FOURTH YEAR OF WAR.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXVII, Issue LXXVII, 3 August 1918, Page 5

FOURTH YEAR OF WAR.

GENERAL MAURICE'S COMMENT.

TIME OF GREAT PERIL MUDDLED

THROUGH

PROSPECTS NOW BETTER THAN

SEEMED LIKELY

POLITICAL INTERFERENCE BLAM-

ED FOR DELAYS

(Received Aug. 3, 9.19 a.m.) .LONDON, Aug. 2

General Maurice says

Britain cannot look back with much satisfaction to the fourth year of war. We have muddled through a, period of great peril, and may say with, thankful hearts that -prospects for the fifth year are much brighter than there was reason to anticipate a few weeks ago. We must admit that after four years of bitter experience we have not learned how' to wage war. The Germans are not our superiors in generalship, and our failures have been mainly due to the fact that statesmen have not realised that military advice to be effective must be organised. Consultations by statesmen with individual commanders, instead of discussing with the staff, had involved delayed action, and if this year's war is to be the last the Government must organise our mar chinery on scientific lines, equip the general 6taff to give advice and take no other, and also ensure that plans of action shall be prepared in due time.— Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.