THE OUTLOOK.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume V, Issue 1358, 20 June 1918, Page 5

THE OUTLOOK.

A CONFIDENT NOTE. (A. & N.Z.) LONDON, June IS. In the House of Commons, Mr Bonar Law, in moving a credit vote for £500,000,000, said that the daily average expenditure for the current Jinancial year was £6,848,000, as compared with the estimate of r.(j,i)Bl>,000, thereby showing a saving of £9,500,000 up to the middle of June. While the reduction must not be relied on for the remainder of the year, it might be taken as a general indication of the position. Our votes of credit had risen alarmingly. The total was now £7,-i:i2,OUO,OUO. The present vote should suffice till the end of August. The debt due from the Allies was £1,370,000,000, and from the Dominions £206,000,000.

Continuing, Mr Bonar Law said that the Austrian offensive was part of an intensive offensive now proceeding on all the battle fronts. It was too soon to say that the danger was past.

Three months had elapsed since I the first German offensive on the West front, and we were now able to be confident regarding the future. The Germans had three objectives:— Paris, the Channel ports, and the severance of the British and French Armies. We had yielded ground, but the enemy had not attained a single objective, and the results had justified the creation of a united command. The enemy wanted to use up our reserves before the Americans arrived, but had already failed, because the Americans were not coming—they had come. Mr Bonar Law paid a tribute to the rapidity of the American troops' arrival, and said that it would be impossible for the enemy to win by wearing down our reserves before he exhausted his own. The universal feeling was that our airmen were the best on any front, and we were rightly proud of them. Germany had been laying all her hopes of success on the submarine, bid all this had been changed. The menace still existed, but the construction of ships during April ami May had exceeded their destruction. There was no danger, as far as foresight could see, of Germany starving Britain into submission. Germany had embarked on a campaign of unrestricted submarining because she believed that America could not arrive in time to give serious help, but Germany had now been shown to be wrong. The numbers of American troops arriving, and to come, reached a figure which was considered impossible a couple of months ago.

For the present there was a lull on the West front. Our Staff knew where the German reserves were. but the enemy's railway communications were so good thai it was impossible to foretell where the next! blow would fall. The moral of our' troops had never been higher. It was impossible to speak too highly of the French valour in the fighting! to save Paris. If the Germans failed to secure their strategic objectives within three months' time, the cam-: paign would have failed, having proved to be the most disastrous advance thev bad ever launched. (Cheers.) Mr Asquilh advised the Govern-! ment to give fuller information as to the progress of events on all the fionts. lie said he was now disposed to write Russia off the slate as a negligible quantity. We should employ all our resources of diplomacy, and also give naval and military assisiam-e. if necessary, while the opportunity offered in order to build up friendly relations and an alliance with Russia, who was naturally oil!" friend, rather than Germany's. The House should enable the Russian democracy lo realise thai it bad our s\ mpathies. it transpired during the debate that General Focli is definitely Com-mander-in-Chief of the Allied forces. The House of Commons passed the i vote of credit. Mr Hoiiar Law, in concluding the! debate, said:—"l am rather shocked; to hear thai everyone has consider-j ed my speech optimistic. 1 did not ' mean it to be. I meant lo give an ' exact description. Alter a consul-. tution with the military authorities,! I agree with Mr Asquitb's statement [ that the position is as critical as ever, but I have a firm conviction j that \vc shall come through."