WEEK'S WAR OPERATIONS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17320, 21 May 1918, Page 6

WEEK'S WAR OPERATIONS

OFFICIAL REVIEW. time helping the allies. FOOD PROBLEM EASTER. (Pus UNrrnn Pbesb Association.! T , , . WELLINGTON, May 20. 1 lie following telegraphic summary of war news ha.s been received by tho GovornorCo!on- S ~ &>crc tary of State for the Iho growing unrest among tho subject nations ot the Au.strij.ii Empire is becointo° strong tor tho Government at v lenna, and tho Emperor, impelled by the instinct of self-preservation, has taken further steps on the road to subjection to Ger*r iy - though tho terms of the new alliance have not been mado irtiblic, a Vienna telegram refers to its extension and deepening. Even if tho Austrian Emperor at one tirno desired to escape lroin Gorman controL, he is powerless to do so, since tho interests of the Ilapsburgs are bound up with the predominance of the German and land-owning classes, and the emancipation of tho subject races can only bo achieved with help trom without. All the AUies will work in co-operation to satisfy their just claims. In Germany itself reactionary forces are still rampant, and the Prussian Lower riouse rejected tho equal franchise. In a by-olectton in Saxony tho Independent bocialists lost a seat, and 12 members of the minority group have been sentenced at ■LrfOjpzig »o ponal servitude. lhe further aggressions of Germany in IviibSia have led to friction between tho German Mission at Moscow and the Russian yo\ ornment, and the aggressions of Turkey in the long-coveted Persian provinco of Azerbaiuan arc causing alarm and resentment to the 1 orsian Government. .Germany is now employing against SwitHolland tactlcs recently used against • y j° Mission which recently arrived at Rio Janeiro was much gratified by the cordiai reception and warm welome reeivcd. tv,Vh lo 7° ek - ° n t ' lo Wcslx ' rn front passed with only in,nor operations. There aro two points specially to notice in these. The first is that t.ie local objective in each case is to seize an observation point, and the second point is in cach caso of enemy initiaUv °; V l .® operation ended in complete and costly failure even where, as on the Voor-mezeele-la-Clytto front, he employed and sacrificed considerable bodies of fresh troops, but cach operation initiated bv the Allies— namely, the Lorrc, Morlancoar. imd *rivesnes—has been a oompleto success ,s a swooning statement, and German propagandists spare, words to prove the exact opposite, but tho map proves that at no single point did the enemy .gain his objective or succeed in holding anv local ? Tloro than a few hours. Enemy protestations of Allied failures characterise every local gam by tho French in Ix>cro sector such as an to retake Ketnmel Will, an objective which, as the enemy knows to his cost, would call for an operation on a very considerable scale, and could not possibly bo aimed at by a local effort, the length to 'which tho enemy publicists have gone in this perversion of the truth is powerful evidence of tho necessity felt tor concealing from the German people anything which may detract from their confidence in the army, which thov are told is invincible, but wliirh tbt\v are 'beginning to suspect were better described as cannon fodder. Though minor operations have only a local or tactical value, thoy havo a strafeI*''1 *'' s! ?ni(ic.;iK'(i, indicating- points where the enemy is prepared to incur considerable sacrifices thereby to gain observation posts. From liis persistence, we may draw conclusions regarding the positions'to which the enemy attaches special value for future purpases. While minor manoeuvres for positions have been taking placo along the front lines, it must not be forgotten that intense activity is continuous in the roar services on both sides. In tho air service tho Allies' claim to supremacy rests on more than mere protection. A comparative statement for 'the month of April of the number of bombs dropped by British airmen in Franco behind the enemy lines and dropped by the enemy in the area occupied bv the British troops shows: By dav—British, 17.857; enemy, bB7. By night*—British, 6033; enemy, 1346. Total—British, 23.900; enemy, 2023. _ Evidence is provided by tho demoralised complaints of German prisoners that even when the onemy have withdrawn for rest tho British airmen allow them no peace. One described feelingly how 24 comrades were killed by a single British bombing attack on Bapaume on April 30. The fundamental cause which is gradually disintegrating the. Central European Allianco is the lack of food. Little can be extorted from Germany's allies, some of whom are already experiencing actual starvation. To obtain grain elsewhere will necessitate using force_ and making further demands on troops which she cannot spare. This and the exploitation of her allies by Germany, for her own ends and to their detriment, sows the seeds of discord among : them. j For two reasons Germany has been forced : to seek a decision in the field as early as possible. Delay would involve a risk of : the breaking up of the alliance, which sho ; cannot afford. Her victory in the coming J summer campaign must be absolute or J worse than valueless, for Germany will ! have exhausted her reserves; whilst, even should the French and British find themselves similarly reduced, 'the American Army will just bo approaching its zenith. By commencing preparations Germany 1 thinks sho will be able to achieve a de- I cisivo victory within the time limit. The i Allies are already confident that, with tho infusion of the American 'troops, whose first ] drafts aje already incorporated in French ( and British divisions, they can withstand tho full force of tho enemy assault until ] tho American Army in the field has grown ] to the same proportions as those of the 1 French and British. It is a question of ( time. Every day's delay increases tho ] strength of tho American Army in Franco, ' bringing Germany nearer to the end of j her time limit. In Mesopotamia, General Marshall is ad- i vancing apace. After occupying Kirkuk ( he pursued the Turks over Lessgad, and ] patrols aro now within 70 miles of Mosul. A flank column, moving up the Tigris from Tekrit. is co-operating with tho main advance along a caravan road. The roads into Persia on this side are now blocked for the Turks, wherein lies the main result of General Marshall's strategy. The Air Ministry reports that German < air _ prisoners recently capttired show a < noticeable falling off in morale, and make i no attempt to deny our superiority in the l air. There is great aerial activity on the i Belgian coast, particularly by our. bomb- i ing machines. The coastal bases of Ostend ( and Zoebrugge aro repeatedly attacked and c the enemy harassed in his" endeavour to f repair the damage ensured by the recent 5 successful naval operations. c The Food Ministry reports that live t eteck is coming forward more freely than t was anticipated, and tho arrivals of frozen t meat have rendered a somewhat larger i ration possible. The partial substitution of r bacon for meat encourages tho hope that r the live stock in tho country will be fairly i well maintained. The cereal imports have now improved n hut cheese is short, and this scarcity affects v the workers. .Food queues have nracticallv t disappeared. The urgent problem is to * secure sufficient supplies in the autumn so r as to avtiid a scarcity during the early part r of nex'r, year. ' c (Signed) W. Long. 2