The Taranaki Herald. DAILY EVENING. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6. 1916. THE MILITARY SITUATION.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 145082, 6 September 1916, Page 2

The Taranaki Herald. DAILY EVENING. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6. 1916. THE MILITARY SITUATION.

Two years ago to-morrow the Gormans reached the extreme point of their advance into France and the Battle of the Marne commenced. On that day they ‘lost the war. The Allies have not yet won it, but Germany lost it when her first rush towards Paris was stopped. She had made every preparation and fixed her own time to deliver her blow. It was a heavy one and unexpected, and Prance staggered under it. It might have brought her down had not England’s “contemptible little army” of about 120,000 men been on the spot to assist her. Had Paris fallen the German armies would then have been able to devote ’greater attention to Russia and the whole course of the war might have" been different. But General Joffre and Sir John French were able to check the German advance at the Marne

and even to force it tack to the Aisne. From that day Germany lost the war, for’ every week from then onwards saw the Allies growing stronger. Their task was toroid the Germans down where they had driven them hack while Lord Kitchener raised his new armies and, with France, organised the supplies of munitions and materials. This was a tremendous task, greater than anyone could have anticipated and it took the greater part of two years to carry it out. All this time the battle* raged intermittently in France and Flanders. The Germans made desperate attempts from time to time to break the French and British lines, gaining a little ground at one spot and losing a little in another. The losses on both sides have been heavy, but the advantage has been on the side of the Allies, who have held their linos against the most furious attacks and given greater punishment than they received. The result of two years of fighting on the. western front leaves matters much as they were so far as the position on the map is concerned. But two years ago the Allies were in a minority and were ill-provided with big guns and munitions. To-day they have the advantage in numbers and in guns and mimitions, but the enemy in the meantime has entrenched himself deeply and prepared the most elaborate defences his ingenuity was able to devise. Some of his positions arc as nearly as possible impregnable, hence we cannot expect a rapid advance even though wo have superiority in numbers and other respects. If the truth wore, known it is probable that General JoiiTc has not contemplated any great shifting of the position in the west just yet. lie has not mado full use of his superior strength. His present plan is to keep the two millions odd of German soldiers in France so busy that they cannot divert any considerable number to any other front, while the Hussions, the Italians, and the Allies in the Balkans develop their attack. Al the beginning Germany’s plan was to hold Russia at hay while she crushed France. That didn’t work so she. tried to hold Franco while she crushed Russia, hut Russia refused to bo crushed. How the initiative is with the Allies, whose plan is to hold the enemy in the west while vigorously attacking him in the east, and it is this eastern attack that is now being watched with the greatest interest. It has been delayed on account of the doubt as to the attitude of the Balkan States. Roumania is now doing her full share of the fighting; Greece is hovering between neutrality and active participation on the side of the Allies; Bulgaria may or may not remain in the field against us; while Turkey’s fate bangs in the balance, with Russia moving towards Constantinople from both cast and west. The German press appears to think that the Dobrudja campaign will decide the Balkan issue. When it is finally decided events will move more rapidly, but for the present we may await them in patience, confident in the thought of the position two years ago os compared with that today. Whether it be prolonged or the end come soon there can be but one end to the war, the crushing defeat of the. enemy.