..that if. the pressjire\was continued the German military'resources in men . ..would become exhausted 'pnd'.tne war: of attrition! '.would be carried to its logical conclusion. One was a spiritual ~ and .the other a. physical.' collapse. .There.was another hope!possessed con- .;. fidentlyby French officers, that a gap' could be made in the German lines, .and by flooding in troops ; 'a severe blow r . could be inflicted, as. such as that in-, flicfed by the Germans and Austriaus pn.Jtal,Vj andthi? would mean the war- !: of. movement'. instead of tlii;. - - war, of .'.trenches.. "'."■',•■ ■ ' : ' The Premier said he did not believe -. , the.' collapse' of the- German , military ...... spirit was possible, because-the people .:'. im accustomed to their l system of .aiitbdratic goveinmient. Concerning ~ the war of.attrition, he pointed out '■',> ..fliat. tlio Germans were using the. in- '.:,' JiaVitaiits of Belgium and Poland -to do work;"nijd '.thus : free, soldiers : :forj%",. front. ■.., ; .But. the. British block- ... ade...wa^-. gradually having .its effect. ~'. The' British...-secret service were aware ,~\ .that for months past the German rail- . way system, was being disorganised, liecause of the lack of lubricants, owing tj the British prohibition of the raw material.--from••which these were ob- , tained. Another noticeable effect.of. ■-'the blockade was in tie VPrv important matter of gas masks. The Germans were now wearing tlipse tliincs made of leather.'instead of rubber, and the latter were the only, effective instrument.