WITHIN AN AGE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 4874, 21 May 1918, Page 5

WITHIN AN AGE.

GERMANS WILL NEARLY SUCCEED. ALLIES MUST ULTIMATELY WIN. GENERAL SMUTS’ VIEWS. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association . LONDON, May 19. General Smuts received an en-thusiastic-reception on 'visiting the Clyde .shipyards. Addressing the workers at Fairfield he said the Germans had achieved a success that few had thought possible. We used to talk a lot of nonsense about defeating the Boclie, but Brother Boche liad knocked this kind of damnable nonsense out of u 6. . “If we strain every nerve, I don’t feel a moment’s doubt about the result,” lie added. “We have suffered in men in the great battle on the West Front but the results have compensated for the losses.” Ho said the Government asked' him a year ago to- visit France and lie reported that the most necessary thing was a big army of manoeuvre and an army of stategic re-’ serves for contingencies. Ill© Americans were now coming in hundreds of thousands monthly. Submarines were powerless against transports. “The enemy will come within an ace. of victory,” lie declared, “but will not secure it. The situation will be most anxious for many days to come. If the last British soldier he driven out of France the Germans still will not have won. because they must win both on land and sea.” General Smuts said he did not believe that out-and-out victory was possible for any group of nations. He considered they liad fought to a stage where the enemy was now ready to consider and concede terms. It would he a most dangerous thing for a .peace conference before they knew the principal terms to he considered. “The Government,” lie added, “will do its duty, knowing, what we are fighting for. The conference ultimately to bo called will settle details after the principal combatants agree to the main issues.”