UNDUE OPTIMISM.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16663, 7 April 1916, Page 92

UNDUE OPTIMISM.

It is not very easy to get a nation as a whole to. view a war in its proper perspective. Public feeling is apt to bo 100 much swayed by that which seems to give it a pretext, reasonable or otherwise, for believing what it desires to believe. The popular impression as to the probable duration of the war which obtained during its early stages did not, of course, long survive. Even in its revision, however, there is frequent evidence of a too uncalculating optimism. Suggestions, perhaps not without authority, but after' - all no more than tentative in their implication, that the war might be terminated in 1916, have in all likelihood been permitted to dwell somewhat too persistently in the minds of many, even to the extent of colouring their outlook on the need of stupendous and unrelaxing national effort. Because impressions of this nature may be influencing the*' attitiide of some of those who belong to tho Section of the community from which the dominion must draw the troops it has undertaken to provide, a remark made by Dr M'Nab the other night was distinctly pertinent. It is foolish—it is worse, it is dangerous— to be satisfied to harbour anything that may be proved to be a mere illusion at a time when everything that makes national existence possible or tolerable is placed in the balance. Dr M'Nab warns the pubile against thinking that the war must end this year. If there be need for this advice the wisdom of it is unassailable. The public has' no solid ground for hugging any such consolatory thought to itself. As a people we should Be careful to guard ourselves against that form of optimism which underrates the difficulties that still lie in front of the Allies. The great and irreducible aim of the Allies, their far-reaching objective, has to bo placed side by side with the progress which they have yet made towards its attainment. A turning, of the tide of war does not mean the end. Nobody can say how far off or how near the end may be, but all may at least strive £b read intelligently the' general evidence. The resources of the enemy still remain to be measured, and although there is reason to believe-that they must be nearing, if they have not already reached, the point at which the Germans can no longer replace the human wastage which they have shown no reluctance to incur, their strength in material and munitions is unknown to us. There can bo no data available upon which it' is possible to judge how long the enemy may be able to endure if driven back to their own frontiers, from which the Germans are still as far as they were nine months ago. Most British people hope that the war will be ended in the defeat of tho enemy this year, and the tone of the communications from the other Entente countries suggests that they share this hope. But a hope is one thing and the realisation of it is another. Mr M'Kenna, Chancellor of the Imperial Exchequer, has assumed, it will be noted, that the war will continue throughout the financial year that has just been commenced. It .would be a great mistake to build upon the fulfilment of a hope that the war will end this year. To do so would be the least effective way of contributing towards that fulfilment. The only sound and safe conclusion to which the whole situation can be judged -to point is that there can be no relaxation of effort on the part of the Allies, or on the part of any nation or any portion of a nation involved in the, struggle , against aggressive Germany, to tighter} the pressure upon the enemy, and thus bring the war to a finish at as early a date as will possibly permit.