THE WAR SITUATION.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XLVII, Issue 6378, 19 July 1916, Page 3

THE WAR SITUATION.

(From our Waitahuna Correspondent.) The Eov. J. 8. Ponder delivered a lectu-o on the prosent war situation on Monday, July 10th, in tho Presbyterian Church vestry. Tho lecture was meant to keep alive the Literary and Debating Society which, beforo the war, was an important feature of Church life. Before beginning the lecturo proper Mr Ponder re-stated some of the main points loading up to the war. The Anglo-Saxon race hasp for long held the first place among the races of the world, but as time woro on the Germans forged ahead and became a rival for first placo. Two years ago Germany saw her chance. All of the throe Allies were, for variouß reasons, in a weak and unprepared condition, while the German army was almost perfection both in regard to equipment and tho courage of her men. Her fleet, too, was the second in tho world and could striko a blow at Britain's fleet in the North Sea before sho could gathor her'a together from all over tho world. The murder of tho Crown Princo of Austria and his wife gave the Germans an excuse for pushing Austria into war against Scrvia. He (the locturer) had a great admiration for the German people, but for many years they had got a decided kink in their minds. There were" at the present time nino battle fronts in all; tho chief wero the Wostern, the Eastern, and tho British naval front in the North Sea. Then there were two minor fronts —the Caucasus-Armenian, between liussia and Turkey, and tho Italian, between Italy and Austria. Then there were four smaller fronts (1) Turkey, and Greece ; (2) Egyptian— British v. Turks ; (3) Mesopotamia— British v. Turks ; (-1) Central East Africa v. Germans.

The Gorman plan ou the East wan to hold fast its present conquests so as to be able to cany on tho war in tho enemy's country at tho enemy's expense ; 2nd, to strike a fresh blow on Kussia so as to force' her to seek con* ditious of peace, and 3rd, to puv<Jth« way for the establishing of an independent Poland. Ou the west the German plan was also, Ist, to hold her present conquests. France was almost wholly dependent on Britain for coal and iron because 70 per cent, of her manufacturing industries were in the hands of tho Germans, anil -ml, to strike a decisive blow that will crush France. The attack on Verdun showed consummate skill and ability mi the part of Germany.

In the Balkans the plan was to hold on to Servia and Montenegro connecting them with Austria-Hungary and Turkey. Also to hold up tho BritishF ench force at Salonika. Our forces there had been powerless to move on account of the attitude of Greece.

In Egypt their plan was to cut the British communications with the East— India, Australia, and New 'Zealand—and, in Mesopotamia, to hold tho rich Euphrates-Tigris Valley to secure the Persian oil iields and to strike at India via Afghanistan. The plan of the Allies was : On the East, to recover lost territory, to secure tioumania as an ally, to shatter Turkey, and secure an outlet to tho Mediterranean, to syncronise a tierce onslaught on all the battle-fronts with that of tho British-French attack in the west, to hold Verdun and to drive wedges into the German front. In the Xorth Sea: To press the blockade —Germany is still able to get nearly all she wants through Holland, Scandinavia, and Italy, etc.- to safeguard Britain and her domininns, and to crush the German fleet. Our fleet has had a hard task, it is divided into three sections. The Germans thought they saw a chance to strike a blow at one section under Admiral Beatty before the others could come up, then dart past and get to Ireland and land men there to assist the rebellion, then go on to France and, if necessary, take shelter in Spanish ports.

The Russian front to-day is nearly 900 milcß long and is divided into three sections under three different generals, viz., Kuropatkin against Hindenburg in the North, Alexieff against Uackcnsen in the centre,, and Brusilolr against von Bothmer in the South. Brusiloff is accomplishing a lot in the South. He seeks to make it possiblo for Rumania to join the Allies by securing her northern frontier and also to come at Germany's vitals by way of Bohemia. Tlie Bohemians, he said, would gladly join the Allios if thoy got a chance. The lecture was greatly enjoyed by (hone who were present and, Mr Ponder has promised to give one each month for two or three months.

OBITUARY. Mr Samuel Stewart. The old pioneer miners of this district are rapidly passing away, the latest to fall out of the fast di-' minishing ranks being Mr Samuel Stewart, who for some time past has been living with Mr and Mrs Blackwood. For some years past he has suffered from weakness of the heart and last week he had a , slight seizure from which he ral- J lied. On Saturday morning he was seized with an apoplectic stroke and passed away. The deceased, who was in his 77th year, was a native of Castle Dawson, County Derry, Ireland, where he was born on Christmas Day, 3839. In 1857 or 'SB he migrated to Victoria where he worked on the Bendigo diggings for three years. On the discovery of gold in Gabriels Gully he came over to New Zealand and was on this newly discovered field in 1861. From Gabriels Gully he went to the Dunstan rush and then to the West Coast and subsequently to Nelson. Returning to Otago he settled ,in the Arrowtown district for a considerable time, but evcnually found his way back to this district, working in turn at Waipori, Wetherstones, Gabriels Gully and Tuapeka Flat, until a few years ago when he retired from active work and took up his residence with Mr and Mrs Blackwood. - He was a very intelligent and well-informed man and could tell many interesting stories of his and others' experiences on the various goldfields of New Zeai land and Australia. He was a single man and had no relation! in .Neigealpd, . ||fcj