THE WAR

Evening Star, Issue 16352, 19 February 1917, Page 4

THE WAR

BRITAIN'S PUBUCITY'CAM-

PAIGN

TO REASSURE NEUTRALS,

Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. Australian arid. N.Z. Cable Association.

WASHINGTON, February 13 (Received February 19, at 1.15 p.m.)

A high British military authority, with the approval of the British War Office, has prepared a statement for the ' New York Times' regarding the military position on the eve of the opening of the 1917 campaign. He reviews the Germans' repeated failures to break the Allies' lines, and adds: "The ruthless submarine threat is a confession of Germany's failure. The growing military strength of the Allies faces the declining strength of the Central Powers. For two years the Germans have steadily dropped behind in material resources, despite the gross illegality of their employment of scores of thousands of war prisoners and deported civilians as munitions producors. The co-ordinated allied pressure on all fronts has forced Germany and Austria to draw on inferior material. Germany is feeling severely the strain of bolstering up her steadily-weaken-ing allies, such aj the Austrian" army on the Russian front and the Bulgarian army on the Macedonian, which would collapse but for Germany's stiffening." The date of the end of the war cannot be lixed, adds the authority, but. whenever it happens, it will inevitably extinguish the Central Powers as a menace to the world's peace.

TURKEY AND A^ERSCA,

WASHINGTON. February 18

(Received February 19, at 1.15 p.m.)

The .American Ambassador at Constantinople reports that Turkey has assured him that she will not prevent the departure of a thousand American refugees- at Beirut.

ROUNDING UP DEFAULTERS.

WARRANTS ISSUED TO-DAY

[Pee Uxited Pkess Association.}

WELLINGTON, February 19.

Steps are being taken immediately to enforce the Military Service. Act against defaulters who have failed to comply with its provisions. The first warrants for offences against the Act, issued at Wellington to-day. are now being executed. A similar course will be followed in other districts.

Defaulters under the Act are divided into two classes—Tj those who neglect or refuse to attend for medical examination ; (2) those who, after being medically examined, neglect or refuse to parade for going into camp. The first class will be. arrested'and sent to District Headquarters for trial by court martial: the second class will be arrested and sent in custodv to camp, where they will be dealt with. The proceedings at the courts martial will he open to (he Press. The penalty may vary from two years' hard labor to reprimand.