THE PELORUS GUARDIAN and Miners’ Advocate. FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 1918. FOUR YEARS OF WAR.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 30, Issue 60, 2 August 1918, Page 2

THE PELORUS GUARDIAN and Miners’ Advocate. FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 1918. FOUR YEARS OF WAR.

Sunday next will mark the close of the fourth year of the great world war, and loyal citizens will once more be called together to renew their inflexible determination to continue the war until the aims of the Allied nations have been achieved. And the end cannot be said to be yet in sight, though the indications were never so favourable that the collapse of the Central Powers is near at hand. At the present moment—at the main battle-front—the Allies are in the ascendant, and with the rapid growth of the American Army, there are good grounds for assuming that the now retreating Germans will be permanently defeated in the course of a few mon-

ths. They are now being forced to yield the territory that they Avon at such tremendous cost in lives but a few weeks ago, and Avill no doubt continue the retreat until a new defensive line is reached. Thus another ghastly military failure will be recorded against Germany. The fighting throughout the year has been of a fluctuating character, and the Allies “on the map” are probably in no better position than on August 4th last year. But the year closes with the initiative of attack in the hands of that great strategist, General Foch, who has at his call strong reserve forces and a limitless American Army in the background with which to stem any future aggressive tactics on the part of the enemy. On the other hand there is no lack of evidence to show that the German reserves were largely used up in forcing the recent successful offensive of a feAV months ago, and that the subsequent turn of events has left the morale of the troops at a loav ebb. This spectacular advance of the enemy in the West, Avhich Avas made possible mainly through Russia’s deflection enabling Germany to concentrate her forces at a given point, and which raised the hopes of the nation to the highest pitch of expectation, only resulted in the creation of a dangerous salient. When the advancing hordes of Germans Avere once permanently checked, General Foch lost no •time in launching his flank attacks, and the salient was being narrowed up so quickly that the Germans had no option but to beat a precipitous retreat—with none of their objectives gained. Though the military situation at present is against the enemy, he still holds vast territorial gains, and this advantage, coupled with his conquest of the Russians in the east, Avill no doubt form the basis of early peace terms should the Western situation still continue to go against the Avar aims of the Fatherland. The declaration of Honduras—a tiny republic in Central America, with an area of 46,250 square miles and a population of 744,000 —adds another to the formidable list of countries now at war with Germany. Though it is not expected that the accession of Honduras to the ranks of the Allies will have any material effect on the progress of the war, the action of this little republic indicates the growing antipathy to the merciless aims apd unscrupulous methods adopted by .Germany for Avorld supremacy. There are now twenty-three countries arrayed against Germany, and this fact, "coupled with the report that relations between Germany and Turkey have been severed , does not hold out much promise for the ultimate success of the Central Powers. Turkey, however, has long been held in subjection by Germany, and probably is now of little use to the enemy from a military point of view. When beaten in one direction Germany has the habit of concentrating quickly at a less vulnerable point, and there is at present much talk in London of the possibility of a new AustroGerman drive in Italy as means of escape from the unpleasant dilemma on the West front. In this way are the German people deluded by frequent promises of victory, and this is a factor that will tend more than anything to lengthen the war. Also the German nation are fully alive to what defeat will mean to the Fatherland, and are likely to cling tenaciously to any hope of victory held out by the military leaders. The economic condition of the country is such that for the war to end without huge indemnities would mean many lean years of hardship for the people of Germany, and it is this knoAvledge that may bind all classes together to continue the struggle in the hope of diverting a greater disaster to the country. ' Although victory is still denied us, we have cause to be thankful for the avoidance during the year of many threatened dangers to the Empire. The food situation of Great Britain, which was causing grave anxiety twelve months ago, has now considerably improved. This result has been largely brought about by the Avholehearted co-operation of the avomen of England, who have done much towards increasing the food production of the country. Germany’s most feared weapon—the submarine—is in a fair way of being conquered. The number of merchantmen sunk during the year has been reduced considerably compared with the sinkings of the tAvo previous years, and the great activity of the ship-building yards throughout the allied countries gives promise that the margin of safety will be considerably improved during the coming year. The outstanding feature of the

year’s operations has been the realisation of America’s participation in the struggle for freedom. With a million and a quarter men already in France, and the prospect of this number being doubled within the next few months, the intervention of America may be regarded as the turning point of the war. We can therefore look with confidence to a victorious peace before the close of the fifth year.