SITUATION REVIEWED

Gisborne Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 4900, 20 June 1918, Page 5

SITUATION REVIEWED

BRITAIN’S CONFIDENT OUTLOOK ENEM.Y HAS ONLY THREE MONTHS TO WIN IN. AMERICA’S STUPENDOUS EFFORT. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association June 19, 7.20 p in ) '* . T 41, rr LONj)ON ‘ 18. In the House of Commons, Mr Bonai Law m moving a credit lor five hundred millions, sain the daily everage expenditure for the current financial year was £6,848,000 as cornpared with the estimate of £6,986, 000 thereby saving 9* millions up to mid-June Whde the reduction must not be robed on for the remainder of the year, it might be taken as a general indication of the position. Jur votes of credit had risen alarmHie total was now £7,433,000,000. , Iho present vote should suilice till t lie' end of August. The nnA™ e fro P He Allies was £1,370,- j Tax’” and from the Dominions £206,000,000. Continumg, Mr Lonar Law said the Austrian offensive was part of the intensive offensive now proceeding on all the battle fronts. It was too soon to say the danger was past, but three months had elapsed since the first German offensive on the West front and we were now able to be confident tegarding the future. The Germans had three objectives—Paris, the Channel ports and the severance of the Anglo-French armies. We had yielded ground, but the enemy had not attained a single objective and the results justified the united commands. The enemy wanted to use' up our reserves before the Americans arrived, but had, already failed, because the American's were not coming; they had come. He paid a tribute to the rapidity of the American troops’ arrival and said it would be impossible for the enemy to win by wearing down our reserves before he exhausted his own.

The universal feeling, he said, was that our airmen were the best on any front. We were rightly proud of them. Germany had been laying all her hopes of success on the submarines, but all this had, changed. The menace still existed, but the construction of ships in April and May exceeded the destruction an,; there was no danger, as far as foresight could see, of. Germany starving Britain into submission. Germany embarked on unrestricted submarining because she believed America could not- arrive in time to give serious help. Germany was now shown to be wrong. The number of American troops arriving and to come had reached a figure considered impossible a couple of months ago. For the present there was a lull on the West front. Our S£aff knew where the German reserves were, but the railway communication was so good that it was impossible to foretell where the next blow would fall- Our troops’ morale was never higher and it was impossible to speak too highly of the French valour in fighting to save Paris. If the Germans failed to secure their stragetic objectives in three months’ time the campaign would have failed, having proved the mast disastrous advance they ever launched.—(Cheers.) Mr Asquith advised the Government to give fuller information as to the progress of events on all fronts. He was not disposed to wipe Russia off the slate as a negligible qualitity. We should employ all reserves or diplomacy and also give naval and military assistance if necessary while the opportunity offered in order to build no friendly relations and an alliance with Russia, who was paturall v our friend rather than Germany s The House should enable the Russian Democracy to realise that it had our sympathies. * ’ , ~ The House of Commons passed the vote of credit. Mr Bonar Law, concluding the debate, said he was rather shocked to hear that everyone considered his speech optimistic. He did not mean it. to be. He meant to give an exact description after consultation with the military authoritje<= ‘T agree 'with Mr Asquith s statement that the position is as critical as ever. ’ lie said. but i have a firm conviction that vre shall come through.'