THE CAMPAIGNS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17666, 19 December 1917, Page 6

THE CAMPAIGNS.

There is not a great deal of profit in speculations concerning the prospects of the campaign in France for the simple reason that we have to take the conditions on trust. Mr Murdoch, like ipther correspondents, writes in a strain that implies important enemy concentrations in the west, and of course we have the persistent American references to the massing of German divisions. Possibly, arguing from precedent, we ought to regard the current German peace talk as the inevitable prelude to a new offensive. But the messages on the subject of the enemy’s movements are never very definite. We assume that the developments on the Russian front will give Germans and Austrians important reinforcements on the other fronts, and we assume, of course, that those reinforcements will be speedily employed. But still we can do no moro Gian guess. The probabilities certainly point to the launching of \ great German offensive, possibly on ihe Lorraine front, possibly on two sectors' simultaneously, and we should anticipate the development in the early spring of a struggle similar to tho great battle of Verdun. If he has the divi* Bions, the guns and the munitions to spare, the enemy would engage the British at the same time, or he might Vfeot.to hold the French and to launch effort against the British But onlv

the other day we had a British authority assuring us of the Allied superiority in numbers, and there is certainly no reason to suppose that the Germans have a greater command of gunß and shell or of aeroplanes uian the Allios have. The Verdun attack was launched towards the end of February, and the German critics admitted that, though so early a movement was necessary to secure a surprise, the advantage was counterbalanced by the added sufferings of the troops and by the difficulties of fighting in winter. If the view of the critics reflected the opinion of the German General Staff, the programme will be varied this year. The battle between the Brenta and the Piave shows no signs of abating, and tho Allied defence is as stiff as ever. Whatever tho ultimate result of the struggle may be, tho holding of the Piave line has given tho Italians ample timo to oiganise their defences in depth, and the carrying of ono series of positions by the enemy should mean only that he lias to continue tho attack against another scries. Tho movements in France and Flanders are of minor importance.