THE GREAT OFFENSIVE.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXXV, Issue 5609, 27 February 1918, Page 2

THE GREAT OFFENSIVE.

The usual report 'of the British Hii-h Military Authority does not treat the great offensive very seriously and tells of our great superiority in the air suggestively as “ of the utmost importance as a preliminary to any battle.” It almost justifies a conjecture that the great offensive may come from our side. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary seems to take a different view, telling the Commons, in introducing the Army Estimates, that though the balance of power in the West is still with us, it will pass presently to the enemy, when the Allies must be prepared for a determined enemy offensive. It is a guarded statement not incompatible with a desire to seriously mislead the enemy. Much gossip is quoted pointing certainly to the enemy offensive, one writer pronouncing that presently sixty to eighty divisions will be engaged betwedfi Liege and Oambrai. From 600,000 to 800,000 men ! It sounds great. Not so very great, however, for the Germans attacked at Cambrai the other day with 200,000. Give them another.2oo,ooo in front of Douai, let the British Bupply *he rest, and there is your prophecy of dingdong battle of the thicker bulk of a million. At Cambrai the 200,000 men only came once. Why should they fare better now ? Why the other 200,000 ?