The North Otago Times TUESDAY, JULY 10, 1917. THE WAR OUTLOOK.

North Otago Times, Volume CV, Issue 13929, 10 July 1917, Page 4

The North Otago Times TUESDAY, JULY 10, 1917 . THE WAR OUTLOOK.

Despite the world-wide recognition of the fierce struggles and grievous sacrifices which may await the Allies before final triumph crowns the efforts of the nations which fight on the side of right,.; there is an unmistakably confident feeling in the air that the war will end this year. Unquestionably the military outlook has improved during the .last, few days/Imt it h nevertheless somewhat iHifficult to account' for th;' war is-well in sight: on the Western Front, the..British, soldiers; and our indomitable .Allies fool that tlieir moral ascendancj^Qvcr'ilie enemy'is complete' while; 'their superiority in'-men, .#iinsiui(l tactics has been demon;

stratey]; again and again. The Germans are doing: the thinking now.'"There mi a time when the Anglo-French military chiefs were' at tlieir wjts'' end to'foresee the tactics lo'f the German High Com-. ' inaiid, but the initiative has passed from the enemy, and Marshal von • Hiiidenburg lias to busy himself countering' the brilliant strategic thrusts organisodby Sir Douglas Haig. ; Pol- some days the. Briii ;h Western Front lins .been almost completely shut off from hn by the veil of silence. There has 'been news of desperate German attacks on the French positions .along the Aisne,. which ended 'in a crushing •defeat" being inilicted on the enemy, but little information of importance has come from the British front. We have had all the familiar signs with us, rumours of big operations pending, tele-

grams;- notifying strong trench raids r mysterious-liititg from the German sources that the British army/is about to make a big ef- ■ fort north of Arras and the observations of a deserter, who asserts that-Marshal von Hiiidenburg is prepared for all .•eventualities and will l:etreat.jj)toJJollpjid. and, if. • necessary .fortify the ''mouth of the Scheldt That there is something gigantic coming along the Western Front- seems certain. One oi these;.days suddenly, the comparative alienee, will be broken'again,. uul the great offensive' will bs announced. And whoji it begins wlio'/cansay. that it will begin jnce:aiid for all. Behind the veil of secrecy, 4he silent mustering of : tremendous armies on the Western Proiit means something! Ever.ything;is at stake there. The RuV sioni offensive js warned. Gereral'.'Brusilol! jiiul '-M, Ifirepky. are hitting' at tlio.-phycholDgical moment. month-later might have -bcenjoo late to win oonoliisionsvthis year. If the end of the igreat .struggle does come'this year [ls Jjeartfelt thanks ; of humanity ' ;Will ie is,e Jo newborn Russia! i

'^i'eacj^.|hej]i|;vsji|looming tjp,us ■ tliaMi'ititifofii((s btiiiig;; rushotl t;o the Eastern ; front, Has General' Brusiloff saved Italy for tire second time? The concentration of men and guns in'the Trenfino grievously menaced Italy, but the Russian offensive has compelled the Austrian staff to recast their plans, and Italy may be able to resume her offensive towards the.i East, instead of being called 'upon tofight'for her life on the slopes in the Trentino. The thun-

ders on the Eastern front are already finding echo in Berlin. There is a state of nervousness in German official circles and the people, arc showing considerable anxiety. Members of the Keichsing are demanding to know the truth, and secret sessions are being . held, while the Kaiser is conducting prolonged interviews with his military, naval, and political chiefs. The omens are ill for Germany, and nobody knows this better than the Kaiser and his. War Lords. But they are afraid to tell the people the whole, truth. The, new regime, in Greece has changed the outlook in the Balkans/' and Bulgaria tronfbles. The tramp of America's millions resounds tbrongli Europe and the Butcher of Berlin holds

a council of war. In desperation 'Germany is carrying out her air raids, and it is tolerably certain that the Government will be compelled to reconsider its former decision, and carry out reprisals, not as a policy of revenge, but as a preventive. Tiie war outlook is disliiictly favourable and there may be every justification for the confident feeling which is making itself felt throughout the world to-day, . that the end of the war will come this year. Everybody hopes this splendid optimism will not turn out to be another will-o'-the-wisp* but that this terrific conflict will die down before the dawn of another year.