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Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume VI, Issue 355, 15 February 1917, Page 4

But scant news of the war has as yet come over the cables to-day. there being before us at the time of writing little beyond the overnight messages. One of these tells us of further repeated and desper ate, but wholly ineffectual, attempts by the enemy to recover the position recently seized by the British near Serre, on the extreme left of their Somme offensive. These fierce counter-attacks seem to discount the suggestion made that the enemy's recent abandonment of trenches elsewhere suggests a possible retirement with _ a view to the shortening of his lines. On the wher hand, it is quite possible that this local violence of counter-attack is designed in order to disguise just some such intention. At several other points to the northward there have been the usual daily raids, which serve the double purpose of ascertaining the enemy’s strength and of keeping him at a perpetual nerve-destroying tension. Sir Douglas Haig is' reported as having unburdened himself to some Parisian journalists, assuring them of an early big Allied effort, and a I virtual beating down of the German military power ere the end of the year. 'Coming from lips usually so reticent, this forecast may . be accepted at face value, but it is to be noted that the British Commander-in-Chief’s pronouncement does not necessarily imply that the end of the year will see the end of the war. From the French front in the west there has as yet come no report be-

yond the bombardment of German! works between the Oise and the; Aisne. and “general artillerying elsewhere. From none of the other battle-fronts is there, so far, news of any kind.

The situation as between Germany and America appears to have suffered but little change, and so far the President is not reported as having done anything more than burn a little extra midnight oil. Among the “sinkings” reported today, however, is an American steamer, and it is just barely possible that- this incident will provide the “overt act” that is finally to stir the presidental gall, to action. On the other hand, if like precautions have been taken by the Germans as in the earlier ease of the Housatonic —that is, warning given and crew and passengers afforded opportunity of saving themselves — nothing more is likely to come of it. At the same time, American merchantmen are being authorised to arm themselves and presumably to use their guns. Meanwhile the Germans indignatly deny ever having suggested a conference with a view to the preservation of peace, and declare nothing the President has said, or may say, will affect the prosecution of their submarine deviltry in their own peculiar fashion. . This, if not an overt , act, is certainly an overt declaration that su,ch an act may be expected whenever opportunity oc curs and circumstances are favourable.