PROGRESS OF THE WAR

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 10084, 24 September 1918, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Von Hindenburg’s proclamation proclaims to Germany tho unexpected. It proclaims the utter incapacity of the German military idol for the leadership of a great arjny in war. Napoleon, the great master of war, had, as Carlyle put it, “words in him like an Austerlitz battle.”. There are countless instances. was another who always spoke in tho supreme moment like the leader of men in battle. The Trafalgar signal gripped every man to his duty with tho steel hooks of resolution. The Nelson proclamation, like the Napoleon proclamation, inspired the fighting men to inflexible resolution of enthusiastic battle. But this proclamation of von Hindenburg proclaims him a pettifogger without even half ai heart to wear on his sleeve for the heartening of fighting men. It opens with a lying wail over tho “defensive war,” and closes with a maudlin tear at the prospect of having to buy peace at tho cost of prestige. And this was actually the thing addressed to the armies which, being in danger of expulsion from France, require bold rallying words. The Hindenburg proclamation is actually an invitation to the Allies to attack, and an incitement to the German armies to hold up their hands and howl “Kamerad.”

The incident is merely a straw which shows the drift of German military management. The great, glorious, magnificent, well-prepared,, infallible German military machine is run by men who think they understand everything in the line of its business. They understand, for example, the . soulstirring value of a proclamation to troops ringing with, the fierce power of a great chief. But, not having the great chief, they proceed to select the chief they choose to call great, and they write a proclamation for him. The result is like the shrill cry of l a small huckster shrieking defiance at a small rival in a, back street. They have supplied the proclamation according to the rule. But instead of finding the right man to issue it, they have done it themselves, and the world, realising that they have thrown up the sponge, while imagining they were brandishing the groat sword of the Fatherland, laughs. It is all of a piece with what these super-Gormans have done from the first. From Ireland to Mexico, from India to Egypt, from Africa to America, it is a record of German elementary errors. This time the arrogance of vanitous autocracy has exposed the spiritless weakness of the German High Command, blubbering about buying peace with loss of prestige, when it ought to be raising a valiant battle-cry.

General Monash said yesterday that the Allies will drive the enemy out of Franco' by Christmas. To-day Marshal Hindenburg emphatically confirms the prediction. Such i« the consequence of setting a machine to do the work of a man. Of course, the system is that the staff writes something out of its small soul and narrow vision, in the small scolding style of the ever-mcnda-cious martinet, and gives it out as an interview with Hindenburg. It is part of the system in which von H. concurs. Had ho boon worth the salt of his great reputation, he would have kicked the staff pedants out _of his room and put a genuine fighting proclamation on the wires. As ho is not worth the said salt, we have the mischievous vacuity of the staff going out with his ponderous, futile sign manual. It is typical of the German generalship in this war. Look at it in the light of the two Marnes, consider the German strategy, large, huge ; boastful, futile. Look at it in the light of Jolfro’s work and the work of Foch, his fine successor, strong, workmanlike, great and successful. The inevitable moral is that machines cannot take the place of men.

The machine, wo are reminded by « query which has reached us, relies on the shadow of names. The query asks for information about the Hindenburg line, and the, much-boasted lines Siegfried and Wotan. The exact location is perhaps difficult. Generally speaking, the Hindenburg line is the main Gorman defence, and the others are the names of switch lines, formed to facilitate retreats out of difficult places in front of the great main line. The names

signify that the Gorman system consists of a number of linos so strong that only the names of the demigods of German fable can express their full strength to tho Teutonic mind absorbed in the study of the work of the irresistible Gorman military machine.

The main line is a system of several lines running-in. front of Douai, Cambrain, and St. Quentin on towards Laon. Tho Siegfried was a switch lino running from Queant northwards, providing a safe rotreat within the system under pretence of adding to the impregnable strength of the whole. There were other switches, named Siegfried and Wotan, further to the south, not precisely located, but endowed with the same reputation of impregnability covering the result of possible bad accidents. The main Siegfried switch has fallen. It was smashed, stormed, and loft behind by the British advance, which is well on its way through the main Hindgnburg system. The other switches are, under their ancient names, waiting a similar fate. If General Monash is a true prophet, the whole Hindenburg system, with all ite lines, approaches, redoubts, and “camouflages,” real, nominal, and mythical, is about to bo swept away as part of the operation which is to free Northern France of tho German armies. More than this we cannot pretend to say of these great defensive works. To study them in detail would be useless. It is enough that they are about to bo swept away, with' tho armies holding them, under the weakening spell of the Hindenburg proclamation.

In this connection it is good to read Sir Douglas Haig’s report of an advance in the neighbourhood of Gavrello on a two-mile front. This is a thrust towards Douai, and looks like developing the attack on the mam German line on the left of the positions won by the advancing line further south 'in tho last few days.

The weather is. however, compheatinrr the problem of this advance. Colei winds, heavy rain, and mud are not ideal conditions. What their effect on tho fighting is Air Gibbs describes realistically. The country offers no shelter. Wet trenches have reduced fighting to the worst of the old trench experience, and in the thrust east from Bpohy the enemy’s counterattacks had some success, preventing the advance from holding all _its‘ gains. The labour battalions are doing splendid work, and the advance of the- British railways is described as marvellous. All of which proves the determination of tho British commander to keep up the pressure against the enemy’s line. It is encouraging to read that the enemy’s moral' i s weakening. But tlie weather is against ’anything like rapidity of advance, and tho enemy is taking advantage of it. It is evident that he intended to winter on his present line, and that he has lost valuable quarters, which ho was commanded to hold to the last man. Hut if the weather does not improve there will bo very serious difficulties to face. Tho heavy traffic of modern war must have fine weather. It may be only the usual . equinoctial weather, ot course. If the end of that does not bring calm and sunshine, tho outlook will be against much progress.

We have not heard tho last by any means of General Allouby’s victory. The last of tho General’s reports puts the prisoners at 18,000. and the booty is enormous and varied. The brilliant use of tho cavalry having .cut all the roads but those over the Jordan, which tho enemy cannot reach, it is clear that the' two Turkish armies smashed by the victory are in a tight place. If they cannot force a passage through tho horsemen before the infantry and cavalry overtake them the tale of prisoners ought to be several times larger presently than it is.

It is worth noting that the enemy was commanded bv Liman von Sanders, the organiser of the Turkish armies, and the defender of Gallipoli. He occupied very strong positions, hut from the first' he was outgeneralled by the British commander, and from first to last of the - bewildering, overlapping, brilliant attack (by forces the concentration of which at various tactical points surprised the enemy) he had not a chance His forces were beaten at every point, and surrounded. He did not remain at his Headquarters at Naa&roth a moment after he heard of the success of the cavalry manoeuvres. What becomes of the broken remnants of his army remains to be seep.

The criticism that condemns the ap-' polutment of cavalry generals will, after ttds battle, be silent. General Allonby bad a numerous and superb cavalry under his orders: horses and men, in the pink of condition. He employed them with skill and great boldness, covering fabulous distances in the time allotted them. He certainly showed that he knows what cavalry can do in action. and can handle them in the doing of their work with brilliancy and precision. _

General Pan, of the French Mission, has confounded the wiseacres. He has proved, to his own satisfaction, at all events, that the great Australian term “bosker” is really of French origin. The general made the discovery at Wentworth Falls. Mr James Dooley, M.L.A., and Lieutenant Howard, local staff officer, were accessories to the fact. Appalled by the majesty of tho scone stretching for 40 miles before him, the general confessed that words failed him. “Bosker,” suggested Mr Dooley, and then the general learned it and said it- Hut at tho luncheon at K.atoomba he sprang his surprise. He had, he said, found in Rabelais an allusion to a beautiful and fertile country called Beauce, a corruption of beau cola. An examination would show that “bosker” was not purely Australian. “It is certainly French,” added the general, amid laughter and cheers; “for,some Frenchman must have come hero before and said, ‘Plus beau que oa,’ and from that you got your ‘bosker.’ And it is ‘bosker.’ ” The general threatens to discover tho origin of “wowser” next.

“From your appearance you do not look to ho a man who is over military age, and the police were quite justified in questioning you. You may take the police action as a compliment, if - you like,” said Mr P. V. Frazer. S.M., to Daniel Flynn, when ho was before the court yesterday, for refusing to answer questions relative to his enrolment in the Reserve. The defendant, who is well over military age, and had spent a night in the police colls, informed tho court that tho police compliment was no good to him.