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Taranaki Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 146000, 5 December 1917, Page 2

There are many people who positively revel in misery and who arc never happier than when they can persuade themselves that tbe wa.r is going badly and that things are looking very black for tho Allies. It is a curious -state of niiml, but those who suffer, from it arc often quite patriotic and believe that people can only be spurred to their best efforts if convinced that disaster is at hand. To those who take this view a cablegram received on Tuesday was a godsend. It remarked that the military situation was critical as many German divisions would speedily bo released from the Russian front, while in all tho Allied countries food was netting very scarce and tho lack of fuel was increasing the suffering due to a severe winter. While undue optimism is a grave fault there is no doubt that exaggerated pessimism is far worse. In. the first place the military situation is not in any sense critical. On the western front tho Germans have entirely lost tho offensive and the Allies can always capture any point they aim at, inflicting greater losses than they receive. On the Italian front the recent defeat has

been retrieved and the Allies are now standing firm on a line which they will almost certainly he able to hold, and from which they may possibly succeed in advancing. In Palestine, Mesopotamia, and East Africa wo are doing excellently. Even the wildest pessimist does not suggest that the Germans would not cheerfully change places with us and have our chances of victory. It is true that a number of German divisions may bo released from the eastern front, but we have been told by experts that they are very second-rate quality for the most part and are certainly limited in numbers, while wo are only just beginning to draw on the unlimited man power of the United States. Turning to the food question wo have to admit that there is some scarcity in Britain, but bread, at 9d a loaf, is cheaper than in New Plymouth, whilo the population has not been put on rations except in tho case of sugar. Compared with conditions in Germany tho Allies are wonderfully well off. There is no doubt that tho present winter will bo a hard time both for the men at the front and the people at homo, but they will come through their troubles with the same courage and patience they have already displayed. Everyone who takes unnecessarily gloomy views of our prospects is a traitor to the Empire, inasmuch as ho is aiding the Germans by lowering the tone of the race at a time when hopefulness is our best asset.

Some little time back the Stratford Chamber of Commerce passed a resolution protesting against tho suspension of construction work on tho StratfordMain Trunk Railway when it is completed as far a® Tahora. The Chamber was moved to protest by a paragraph in tho Public Works Statement, stating that the terminus will probably remain at Tahora for some years. It will be remembered that in commenting upon the protest wc pointed out that tho Minister had not said the work was to be stopped at Tahora. The Hon. Mr. Eraser has now replied to the President of tho Chamber stating: “I regret that you should have put a construction on a paragraph in tho Public Works Statement which it was never intended to bear; all that was intended to bo convoyed was that tho terminus would have to remain at Tahora for some timd, but there never was any intention to stop tho work there, provided sufficient labour can bo obtained. Tho lino beyond Tahora goes through some fairly rough country and will be an exceedingly difficult one to locate and construct. 1 can assure you that the intention is. as soon as tho war is over and labour is more abundant, to push on this work as rapidly as possible.” This, it will be soon, confirms tho view we look and is just what was to bo expected from tbe present Minister of Public Works, who is fully alivo to tho urgency of the need for completing tho Stratford-Main Trunk Railway and determined to push on with it as rapidly as circumstances allow'. But in their ow'n best interests it would bo wise on tho part of the settlors concerned to urge the earliest possible completion of the line to Tahora and the improvement of the main road beyond there to the Ohura. It will necessarily be some years before the railway reaches Ohura. or even Tatu, from this end, and the best use will be made of the line so far constructed by the fitting of tho road through tbe. Tangarakau Gorge to carry traffic all the year round.