NOTES AND COMMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15885, 5 April 1915, Page 4

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

j GERMANY'S KAII.T'RKS. I Tin: position of the allies after six I months of war is discussed by Lord Sydenham in the London Times of February 4. He ((intends that Germany though still iiiicuiii|uered is beaten. Reviewing the .situation as a whole, he says that no ' reasonable grounds for any reversal of 'the verdict of the past six months can I lie suggested. Relatively to the allies, I the (Miliums must, glow steadily weaker ! in men and niateiial. Every plan of their • 1 . stutcgials has come to naught. With lie possible exception of the Russian leveise j-i|iii'kly retrieved—near Osterode, in 1 the ISenium aimies have not Won l.i single vie tory, anil when the perfection ' of their preparations, enabling them to I strike heloio any one of the allies was i ready. :s recalled, this must be regarded 1 as tie most outstanding fact in six ! months of war. As (Jenetal von der •Colt/, has pointed out : --"The boldest- and ' bcht planned strategical offensive leads to I filial rain when the available means are i not suHi< ieiit lor the successful attaini lnent of the last objective, the possession I of which insuies |iea<e." (treat masses j (of the (lei man people have never heard lot' Tivitschke or von Kei'nhardi ; but they have been well disciplined by Prussian agency into the belief that the .State is | above all human lav.s, and can do no | wrong, and that patriotism demands obedience to the ruling caste. They were given to understand that a short and sli.iip campaign would confer on Germany j the hegemony of Europe at last, and that thus only could their legitimate ambitions I he satisfied, and full scope be provided | for their intellectual aspirations. Tlicv I had unbounded confidence in the vast j military lime held ready for instant war as was no other aiiny in Europe. I 1 ncy have now to learn that the machine I was inadequate to the stupendous tasks which its chiefs forced upon it, that the losses alieady exceed 2.000.000. and that victory has proved unattainable. They I have discovered that the food reserves I were grossly fiver-estimated and could .suffice only for the short campaign oil whit their strategists counted. Other knowledge of several kinds will shortly dawn upon the German people, to whom tho truth has been denied of set purpose by the rulers whom they trusted, bub who would not trait them. Brave,

vigorous, and patriotic as they are, they may veil ask whither they aro being led. and whose were the errors that have brought a nation, which last year was on the flood tide of prosperity, to economic disaster. THE FALL OF PRZEMYSL. The official Austrian report declares that the fall of Przemysl in no way affects the 'general situation. This is hardly true; for Przemysl is an important railway centre. Przcmysl lies between the main (ialician railway (I.emberg-Cracow) and the other big line which runs along the base of the Carpathians in Western (lalicia, and it is connected with both at Jaroslav and Khyrov respectively. 'Then a line mils east from Pizemyet to Janow ami on to Letnberg; and two mote run to the south-east, one to Dynofwhere it meets another coining south from the main (lalician railway at I'yzeworsk—»iul the other to Bin /.a " 'Hi five lines converge at Pizeinysl, and to those who have realised what a vital feature of modem warfare the railway is, the importance of the place will be apparent. But beyond the facts that the Russians now have undisputed control over a very large section of (Jalicia, and that they ha\e additional and highly important facilities for transporting men, munitions, and supplies to their Carpathian front, the fall of Przemysl has released a considerable force of men and guns which have been operating around the 25-mile perimeter of the tress. THE DARDANELLES LEADER. The officer now commanding naval operations in the Dardanelles, Rear-Ad-miral John Michael do Robeck. has had 08 years' service in the British ua\). lie is now in his 53rd year, but throughout his loner connection with the service lie had not had the good fortune to previously see any war. He is an example i f toe steady, persevering type of officer who consistently does his duty with all his energy, and though he has had 110 active service that is not his fault. On his promotion to he Rear-Admiral in 1911, his previous commander in the destroyer service, in which he was a distinguished squadron leader, immediately suggested his peculiar qualification for the post of Admiral of Patrols, in which position he was in chargo of all destroyer flotillas. '' his post he retained until war was dedared, when he immediately hoisted his flag in the Amphitrite, presumably still in charge of the patrols. According to the Jannarv navy list, the Amphitrite is still his flagship, but in all probability his flag has now been shifted to one of the battleships operating in the Dardanelles.