Victory this Year

Gisborne Times, Volume XLVIII, Issue 4475, 16 February 1917, Page 5

Victory this Year

General Haig’s Sublime Confidence Fuller Report of His State- ... merits* German Front will be Severely Shattered. / • , Ertemf Offensiw® Would be Welcomed. Plenty jiff Men ani Munitions. v (United Press Association —Copyright.)

(Australian and N.Z. Gable Assn.) (Received Feb. 15. 5.5 p.m.) PARIS, Feb. 15. A French war correspondent interviewed Sir Douglas Haig and asked him whether the great offensive was imminent. Sir Douglas replied:—“lt matters little who commences. If the Germans begin, attempting an offensive at points north and south which they consider most favourable, we are ready for them, and their folly will cost them dear. We possess trained armies and cavalry in full working order, so that an enemy defeat may be turned into a rout, preventing the possibility of the Germans, even far in the rear, re-entrenching. We most certainly shall break the German front severely and at many points. The German advantage of a powerful network of railways behind their front will be helpful to the defence and tile 1 first attacks of our great offensive may be limited at some points and indefinite, but we will strike without respite until the German armies are totally destroyed.” ' Asked regarding the prospects for 1917, Sir. Douglas Haig said: —“This year will see upon the battlefield the decisive event of the War, namely, showing that Germany is beaten from the military viewpoint. It will possibly also see the peace we all desire and" are doing everything in our power to achieve. Peace can only. come with absolute victory attained by the force of our armies. The Allies must not allow themselves to be deceived by—Germany’s suggestions and threats. Germany, in offering peace only thinks of preparations for the next warIf we, unfortunately, yielded to such perfidious appeals the tragedy would recommence in three years. The 5 soldiers understand that I have entire confidence in my theory tlmt their morale is above suspicion. Regarding peace, we arc? all square-jawed, meaning that we have the indomitable will to” fight until the end. Our tv o most urgent necessities at the present time are railways and artillery. The war not only merely cans 1 on armies. "We have had to construct during the last few months in the rear of our lines over 350 kilometres oi railways and we recently showed some of the managers of the greatest En & lish railways what we had done and what ' s still required. They undo l '; stood the urgency and extent oi tm task • Regarding munitions we hav., reached our maximum and can no; supply our Allies in excess of they needs, but we must have more artillery. especially the heaviest. Ye must not merely equal the.^mm- y but must overwhelm ); bnn vith t... whole of our strength.

WEST FRONT THE MAIN FRONT. HAIG’S WARNING AGAINST PREMATURE PEACE. (Reuter's Telegrams.) (Received u Sir Douglas Haig, in an interview , v ;+h a W ar correspondent, said.— ‘‘Do not forget the West front is and will remain the principa l front on which I am convinced, the decision rf l A will take Place, hence making it defensively the oesi. Trench warfare must give way to a war of movements, which alone will procure the advantages Re count upon. An incomplete oi alt F " + P i „ would leave Germany able to take a conquest.”

the bic clash. MAY COMMENCE THIS MONTH. GERMAN ARRANGEMENTS. The Times. . (Received Feb. 15. 8.10 p.m.) (Ke LONDON. Feb. 10. Troop movements in Germany are in full swing, and the restrictions on the ordinary railway services are in- %*&££ STte Allies’ tree transports.

ALLIES’ SOLID BLOWS. MORE SUCCESSFUL RAIDS. i LATEST OFFICIAL REPORTS. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Assn) fßeuter’s Telegrams.) (Received FA^U.oo ~,s D rSb?; ig ;oT t rt s s^rs Grandcourfc and penetrated 200 yards of defences northeast or Arras, i caching the third line. Many of the ! enemy were killed in their dug-mits, which they refused to leave ■ We entered the enemy’s lines noithxvaiu of the Somme and northeast of Api es. The enemy attempted raids eusHvaul of Armentieres and southward Messines were repulsed. We exploded three ammunition dumps eastward of Armentieres. . u". 3\ „ A French communique says An enemy attack in .- rat in Lorraine, failed. We caiiiecl out a successful coup de mam east o Metzeral, in Alsace. ’ T»„nHrk German aeroplanes bombed Dunkuk and the region of Pompey pd Meuithe and Moselle. Two civilians were Kl ßetween the Oise and the Aisne,_in the region of Quenne.villes, we carded out a destructive fire on enemy woi'lcs. There were fairly lively artillery duels elsewhere.