The Sun SATURDAY, JANUARY 6, 1917. GERMANY'S HELPLESSNESS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 907, 6 January 1917, Page 8

The Sun SATURDAY, JANUARY 6, 1917. GERMANY'S HELPLESSNESS.

The Allies' reply of "No peace except on our terms" has evoked from the Anglophobe element in Germany a demand for the further "strafing" of perfidious England, the Hon in Germany's path to-day. These fireeaters, become more violent, at the thought that there can be no peace acceptable to the Entente until Germany capitulates either voluntarily now or by force to-morrow, are giving vent to their feelings by calling impotcntly for measures of frightfulness, which, unfortunately for herself, Germany is unable to carry out. One desperate individual, who made himself notorious in German colonial life, suggests that a great expedition should be undertaken against Egypt and that fleets of Zeppelins should demolish the Admiralty and the House of Commons "where poisonous speeches and libels abound." Another colonial enthusiast has a scheme by which the Gold Coast, Sudan, and Nigeria should be seized, but in neither case does the ingenious dispenser of evil suggestions give any hint as to how these things are to be accomplished. Germany is not a free agent, for all her boasting, and notwithstanding her advance in Rumania. With the latter exception she is unable to move beyond her present lines on land or sea. Her scope of activity, military and naval, is strictly limited by (lie Allied armies and the British Fleet. More than that, she can expect in the not-distant future to have those bounds substantially reduced on land, for, when the accumulated pressure of the Entente Powers is applied on both sides, a drastic shortening- of all enemy fronts may confidently he anticipated. What profit is there, then, in suggesting ways of striking at England if Germany is unable to put these suggestions into effect? The world, including the Central Empires, knows what the Zeppelins have tried to do and how ignominiously they have failed, suffering cruel losses in the attempt. Egypt may have been in danger once, but the lime has gone by when Germany might have seriously threatened danger to that country. Egypt, the Gold Coast, and the Sudan too, arc to-day as far beyond Germany's reach as Australasia or Alaska. It will be time for the pan-Germans to talk of invading these places when von Ilindenburg, who is fondly expecled to succeed where Napoleon fell short, clears Germany of the slrangling grip the Allies have thrown about her throat. That the Germans themselves have little hope of such a performance is made' clear by Professor Meinecke's open confession and the anxiety with which the Berlin peace overtures are being pressed. Germany, it seems very probable, is being driven to seek peace by force of circumstances. The massed civilian levy instigated by von Hindenburg has brought to the long-suffering and patient German people the realisalion that the stories of Germany's invulnerability and the assurance of Teuton victory in the end have been empty boasts. The revelation is bound to affect their moral and shake their confidence in their leaders. They will understand now that Rumania matters little since i France, Russia, and England are growing stronger every day, and I Germany and her accomplices growing weaker. The phlegmatic German has a tremendous faith in his country and in bis masters, but even such a fanatical, blind patriotism has its limits, and if would seem that, under (he stress of unparalleled losses and suffering, the German people have reached those limits. Meanwhile the Central Powers have convened conferences of their rulers and parliamentarians, for what purpose can only he surmised. If can scarcely he for war, because Germany is sole director of the military affairs of Central Europe, and a conference for that object would therefore he unnecessary. If these meetings are not connected with war they must be with peace, and it may he I hat the Allies will soon be provided with the enemy's terms specifically stated.