WAR PROPHECIES.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume VI, Issue 264, 24 October 1916, Page 3

WAR PROPHECIES.

BRUSILOFF’S BELIEF. WAR TO END NEXT AUGUST. AUSTRIA S LAST ARMY IN THE FIELD. A correspondent of the “Daily Chronicle” at the Russian Army headquarters sends the following interview with General Brussiloff When I ariv ed on the southern front I had the honour to be received by the illustrious chief whose memorable victory in the month of June annihilated an army of 450.000 Austiians, that decisive event which is still developing. General Brussiloff, looking at me with his sparkling and scrutinising eves, said :— ’“lt goes without saying that I felt deep joy when 1 heard that Rumania had declared war on Austria. The Rumanian jarinj' is a strength with which one must reckon. It is under good leadership, and Excellent spirit animates it. Above all, the Rumanian army has magnificent artillery, which it uses with perfect skill. “During the last two years Rumania has had plenty of time to accumulate great quantities of ammunition, and that is a capital point, because artillery plays in modern war a role not only enormous but preponderating. If you consider, moreover, that Rumania in taking part in the war closes naturally her J *<'>un'Jaries to German and Austiian i buvers, who formerly found on her territory huge quantities of corn and I maize, vou will admit that the armed I intervention of Rumania, who proudly enters the lists, is an event of the first order. A CONGLOMERATE ARMY. “To my mind, thy Austro-Hun-garian Empire, assailed from all sides, will not be able to stand much longer before the hordes ol enemies who are hurling themselves against her. and are only preparing to increase the vigour of their blows. The hostile army which I had in I front of me in June and July is aj- | most entirely exterminated or cap. 'tured, but it l:a- been speedily replaced by a c'Higlomerate arnii, A which are to be found enemies of cverv origin. Me see m it at first the very fast soldiers which Austria and Hungary may still place in line, and of which some have been hurriedlv drawn horn the Italian front, and also some Germans brought from our northern front and from the western front, and finally some Turks. “That army- more numerous just now than the one which stood in front of me in June, is indeed the supreme guard, the last living rampart <>f the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. That army resists desperately on its kioiik mountain positions, which must be carried by storm one alter another. Wc are advancing step by -icp. but we are advancing, and the spirit of our army remains very Lriglit and very high. Soon the cooperation of the brave Rumanian army will facilitate for us the obtaining of definite results. THE WESTERN OFFENSIVE. I follow with the greatest attention the admirable offensive efforts carried into effect on the western front by the Anglo-French armies. I fullv realise the huge difficulties which they have to overcome. I understand the enormous obstacles they have to overthrow, but 1 am nevertheless fully convinced that your efforts will result in the rupture of the German front. It is for me an absolute certainty. “The offensive assumed by the Franco-British armies helps us here, in that it prevents the Germans sending against us too heavy reinforcements. They arc all the same drawing a certain amount of troops from the west and sending them against us, but not to such an extent that they may have a determining influence. They may simply delay our moving forward, and that is all. GREAT BRITAIN’S ACCOM-

PLISHMENT. “Bv the way. I. must declare that Great Britain', in creating in two years her huge army of 4,000,000 men. accomplished a wonder which most miiitarv men before this war would have thought absolutely impossible. It is a great credit to her patriotism, her sense of organisation, and to the inborn discipline of her population. Now the closer the connection between the Allies the more their movements will be co-operative, and the sooner, also, the war will be brought to an end. It is absolutely indispensable that all the Allies armies should fight at the same time and without interruption. Such would bring about conditions leading to rapid success.” “The present war is a war that il is impossible for us to lose, and although a huge work remains to be accomplished, its successful result r already in our hands. The game ialreadv won. 1 said so two years ago, and I did not change ray mine one year, ago when the penury of ammunition obliged us to undergo t/reat trials. “Now you will ask me when one may suppore that true peace wifi b< signed, a peace which the Allies will be able to accept with the joy of an entirely fulfilled task. I ani not r prophet, the future is in the hanthof God, but if I had absolutely to make a hypothesis I should be inclined to ‘think that the month o: August, 1917, might see the end ol our memorable work.”

AN EARLY END PREDICTED. PEACE BEFORE 1917. Mme. A. Thebes, the famous French “seeress,” who predicted in 1913 that 1914 would be the year of blood, tear:, and heroism which would place France in the front rank of the nations, states emphatically that the war will end before the New Year. “Peace will come unexpectedly, she savs. “The roar of the guns will cease overnight, and the soldiers on both fronts will be called home to peaceful pursuits. Fate has so decreed it.” NO WINTER CAMPAIGN. A correspondent of the “Scotsman.” writing from British headquarters in France, says: —A captured Prussian Guardsman to whom I spoke told me a rather striking and significant thing. “Our Emperor,” he said, “has issued to us a proclamation to say that there will be no winter campaign. It has gone before all the troops.” 1 expressed some incredulity, but this Prussian, who seemed quite an honest, truthful sort of fellow, insisted that it was so. “Then you think the war will finish before the winter?” “Yes. the Kaiser has said so,” was the reply. , “But bow will it endr” I inquired “That 1 cannot tell you.” he answered, with a smile.

OPINIONS OF FRENCH GENERALS. M. Georges Parville, a French journalist, writes: —_ I had a rare piece of good luck to get to know what General Joffrc, General Roques (Minister of War) and General de Castelnau (Major-General of the French Army) are thinking. Their hopes exceed our most optimistic reckonings. Quite recently General Joffre had a chat with a friend. “The Somme,”, said the great leader, “is only a trial.” “Our advance has had the effect of relieving the congestion at Verdun, and is preventing the Germans from sending men against the Russians. Only four divisions have left here for the east front. During this time we are preparing. “The Somme, thanks to the efforts of the English, has cost the enemy terribly dear. Class 191” will have to be collected in pieces.” And, turning round, the Commander-in-Chief continued : “The bursting of the west front is ne;r at hand. A new artillery, created since the outbreak of the war, which comes out in complete batteries, is doing admirable work. In a little time the Germans will have no alternative but to retire their front.” The Minister of War. the energetic soldier who became famous during this war on the fields of Lorraine, is a southerner like Joffre, Pau, Sarrail, de Castlenau and Foch. In his native village are his dear parents and a brother-in-law with whom lie corresponds. This is what they have frequently asked him: “The war—will it finish soon?”. General Roques would not care to trifle with such an insidious question. Nevertheless he let drop one word which caused lively emotion in the south. “As for the war. we may hope that it will end victoriously at the beginning of 1917.” General de Castelnau has replied to the question, distinguishing between the wish and the thought. He stopped while in a motor car to puzzle out the war with his chauffeur. The weather was very bad. “It looks as if we are going to have a new winter campaign,” said the driver. “Perhaps not. Bad weather does not .stop battles. Did we not take the offensive to help tho Russians in January and February, 1915? And was it not in February that the enemy tried to lake Verdun? “When the great and decisive offensive commences, and when all the preliminary preparations have been made, it will never stop. A result will be obtained in spite of winter, cold, and weather. It will crush Germany during the hard season.” There you have what the great leaders of the French Army hope and have told those with whom they are most intimate.