WAR REVIEW

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LII, Issue 115, 21 May 1918, Page 5

WAR REVIEW

AUSTRIAN SUBJECTION TO GERiMAiNY. CENTRAL POWERS' LACK OF FOOD. PosmoN <m west front. ALLIED SUPREMACY Es T THE AIR. (United Press Association.) WELLINGTO'N, May .20. The following telegraphic summary of war news has been received by the Governor from the Secretary of State for the Colonies:— The growing unrest among the subject nations of the Austrian. Empire is becoming too strong for the Government at Vienna, and the Emperor, impelled by the instinct of self-preservation, has taken further steps on the road to subjection to Germany. Though the terms of the new alliance are not public, a Vienna telegram refers to its extension and deepening. Even if the Austrian Emperor at one time desired to escape from German control, he is powerless to do so, since the interests of the Hapsburgs are bound up with the predominance of the German' and Magyar landowning classes. The emancipation of the subject, races can only be achieved with help from without. All the Allies will work in co-operation to satisfy their just claims. In Germany itself the l-'eactionary forces are still rampant. The Prussian Lower House rejected' equal franchise. In a. by-election in Saxony an Independence Socialist lost his seat, and twelve members of the Minority group have been sentenced at Leipzig to penal servitude.

! Further aggressions of Germany in ! 'Russia have led to friction, between t'ho i German mission at Moscow and tne { Russian Government, and the aggicneions of Turkey in the long-coveted Per- ! sian province of Azerbaijan are causi ing alarm and resentment' to the Persian I Government. . "Germany is now employing against I Switzerland the tactics- recently used S against Holland. 1 On the Western front the week endI inc -May 16 passed with only minor 'operations. There are two points es- ! pecially to notice in these. .The first is that the local objective in each case was to seize an observation point, and the second point is that m each case of enemy initiative the operation ended an complete and costly failure,^ en as on the Voormezeelc. La Clytte front, they employed and sacrificed considerable bodies of fresh troops But each operation initiated by the Allies, namely at Locre, Morlancourt, and 'Grives•nes. has been a complete success. This •is a-sweeping statement, and the •German propagandists spare no words to prSre P the Lact opposite, but the, maj proves that at no single, point did the enemy gain their objective or succeed [n Sding any local gain for mote than a lew hours. ■ . , .„.., j t.Enemy- protestations of Allied taillures characterise every local gam by the French in the Locre sections as an attempt to retake Kemmel Hill, an obiective whicTi; as the enemy know to their cost, .Would call for an operation on a very considerable Vcalo, andcould j not possibly be ainied at by local ef-

fort. The length to which the enemy publicists have" gone in this perversion of the truth is a powerful evidence oi the necessity felt for concealing from the German people anything which may distract from their confidence in the army, which they ai*e told is invincible but which they aro beginning to suspect were better described; as cannon, ioddev.

Though these minor o|:>erations have only a local or tactical value they have j a, strategical significance as indicating the points where the- enemy are prepared, to incur considerable sfceririce to j gam observation posts. From their persitenco we may draw conclusions regarding the positions to which the enemy attaches special value for future purposes. While minor manoeuvres for positions have been taking place along the frontlines, it must not be forgotten that- intense activity is continuous in the rear services of both sides. In the air service the Allies' claim to supremacy rests on more than mere protestation. A comparative statement for the month of April, 1918, of the number of tombs dropped by British airmen in France behind the enemy's lines, and dropped by the enemy in the area occupied byBritish troops, shows: By day: British 17,867, enemy 637, and' by night British 6033, and enemy 1346; totals British 23900, enemy 2023. Evidence is provided by the demoralised complaints of German prisoners that even when the enemy are withdrawn for rest the British airmen allow them no peace. One described feelingly how 24 of his comrades were killed- by a single British bombing attack on Bapaume on April 30th. ~-u« The fundamental cause which t*? gradually disintegrating the Central European Alliance is lack of foodLittle can be extorted from Germany s allies, some of whom are already experiencing actual starvation, and to obtain grain elsewhere will using force, making further demands on the troops, and she cannot spare these, and exploitation of her allies by Germany for her own ends and) to their detriment sows seeds of discord among them. For two reasons Germany has been forced to seek a decision in the field as early as possible. Dei a;, would involve the risk of the up of the alliance, which she cannot afford. Her victory in the coming summer campaign must be absolute or it will be worse than valueless, for trermany will have exhausted her reserves, whilst even should the JFrench and British find themselves similarly reduced, the American army will just be approaching its zenith. By commencing preparations Germany thinks she will be able to achieve a decisive victory within the time limit, The Allies are already confident with the ot . the American troops, whose first di alts J are already incorporated m the■ land British divisions, that they can (Sstand the full force of the enemy s lasault until the American army in tne SSd has grown to tbe same as those of the French and British. l« [fe a question of time. Every days deflay increases the strength-of theJanencall army in France,' bringing Geim.-m to the end of her time limit. _ In Mesopotamia, Genera* Maashau is Idvancin/ apace after TCirkuk He pursued the rurKs o\ei tessgad and patrol* are now within 70 miles 61 Mosul. A flank column moving up the TigW. from lekrit is co-operating with the mam ad vance along the caravan road. xne ioS into Persia on this side are blocked for Turks, wherein lies the I main result of General -.Marshall's I St ?h! g Air Ministry reports that GerI man air prisoners recently # capture* Uow a noticeable falling oft in morale and anaka- no attempt <to deny our sTperforitvih the air. There is great Sal activity on the Belgian coast ! particularly by our bombing ™*f »*£ ;The coastal bases of Ostend -and Zee- { brugge are repeatedly attacked and the enemy harrassed in his endeavours to repair the damage by the recent successful naval operations. .. Thk Food. Ministry reports that live stock is coming forward more freely than anticipated and arrivals, of frozen meat have rendered a somewhat larger ration possible, lne partial substitution of. bacon for meat, encourages the hope that live stock .in the countrv will be fairly well main--1 tained. 'Cereal imports have now improved but cheese is short and this scarcity affects the workers. Food j queues hav e practically disappeared. The urgent problem is to secure sufficient'supplies in autumn so as to avoid scarcity during th« earl,y part ot •next year

AUSTRALIA.

NEW ZEALANDER ARRESTED

(Rec. 10.20 -a.m.) SYDNEY,. This Day. \ stowaway, giving the name of Gibson but known to. the police as Gporee Caffery, was arrested aboard a. steamer at Newcastle at the request of the New Zealand authorities ior tempting to evade military se.-vico.

FtJTURJE OF? CAPTURED PACIFIC TERRITORY.

(Rec. 10. 20 a.m.) MELBOURNE, This I>ay. Mr Watt, speaking at Armidale,. said Mr Hughes and Mr Cook would go to London chiefly in regard to the future o' captured territory m th© Pacific, Svliich must not be permitted to return to Germany. PEACE CAMOUFLAGE. REASON FOR GERMAN MOVE. LONDON, May 8., A distinguished member of the Ministry, interviewed by the United Service, said that it would be foolish,- perhaps fatal, to entertain for a moment the idea that. Germany was seeking peace. Nothing was more certain tttan that renewed attacks were coming, witn the full and mighty force of the armies of the Central.Powers-. The interviewer asked: "Then why 'this So-called peace offensive V The Minister replied: "The German leaders are showing no signs of discouragement in. the west, their confident challenge continues. We do not believe there is anything in "the peace offensive except the carefully veiled use of neutral agents to confuse, weaken, Ir, if possible, paralyse our arms. Ihere is ndfchinc in i*-" • *-u The Interviewer: "Germany is stiU confident of complete victory?' The Minister: "Obviously, or she would not continue her western 'bat--1 The Interviewer: "We will hold?" The Minister: "Surely we -will hold, I am not pessimistic. I behev* that the enemy effort will be exhausted before the exhaustion of our defences, but ;every man is needed now, and m the future." ; The Times compares the enemy peace offensive to Prince Mettermeh* cynical--I v astute and successful offer after the battle' of Liepsic, whereby French opinion was detached from Napoleon. "Such negotiations," adds the Times "are- not preludes towards peace, but. weapons of war." '."'- H T>£~: Dernburg, .formerly German 'Colonial Minister and Special Envoy to America, described . the Reichs'tag resolution (annexations and indemnities) as designed: to break .the Entente's bom* front, whilst Herr Hausmann poligmg-. 'ty- explained that it -was deigned *■* paralyse th» enemy's war will.