Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, SATURDAY; SEPT. 1, 1917. WEARING THEM DOWN.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 14391, 1 September 1917, Page 2

Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, SATURDAY; SEPT. 1, 1917. WEARING THEM DOWN.

A cheerful survey of the war situation is given to-day by General Maurice, the Director of Military Operations, who reminds us that though the daily communiques may be bare of sensational happenings the grinding process which is wearing the enemy down is continuous. Bombardments and infantry actions, he tells us, are proceeding wibh greater success than is generally imagined. Though it is generally accepted as a fore, gone conclusion, that the war will continue over until next year we "have a hunch," as the- Americans would say, that the Germans are very loth to face another winter and that a sudden and dramatic termination may como before winter sets m m real earnest m. Europe.. These are numerous evidences tending to this conclusion. First, there is the wellknown strain of relationship between Austria and Germany -.which, will >by *ap means bo •'relaxed by the severe .defeats Austria is now jjustaJJiing at the hands" of the Italians and the 'inability of.jGei*.many,, to: respond./ to. her jS;.,O.^. ..calls, General Oadorna may well claim that" the decisive blows Italy is now dealijig. 6\it on her long and serrated -battle-front are [likely to provide the, turning point of jthc war. But for Russia's debacle we, might hare seen, the military collapse. of Austria very near, and regarding this, ,Mr. Lloyd .George's words ring out boid with reassurance. "Russia's collapse," he said a few weeks ago, "is like a deep glen through which we . are passing. Though it is not , sure that we 'have reached the darkest* depths, nevertheless across the valley we can see the sunshine of victory. No one m Great Britain, Prance, Italy, and Russia, or even m Germany,- and Austria, has any, idea how near Ware to-day to the summit o,f oar, hopes." The weakness of Russia is more ithan off-set by. tho entry of^America'intp the Western theatre, the decisive field where the war will be Avon. Wihile the American armies actually m France before the end of tho autumn may not be so numerous a-s sufficient to 'break up the Gentian defences, . they will be imporant enough to compel tho German high command, the German soldiers and the [German nation to seriously contemplate the prospects early m 1918 when their numbers reach the million, that have been promised. There is already evidence that the mock bravado which ' characterised Germany's reception of tho news that America had entered the war has passed and that the Kaiser and -his supporters •are beginning to realise that America's ■participation with all her resources of meu, money and material must be a very decided factor m the final try-out. ;The threatened invasion of Germany by myriads of aeroplanes, dealirig death and destruction m a much more wholesale manner than Germany has attempt, ed to decimate Britain, will possibly [cause tlm Huns to pause and consider whether it is worth while to continue the struggle m the face of such a contingency. Perhaps the most important factor m tho whole situation is the I gradual wearing down of tbp enemy's reserves. Of thi.s there can now be no possible doubt. Germany is not able to launch large forces against "weakened. :Russla, she is unable to send help to lAustria, and even little Rumania is able to hold her at bay; All her available reserves are held m readiness on the Western front to combat the hammerlike blows which the British ft'nd French are delivering fjrst at one and then at another sector of the front. The prisoners captured m the Flanders battle included many of the 1918 reserves, lads of poor physique and stamina, who should never have been thrown into the furnace of war. and it is stated that youths of the 1919. class are already m

training. Ue'rmait officers captured 1 iii the battle m Flanders (states a message from British Headquarters) have discussed quite freely both the military and political situations as they affect the Fatherland. Germany's Joss m manpower they admit to be serious. The interesting information has been volunteered by these prisoners that the entire class of 1918 recruits now is m the field, and, what is more significant, it is said small elements of the 1919 class already Are at the flout, although it is claimed they are serving only ris Volunteers. This is tlit? 'first time ally German officer has ttdmitted that aiijf m^it of the 1919 class were on the battle/rout. The whole trend of statements made by the captive officers is that they are beginning to fear that they may lose the war: Afore depressing than anything else is the fear that there may be another winder campaign.- , iN T ex t m mportance, is the psychological aspect of the situation; It .is-. clear that the mprale.of the German nation is weakening. Every neutral observer who has come out of Germany tells us that there are evidences of war-weariness and a tremendous longing for peace. Hindenburg has been urging the people to be cheerful as a national duty, clearly implying that there is little to be cheerful flbout. According to a published statement by Dt' Miehadis, the new Chancellor; he brtS said that the requirement of tlie lioiir for Qertnans was to avoid atiy riirtiiifestatiorts of nervousness aiid prove to' their op'p 1 6iie'nts that Germany's might wits linweakened. Germany's opponents/ Dr Miehaelis Said, had been greatly encoiiraged by the exhibition of nerves m the latest inner crisis and by the German longing for peace, which Mas interpreted abroad as a sign of the weakening of the German people. Peace would be brought no nearer,, he said, by such things, adding that the Government would confine its efforts for peace, but would avoid earlier mistakes. Clearly Germany is beginning to show "nerves," otherwise such statements would not be made. Then we have the Reichstag debate of June 19, where HeTr Haase, speaking on behalf of the Miiioi'ity Soeiftlists, said that instead of plain dealing from the Chancellor they had all afrtbigUoiis statement only about peace preparations, though the Chancellor admitted explicitly that the peace resolution was open to a variety of interpretations. Michaelis> he Said; wds the nominee of Hindenburg and the general staff. Haa.se continued : "There is a growing feeling among the masses that the monarchy is a failure and that a republic will and miist come* This would be the best prelude to peace^ but democracy will only com& by fighting for it, and not by fawning on the authorities.- if the wai* is to continue much longer the German nation will bleed to death and fall from exhaustion. For months the public has been deluded with promises about the collapse of England. But it now realises that the figures entirely omit the fact that the tonnage of the whole world is at the disposal of England and. consequently it is stupid to compare the losses With tonnage belonging to England alone. Yet the Chancellor once - more states that England will be unable to resist the need for peace, thus feeding the people on fallacious hopes. Though the peace resolution is an advance on our previous attitude, it is not acceptable to the minority party. What the resolution says about the origin of the war is not tenable m the face of history, and the minority refuses to lend itself to . declarations at variance Avith the truth, . The same applies to' the shallow/ explanations of the Chancellor. We do not forget the Austrian ultimatum to Serbia, the Austrian preparation against Rilssia, the conferences m Berlin on July 5, 1914, and the activity of Tirpitz aiid 1 Falkcnha'yn m those day«, The feeling of the people ns the result of the leaden weight of hunger is such as to startle even the most frivolous,. You have read 1 * of riots and strikes m Silesia. Do you think the masses can possibly endure it much longer? It Ik impossible, and when the crash comes you must not be surprised. The workers ki^ow better every day how they must act. I£, they are to achieve what they have at heart they will rise against the conditions." When we hear plain speaking of this sort m Germany we may begin to cherish hopes of au early peace. , There is much of it to be found" m German publications and m reports published m Dutcih and 1 Swiss newspapers. As showing how the Huns have begun to despair of attaining the victory that they were formerly confident about, during the patriotic celebration m the German Reichstag early m August, Deputy Leringhoven, reviewing the, three years of the war, is quoted by Vorvvaerts as saying : "If, nevertheless, these unexampled German successes which m earlier times would long ago have brought peace have not carried us any further it is because the general world political and economic situation operates only m favor of our enemies, who have been able to enlist help from their ever-growing number of Allies, This aid has enabled them to carry on the war until the - present day and so it has come about that our soldiers have been really cheated out ot the fruits of their victories." Then there is the economic aspect of the situation. Germany is feeling the pinch severely m finance and^. mi commerce. Can she stand the strain for another winter? 1 Dare she go on for another year with the prospect m the end of {defeat and heavier charges to pay? According to the Berliner Mittag Zei.tuiig. the Finance Minister declared m the Wurttemberg Chamber of Deputies that Germany's watchword after the war must be "export much and import little.'* The Minister added that Germany already had expended 94,000,000,---000 marks on the war and that _ the interest on this surplus, war pensions, etc., would be about 7,000,000,000 njarks Ivearly. It was extremely difficult, the •Finanoe Minister said, to form a, picture "of the economic effect on the German Empire m raising this sum m addition to the five billion marks needed^ years :btfore the war. „, The truth is sinking m. Germany is "up against it," and when the Teutonic people fully realise this it is quite likely -they may suddenly decide to face the inevitable, with just as much gladness and relief as the German soldier experiences when 'he throws up his arms and . cries "kamerad," knowing that by so donig ■he is soon safely out of. the turmoil and ■ havoc of Avar.