Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1918. THE ANGLO-SAXON EFFORT.

Greymouth Evening Star, 19 October 1918, Page 4

Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1918. THE ANGLO-SAXON EFFORT.

The Germans are still endeavouring' to postpone their capitulation in the hope that something- may happen to save them from defeat. The Allies, however, have suffered too much to give the Central Powers any loophole of escape. The Germans have been forced to abandon the strong- fortress of Lille, and Ostend, one of the enemy’s main submarine bases, has passed into our possession. Zeebrugge has, in all probability, been abandoned by the Germans, who will need to make all speed if they wish to escape from the Allies’ pressing forces. The British nation has made wonderful strides in the art of war since the August of 1914, when they commenced the struggle against Germany. Then we had an army

numbering* only a few hundred thousand men, splendidly trained, no doubt, but ill-provided with munitions and macliine-guus. Today the British Army numbers ; over 7,000,000 men, splendidly equipped and.provided with every device of modern warfare. The 1 “contemptibles” that composed the British Expeditionary Eorce that crossed over to France to stem the first tide of the German invasion fought like Paladins, but they were hopelessly outnumbered. They saved France, but they paid the penalty. As a fighting* force they practically ceased to exist, but in their place grew a new and magnificent army drawn from every part of our farreaching Empire. The Kaiser has sent his crack regiments and divisions against our men, but they have recoiled before that barrier of steel that barred the advance. The long-vexed question of who is

the better individual soldier In been at length decided, and th Germans have been forced to ac mit that they have found the; match. The Dominion troops ha\ proved that although they ai practically novices in the art c war, they can show the Huns good many points in hard figlr ing. When war broke out th Germans knew that we had a ver powerful Kavy, but they had pre pared a scheme which, they b( fievcd, would soon sap, away on strength. The Huns were cor fident That their cunningly-place mines and their U-boats woul quickly reduce the margin of dii ference that existed between th British Kavy and that of Gei many. When that hour came, th Admiral of the Atlantic, the all puissant Kaiser, was to give th signal and the German High Sea Fleet would' emerge from tiie Kie Canal and give the British Flee the coup de grace. Four year and more have gone, and th British Fleet still remain supreme. At no time in the his tory of our Empire has the Kav; been so powerful as at the presen time. Its margin of superiorit; has increased by leaps am bounds, and now the Germai Fleet is so Hopelessly outclasse< that it is compelled to remain be hind the mines and barriers o Kiel. When the struggle began Britain was so poorly providec with aeroplanes and pilots tba she was a source of ridicule t< the enemy. The exigencies of tin war have so stimulated ourpeoph , into activity that Britain is a' the present time just as suprenn in the air as she is on the sea. I is ine same in every departmen of war work. Organisation is tin keynote of our success. Our in . dustries have been put on a mos 1 solid foundation. The manufac turers of luxuries yesterday art the makers of munitions or sol diers’ comforts to-day. Tin ’ British people have borne the trials of war with exceeding* for titude. The whole of the ordinary ’ teuour of their lives has been pul ■ out of gear, but they have gone 1 on their way without complaining and without boasting. Theii whole lives have been changed. Their love of sport and pleasure has been suppressed, and for the good of the cause they have cheer- [ fully submitted to many restric- . tions. They have allowed tliem- • selves to be put on food and fuel rations. All classes have vied with each other in their zeal for the Empire’s cause. The soldiers in the field have gained a proud name for their gallantry and selfsacrifice. Equally effective and just as impressive have been the labours of the men and women who had to stay at home. London, Britain’s great metropolis, has had some thrilling experiences. Tor centuries its people had remained outside the precincts of actual warfare. The advent of the Zeppelin and the aeroplane has wrought a marvellous change. On many occasions during the past four years the people of London have been forced to shubmit to a heavy bombardment from the skies. At first the Londoners were inclined to be doubting and scornful, but they soon recognised the magnitude of the danger that threatened them. With characteristic energy they then set themselves to prepare means to withstand the attacks. The results were soon in evidence, for the defences of London became so strong that very few of the attackers ever reached within striking distance, and of those who did /only an oddl /one succeeded in reaching Germany to claim the Kaiser’s Iron Cross. When the first tales of Germany’s cruelty to the people of Belgium reached England, the people were inclined to he doubtful, but the Lusitania massacre and numerous similar happenings have forced them to believe the terrible truth. The tales of the sufferings of British prisoners in Germany have reached England, and have caused the people of Britain and their Allies to resolve that they will punish the monsters responsible for such deeds. Germany set out to conquer the world. She was urged on by the Kaiser’s mad ambition to pose as an Alexander or a Napoleon. The Huns now find that their dream of conquest is vain and that she is destined to sink in the abyss which she had prepared for others. Germany’s crimes have made her name stink in the nostrils of all honest men. So far as the British Empire is concerned, the war will leave her much poorer both in her manhood and her wealth, but it has brought about a wonderful reunion amongst the people of the English-speaking race. The dark days of August, 1914, brought forward wonderful proofs of love and kinship from all parts of the Empire. “The silken threads of kinship” were converted into bands of the strongest steel. But this was not all, for in April, 1917, our American cousins stepped into the line with the rest of the Anglo-Saxon race to do

battle against the common enemy, it is only now that we are beginning to realise the full significance of the American allif ance “When the flag of an American Admiral floated in command from an Irish naval base, when the Stars and Stripes flew over Buckingham Palace and cheering crowds carried the Union Jack through the streets of Hew York, we had outward examples of a world reconstruction more immense and more beneficent than 1 humanity has seen since the beginning of the Christian era.” It, is estimated ‘that soon there will be 2,000,000 American soldiers and 10,000 American figKtlng planes on the West front. These, men come fresh when the rest of. the world is weary. They have already proved their marvellous fighting qualities. The coming of America has transformed the situation.