Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENINGS. GISBORNE, WEDNESDAY, OCT. 31, 1917. DURATION OF THE WAR

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 14442, 31 October 1917, Page 2

Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENINGS. GISBORNE, WEDNESDAY, OCT. 31, 1917. DURATION OF THE WAR

American newspapers, coihmentiiig ort the'': war situation- as affected by the German- drive into Italy, we are told by. sable to-day, ar© inclined to take '" a pessimistic view and to consider that iii consequence -of this set-back the? war nay be extended another couple of pears. This* gloomy outlook may be'i >aken more* with the object of stimulafciqgT;,^_mericans.;toT greater enthusiasm i-nd more strenuous endeavor than' with' >he idea of giving' aii accurate fo^cast^ Jut whilst it is impossible' to. calculate it present the exaot military advantage hat Germany has gained, it is certain, is- we said . yesterday, that the success lgaihst, Italy will be used for all it is *voi*th to bolster up< the falling morale >f, the German nation arid, to induce the; lation to. keep up its resistance against >he Allies. The .German junkers recoglise. that they must fight to the death wid care not what sacrifices may be im>osed' upon the' people of the. Central Smpires so long as a semblance of their JOwer can be preserved. They. Twill* nagnify^ every victory for the purpose >f proving that Prussian militarism is nioonqu^fable and must be triumphant ■ n the end, and we are inclined' to think ! hat the advance -into Italy^ " liowever i ioon is ma^ be checl.ed'* will 1 have the effect*, of Ttandljng 'ane^ .'of;?erman intolerance and stimulating the i mlief. m ••Teutons over all" which re-, I •ent Allied successes m the West mustT iaye very: seriously shaken- Mr Gerard,, * ate -American MiriistenVJit Be_iifi, j *di n a , speech a few weeks ago that the ] Seiroah people are not yefc sick of tile, j "WW andi do not think they can be i >rbu^ht down by starvation or revolji-^ i ionT "Every able'man from 18 to 45 '& '. n< the rank., and l the others are 'pre-* * tented from meeting -together by ar^et. * jolice' who patrol the streets. "Wlia't * ■ *

; *■■ - -■■■*■'■'" ■'■"■*. 11.111111.1 1 1 — _ is pressing on Germany > more than the food 1 question dnd* tlife ciiaiwes 'X-'&t , revolution,' 1 deolaved) Mi* Gerard, ' "V the economic situation. Germany lias not tried, to pay for the war as .'it 1 , proceeds. Tlie only actual wai\ tax has been a-50---per cent, tax; on ; war ..pi'bfits....' Money has been raised -by .Joans. * These loans lave, been forced '■ from the banks and the wealthy olass. The/sitUdt-on,is\now reaching the poitit where the ihierfes. on the loans, added 1 -, to the war eicpeiiditure and the interest on previquw borrowings, is such as to cause eveiltu-illy a 'repudiation of these loans. Financial companies will fail; people, who thought they had money set aside for themselves m old age, will be impoverished and the poorhouse. will be flooded by cfiildreii There will be social and moral • bahk^ ruptcy throughout thie land. ■TK^'tliinking people "of Germany forsee .'this..- Germany is issuing pager notes. That is why, l onole said that the Germans could meet their financial burdens "as long as they possessed a printing press. The morale of the German people at home is breaking just as the spirit of the men ; n the trenches* is broken* by the knowledge that they can not break the line. But," said Mr Gerard, m" conclusion, "the Germans will last out. We have got to beat them m the field. Have ho illusions,: no, fal-e ideas that we can w;in by causing hunger or civil strife within Geripany. .We must get at it .with every at(H*jv. of 'energy andi fi*ght, "and I'think tKe YAnglo-Saxbhs on both sidesi of the line have it m them to continue!, to' fight to unmistakable triumph." words are more apposite to-day than: on the day they were uttered! four weeks ago, and the call conies not only to Americans but to every citizen of the British Empire to prepare himself for fresh sacrifices and more earnest endeavors m ordfer that , the.,;- victory for, .*H-hich/- our. . gallant men have fought and- bled-aSid' died' may not be lost through' any slackness on thq part of those who stay at borne. "Any behind the lines at this moment/ saidjr' .General Cadorna m a message to thOtaliah people on September 17th. /'wii! be equivalent'to. treason," and m this critical taqmeiiS of the. Allies* cause we, pay re-echbYthS'TOe.ssagej efen m this distant Dbrtiihibt{, aiid' .d'enwnd that there ,b"e no wavei*i»g but that every one* -shall, put 'his 'best foot forward and by personab service -from thbse who are of military a^ 1$; financial support and* iritoeased) prbductionT from those who are not, strive to the uttermost to; bring the war to a triumphant conclusion. Summing up t the military situation a month agS'' J ffi© I^ndori H 6bsefrer saidl: "The Allies have only to hold on hard, as they will, until the. United States beXgins to take part as:a.first-cla_s fighting Power,/ next spring, Then v witl*.;, the submarine menace kept at bay-and-mer-chant shipping developed! on a scale for which we have ceased to appeal:;' two decisive things must follow: The military pressure on Germany will be more than- ever increased* while' the eneniy's strength is still diminishing. In- addi-tiott--and this ' supplementary coi-ditfon is yital : - j -the Allies; by . conCerit^atihg with full yigbr oh the new revblutioniary arm of aircraft, will have the undolißted ability to overwhelm Germany from above. These are not dreams, they rest on the surest of practical calculations supposing definite and attainable conditions to be fulfilled. We shall dare to epitomize the whole of the argument m one homely assertion and say that at the present phase the Allies Thbld the carcfe if they know how to play them.'' Germany has certainly played) a trump m her latest offensive, but the Allies with" their overwhelming superiority m f men and material have, surely, better cards m their bands, and!" m good time these will be played! to the confusion and defeat of. the- enemy. ■_ . X'^ Xx. mi^mm "■— —^— ■