The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED DAILY. MONDAY, APRIL 29, 1918.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 4855, 29 April 1918, Page 4

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED DAILY. MONDAY, APRIL 29, 1918.

The most engrossing aspect of the wak- situation at the present juncture is the desperate fighting that is raging to the south-east of Ypres. What the Huns are aiming at*, is clearly the possession of the chain of small hills of which Kemmel is the first to engage attention. In order to secure this particular high ground the Huns, it is evident, will not spare lives, if the heavy sacrifice of men will ensure success to their side. During the past week or so the Allied resistance has stiffened up in a remarkable degree, with the result that the days of heavy territorial gains on the part of tlie Huns have come to an end. Where previously <<tlio Huns were aide, by means of prolonged sledgehammer blows, to achieve a considerable depth at regular intervals they have now to he content with hut paltry accessions of territory. Every yard is now being contested with a desperateness to which no earlier fighting affords a parallel. The slight further gains that have been made by 'the Huns are, it is

Allied Resistance Stiffening.

clear, due solely to the superiority in numbers on the side of the at- [’ 'tackers coupled with a determination to make progress regardless of the amount of sacrifice involved. At the centre where the enemy’s advance has been most pronounced the country over which he has progressed is mostly flat, and provided the Allies with few facilities for successful defensive efforts. But the AI- - lies have now the advantage of hilly country on the northern flank below 1 Ypres and of Nieppe Forest—a most 1 difficult obstacle—for their southern flank of ihe important section of line through which the Huns are so vigorously attempting to break. The enemy clearly appreciate the necessity for attacking on these two flanks before they endeavor to push 1 forward again on the centre of this front. There is no doubt but that the situation is fraught with considerable anxiety because the Huns are prepared to throw such huge hordes of troops into the line at tin’s important point. Nobody can fail tp realise that the Hun is in this particular quarter fighting for high stakes. He knows that if he can “clean up” the obstacles to which reference has been made the Allies would have to I withdraw their line between Ypres and the Coast, which would mean that certain points oil the coast on which the Huns have long cast covetous eyes would be uncovered. We do not see, however, that anybody need have the slightest misgivings j as to what will be the result of the Huns’ bold and relentless policy of attack. Every hour that the Allies have delayed the Huns lias favored our side in h measure that cannot i ■ be estimated. it lias been up till ; now a most trying time for the Allies, and in this regard most especially for the greatly outnumbered gallant British armies operating in the quarter that the Huns are so most determinedly aiming at smashing through. Nobody now believes that the Hun offensive between La Bassee and Ypres is a mere “diversion.” We have in reality reached a most critical stage fn the struggle. If it had been otherwise Sir Douglas Haig would not have issued such an emphatic order to the effect that no further ground was to be yielded. That order was reminiscent of Field-Marshal Joffre’s order prior to the hold-up of the Huns on the Marne. To-day the position is cer-

tainly grave, but more French troops, are daily rushing to the aid of their British comrades in dis tress. In General Focli the Allies have as their supreme commander a brilliant strategist who has made a sound study of the defence of his native land ever since the war of IS7O-1. Britain, too, is extremely fortunate in her choice of commander, for Sir Douglas Haig would never have been retained in his high position if he had not been a pronounced success. What is the chief matter for the utmost satisfaction is, of course, that the Allied line has held during the greatest onslaught which the hordes of Huns could make when it was ever so much weaker than it has now become. Such being the case one must needs be it chronic pessimist to dare bar bor the belief that anything untoward can in the future eventuate. The Huns must assuredly suffei terrible slaughter in their next set ies of attacks and it is most improbable that they will succeed in making any further progress of a serious character.