THE GERMAN EXCUSE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLVIII, Issue 4580, 8 June 1917, Page 3

THE GERMAN EXCUSE.

A "GLORIOUS'’ RETREAT,

German papers which reached England! after the beginning of the German retreat were still reasoning merrily about Hindenburg’s “victorious” and “glorious’’ retreat on the Ancre. The Frankfort Gazette entertainingly assures its readers that “the English are still suffering from the consequences of our movement on. the western front.” Sir Douglas Haig’s advanced troops are described as groping cautiously “amjd heavy losses” for touch with the new German front. Tile German public is quite evidently being successfully kept in tire dark as to the substantial loss of ground which has been suffered. For the purpose, such statements as these are printed: —“The enemy has only pushed his positions forward about a kilometre (five-eights of a mile) since March 1.” The Frankfort Gazette continues: —“The English attempted to accelerate their advance, but suffered such heavy losses in fighting against our rear-guard, whose base .was naturally not sufficiently well known to the enemy, that- they are compelled' to resort to the most cautious operations. Our troops have again discovered that the English arc not the equal of either our inlantry or artillery in so-called improvised" fighting. The war on this new section of the western front is no longer merely an affair of technical magnitude. It demands not only strength and endurance, _ but agility and the most careful training. A e ’nope that this will reveal itself more and more plainly. Meantime, oui troops await tlio course of events in the best spirits.”