THE WORLD WAR

NZ Truth, Issue 604, 13 January 1917, Page 7

THE WORLD WAR

1917

COMMENTS AND COMPLICATIONS

An Honest Bishop

(By "Campeador")

1936 is well dead with the millions of dead that ere. fertilising: the plains and valleys of Europe. Though there was a note of peace sounded during the joyless days of Christmas, and though there are echoes from th* same sound yet, we, m the out-of-the-way antipodes, are too ignorant to be able to pass anything like a fairly correct opinion on peace prospects. One might hit the truth by a shrewd guess, but then guessing is very bad wit indeed. Ominous 1917. has arrived, and it is possible indeed, having regard to the Allies' general reply to the enemy's Note, that we are m fox even a greater expenditure of ; BLOOD AND TREASURE than was poured out m fatal' 1916. Much, by the way, depends upon how strong Presidont Wilson really is, how much he knows, and what card he has up his sleeve. The probability of Mr. Balfour being sent to Washington as a special envoy, is commented upon m the London press, and this fact m itself would seem to indicate that the American President Is playing a more determined role than we are led to believe from the disjointed cable messages. Count Bernstorff is said to have "surprising influence" at Washington, and some of /the objects of Mjv Balfour's trip appear, from the newspapers, to be for the purpose of "offsetting the Count's influence and to improve Anglo-American relations." Now, not one of us, it is to be hoped, is really so dense as to believe that Mr. Balfour Is being sent as official envoy to Washington with any such objects m view. Something very complicated and of vast importance is behind the special envoy affair. It may be remembered that a cable message of a few lines some weeks back hinted that It was possible that the actual terms of Germany's peace proposals were In President Wilson's possession and that it was as the result of the apparent satisfaction derived from reading the peace terms that President Wilson , launched the most famous of all his: many Notes. If* there was any truth j In that cabled hint it Is possible that the special envoy has been invited to Washington to become actually acquainted—privately, of course—with the peace terras that seem to satisfy the Presidont. If thin is so, wo have not by any means heard the last of the proposals for peace. The Cologne "Gazette" Is reported as saying: "The Allies rejected peace because they Intend to swamp Germany with innumerable .shells hi the aprlng. Our situation grown harder every hour, tut the Entente's dangers are also increasing. Where Napoleon failed lilndenburg may succeed." There is on element of truth m what

3fthe Cologne newspaper says, especiJ ally about the enemy situation growing 3 herder every hour. Also, • NAPOLEON WAS BEATEN IN 5 RUSSIA, . so far Hindenburg has been more sue- , cessf ul. He has been eminently suet cessful indeed m regard to Rumania, j All Walachia is gone, and Moldavia is ( going. The Russo-Rumanians ere . hastily falling back on the Sereth. It 1 is said that an important battle is imj minent on the Sereth line, but we fail 3 to see what good results could possibly i come from an "important battle" just there at present. ' One day we learn that Greece is aggressive and treacherous, and the • next that Greece has "acceptod all the '. Entente's conditions." While the latr est was that war against the Entente 3 was about to be declared. How long . this sickly game of bluff on both sides 3 is to continue It is difficult to say. i The Entente's hands are now lull m t Macedonia, for the enemy is bombardt ing Monastir from two sides. ' When i the Allies' troops recaptured Monastir i the news was noised abroad as a tre--5 mendous victory. We did not share 1 that opinion m these notes, for the ret taking of Monastlr by the Allies was » looked upon as being "winked at" by » the enemy— for strategical reasons. f Since Rumania has been successfully J beaten, those reasons no longer exist, hence the enemy will endeavor to re- . take and cut off tho Allies' force opor- • ating m Macedonia; Tho Allies can- ' not expect, under exisUng conditions > m tho Balkans to be able to hold Monl astir, so we may reasonably expect to > hear one of these days that Monastir • has changed hands again. Something ' more than the evacuation of Monastir • may occur, according to the "Dally ■ Mali," which happens to extend Its 1 advice m tho following: t The "Dally Mail" urges the partial ■ for complete withdrawal of the Sal- > onlka expedition, which is a burdon 1 equalling GaUlpoll, playing the enemy's 1 game, weakening the Allies, and 1 achieving- no good, while troops, war- : ships, nnd shipping are needed els«---1 where. The malarious climate is prejudicial to the health of the troopH. j 1 The upkeep of the Salonika expedl- j tlon Is certainly a burden equalling I \ that of 111-starred Gallipoll. Tho Alliea seem to be wholly unable to copo with Grecian diplomacy, and since they are unable to do "one thing or tho other," the sooner they mako up tholr mlnOs finally In regurd to Greece the bettor. In view, however, ta the Allied nupport afforded THK VBimiflLlST REVOLUTIONARIES, and tho hitter's provisional "Government" It Is not easy to aoe how tho Allies can wholly withdraw from Greece without taking Vonlwloj* nnd I till his supporters with thorn, unit by tho way, Colonel Kupington m "Thf Times" counsels the cornploto with. . j Urawai ]of the Salonika tuul Mesopu- : tnmla expeditionary forces, I Pour old Turkey has big dreams In- ; fWd; oho claims to bo an European ? Power onco again, und announce* that I tilu* proclaim* her independence of tint ! itiiitwralnty of the Groat European PowI <t«. Ktattng that Turkey vntui*t< tin.* group of Great Kuropeun Powers with ull rights and prerogatives and an entirely Independent Government. She j denounces v*« well kli* may) tho | Treaty of Paris. JS&tl. uml th* Treaty ; of Berlin. IS7B, ami uho abolishes cor- ; uiitj obnoxious m.-miuv*. The Treaty '■ of Hprliu. I)>* »»«> way. rfcoffnl«<ul tiehiUi»p<ituioiKM> of Ruumniu and serM i. . Truly If poor old Turkey riii m-hlavo j wh.ii sho announces <m puper, she will : Ijp.'ome v fonnldnblM Kuroiu'ttn ivm-or | Imtccd. Unfortunately for her, th« ; world wnr has not y<n u-rmlnat<. a <.t. nn<i i th«Tfi 0o«» not «fl<«m any liUvllhood of ! I it tMitllnK for Home eon.si«J<TnH« iimo • ! y*l. N«v<?rtlu»lc>jJ,-». tho f;n«n Ova Tor- ' • Hey v\'e»« uuil.'U'loiiH <nnuKh m mul<> ! ; Huh nnnouncfcmeni.'j 1:« v bit o!uti« i liltsf. th:ii \vh"i» jK'rtt'c? <ll«i'ii«!.Kin« do j litKo i>l»oc. H'.utinnlu und B<-rblu will c-(<t>(ritiu(«t crltK'ut qu^Htlons In i!>« vx-tri-mr, . j Sor/.tfOilntf boa heen Ooln^ at tu<» i

Suez, and a goodly big way from it We are bound to hear much more of the Suez during 1917, for -,ihe i position is not invulnerable by any means, at least to such a capable military man as Von Hindenburg. One wonders what this general's next great role win be. It is generally and generously accorded to him by friend and fo* that he is the GREATEST MILITARY GENIUS produced during the war. Has his star reached its zenith, yet? It is to be hoped for the Allies' sake that Jt has, though somehow, 1t is possible that he may by his usual well-timed lightning strokes achieve some further little wonders. Quite the best opinion passed on the war for a considerable time has been fearlessly expressed by no less a personage than a bishop. Probably the fact that His Lordship hod the privileges of the pulpit saved "his bacon," 'I otherwise, we can rest assured that 1 the decimations of "the falsehood associated with our conduct of the war" would have him placed under lock and key for his partiality for the truth. The following is the oable message referred to: The Bishop of Bathurst m a sermon scathingly commented on the falsehood associated with our conduct of the war. He said: "In spite of the promises made last New Year, we still find the balance of great achievements again gone to the enemy. We are building up our manpower, industrial power, and money, power, but we are approaching the margin where victory becomes impossible." Once again this writer must say that the above remarks are the best, criticIsm of the conduct of the war, and the general war situation. Let us hope, however, that 1917 may help to give His Lordship of Bathurst a more rosy outlook for the ye&r that shall follow. While free and fair criticism is stl- | fled m this country, it is good to observe that badly as Mother England is situated she has not quite yet ; I wholly adopted Prussian methods m dealing with the press. We may not like Northcllffe and his many news- | papers, but at the same time, fearless criticism always commands respect. There is something decidedly fresh and i to the point m the following: The "Dally Mail" asks what the Salonika army is doing. "Qerman reports." j It continues, "suggest that 200,000 Bui- i garions are holding up 450,000 allied I troops. The allied army might well have turned the scale m the West m 1016. Germany's vulnerable point on the great Balkan railway Is nowhere within our reach, and between Salonika and that railway there stretches an expanse of roadless mountains which no modern army is able to traverse. The Germans have railways; we lack them. The Germans al.so have secure communication with no fo&r of

submarines. The allied armies wouM be delighted if the Salonika mistake was undone." Meanwhile the British have bombarded the Drama station, and President Wilson is said to have protested ; also, they have advanced north-east of Kat-el-Amara.

Many a man wakes up after marriage and remarks, "What a fool I've bean." Many a wife does ditto and remarks, "What a fool I've got" And being agreed, they immediately fall out s