FATEFUL SEPTEMBER.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 14124, 17 October 1916, Page 5

FATEFUL SEPTEMBER.

OUR GREAT ACHIEVEMENT.

. LONDON, Ootober 3. Colonel ;Repington, the Times military critic, .writes: — r . „ 7,. ; „,-.-- "FieldlMarsbal y^ n Hin,deriburgy,was not far wrong ; wbien he told a -'.Germsn pressman ,j>hat September . would -hei. a difficult -month. . Th©, . discenso^te Reich-' stag and the hesitating subscribers to the fifth war loan will be little, encouraged if they aacr c allowed to learn the truth. The note of distress hapf become', very clear. Even the roinmunigues wax emotional over the.sufl^enngs/of theitroppsi and letters on- prisoners and on the dead almost luridly p^infc the sufferings at tbe Somme. One German pU'ce_ the foe's losses at from 8000 to Ip^OOQ a day, and, whatever ihe. exa^ figure, it is evidentT ly very lar ? .e. The Germans officially complain that the Allies; a^. fighting with the war material of ; the world I but our troops are facing 110 German divisions and 2000 guns. v More than half the German arhiy: is on the Western front. t - ' '■ t -y "Our staff work, co-operating with all arms, is extremely g00d. .... T_© latest successes at the Somme clear the British wings and re-establish a close connection with the French. We noty hold the crest of the plateau, and, having superior artillery observation, can make faster progress. , But we jnust expect fresh, lines from Miraumont toWards Bapaume, and thence towards Sailly. We. shall have to recommence £be hapmnering q_i^ hackin« which have . so dismayed the enemy, and rely on th© proved s&UI and courage of; the Allies to carry out all the taaks, however difficult. . "A small minbi-ity is disapproving, of this offensive, believing that the losses are disproportionate to the gains. When asked to suggest an alternative, it cannot, and admits that the situation- m June demanded that something should be done. The, offensive has given the enemy's strongest army a rare shaking, and, apart from all the services towards the other Allies, ha_ shown that the British armies are capable of overcoming tlie ( Germans ih t_4 strongest positions' and placing tlie' British Empire m an ? entirely now position m tho eyes of the; Allies and m history."