NOTES ON THE CABLES

Otago Witness, Issue 3168, 2 December 1914, Page 31

NOTES ON THE CABLES

By Shrapnel. THE WESTERN THEATRE. A much greater reverse in the east must take place before the Germans will let go their grip on the Straits of Dover. The w'hole purpose of this long-planned war was to break up the British power and Empire. All other moves were but pawns in tile game. Austria, Servia, Russia, Turkey, Belgium, and Erance were the pawns or other minor pieces to be used and moved at the Prussian will to produce a, destructive checkmate against the might of Great Britain and overthrow its precedence in powo* - , wealth, _ and the councils of nations. Add to this disappointment at the failure of getting a huge indemnity from Paris and the use of the French Fleet, and one can see a powerful reason why the Germans will hang on to the strip of coast and the dominion of Belgium at all costs, though their losses have been severely heavy up to the present. It has more than once been pointed out in these notes that there was a danger south of Lille, near Arras, or southwards, towards Peronne, and subsequent movements have proved the accuracy of this beief. The writer doubted the Amsterdam reports that troops were being passed backwards through Belgium, and pointed out that that movement was probably a blind for the concentration of troops cast of Arras, or along the Aisnc to Verdun. In each case the idea has become actual. In the latter case the object has been more for defence than for attack: but in the former it is now definitely known that, at the first favourable opportunity, the Germane will try to force the Allies’ front somewhere on the line from Lille to Peronne. The Germans hold several good positions along that line. The points favourable for breaking through are Lens-Arras, Arras-Bapaumme, and Bapaurnmo to the country to the south of Chaulnes, towards Noyon. It is now reported that there are 700.000 Germans being concentrated behind the position at Arras. That may probably be an exaggeration, a partial blind or feint; but it shows that a very determined effort is going to bo made, and a big prize lies at the back if it should be successful.The troops to the north will be hemmed in, and will have to surrender or be annihilated, and the coast commanding both the re-entrants to the Strait of Dover will be in German hands, and before they will let that strip go they themselves will bn annihilated. They will hang on to that part until every soTdier has been killed bv the Russians in their attempts to reach Berlin. There aro many reasons why the Germans must obtain possession of that strip of coast, apart from the desire to attack England. If it were not for the Russians it would ho the hub, the military circle of circumstances. The possession of those porta would have effects exactly analogous to the results of Lord Roberts’s advance into the Orange Free State from Co'""berg. Ho destroyed the power of the B at every point by simply marching on icmfontein. WHAT MIGHT FOLLOW. If the Gormans could break the Allies’ lines that run north and south and clear the coast, then would follow a movement from Kiel and the various other harbours, but ipr’nr to that Zeppelin bases would have to be established in Belgium, and undoubtedly they are being built now, for tin- German military authorities cannot conceive that tiic British and French, with Russian help, nave them beaten. Every day that passes, however, we are getting stronger from a military point of view. Our aitil-

lory is being improved, as English and French engineers know how to improve it. In men we are getting stronger, and we have immense resources yet untouched, and

whatever groat scheme the Germans have in mind to carry out in France, there axo two men who will counter it —Earl Kit* chener and General Joffra.