DOUBTS AND CONFIDENCE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 14609, 20 May 1918, Page 3

DOUBTS AND CONFIDENCE.

SPEECH' BY GENERAL SMUTS, AXXIOUS DAYS~AHEAD BUT RESULT CERTAIN. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) (Received May 20, 8.45 a.m.) LONDON, May 19. General Smuts received an enthusiastic reception on visiting the Clyde shipyards. Addressing the workers ut Fairfield he said,, the Germans had achieved a success that few had' thought bossiblc. We used to talk a lot of nonsense about defeating the Boche, but Brother Boche had knocked this kind of damnable nonsense out of us.' "If we strain . every 1 don't feel a moment's dbubt about the result," lm added. ."We have suffered in men in the great battle on tho West front, hut the results have compensated the losses.," , , •■-.■-.• The Government asked 'General Smuts a year ago to visit France .and he reported that;, the most necessary thing was a. big army of. manoeuvre > and. an army of strategic reserves for contingencies. The Americans were now coming in hundreds pf thousands montlily. Submarines were powerless against transports. "The enemy will come within an ace of victory, but will „i\p.tf secure it. The situation will be most atpcious for manv. days to come. If the last British soldier be driven out of France the Germans still will not have won, because they must win both on sea. and land." General Smut? did • not believe out-;md-out victory.: was possible for. any group of nations. He considered' they liad fought to a stage where the-,-*enemy was now ready to consider and concede terms. It would, be, a most dangerous tmng for a peace conferenc before they knew the principal terms to be considered. "The Government," ho added, "will do its duty, knowing what we are fighting for. The conference ultimately to be n/illed will settle details after the principal combatants agree to the main issues."