HOW BRITAIN COULD WIN.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12085, 14 August 1917, Page 6

HOW BRITAIN COULD WIN.

MR HOLMAN'S AIRY PLAN. The number of armchair strategists who could show tho Allied commanders at tho front how to win the war in a week or two has sensibly diminished during the past year or two. Discouragement at the foolish but continued refusal of the authorities to take Tho advice of gifted and far-seeing amateurs, or possibly some glimmering of recognition that the men at the top ■have somo knowledge of itheir job, has silenced most of the critics. It is the more remarkable, therefore, 'that a man. like Mr Ho!man, tho New South Wales Premier, who is now visiting England, should have taken it on himself the other day 'to tell the British Government and people how to win the war, and almost to scold them for not doing it. In an interview published in tha '•'Observer," Mr Holman expressed the opinion that 'the war had reached » modified deadlock. He remarked that it was difficult for ihe non-military mind to understand why tho German resistance should not be broken. Greati Britain was linclined to be obsessed by purely defensive considerations, such as fighting submarines, growing food, stopping air raids, and building shrps. There was nothing, except sheer inertia and orthodoxy, to prevent the rapid building of a fleet of 50,000 aeroplanes. A daily attack by air upon the German communications would have greater results, with less sacrifice of man power, than a frontal assault. Tho probabilities are that Britain is building as many machines as she can. In th;x. case. we shall have to wait until the coming American air fleet materialises -be tore wo arc able to '"'smother" the Germans. And even then there are military experts who argue that ! :he war will net be won in tho air", though all agroe* that another thousand or two c'i aeroplanes at the fro at would bo of yrcat as Stance..