The Otago Witness. (WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 1918.) THE WEEK.

Otago Witness, Issue 3352, 12 June 1918, Page 36

The Otago Witness.

(WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 1918.) THE WEEK.

VITH WHICH IB IHOORPOnATSD TS3 eOUTHEEK UEEOUIiI.

"NunquMn ollud natura, allud sapiastla tflxlt. —JUVBRAL. "Oood nature and good sens* must erer join.'

The news that Germany has resumed the offensive and is now attack-

The Gage of Battle.

ing on a 20-mile front between Montdidier and

Noyon, serves once more to emphasise the seriousness and gravity of the war situation. It is well to look both the possibilities and the probabilities frankly in the face with a view of adequately estimating the .tremendous issues at stake. Germany is engaged in a desperate and final effort to establish world domination. Should she fail now, she will to all intents and purposes fail for ever, however much she may strive to cover up her failure and hide it out of sight. The knowledge which the German High Command undoubtedly possess of their own critical situation must have the effect of nerving them for their final effort. With all their experience since August, 1914. to proiit by, and with every particle of Russian pressure removed, the German generals are in the fortunate position of being able to concentrate all their strength and strategy upon the operations on a single front, an advantage which in the earlier stages of the war was denied them. The German people have been heartened, and the German soldiery stimulated by the ground gained during the earlier phases of this same offensive, and which renders the present onslaught all the more formidable. The possibility that the German armies may be able to break through the French line and proceed to the investment of Paris is one that has to be reckoned with. It is recognised in the appointment of a special committee under the French Minister of War for the defence of the capital and the formation of an entrenched camp. A similar recognition is to be discerned in the admission made by M. Clemenceau before the Chamber of Deputies, that the French line, after four years of war, was becoming weaker, while the Allies were sustaining enormous losses. He added the significant statement that during the recent offensive the French fought against fourfold their numbers, almost without sleep for four full days, and as a consequence of the heavy odds against them, they had yielded more ground than he liked. It has to be remembered, however, that to a great extent the lack of numbers in the French line will be atoned for in the fact that 'the French soldiers are fighting, not only for the ultimate defeat of the enemy, but with the consciousness that their beloved Paris is in danger. Viewed in.this aspect, M. Clemenceau's appeal to the French army to be calm and to hold on to the end has already had its effect. "The Government," exclaimed M. Clemenceau, "depended on the Fatherland to light to death." The magnificent response made by the French army to this appeal is" seen in the statement that after the Germans had advanced two miles in the direction of Paris, "the French checked the advance, after heavy fighting." Whatever may be the eventual outcome of this latest onslaught, at least one fact is clear, that the enemy will be called upon to pay dearly for every mile of the way in the advance on the French capital; and should they by the sheer force of numbers at length succeed in gaining their objective, it will only be over the piled-up .corpses of thousands of their own soldiers and an equal number of the gallant dead defenders. The gage of battle has definitely been thrown down ; from now on it will be a fight a 1' outrance, with no quarter given or expected. Meanwhile the world stands aghast, watching with awe-stricken hearts the Titanic clash of the opposing armies.

The decisive factor in this world struggle

America's Pari.

for freedom is admittedly American intervention, the weight of which is being

more and more perceptibly felt as the days go on. Already the judicious feeding in of American reinforcements into the Allied lines has done much to stem the torrent of the German advance ; and as a greater number of these reinforcements become available the hope is encouraged that this advance may be altogether and definitely stayed. Of this hope the Germans are aware ; hence the present gigantic effort to force France to her knees and extort from her such a surrender as shall, by cutting off the American fighting base, render nugatory all the armed force of the great Republic of the Stars and Stripes. That this German hope has some foundation is evidenced in the warning just issued against "illusory hopes that it is possible that Americana can become war-hardened and effective before many months have passed," It is reliably declared that in all probability it will be the middle of 1919 before the true giant strength of the Republic is exerted; and who dare say what changes may have taken place before then. Mr Lloyd George put the very best face on the situatioiii when, after nraising the ''superb valour and skill of the Americans," as "one of the most encouraging things" in the Avar situation, he admitted that "wo w-ere depending on them," and added : "If the Allies failed it would bo a sorry world to live in." Mr Lloyd George stressed the point that we were passing through, anxious days, and that the crisis was not ended. If the present peril can be safely bridged and the German offensive rendered of none avail, there should be little doubt as to the ultimate result. President Wilson accurately enough described America's ambi-

lion when addressing the Mexican leaders. He said : "We. are fighting so that never again any nation, great or small, shall have to fear the selfish aggression of another." To realise that splendid ambition America is placing her entire manpower and all her enormous resources of wealth and munitions at the disposal of the cause of freedom and the welfare of civilisation. When all these things are considered, it will be seen how much is at issue in the present conflict between the forces of aggression and the powers of freedom. Should Germany succeed in her present endeavour and be able to put America out of the fight, the hands of the clock of civilisation will be put back for at least half a century. And even if the Allies succeed in holding up the German advance for the remaining months of the present campaign, it will be well on into next year before anything like an effective counter-stroke will become possible. Well may Mr Lloyd George exclaim that 'Unity and resolution" are Avhat is needed, after which "Gcd will stem the torrent."

There still remains the Russian problem to be considered, in connec-

The Russian Problem.

tion with which the opinion of Mr Harold Williams

merits consideration. Mr Williams is a New Zea.lander, son of a well-known Methodist minister in this Dominion, and whose long residence in Russia, added to the fact that he is married to a Russian lady, renders him a competent and reliable authority upon Russian affairs. He points out that some satisfactory solution of the Russian problem must be found unless all the sacrifices made by Great Britain and her Allies aro to be in vain. "Americans may pour in millions on the Western front," declares Mr Williams, "and may rout the Germans, but apart from the reconquest of Russia for the Allied cause, we cannot win a world war." He pictures German ambition aflame with a new dream of the East, and the Kaiser as "hastily gathering in the Czar's heritage with all the inexhaustible resources of the Eurasian Plain." The fact that Russia is without any sort of Government —Mr Williams dubs the Bolshevik regime as an inhibition, a form of paralysis—is clearly Germany's opportunity. The majority of the people of Russia would welcome even German-government to no government at all, and as certainly preferable to Japanese government. The Allies are in the unfortunate position of being unable to help Russia, and unhappily popular sentiment in that great Empire has been diverced •from the Allied cause; this being clue to the refusal of France and Great Britain to recognise the leaders in the Bolshevik uprising. Should Germany only partially succeed in establishing domination over Russia, it is easy to see what an immense source of strength such domination would become. Beaten on the Western front, and driven out of Belgium, Germany,; with Russia under her heel, would yet be able to realise her dream of a Middle Europe and an empire in the East, and would still remain as a world menace. The weakest link in the ■ German chain of aggression is the condition of Austria, whose people by reason of famine and suffering are falling into sad disaffection. - A revolution of some sort in Auatria would appear to be imminent; the danger, of course, being that Austria may follow the example of Russia. With so many powerful and conflicting elements at work at one and the same time, it would be idle to attempt to forecast the course of events; but whichever way the eyes are turned the outlook is dark "and lowering.