NOTES ON THE WAR CABLES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17464, 5 November 1918, Page 5

NOTES ON THE WAR CABLES.

Bt Shrapnel.

DEFEATING GERMANY IN DETAIL. Ihe matter of most exciting interest to the readers in all parts of the world is tho elimination of Austria as. an ally of Germany . What the Allies' conditions are is not known, but it is to be hoped that they cover the occupation, if necessary, of Vienna, and the use of the Austro-Hun-garian railways. Presumably the arrangements ,for the armistice were made by the authorities in power .before the new Council of the Nation seized the reins of Government; but whether it were 6o or not, the new Government established, owing to the conditions in Austria and) the causes which brought it into being, will ratify the military proposals handed to tho Austrian parliamentaires by General Dias. Evidently since the Austrian Council did not recognise the Emperor Charles as its head, republics are about to be established as the new regimes in Austria and Hungaiy. From the general desire of the army and people to give up war operations at any cost, it appears that the Italians will be allowed to occupy the Trentino and Trieste. A 'difficult situation may' nevertheless arise in connection with the occupation of Dalmatia, which is part of the Irredenta, since Fiume, which has been seized by the Jugo-Slavs, is in the territory claimed -by Italy and is largely populated by Italians. Possibly the Itab'ans may be satisfied with the occupation of the Trentino, Trieste, Carinthea, and Carniola, And they will certainly make a bid for Dalmatia for naval and strategical as well as racial reasons. In view of tho possibility of' Germany refusing the terms of the armistice, the matter of paramount strategical importance is tho use of the railways Of this crumpled-up Empire.

In connection with the defeats of Bulgaria, Turkey, and Austria it is interesting* to note what Germany planned to do, and; in part carried out, by overrunning Serbia, Montenegro, nnd Rumania after defeating the Russians. But she failed ultimately to defeat in detail any of the strong western Powers, and, what is a matter of greater importance, by her policy of schrielioheit, or terrorising by frightfulness, she brought America into the war and sealed her doom. In what Qermany failed to accomplish the Allies have succeeded,—defeated and eliminated in detail all her Allies except the Bolshevists, who were organised and directed by Germany to keep Russia out of the war. By the defeat of Austria, Germany isl isolated, and on her sido there is no sense , in continuing the war. She could not, defeat the Allies with Austria on her side, and with Austrai out of tho war the Italians will be able to further reinforce the Allies in France. "What hope can' Germany possibly conjure up? ALL THE CONDITIONS AGAINST GERMANY. Reports from the west front show +W the pressure of the Allies has increased in extent and intensity, and is particularly heavy along the front extending from tiur great .bend of the Aisne to tho Meuse, where between the Aire and the Mousa Germany admits the Americans have broka through her lines. It may be that for certain reasons known to themselves the Germans have declared more than the trutkg' but tho capture of 63 guns, many and much material is claimed, though nob any large number of prisoners. This shows that though the advance of tho Americans was rapid, tho German commanders arw withdrawing their men skilfully. Tho losa ' of guns i 3 due to lack of horses, a great many of which, though the Germans oouli ill spare them, were used in the Cambraljj Lys, Somme, and Marne offensives. When the inner history of the failure of thosa offensives is properly discovered, it will probably be found that one of the mining factors was the want of traction power to maintain tho supplies and bring up the German artillery quickly enough to overwhelm that of the Allies before the® organised and concentrated their artillery batteries. In losing so many guns as they have since Marshal Foch began his offensive, the Germans must soon become seift ously handicapped.

Most ~of the laeavy artillery, especially howitzer batteries, used by the Germans wore made at the Skoda works at Pilsen, i» Bohemia, and now that Bohemia has cut the painter that source of supply can n» longer .be used. From her fortresses Germany will be able to get heavy guns todistribute along her frontier, and die will probably have still a sufficiency of field guns to serve her armies, but her difficulty will be munitions now that she cannot get from any source, except perhaps Sweden, a supply of copper and steel to meet in part her requirements. Now that Turkey is out of the war Germany will not be able to get a single bale of cotton except that which may be smuggled; through neutral countries. If she does not submit immediately 'to the Allies' demands she can- : not carry on very long, even though she successfully combats her internal social and political troubles.

It is undeniable that the Germans axe falling back upon a strong line of defence along the Mouse, and in tho wooded and broken country of the Ardennes, but it is possible for Marshal Foch to tarn the defences of the Germans by way of Lorraine and Alsace, though it will not bo an easy matt-er if the German armies bocome resolved upon defending the Fatherland. The hopelessness of their position lies in the probability that if they elect to fight to the last it will have to be on the west side of the Rhine, and, owing to the great and growing strength of the air forces of the Allies, tho chances are that tho greater part of what remains of tho huge German machine will be destroyed before it can fall back beyond the Rhinp. Tho Allies are now too strong in reserves guns, and all varieties of mechanical impedimenta required for war for the Germans to maintain long their resistance, oven though there were littlo or no discontent within tho German States. Right along tho present fiont. though tho Germans are fighting "well, fhere is ample evidence that their armies cannot withstand the pressure partially and locally as it is at present being exercised with anything like a possible or maximum effort.