The Tuapeka Times AND Goldfields Reporter & Advertiser "Measures, not Men." WEDNESDAY, 19th JULY, 1916. PROSPECTS ON THE FRONTS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XLVII, Issue 6378, 19 July 1916, Page 2

The Tuapeka Times AND Goldfields Reporter & Advertiser "Measures, not Men." WEDNESDAY, 19th JULY, 1916. PROSPECTS ON THE FRONTS.

The approaching end of the second year of the War brings with it better auspices for the final success of the Allies than did the beginning, although the enemy has made considerable advances during the intervening twelvemonth, especially in the Eastern zone. If we haven't (juite got the Germans

on the run yet, wo have them nonplussed, or in a quandary, if all the cables tell us is to be trusted. Verdun still holds out, for the French have belied their ancient historical detractors who, during the Napoleonic wars, used to declare that the armies of France wore only superior when attackin?, and lost courage and elan when on Ihe defensive. For the second time in history, France as a republic has shown an immense power of resistance to invasion, and proved herself practically unconquerable as a united nation. To I lie north of the French line our gallant troops are dealing rebounding slaps at the weakening dermai] entrenchments which have been bent back in several places. However, there is a long, hard push to be undertaken before the invaders can be driven out of French territory, to say nothing ' of Belgium. Where the British are I attacking on the Somme is no less than 50 miles within the French , frontier, measuring from the nearj est point. All the land between is in the Kaiser's grasp, besides Belgium, German troops occupy the greater part of the ancient French provinces of Flanders, Artois, and Picardy, part of Champagne, and nearly all Lorraine. Probably they bold from 15,000 to 20,000 square miles of French territory, and fierce will be the struggle to evict them. On the eastern frontier things are looking even brighter, though there it must be admitted Russia has even a harder problem to solve than , England and France, However, they have taken some Austrian territory. Bukowina seems to have succumbed to the prowess of the Muscovite generals, who are push- , ing on at a great rate into Galieia. Further north the German armies are striving desperately to beatthe gigantic Russian onfall. Since the discomfiture and enforced retreat s of the Tsar's armies last year, the Germans have lodged themselves far within the confines of Russia. They seem to be in possession of the whole of Russian Poland, and • also of the territory between the Gulfs of Riga and Dantzic, formerly an appandage of the Russian crown, under the title of the . Grand Duchy of Courland. No doubt their progress in these regions have been greatly assisted by sympathisers, for here there ■ are many German settlers, and much of the trade is in the hands of German merchants. The Russian Government is evidently using tremendous efforts to loosen the German grasp on these lands, and the foe is making as determined a resistance. We read of great battles fought on the lines beKovel and Baranovitchi. Both these places have four railways going from them, and hence must be important srategic points. But, to realise the toughness of the job undertaken by the Russian armies it must be borne in mind that Baranovitchi is 170 wiles from the Prussian boundary, as the crow lies, and Kovel nearly 50 miles from the nearest part of Galieia or Austrian Poland. All the immense intervening territory has to be cleared of Teutonic and Hungarian soldiers, before the long desiderated march on Berlin can come to pass. However, there must ; be a beginning to everything, and i at last it seems the Allies have ceased recoiling from t and parrying the attack of , the Central Powers, and are ] ( beginning to deal out deadly ; thrusts in their turn. The clouds ( of defeat, ruin, and despair are | settling over the hosts of Ger.- , many. The only gleam of hope vouchsafed of late to them has

come from the successful voyage to America of a mercantile submarine. The exploit of the Deutchland in breaking through the blockade and triumphantly landing cargo in the United States must be acknowledged to be a great feat. But it remains to be seen whether the return voyage will be as triumphantly accomplished. We have submarines, too, whose officers will be burning to distinguish themselves by waylaying the Deutehland and the anticipations of an extensive German under-sea trade may be doomed to disappointment. Before the war is over under-water duels may become one of its sensational features as well as duels in the air.

THE NEW WAR LOAN. The Government still sticks to its intention of offering exemption from income-tax as an inducement to capitalists to invest in the new 4A per cent, loan, though both in Press and Parliament strong objections have been voiced against this course, it is manifestly unfair to our brave boys at the front, of whom very few are capitalists, that they, if they survive their present perils and their children, and their children's children should have the proceeds of their future labours mortgaged to pay incomes to rich men and descendants of rich men who are be given the chance of escaping payment of any part of the cost of the War. Sir Joseph Ward excused the proposal by the plea that he was sure the Government would not get the money which they must have, and added that it was the course adopted in England, and in Australia. Evidently Sir Joseph Ward and the statesmen of England and Australia place very little faith in the patriotism and self-sacrifice of the directors and shareholders of big moneyed corporations, for it is these which take up the greater part of national loans. The injustice of the policy may he fully apprehended on reflection. Suppose the war lasts for a long' period, supported chiefly by loans raised by the bribe of exemption from incometax. The time may come when people enjoying large incomes will not be paying a cent towards the cost of a War waged to protect their properly and their Government securities. For capital producing incomes subject to in-come-tax will be withdrawn from ils present investments and reinvested in War loans, and the revenue from income-tax will progressively decrease till none remains. Then the whole burden will be placed on industry and the labors of the poor. It only requires the war to last long enough and this policy to be followed throughout to ruin the country by bringing about the withdrawal of capital from productive industries. In any case as incomes produce the golden eggs of revenue it seems seems to us a wilfully silly policy in a Government to overfeed its goose so that it will not lay any egfjs at all. And after all the abuse hurled at shirkers, any slackers, and slugs who are loth to risk their lives for 5s a day and llieir keep, what names should be given to capialists who will not lend money for the defence of (heir country unless the annuities so obtaind are freed from taxation ? £IO,OOO will be able to purchase a nice little annuity of £450, without a srokc of work, or national service of any kind.