CRITICAL POSITION IN GERMANY

Waikato Times, Volume 88, Issue 13388, 16 January 1917, Page 5

CRITICAL POSITION IN GERMANY

THE ROUMANIAN CAMPAIGN ENEMY CAPTURE YADENI THE WESTERN FRONT INCREASE OF BRITISH ARMY URGED A COURAGEOUS EXPLOIT 103 BELGIANS ESCAPE By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright. * OPERATIONS IN THE WEST COLONEL REPINGTON URGES THE NEED OF MORE MEN. ALLIED SUPERIORITY NOT GREAT ENOUGH. , ■■— ~ • (The Times.) LONDON, January 15. The military correspondent of the London Times, Colonel Repington, declares that it is necessary to secure (>0 new divisions for the Western front. He writes: '"The belligerents are still far apart in their views as to the basis conditions of peace, therefore the sword alone must decide: The number French, British, and Belgian divisions is insufficient for a decisive offensive. Supposing we have 2,000,000 men, and the French 3,000,000, we must debit the non-lighters. "Before the war we supposed a three to one superiority not too great for attack. We have nothing like this superiority, and victory depends on obtaining it. The maxim that numbers annihilate has been shown to be correct. Fresh divisions can be obtained by sending to the Western front those dispersed elsewhere, by copying the German system of expanding the total number of divisions, and creating new home and overseas divisions. The remissness in the creation of new divisions is a departure from the conception of Earl Kitchener, who proposed to continue ceaseless development of the forces until the enemy was exhausted." Colonel Repington urges the immediate passage of a Civil Mobilisation BiU based on the German law. Even then, he says, it will be August before the men are ready. BRITISH AND FRENCH REPORT MINOR ENTERPRISES. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. LONDON, January 15. Sir Douglas Haig reports: "We dispersed raiders at Grandecourt. We conducted successful patrol enterprises at Neuve Chapelle and Armentieres." A French communique states: "There is the customary cannonade south ♦the Somme in the region of Verdun. Enemy reconnaissances south of •ry-au-Bac were repulsed."