THE WAR REVIEWED.

Feilding Star, Volume XII, Issue 2873, 17 February 1916, Page 2

THE WAR REVIEWED.

LORD KITCHENER SPEAKS IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS. A SATISFACTORY POSITION.

<iy KLwyrnw tb&bgiupu.—-coptkiobt. PER PKEBH ASBOnUTION. London, Fobru-ary 16. Tin; House ul Lords listened vwih iutonsu interest, to Lord Kitchener ■> j-ovanv oi the war operatioas. Ho said that alt'hoinjh the JUwL.iJi troops Jiud been w miidrawn iiu.) France, •our forces there bad b<. •' materially .inore-usod by fully eij.,'*-- ,- new itrmy division*;. G<mioral AyJmer ivas awaiting 1 - inforeements before renewing a 1- ••• , ward movement lo junction with l> >;• j oral Towjushend, who bad ssuiiicj' i' i supplies to jpraiii'iaiii his forces for •' j considerable .period. I After some, experience of the wooing of Ihe voluntary group syhn ■•■ it, was realised how .seriously the im■• - h(!j-,s immediately obtainable were : -.- footed by exemptions. Time alo.,i' would show Wilraili the results w0i.:.l be, but, lie trusted that on a, filth re occasion he would be in a posiit . i to ivai>Mire the House a* to me rlianecs of obtaining tlie iiuinher,s ijU'ired. lU'l'erriny to tlie Balkans ca.'apa.igu, JiOixl J\itchener. .said the ■>- euiitijj; of direct eouuiiuiiieatiou lietweeiii the Gointrn] Powers and Coiistaii:tinoj)]c , was undoubtedly t:i n principal ohjeuL of the Austro-G. rniiitiK in this theatre. Si nee the recapture of Loos a ;cl tJio forward inovemeiit in the Chan,--Ijagne. the lines iv France audJ'Taiidorjj liad been pi-acUcally (1 i-hroughoiit the winter. The morale of Ihe army had been jiuin(aiiied at the same high level, fighting qualities of our neighbouring Ally were never yreator or more highly developed, than, at prescnl. The British troops there, wliioh Lad boon roi.ii'forced, worn constantly carrying out active operations, giving no I r«st or respite 1o ihe enemy." RiViarding t-ho Italian front, tTic j jiosition.s occupied by tho f'lieniy \\ n , |so .strong that, they harred for Iho presenit the possibility of a. forwiM , ;! movement, wliioh the splendid conrago of the Ital'aii troops was hiire to eventually push home. Notwithstanding the heavy blockado and consequent losses, Itussia swiferwl last summer, whicli would probably have overwhelmed n less tenacious and courageous people, tin' army had been thoroughly reorganised in readiness for tli'e coming campaign. . The Ausfro-Germaiiift had cleared n!l obstructions to their pa.th lo Gonflaniinople. The political ,si.Lua{;.<ni in the Near East was thereby gravely afl'eeted, a.nd file Tur]cisli army nib able to firganiw a liioveineiiit of troops eith.ej - against 10gyp(. or to strengllien their forces in JMesoxrotfttuwa nno sinjultaiieously brijig far more powi.- , ) ,- fnl attacks i,> lica.r on our positions at GaJHpoli. It was therefore deckled to u'ithrdr'aAi- our (roops from the J'eninsula to reinforce Salonika and iSgypt- 'i'he success of Ihu wilh.drjiw«l exceeded Lord Kjitcheni'r's most sanguine expectations. Tho -Franco-British forces in Macedonia were being gradually concentrated in stmngly-entrenched positions surroundiing Salonika, and iv order to emphasise the principle of unity among the Allies I ; he supremt , command Jiad been given to General Sarrail. If would Ix; remembered that last winter an abortive .attempt was made on the Suez; Onual, which wa« easily brushed aside by a small .BritjVh force; but a more sor.ion-s attempt- hatr bee-ii threatened by the Turks t« invade Egypt from the .ISn-s'l. We lia\e made adequate, preparations to defend the Caiual. Attempts by hostile Arabs on t ! he western lla-iik resulted in co!iy.)let-e failure. Ho thought lli-s movement "would still cause a cerbnm feeling of unrest. The admirable loyalty of tiie people of Egypt had formed an effective barrier to the penetration: of these raiders into cultivated areas. After alluding to tho changes in t/ie Jiigher commands, Lord ■ Kitchener urged employers to do their best to rolca.se young men for service nt imarmy. FT(> conchidwl by roaflirmui.g his conij)lete conlidence in a- victori<jus

issue,, which .■would ensure' peace for this and many wiicceediiig generations. -■ Lord Crewe emphasised the Jinaucial assistance which England was giving to the Allies. If the Allies had been se-If-siipport.i.ng, the ])resent faxation would enable us to pay n fajlarges- share of the current,expenses of the war than it was ever supposed conceivable for any Power to pay during the course of a great wa.v. It was our duty to exert upon Germany every sort of pressure—naval, military, an*.] commercial—and to do it quickly.