CURRENT TOPICS

Southland Times, Issue 17482, 24 July 1915, Page 5

CURRENT TOPICS

GERMAN VIEW OE SETTLEMENT. In a speech at a banquet ol the Canal League, at Munich, the King of Bavaria said :—“When the English declared war I said, Tarn glad because now we can settle accounts with our enemies, and because now at last wc may hope to get more favourable communications with the sea for Central and South Germany.’ Ten months have elapsed and much precious blood has been shed, but it will not have been shed in vain. The strengthening of the Ocrman Empire, and its extension beyond its frontiers, as far as this is necessary, so that we may be secured against future attacks, that will be the fruit of this war. (Stormy cheers). He who marches with us and firmly stands by us —I mean Aus-tria-Hungary and Turkey—will rejoice with us, but never the false friends who behind our backs shammed friendship and then went over to the enemy. In reality we are uiiconquerccl, and the latter enemy who talked so much of himself lias not yet dared a serious attack, though he had plenty of time for preparations.” The Munchcner Ncucsto Nachrichten comments as follows on the King of Bavaria’s speech : —“The fact that the King spoke with such certainty of the direct outlet we shall gain from the Rhine to the sea must convince everybody that our King, who is most reliably informed with regard to the military situation, has no doubt, that wc shall be able to lay our bauds upon Belgium when concluding peace. In any case, such an extension appears necessary both militarily and, as regards the mouth of the Rhine, economically for the purpose of assuring the future of the people. What juridical form this extension is to be given is a question for the future, but it is clear that it is only a question of the mouth of the Rhine in Belgian territory and that neutral Holland will not he prejudiced.” TURNING POINT OE THE WAR. The great blunder made by von Klnck in front of Paris saved Europe, declared Mr Hilaire Belloc during a lecture in London seven weeks ago. If the enemy had won. all the things that counted for civilisation in Europe would have slowly declined. The whole war hart to bo decided by the events in the West. Given time. I’rance and Great Britain could manufacture more munitions than the enemy could, and munitions could also be imported from other countries. There was no shortage of munitions, but Britain could do with more. The crisis of the war was certainly and necessarily forming in the West. “I want you to remember,” said Mr Belloc, “that within the next few weeks you are certain to have the turning point of the war. It does not mean victory. but that the enemy will be getting further away from an inconclusive peace. They are the last people in the world to be rushed, and the French General Staff is the most reticent body of men in Europe. You will get the offensive, and not on one point but on many; and for some days you will not know where the weakness is showing itself on the German lines. If it succeeds it will be shown by the Germans either shortening their line, or they will hang on too long, and It will break.” AGRICULTURE AFTER WAR. The General and Executive Committee appointed by the Royal Agricultural Society to develop the scheme for restoring the areas in the Allied countries devastated by the enemy report satisfactory progress. The work lias consisted so far in organising means whereby every county and district will be provided with facilities for contributing in money or in kind to the central fund. The work of reparation, in which the society participated in 1870, was small compared with that which will have to be undertaken at the end of the present war, and the claims of the countries concerned are far more pressing. A promising start has ben made both with regard to contributions promised to the General Committee direct and help undertaken by local bodies. Up to now it has been possible only to begin practical operations in Servia. where "'a representative of the society was sent some three months ago bearing the first instalment of seeds and implements for the assistance of the peasant farmers. Although the devastated districts in the western war zone are still in the grasp of the enemy the Executive Committee arc anxious to be in a position to proceed with the cultivation and seeding of the land and the re-stocking of the farms as soon as an opportunity offers. RESOURCES OF THE ENEMY. In a review of the war in Land and Water. Mr Hilaire Belloc assorts that “the arrival of Italy into the field would draw away from the eastern and western fronts not less than ten corps. This number represented the abstractions from the German and Austrian armies on the east and worst fronts, to strengthen the troops already massed by Austria on the Italian border. Supposing this to he done, it must of necessity have a very considerable effect on the capacity of Germany to keep up these terrifically wasteful attacks on the British and French positions at the western end of ttie long line in France and Belgium.” Mr Belloc is of opinion that “the enemy is putting into the fighting line at this moment every atom of fighting power lie has at ids command,” and that the additional numbers for the southern front against Italy cannot be drawn from any .supposed reserves of trained men not yet thrown into the fighting line.