The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1918. "NO PEACE, NO WAR."

Taihape Daily Times, 18 February 1918, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1918. "NO PEACE, NO WAR."

With which is Incorporated The T&\ nape Post and Wairnarino News).

It now transpires that the much acclaimed treaty and peace between Eussia and Germany has no existence in fact. There does appear to be some arrangement between the Ukraine and the enemy, but from German sources we learn that the Bolsheviks are rendering that abortive by sending all the troops possible against the Ukrainians. Germany has notified the Bolsheviks that they will not be allowed to interfere, but the persistence of the Bolsheviks is strong evidence that Germany has removed from the Eussian front the means she had there for compelling purposes, The Bolsheviks appear 'to be totally disregarding what the Germans threaten, and are pursuing their course of reconstructing their armies some miles behind the RussoGerman fighting line. German newspapers having the Kaiser's special favour are chagrined and annoyed and are pronouncing anathemas on 'the Russians, accusing them of having criminal designs. One newspaper declares that the Kaiser and his military chiefs are conferring at headquarters upon the eventuality of energetic military measures against the Eussians. A charge of having criminal designs from the Kaiser sounds remarkably well, and he may think he is deceiving the Allies into believng that he has thusly established a case against Eussia warranting military action. But the Eussians are heedless, 'they arc strenuously organising their forces to stop the Ukraine peace; the German threat does not give them any concern. They know., the Kaiser's words are empty; there are no means of putting them into force; /Germany has not sufficient compelling power in the east just now to even enforce respectful speech from the Eussians. Eussia has defied Germany, Eoumania has defied Germany, and now there is an effort to make an arrangement between Eoumania and Bulgaria. This latter results from fear of what is coming from Salonika. Impo'tence prevails in the eastern and Balkan fronts. Germany ihas moved to the west, Austro-Hungary has her hands full in Italy, Bulgaria has been skinned of everything Germany could get permission to 'take away, Turkey is completely worn out, the Bolsheviks are a thorn in the enemy flesh, in every way, but chiefly in damning the peace with Ukraine. They are keeping the Ukrainians too busy Ho allow of m uch time to be given to trading food with Germany, and so brave little Eoumania challenges the Huns to do

Ithei'r worst. What a spectacle! Only a year or two ago Germany was devastating Boumania with, her- hordes of cut-throat barbarians, now Germany is defied. All around Boumania are enemies, the boasted strength of Austria, Hungary, Germany, Bulgaria I and Turkey, and little Boumania says, Come on and do your best to squelch us; but Germany and the pack doesn't come. Boumania, the Bolsheviks, and more important still, 'the Allied forces at Salonika with the Greeks, know that the German sword is worn out, its edge and weight no longer has any terror, even for Boumania. It is reported that the German people are fully convinced they cannot win the war. "With such a miserable exhibition of weakness as tha't Germany is making against Bussia, against Boumania, in ! Macedonia and Italy, could the Ger- ( man people come to any other conclusi ion? The German war party is rnov- : ing anything and everything to direct ! the attention and thought of the | world to the west front, as a red hevi ring, drawing the scent from their utter impotence in the east and south. i Germany does not desire a final battle I' on the west front; it is a peace she wants that will enable her to retain conquered, or occupied ground in Bussia, a return of some of her colonies, and the Kaiser looks longingly at President Wilson's war aims. If he was only sure that he was strong enough at the peace table to work the no-annexation trick so as to be certain of a status quo anti-war resolution being adopted there would be little fear of a great struggle on the Western front. Do not the whole circumstances and facts show conclusively that Germany lias not the men to stand against the growing, high-spirited, confident forces of the Allies? All Germany's eggs are now.in the West front basket, will their destruction be risked even at this, the eleventh hour? Is it to be the last act of a desperate gambler, will the die be cast with every appearance of fatal results being certain? Germany has other important questions to consider, there is the temper of the German people and of the army. Will the army consent to another prolonged bloody slaughter in the arena they have significantly named "The Grave?" Perhaps they will, but memories of many previous butcheries they have passed through will assuredly have its effect. The Allies are 'quite convinced that as Germany , eould not break their lines when she had " almost incalculably greater strength, and equipment, * it is hopeless to expect her to do it now that strength and ; equipment in preponderance is arrayed against her. 'lt will be noticed that the Allies are hot waiting for ' Germany's promised offensive, the French have made the 191 S kick-off in the Champagne and have carried the fightj ing right into the Huns» third line of defence. Germay will understand from this that the Allies are not going I to wait while efforts are being mad.e I to make her back door safe. The gauntlet is down that is to decide the fate of the Hohenzollerns, and the Prussian Military caste that has grown up around them, will they ac*cept the challenge?