THE WAR

Evening Post, Volume XCIII, Issue 46, 22 February 1917, Page 6

THE WAR

Interest attaches to the references recently made in_ the House of Commons to the remarkable interview given to French journalists by Sir Douglas Haig. The Field-Marshal expressed himself in unequivocal terms about his confid-ence of success; referred to tho certainty of smashing through the German lines, and indicated even something of the method by which the enemy's forces were to be destroyed. Such an incident was bound co arouse mixed feelings. Sir Dougla-s. appeared to have laid himself open to a charge of "counting his chickens before they were hatched," and the wisdom of publishing such a statement was naturally ■ very debatable. The interview was still more remarkable owing to the discretionary silence which Sir Douglas" .usually displays. Its publication was quickly followed by a question in the House of Commons as to whether the. interview had been authorised, and it now appears that the Cabinet knew nothing of it till it had appeared, and that its appearance was not authorised by Sir Douglas Haig himself. Mr. Bonar Law, who, as Leader of the House, is the chief spokesman for the Government, has explained that the published interview was the outcome of a "frank conversation," and that while it was as usual submitted in the proof for censorship, it did not reach Sir Douglas Haig, owing to the action of a subordinate. Mr. Law deprecated further discussion of the matter as contrary to the public interest; and it only remains to be said that, a-s the frank and uncensored expression of Sir Douglas Haig's views, the interview gains rather than loses by tho unfortunate action of somebody who is probably very sorry by now.

A further stage in the clearing of the Turks out of the Sinai desert is recorded to-day. The northern sector was effectively occupied by the British as the result of the brilliant capture of El Arish, Bir el Magdha'ba, and Rafa a few weeks ago; but in spite of the impression given by the reports .at the time, these successes did not affect the position in the central desert of the peninsula. The latest news is that El Nakhl and Bir Hassan, both Turkish posts, have been occupied. . Nakhl is the middle point on the caravan route botween Suez and the head of the Gulf of Aka-ba, and is 70 miles east of Suez; and Bir Hassan is 35 miles north of Nakhl. These, places are scarcely settlements ; they are wells, or oases, such as form convenient camping grounds, and are the milestones in a desert, country. East of Bir Hassan there are no important wells except 'close to the frontier ; while the next well east of Nakhl is at Themid, 40 miles away, more than half way to Akaba.

Recent news from Greece shows that the silence for some time observed regarding events there has not been due to the smooth process oE surrender and renewal of Allied control, but to a serious hitch in the operations, necessitating a continuance of the blockade. The army has been undergoing more or less steady disarmament, and the Allies have had handed over to them, according to a recent news item, 80,000 rijlce. Even lh?.t seems an' inadequate number, seeing Iliat the Greeks are ensily able to produce 300,000 soldiers Lind^in all probability have plenty of rifles for, them. The peace-time standing army alone (ttljqutr 60,000 men) repmontfi probably jiigi'6 than BQjQQQ j'ifles. But ,tjja wain.

difficulty has been due to the failure of civilians to.hand in the rifles which, were lavishly distributed among them during the ugly days of the pro-German crisis. Apparently a search is now in progress for these weapons, and until a reasonable proportion of them is safely locked up, Greece will continue to go hungry. The- Entente is now applying the principle of future reward as well as of present punishment, by making arrangements to facilitate feeding the populace "as soon"as circumstances permit."

A small group of pacifists raised their voices in the House of Commons on Tuesday in protest against the.Allies' 11 schemes of conquest" as outlined in the reply sent to • President Wilson's Note- inviting the belligerents to stats their aims in the war. Mr. Bonar Law's reply dealt sufficiently clearly with the reasons why Britain cannot at this moment acquiesce iv Germany's desire to make peace. Knowingly or not, the three members concerned lent themselves as. instruments of the Germain peace propaganda, which aims at securing to the Centra] Powers the false reward of a victory which they have not yet won. In reply to suph arguments as- theirs it may be pointed out that if Germany was sure of winning the war by means of her armed forces," and of crushing for generations the European Powers whose pre-eminence in civilisation and its rewards made the war seem necessary to her, she would i not have uttered .an offer of peace. She would: have gone on with her war-making. Mr. Bonar Law did not, as far as the cabled reports show, reply to the pacifists' question about Constantinople and the German colonies, which were quoted as proof of the Allies' desire for conquest.

Constantinople has definitely been promised to Russia, so that. Britain gains no territory there. Russia seeks it as an outlet without which she cannot develop as she is, by her natural development, entitled to do. It is Turkey's loss; and the Turk as a European can no longer be tolerated. His reduced foothold iii Europe before the war was already far too large; and his crimes are of a nature tliat no modem civilisation worthy the name can regard without feeling the necessity for.punishment. But even more important is it for Constantinople to be**"in Allied hands, since it will otherwise inevitably, become German. Through Stamboul Germany intends to grow; .and once established there, either openly or covertly, she will certainly develop into that eastwardreaching monster which in time must again involve tho world in a hideous war. The occupation of Constantinople by Russia, it is hoped,'will be, jjwart from the direct benefit to Russia," an insurance for future peace in Europe.