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Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 263, 10 December 1914, Page 6

The destruction of the German Pacific squadron oft' the Falkland Islands by the British squadron is the most exhilarating announcement respecting naval activities since the famous Heligoland raid. It is also the most important achievement on sea since the war broke out, and more than compensates for the loss of the Monmouth and Good H6pe off the Chilian coast. That

is a dark memory which will be dispelled by the sinking of the redoubtable Scliarnhorst and her companions. For months this cruiser and her mate prowled the South Pacific, sometimes within a day or two's steam of New Zealand, and always in a position to menace our mercantile marine. Though the presence of the Australian fleet was no doubt a deterrent to the German squadron threatening the seaboard towns of both Australia and the these raiders were always a source of anxiety in adjoining waters, and their summary end off the Falkland Islands is a particularly satisfactory exploit from the Imperial standpoint. Bailed up on the Chilian coast by the illfated Admiral Craddock, the. German cruisers, immeasurably in range and weight of broadside and gunnery, sank two British vessels and escaped, but the action was nevertheless of value since it revealed to the pursuing squadron the whereabouts of the enemy's ships. It has been a long chase and a stern chase, but the quarry has been run down at last. The moral effect on the German, mind of tlii disaster to Germany is not to be calculated on paj>er. The splendid and complete victory—the Nurriberg and the Dresden cannot hope to escape for long — following on <he destruction of the Emden, is a bright augury for the time when Admiral Ingenohl ventures forth from behind Heligoland to give battle to the British North Sea Fleet. It practically completes the isolation of Germany from the extra-Luropean world, in itself quite a significant success, while it establishes at last the. absolute freedom- of the" seas to British traders. A;together, ' a brilliant and satisfactory achievement.

That a contract, not necessarily on paper and signed by the parties, exists between the Liberals and the Socialists is undeniable. Evidence accumulates to support this statement. Perhaps the arrangement should be more fitly termed a tacit understanding. We have emphasised the danger that would threaten the Dominion should Sir Joseph Ward be returned to power dependent oh the good graces of the extremists. The latter would be hard bargainers indeed. Just what the Social-Democrats themselves think of their political friends is made plain in a particularly offensive and impudent statement of the national secretary of the Social-Democratic Party (Mr P. Eraser) in the current "Maoriland Worker." This insult should surely open the eyes of the Liberals, even at this late hour, to the true character of their ally. The statement, which is taken from the; ' 1 Worker'' is as follows: '' The Liberals see quite clearly that unless they are prepared to follow the Labour men, even if a long way off, their shutters can go up. Politically bankrupt themselves, they borrow ideas from the Social-Democrats, eliminate anything really valuable, water down what is left, and then proclaim it, sometimes from obscure tea-rooms, as a 'Liberal' policy. The result is, of course, ludicrous.'' There is more of this candid comment in a like strain. It is claimed by "Comrade" Fraser that whatever good there is in the Liberal policy is socialistic. In the face of all this candour it would be interesting to have Sir Joseph Ward's equally frank opinion of the Social-Democrats and their policy.

It's a fine thing to be an officer in peace time, and at peace manoeuvres, particularly, but in these days of scientific killing and shrapnel warfare the officer is a first-class mark for the enemy, as witness the high percentage of officers lost to the combatants on the European battlefields. The "black lists" of both the Allies and the Germans are evidence of this grim fact, and the appeal of the Imperial.Government for tlie_ return to service of re tired officers medically fit for service demonstrates that the shortage of commands lias become a little serious, at least so far as England is concerned. It is well-known that through centuries of war the order has gone forth to each combatant to pick off the company .anl regimental leaders, and this task is allotted to the crack marksmen, who, so far as the present conflict is concerned, have done their deadly work only too well/ There is another aspect 'of England's general *unpreparedness to meet the Kaiser's colossal endeavour on land which is worth noting,' and which has not been explained, or even hinted at, by the War Office. Lord Roberts's emphatic preachments fell on deaf ears. Not only did the late Field-Marshal advocate a powerful home force —he could foresee the time when Germany would loose her legions, and England would be found, not only short of trained soldiers, but lacking in the equipment and arms for the emergency forces which would inevitably be required.-It is plain that Lord Kitchener cannot send his spring army to the Continent until the men are trained, and until the three or four English arsenals have caught up with the need for weapons and ammunition. The Imperial authorities bullded over much on the undoubted predominance of the Fleet, but events have shown that Lord Roberts had judged the position more accurately and with remarkable foresight. Still, we can take it for granted that the British armament makers have made up a lot of ground the last two or three months. The arsenals, no doubt, have been working overtime, while the Creusot firm lias made a supreme effort to keep the Krupp lead down to as narrow a margin as possible. And General French has .assured us that tile British artillery of late lias more than held its own with that of the enemy, whose early successes werp in a great part due to the quantity of machine-guns and howitzers, rather than to the quality of these mankillers.