NOTES ON THE CABLES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16566, 14 December 1915, Page 6

NOTES ON THE CABLES.

By Shbapnel. THE TALK OF PEACK.

The German press asked the world to wait and.hear the Imperial Chancellor's dignified worda :n the Reichstag. The Chancellor tried to bo dignified, and to portray in his dignity the majesty, kultur, and might of Germany, but he ended in tears—tears which toM that the Socialists read in his voice the real note that his intellect tried to suppress. They saw in his head-note .'Ji attempted calmness which strove hard to kill the true note of tho lower register. Germany would have peace but tho unreasoning hato and envy of her foes is so great that it blinds them to tho fact that they are beaten. And yet they, the greatest victims of Teutonic treachery, have never produced a "Hymn of Hate!" The profession of concern of the Chancellor over the " 'nsensate" slaughter that goes on in Europe is pure hyprocisy. He attempts to throw in the Entente Powers tho blame for its continuance, while the beak of the German eagle still rends the entrails of Belgium, Poland, and Serbia. He would hide tho treacherous pre-war designs of Germany under the cloak of the. outraged dignity of Germany and the need on the part of Germany to prepare herself for a sudden underhand attack by foes who had no armies as thoroughly equipped as that of Germany had. What do these tears mean? They mean that, if the Allies are so " foolish" as to continue tho war with all their heart and all their prodigious resources for another nine months, the German idol of world dominion under the Prussianised " United States of Europe" will be tumbled from its clay pedestal of kultur and bo irreparably broken. Britain is determined to have the bravest millions in the field that ever a nation put forth. Russia, after having made ihe greatest sacrifices of men and territory, is preparing a mighty host quietly and with the slow but determined strength of a great giant. Franco is resolved to keep her chivalrous sword bright until the ruthless hordes of Germany are driven across the Rhine. Italy will not furl her flags of war until she has recovered hex lost provinces. German statesmen and reactionaries know all this, and fain would make peace. The Emperor and his supporters, however, afraid for their personal safety and of the results of. the ultimate exposure of the loads of deceit by which they have hoodwinked the docile Germans into following their lead along the road to ruin, dread to withdraw from their dangerous position. They know that if tho Allies preserve their united front and adhere to their much reiterated determination to crush the monster of Prussian militarism they will succeed as assuredly as the tides rise and fall. The only springs of failure lie within tho Allies themselves. If they listen to the voice of self-seeking dollar hunters and maudlin sentimentalists, egged on in their shortsighted folly by German peace conspirators and tricksters, they will bo undone and all their sacrifices of life and treasure will go for nothing. The reward will be Germany's, and it will be illuminated in glorified history which will keep alive the spirit of PanGermanic arrogance and be an everlasting nightmare to the world. One steady push for the next nine monthsi with all the power and resources of the Allies will see *-he blistering sore of Prussian militarism removed for ever; but let no mistaken notions seize our minds. Our great and final victory will come only if we realise what we are up against, and if we appreciate that our opportunity i 3 at hand. It is a trite saying that opportunity only knocks once at our doors. Like a surf bather Germany is on a wave, and she is riding for a success or a fatality, and her failure to ride that wave means her downfall. A cross wave will throw her into the trough, and that cross wave must be energised by the whole power of the Allies concentrated simultaneously against the wave which Germany is riding. FIGHTING ROUND GHEVGELI. Severe fighting has been taking place in the neighbourhood of Ghevgeli, of which the Bulgarians are now said to be in occupation. The scene of operations is a small triangle of Macedonia having Ghevgeli for the centre of its base. The reports from the War Office and from Bulgaria greatly differ as to the results of the fighting. The Bulgarians aver that the losses of the Allies are enormous, while the War Office puts down the British casualties at 1500, which is very small considering the nature of the engagements and the numbers of the attackers. The Allies have had to retreat, and it is claimed for them that their retreat has been orderly. If tho report comes from General Sarrail it may be relied upon to be correct. He understands how to resist' and how and when to retreat when faced with superior numbers. The Bulgarian report refers to the Allies hastily evacuating positions and to their desperately resisting under strong pressure. The Bulgarians say that they arrived at certain villages and at General Sarrail's headquarters l at Hudovo, southward of Kosturino and Mirovas, where tho retreating French troops burned the railway station. The words " arrived at" plainly indicate that the French had abandoned these villages and that they avoided defending them, as it was not strategically necessary to hold the positions. The claim of the enemy to have captured much material's meant to be impressive; but the material which the French would leave behind would be of small value. If the Frendh had to leave anything, they would certainly destroy it in some way. Most probably the Bulgars are including civilian/ material in their indefinite estimates. The story of the capture of five British machine guns suggests that the claims of the' enemy were somewhat exaggerated. The British report admits the loss of some guns, but gives an explanation of the manner in which that loss occurred. When the British had time at their disposal they pulled some of their field guns into difficult positions, from which, in the face of an enveloping movement on tho part of overwhelming forces, they were not able to withdraw them. After making the guns serve their purpose to the last, they would abandon them after rendering them useless to the enemy. The report of the Bulgarians is much discounted when we know tho meson why the guns were left behind. One thousand five hundred casualties and the loss of a few machine guns is nothing against the fact that the withdrawal has been successfully accomplished. As long as the Allies do not bocome densely packed under the fire of the enemy's guns there is no cause for apprehension, and, if it is true that General Sarrail is making, or has made, satisfactory arrangements with the Greek 6taff officers, we may be sure that his dispositions will be so made that there wall be no congestion of the allied forces near Ghevgeli and the Salonika-Serbian railway. The British troops will simply retire southward from Strumnitza and Doiran across the Greek frontier, where certainly the Greek soldiers would be jealous of any approach being made by the Bulgarians, who have never been reconciled to the Greek occupation of that part of Macedonian Thrace. Air Donohue, the correspondent of the Daily Chronicle at Athena, learns from the highest sources that the Greeks will go to any length to prevent their hereditary foes from eetting foot upon the sacred soil of Greece. Affairs are now moving rapidly in regard to the Balkans. It is highly satisfactory to hear that the Allies will not abandon Salonika, and that fresh troops are being landed. From German sources the information is vouchsafed that two British divisions have been landed at Kavala, but as the reports arc unofficial, the fear may be father to the thought. The German report goes on to state that 2000 Serbians have boon brought round from Durazzo, and that others are following. Such rapid work seems too good to bo true, but it is not wholly unlikely, for the ships that have been taking munitions to Durazzo would serve a doubly useful purpose by bringing reinforcements round to assist the, Anglo- i

French contingents in maintaining their hold on Salonika until sufficient forces arrive to mako an offensive campaign pos&ible.

GREECE AND THE ALLIES. Le Matin, one of tho great Paris dailies, affords information that will give much cause for satisfaction. Britain and Franco aro in complete agreement regarding tho conduct of tho campaign in the Balkans, and Sir E. Grey and M. Briand havo sent identical instructions to their respective representatives at Athens. King Constantiue recently brought forward the argument that as tho Allies themselves seemed undccided in regard to their Balkan adventure, they should not expect him to compromise Greece's position, that sho might bo left alone to confront the hostility of the Bulgars and tho Austro-Germans. For that complaint he had some ground, and he had seen from British slowness and unpreparedness many results that were not satisfactory. Tho King of Greece, now that he knows that there is no question of tho Allies abandoning the Balkan policy, ia said to have given proofs that his sentiments are moro favourable towards the Allies.

It ia possible that the determination of the Allies and the weakness of the German Chancellor's presentation of Germany's claims to victory have opened the King's eyes to the true position of affairs. It seems, however, too much to say, as Le Matin does, that tho Greek menace now ceases to exist. There have been so many falsified reports that we are now quite prepared for disappointments. It is certain, however, that tho clouds have been lifting during the last few days. The action of Italy may have been a lever, though the greatest one is tho conjoint and determined action of France, Britain, and Russia. Russia is not saying- much just now, but her -work may be heard of soon. Probably Greece knows more of Russian intentions than we have been permitted to learn. With Greece favourably disposed to the Allies, we may look also for favourable views from Rumania.