The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. TUESDAY, AUGUST 17, 1915.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLV, Issue 4010, 17 August 1915, Page 4

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. TUESDAY, AUGUST 17, 1915.

It is very pleasing to find that the leading journals in Russia are availing themselves of a further opportunity to emphasise the invaluable services which Britain has so far rendered in the struggle against the Huns, the Austrians and the Turks. Apparently it is the position that a section of the great Russian people are somewhat sore on account of the fact that the enemy has recently had at its disposal such a huge force for the prosecution of the war on the Eastern Front. Perhaps it is not surprising that this should be tho case in view of the circumstance that Russian lias just suffered a much heavier set-hack than it may have been generally, dreamt was possible.. 11 would, however, be idle for anybody to suggest that the rebuff was entirely ■due to the fact that Britain and Franco have Mid to still further delay throwing their full weight against the Huns on the Western Front. No doubt if the Western Allies had at the time been engaged in their planned great clrivo the enemy would not have been able to spare anything like so many additional corps for service against Russia., Rut the great bulk of tile people in Russia will not have

A Striking Tribute to Britain.

any fault to find.in tlie matter. They will look at the .situation philosophically and in addition to giving every credit to Britain for driving enemy shipping off the seven seas they will realise that on land the- Western AlliesShave so far <lono <‘xceedingly well in Keeping the Huns in cheek in Belgium find I<’ranee, besides being at the present juncture also engaged in a strong offensive against the Turks. When

fiSio Jluns almost succeeded in reaching the french capital in the early stages of; the war there was no complaintjtffffiong Lh(> peoples of the Wcson account of Russia not s)seing fully prepared to coin) tor-attack

on an oxten.sivoLs: ale along the Mastern Front. Ziis a matter of strict fact is now quitu plain, would, likejFraiice, liave conic in for a. verv nuiffn handling if Germany had attacked Jm*c singly or if Germany and Austruraimf lind to light only Russia and Meaner. When one comes to think of Britain’s vast resources ii: is certainly to he regretted in the oreumstaiices that she was not anything like so well prepared on land as she uas on sea. Mail il been of horn is,-.- j there would In’ this time assuredly I have been a very different tale to tell j as ‘ regards the position Loth on the Western Front and in connection with the campaign against the r l ur.ks. Kverybodv must recognise- that, although with reference to matters military Britain had tlie smallest readymade force, Russia, as well as France, was also unprepared as compered with the high state of military and industrial organisation which had been attained by the Huns, if not also by the Austrians. It would, however, ha just as idle to cast any blame in the matter of military unproparodness oh the 1 part of any Ally as it is to cry over spilt milk. The fact is simply this:.that practically every other nation with the exception oi Austria hopelessly failed to realise tlie programme' oi world conquest that- me Huns it is now evident had so long iji view. Even to-day—at this Into hour as. it wore—it is extremely doubt-

ful it.any large section of the people of. the United States have as yetawakened to tlie real position of ai> ■fail’s in this regard. The reminder which is contained in the Russian press at the present time as to how much Britain in particular iia.s so far accomplished with reference, to the struggle is therefore very timely as if will also have a great effect on the perplexing situation in the Balkans. When all i> said and done Britain, it cannot lie gainsaid, has in the aggregate done the most useful service of alj the Allies in the fight against tlie common foe. Nobody. it can he

taken, can fully appreciate the enormous benefit not only to the Allies hut to neutral nations which may have been included in German v’s full programme of tlie magnificent wort: of the Grand Fleet. In this connection it may not lie generally known although Air Lloyd George made the fact very clear in a recent" speech at Home that in order to keep pace with her naval requirements Britain is called upon at the present- juncture-, to employ in all—ashore as well as afloat—no fewer than a million men. As regards military operations it is well-known that i: was never estimated hitherto that Britain would even in Midi a great clash of Empires as that which is raging to-day have to nm into the field more than a quarter of a million men. What is now revealed, however, is that in addition to proving tlie greatest tower ox .strength on sea Britain may also have to provide the main effective force on land in order to bring about the termination of the war within a reasonable period. Within a comparatively short period our Empire will have in action in addition to her force associated with the Grand Navy which as we have said totals about a million men, militarv forces in addition

to perhaps over a million at present ia the field her new armies aggregating at least a further two millions, and thou again there must he some millions of other workers engaged in the work of providing munitions, coal, etc., as well as the huge forces which are assisting in constructing new war vessels, naval projectiles, etc., on laud. The tributes to Britain which the cable news this morning tells us are appearing in the leading Russian journals at the present juncture are, therefore, only a due appreciation of the efforts which will continue to be made by our Empire until the Huns and their partners he completely crushed.