NOTES ON THE CABLES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16642, 14 March 1916, Page 6

NOTES ON THE CABLES.

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* ' THE ISSUES AT VERDUN. • To say that nothing abnormal is reported j - to-day from Verdun seems out of place i in view of tho titxtnio straggle that is taking -" place there; but the expression is used in a comparative sens© in its application to the " fluctuations of the efforts made by tho :■ Germans. The waves of intensity havo , diminished in frequency, but they may bo about to increase in amplitude. Having sacrificed so many lives tho Kaiser and his f ptaff most continue their frightful losses. Uot only is -victory required for outeide influence, bat also bo assuage the internal ?; Bttfflpirrngß of the people of their own misled nation. Weariness of war and suffering are opening l the eyes of a people that en- , tared the, war with a glorious vision of con-

- ■ quest, and of bugo indemnities, after which

they were to see themselves the proud lords i' of creation and a privileged caste to -whom sfl non-German races should bow tho head in hnmble acknowledgment of tho divine ■. beneficence of German kaltur. • - Tho shock has been great, and the blood ■ad iron last is receiving gradually those cold douches which, though it has not yet crashed the conceit and egoism out of the German war lords, has killed the enthusiasm of the people. The loss of that enthusiasm and the means that aro slowly ipd steadily producing that loss are bringing, out the spirit of despair, and that spirit

may yet flare -op into a national rage against tbe rulers who have brought about tho national misery of Germany. In those fooling there is the potentiality of revolu-

tion. The wrath of a fool is proverbially • said to be great, and the nation now being v, awakened from the Kaiser's long sohoolbig into tameness -and implicit obedience to the ruling military caste is, it is evident from reports that aro reaching the outside 1 ■world, becoming increasingly restive. In the- therefore, of the Gorman Govern- . ioent and the Prrissian military bureaucrats (he assaults of Verdnn must go on as long gs the German resources, and energy of the military machine can bear the strain. / ■. Disaster to the dynasty s feared; the ' captuie of Verdun or a political pnd social rewointkm —that is the dilemma of the House ■of Hohenzollern. Better the slaughter of hundreds ,of thousands of docile Germans than that the "divine appointed" race ■ti if Hohenzollerns should be deposed from its high estate and its high mission to the ... ■world. These being the issues that are j> -wrapped up in the fate of Verdnn, unless

common sense cornea to file minds of the * .General Staff the slaughter mast go on Vetduif falls or the German reserves . are completely exhausted. For these - reasons, although there is a lull in the - great infantry attacks, it must be assumed '' that a, respite only is being afforded to the v-: defenders wHe the Germans prepare to >■ launch heavier avalanches upon the devoted Ifcenehmen who aire Eke heroics Titans de- :• fending the gateway against an irruption

into the beloved Franco, of the Huns whom they abhor. If the attacks last and can be ■withstood for another three weeks, to all intents and pnrposes it. - is all over with • - the Germans in Belgium and France, and ' probably also in Russia.

K-. PORTUGAL'S USEFUL ACT. Tie declaration of war by Germany hgainst' Portugal was a great diplomatio .. blander, and the press of Germany, recog-

. arising the fact, has even dared to criticise (he action of the 1 Government, thereby also •. imp Heating the Kaiser himself in the fault. No each momentous decision, as a declarawtjon of war can be made without either ' * the Kaiser's command or his willing assent. The most likely cause that can be found : for such a false step as the German Government has made is that the Kaiser, who is given to fits of passion or vaingloriousness -and fancied omnipotence, ordered ■ the tnaking of war upon Portugal. When Jupiter nods, especially Jupiter Tonans, the world should tremble, and little Portugal, the oldest and most loyal ally of Great ' Britain, ia expected by Germany to tremble. Aa long as the British navy rules the - Waves and Portugal is faithful to her trust, she has nothing to fear. In the meantime she has "made good" as an ally, and

seized 270,000 tons of 13io enemy's ship- • ping. These ships will be ■useful to relievo the shortage of tonnage amongst the Allies ■- —a'shortage not created by the German

1 submarine warfare so much as by the enor- , mora demands of the British Admiralty upon the mercantile marine for the transport service. Before the war began, it was all neatly

planned out that the -ultimate possession .- of Portuguese colonies in Africa would • fall tb Germany. No one else was to be considered as having a shadow of right to the absorption of those colonies—not even ..Britain which cleared Portugal of her . enemies during the Napoleonio wars. Long before the Agadir incident the reversion ,of the Portuguese colonies was arrogantly determined upon, and the purpose of Ger- " many, was at least known in Britain even if it was not intimated, and Britain either acquiesced or decided to wait the day when Germany would attempt to make her claims good. Not only did the great Pan-German •; d?cam included these colonies, but also ■* those of Holland, Belgium, France, and v: the, territory erf Brazil, and even the wholo : of South America. 1

Germans are bitter against Portugal for the step she has taken, but what must be their feelings now that Brazil, whose domination Germany has been silently and . 'sedulously planning for years, has joyously K declared "herself heart and soul with the !£Hie&. The difficulties of policing the South t Atlantic will now almost have disappeared, 5 and Great Britain will now have to watch only the West Indian Seas, and that will not be a difficult matter , since she has so many bases in the West Indies. Though ;: v poor and weak, Portugal has done Britain and the world a very great service. She 'h&3 simply thrown a brick at Britain's in.ariigation," but it has hit the Kaiser hard.

v SIGNS QF A GREAT FERMENT. '? , Events are moving fast, and it appears ; that i£:Verdtm is not really Germany's last 5* 'desperate Juhge, she will soon have to make \ it either on the eastern or western front. .'lt is not humanly, politically, or financially i possible, for -her to continue the war for another year unless she gains some miracul- * ous successes. That her rulers well know. To gain a victory in France she has left Bulgaria lamenting**and whining for assistance, and- if the truth were known she has probably denuded her eastern front of- every 1 'soldier who can be spared. Her show of activity along the Dwina front is bluff to prevent the Russians from, recognising ■ the ■weakness behind the German lines. * Turkey is collapsing, and Rumania if not already in tho fray will soon be. The * Rumanians and Bulgarians have already » come to blows, and Russia has made a ■ bargain with Rumania for permission to '"'send troops across her territories. To aid !< the Russians and to prevent Austrians from iv. being sent to the western front Italy has, even in inclement weather, again become wherever tho winter snows in tho $• Alps will permit her. At Salonika the i,Allies are pushing' forward their entrenchv.ments—an act which may bo taken as feeling their way to points from which the j offensive may bo suddenly launched. There j-is also (j. report that the German fleet is | preparing for an encounter with the British, if,but only, the deepest straits of desperation s;will lead the Germans to tako such a risk. |lf they aro determined to make the essay £] against Admiral Jellicoe's fleet, then tho ifepd is in sight. The Germans would never tleave the Baltic free for the Russians unless sf they intended to risk all in the North Sea, > l -gambling on tho chance of victory, and, the luck of victory, they intend to <■" throw up tho sponge.