Wairarapa Daily Times [Established Third of a Century.] WEDNESDAY, JULY 24, 1918. ALLIED PROSPECTS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 44, Issue 13598, 24 July 1918, Page 4

Wairarapa Daily Times [Established Third of a Century.] WEDNESDAY, JULY 24, 1918. ALLIED PROSPECTS.

Even in these days there are false prophets in existence. The Kaiser is the chief of these. Twice he has prophesied that he would be in Paris at a certain date. The dates are past, and his vast armies are still tied up in France and Flanders, and there they are likely to remain until they are driven out. When that will be the Allies have not stated, but they are determined to drive them across the Rhine. It may be in a year or it may take ten. We must bear in our minds the dreadful weeks the Allies have passed through lately, and the still dreadful weeks and perhaps months the Allies have still ahead of them. This great and decisive battle is considered by experts to be of the Verdun type. The Huns are now staking all their resources on victory. It is a battle in -which the whole resources of tho German Empire are concentrated on a single front in the hope of achieving j a final victory which will enable them j to dictate terms of peace to the Allies, The great lesson, of the battle of Verdun

is, that given a sufficiency of mto and guns, almost any position can be captured if men arc employed without any regard of cost. Their progress there was continued at,-prodigious.cost until ■ the j diversion on the Somme and deflection of the reserves conic to a halt. Our enemies during the past few j weeks have had successes, so far as a few miles of . land are concerned, but none of these successes was in any way decisive. They have not penetrated our line. They have not been able to make ! a gap to pour through a sufficiency of men and guns to win the sign of a victory. Tho Allies havo to apply tho lesson taught them at Verdun, and may expect a ceaseless battle, which may last throughout this year or until the Hun reserves . are exhausted. The Allies are well aware" that the enemy defensive system has bden elaborated in every way during the past winter, so that'to force them back will mean taking not only tho actual front lino, but successive positions in the rear will have to be carried when the tiino to advance arrives. The Allies were prepared in tho same way when they were pushed back lately, and that is why! they havo been ablo to inflict such heavy losses on tho enemy. The Allies know full well that their enemy has j still immense reserves and is prepared j to use thorn to the last man. They also know that the enemy lias an immense artillery, and that ho is using it with tremendous'violence. It is doubtful now, however, if the Germans have any decided plan of campaign.