NOTES ON THE CABLES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16754, 24 July 1916, Page 6

NOTES ON THE CABLES.

BT Subafhiu. GERMANY'S NEMESIS. The tigns oi Gi'iiniiny'i dcKat are looming ldi',o on tho houzoii. On tho tront ilio v\.u> defeated when her gnat aunies had to hjttlo down on hoi lin>'» oi detence, alti i the b ittles of tti>- Marno ana ot Ypius, but though tdio »ai defeated she ,\.is i.iith'r beaten not humbled. if'iuin the time ot iliose momentous battles, while sue remains on tho defensive, she >woi> gradually be;n ] 1). ateii into impotence by tlio masterly liia.tivjty of G< rural Jollre. 'jhne attiinpls wuc mauo to tcs-t her c tienylli-one at Aiuve Chapello, one at Loo l -, and one in the Champagne. 01 the->u attempt., the mo.--t was the I<rciich attai kin tho Champagne. Though sonio giound was gained in each case, the other two lailed to leacli their objectives, chiefly owing to defective organisation and ozonation. The attempt at Loos, however, though it did not accomplish all that was desired, v.as suu uliary to tho attack in the Champagne, and, m the' lespact that it gnatly agisted tlio Ere rich, ll was Ingniy suei thsful. Jioth at Nemo Chapcllo <uid at Loos our lo.mls .wic licavy, and the lesson which was leanit was that without a prcpondeiance of heavy artillery and high explosives, without very accurate reconnaissance vvoik, and without ample reserves at hand that oould be rapidly brought forward, it was, in viow of tho btiength of tlu enemy and the nature of his defensive vvoiks, dangeious and costly 10 make partial attacks. The Allies then decided simply to hold the enemy while they manufactured thousands of guns of all calibres and an unlimited supply of shells. At the same time gioat attention was given to training artillerymen and to putting the new British armies in as high a state of organisation as was i*. aible. That all this Swas going on was known lo the Geiman General StaiT, jot, it could do nothing to disorganise tho prepara-ijorus-a pioof that Germany on tho west front was a defeated foe. Every day the great western armies of Geimany remained in their trenchcs and behind their lmrft, «he was being gradually and very slowly still further defeated. Powerful and determined foes held her armies as though they were tho defenders of a boleagured city, and when a city is besieged by a determined foo stronger than tho6c within, tho fato of tlio besieged is (ertain unless they cut their way through tho investing linos. Every day the enemy forces remain ir\ tho besieged camp or fortress thry grow weaker, and finally the power to cut their way through departs fiom them . Iho diivo into Russia and tho spectacular linking up of Austio-Gcimany with Bulgaiia and Turkey v.ere great attempts to relievo tho piessuro of the Allies, and to weaken their stranglehold, but though those adventures gave some relief and excited much false hope, they really weakened the enemy. They made greater demando on tho Cential Powers in lega.d to men. munitions, and money, and while some relief v.as obtained by them in the natter of supplies of food and raw materials, it is questionable whether the gains wore woith the cost as, owing to the immense resouices of tho Allies, the irruptions did not overwhelmingly confuse and distress them. The benefits which resulted from the incursions into Russia, Serbia, and Tm key no longer exist, exccpt in respect of the possibility of the Central Empires being ablo to loquisition the crops in the occupied territory on the cast fronts. On all thoir fronts tho hostilo powers sec no hope of a su'tcisful and decisive iiruption into tho domains of tho Allies, and the great lines of trenches aro nothing more than death-traps, which aro destroying the morale of their soldiers and the temper of their peoples. Germany must cither seek a decision, acccpt one. or slowly bleed to death Iler one hope is tho financial exhaustion Allies, and that within i.nother year. Unfortunately for Germany, trade, which had been disorganised in Biitain and France, is beginning to move along normal lines, and iho worst time of financial and tiade difficulties is over. | The Biitish Government. having overcome all tho initial difficulties of producing war materials, is now giving attention to those extravagances which always accompany violent national disorganisations and alterations. Waste is being checked, and soon the position will bo growing stronger every day. Great Biitain feels the finwciil attain, but another j ear of war will not bro-ak her, it will not find her as badly off as «he was in the early part of 1916. She has now ceased to bey munit'ons aboard, and much of her extraoidmary expenditure will bo retained within Iho country. Germany Ls building on false hopes i't relying on the possibility of the financial exhaustion of her enemies. Thee holies are certairilv cherifhcd, however, and if Gcrminy becomes thoroughly imbued with the idea, she may attempt to cariy on for another year, although, owing to her military positions and the growing slicngth of the Allies, to do so will be a policy of extreme folly. Tho longer slwj maintains the struggle, the greater will be tho period of her prostration. THE SOMME THRUST. News fiom tho Sonime sectors does not tell ot any further great activity by tho Briti-h. Much of the cabled infoimatron of to-day deals with tho opeiaticns that gave the British theii piesent iront. There is a long messige reierr.ng in detail to the capture of Longueval and Bcllvillo Wood and to a magnificent attack and defence by tho Highlanders, showing the gioat spirit that inspnes the soldiers oi Great Britain, and proving that the Highlanders still retain their ancient chaiacteristics. While tho Briti-h aro in a way marking time whilo tho French bung th6ir forces into lino and do fome very necessary widening work towards Chaulnes and the oomme River and canal, they recovered in their last advanco a very serviceable position at Foureauv Wood, north of Bazcntm. In Sir Douglas llaig's opinion the position gained threatens tho Geiman third lino of defence. If that bo so, the road to Bapaumo should be open as soon as tho French havo advanced their lines towards Combles. Tho high ground of which Sir Douglas Ilaig speaks lies between Thicpval and Longueval. It has already been pointed out that when tho British reach Posicrcs and Martinpuich the muzz'es of their guns will look down hill along the roads to Bapaume. In tho meantime, though tho French in tho south havo done some brilliant work agam c t tho German positions oil the Chaulnes-Soveeourfc-Fresncs plateau, they aro finding tho work north of the Somme much heavier. Tho Germans between Combles and Peronno havo been reinforced and aro bringing up more guns to prevent tho Ficndi Itom sticngthening tho British flank at Belvillo road, where it slightly "in the air." The French have, howovei, one gre it advantage whVh is that they can subject the German lines between Guillemont and Horn to a cross /ire, that from Ilem to Cuilu bc-ng an enfilading one. It is to be noted that the Allies aro using 12in and 15i,i guns. Some of those will be very useful for shelling the redoubts from tho enfilading position. If tho Germans aro found to bo too strorg in this position a diveision may soon bo looked for further north, probiblv between Arras and Lens on tho Yimy Heights. The pressure of Allies is now fairly general on the West front, and it is not possible that the Germans can spare many men for tho Somme sectois. France has sufficient rrvsn to mako a heavy attack in tho Champagne, and as that is a very vitil sector, tho Germans cannot afford to weaken it. Germany must bo hard pushed to find reserves, since it has been found that amongst those captured in the south of the Potnmr> salient, there aro vouths of 17 and 18 years of age.

HIE RIGA FRONT. General Kuropntkin has opened out the battle of the Ihvina all along his front. Ho

is bending back Hindenburg's flank at Kemmerri. v.ot-.t of Riga. That movement, if it succeed.:, lapidly, will be <i very seriou3 thi< at against tho German left flank. Messages fiotn Potiograd and Berlin say that Hie Russians are across the Dwina. That means that the German*. arc being compelled to give ground near Jacobetadt. The Russians have been across the Jhvina near Riga and at Dvinsk for a very long time. Tile Russians must now bo pushing back Hindenburg's centre, between Dvinsk and Riga. Reports of this movement on tho patt of General Kuropatkin aro not officially co/ifi.med fiom l J etrograd, but as tlie Berlin messages admit the heaviness of the Russian General's ftroke, there should soon be some intciostmg news from the Russian official hr.idqiiaitena. If guns and prisoners are arriving at Riga, the Geimnn lines must be badly broken somewhere. Guns are not taken unless tho Russian cavalry aro through, or the infantry havo leached tho emplacements of heavy guns, which tho Germans have not j had time to remove.