THE CAMPAIGNS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17859, 3 August 1918, Page 8

THE CAMPAIGNS.

Tee military critics are now, it seems, prepared to find even that the Germans may abandon the offensive in the west and may devote the autumn to an offensive cither against Italy or in tho Balkans. Major-General Maurice,,,too, takes it for granted that by neXtyqar it will no longer be worth Germany's while to prosecute a vigorous offensive in France, and we are entitled to infer that he regards . the position of the Allies for the remainder of 1918; as being relatively secure. General Maurice's comments, however, are telegraphed briefly, and it need not be supposed that he believes all danger in the west to have passed. The condition of tho German army at the moment is uncertain. It has just suffered a severe reverse, and the inference is inevitable that it has lost a large proportion of the highly trained shock troops. Von Ludendorff, however, has still at his disposal a considerable mobile reserve, and is bound to use it before the end of the summer, even if another offensivo of tho magnitude of the March attack is out of the question. Tho possibility of an attempt to paralyse Italy for another year is obvious. Regarding the Balkan front, we can only say that the question of an enemy offensive depends as much on the condition of the Bulgarian army as on any other fiactor, and the reports we have on that subject do not suggest that Bulgaria is anxiou6 to enter upon an arduous and costly offensive. On the broader question of the enemy's general policy there is little need to elaborate General Maurice's statement. It is very possible •that von Hindenburg has opposed the continuation of the offensive in the west, for he has consistently emphasised the importance of the eastern theatre, and he may well have opposed the extravagant expenditure of human resources in an effort to secure a decision in France. Germany has won a great victory over Russia, and if she could secure peace with the results of that victory undiminished she would have achieved her whole purpose in the war. In the view of the "easterners " the proper course for Germany is to wear down the Allies by a vigorous defensive warfare, while consolidating the eastern gains and preparing for the development of a movement into Asia. This view, however, is not generally held in Germany, where there is a strong party advocating the annexation of Belgium and of the French mineral region in the north-east. The reverse suffered by the Crown Prince may bring the easterners once more into prominence, but it would obviously be foolish for tho Allies to count on the cessation of the enemy'6 offensive in tho west.