HAIG’S CONFIDENCE

Evening Star, Issue 16350, 16 February 1917, Page 3

HAIG’S CONFIDENCE

SM OVERTHROWING HiNDENBURG AND ENDING SIEGE WARFARE, CAVALRY FOR PURSUIT WHEN LINE S3 BROKEN. Reuter's Telegrams. PARIS, February 1-1 Sir Douglas Haig, in the course* nf his * interview with the French war corresponsaid : "Do not forget that the , west front is ami will remain the principal front. upon which. f am convineerl, trie decision of the war will take nla.-o ; hence we are making it defensively the best. J. reneh warfare must give wav to % war of movement, hy which alone wo ;au procure the advantages we count urwin. Ail im omplete or halting peace would leave Germany able to take a terrible revenge in the near future. After having ittacked Britain she would he again on the french frontier, greedier than ever for blood and conquest.” hj l ench war correspondents interviewed .Sir Douglas Haig, a „d asked whether a great ofiensivc was imminent. Sir Douglas Haig replied: “It matters little who commences, if the Hermans begin it bv attempting the points north and south which they consider most favorable, we aie ready; the lolly will cost them dearie \Ve possess trained armies and cavnlrv ul mil working order, so that a defeat mav ae turned into a rout,, preventing the possibility of the Germans re-entrenching even far in the rear. “ W « «' ost - certainty shall break the Herman front severely, and at many points. The Germans have the advantage ot a powerful network of railways behind their front, winch will be helpful for delence against the first attacks Our great offensive may bo limited to some points, which must remain indefinite, but we shall strike without respite until the German armies are totally destroyed,” Asked regarding the prospects for 1917 Sir Douglas Haig said; “This year we will see upon the battlefield the decisive event of the war—namely, showing Germany beaten from a military viewpoint; possibly we shall also see the peace we all desire. We are doing everythin/* i n empower to achieve it. Peace can come only with an absolute victory attained by the force of our arms. The Allies must not allow tliemsoD es to dccido upon Germany's suggestions or threats. Germany, in offerpeace, thinks only of preparation lor

the nest war. If w© unfortunately yielded to such perfidious appeals, the tragedy would recommence in three years. The soldiers understand that. I have entire confidence in my theory. The army’s morale is above suspicion. Regarding peace, wo are all square-jawed, meaning that we have the indomitable will to fight until the end. “Our two most serious preoccupations at the present time are railways and artillery. 1 his war not merely calls for armies. We have had to construct during the last few months at the rear of our lines over 350 kilometres of railways. I recently showed some of the managers of the greatest English railways what had been done a.nd what was still required. They understood the urgency and extent of the task.

“ Regarding munitions, w© have reached maximum. IV; can now supply our Allies in excess of their needs, but we must have more artillery, especially heavy guns. We must not merely equal the equipment, but must overwhelm them with the whole of our strength.”

PALESTINE RAILWAY.

Australian and N.Z. Cable Association and

Router.

LONDON, February 14. The Admiralty reports that aircraft on Saturday successfully bombed the Eastern Mediterranean railway, and considerably damaged the permanent way southward of the Temkin bridge.

THE RUMANIAN TRAITOR.

BUCHAREST, February 14. It has been discovered that General Sm-ecu, who was recently degraded and sentenced to five years imprisonment for betraying the Rumanian army, is a naturalised German.