Evening journal., 1917-07-30
EngIand'S Army Strong as
EUer as NcUU Year Opens

members, on which the Liberal, Con-
servatiye and Labor parties are rep
resented-but Lloyd George is really
the government. II Parliament has
become a mere debating society. as
some Of its members grumbllngly
charge THAI is simply because Par
Lament as a whole, as we'll as the
British people. have confidence in
Lloyd Georges ability as general war
manager for the Empire.
! Thus clothed with more authority
than even the President OF the United
States possesses, and with a genius
for accomplishing things that was so
badly lacking in his predecessors as
Prime Minister, Lloyd George has
succeeded in getting Britain into tue
war with the sort OF energy and en-
thusiasm and industry that she should
have displayed from the start. More.
over, by reason of his sympathetic
understanding and personal magnet
ism, he has composed in recent
months the labor disputes that for
time were a most menacing factor in
the conduct Of the war Finally,
through the exercise Of plain common
sense, which nobody apparently ever
thought OF applying TO the question
before. he is solving the Irish stu
alton by the simple expedient OF let
ting the lrishmen settle their own
troubles.
Milltarily the one outstanding fea-
ture of the year 1916-17 is that Britain
has gained the initiative. For the first
time since the war began Germany is
entirely on the defensive. The mere
matter OF retaining some 500 square
miles on the Western front doesn't
mean much geographically, but It
speaks tremendously for the increased
support given the army by the folks
at home, aside from the improved
qualities OF generalship at the front
Thanks to the preponderating and
ever increasing flow OF munitions,
Haig is now able to impose his will
on Hindenburg whenever and where
ever he likes, despite the fact that so
far as man power is concerned the
Germans still considerably outnumber
the Allies in the West. Even the re-
Inducements Hindenhurg has been
able to bring from the Russian front
have not availed. Thanks also to the
speeding up OF aeroplane manufac-
tire. along with the adoption Of new
types OF machines, Britain has defin-
itely clinched the mastery OF the air
which she had come perilously near
losing
The menace to the Suez Canal and
Egypt has been removed. and Allen
bys mel are now almost at the gates
OF Jerusalem. With the capture oil
I ID 49, al.
he German dream OF a highway from
Hamburg TO the Persian Gulf. An un.
usually heavy and prolonged main,
season has hampered operations ir
East Africa but only a small portion
OF Germany's last colony remains ir
her hands.
! However, al no time since the wa
started have conditions been less pro
: pltious for the would-be prophet thar
today The plans Of each side Z,
starye the other out seem definitel,
, doomed to failure Despite the con
/ tinued tightening OF the British
: blockade, the Central Powers havl
reached harvest time without col
lspsing The U-boat warfare. although
y serious. has not met the expectation
Z OF its instigators Germany has beef
a very hungry-but she is used to Il
\ England has scarcely begun to tighter
her belt The Rhine is still a long wa,
\ on. Russia is an uncertain quantity
America is in with both feet, but tn
, full effect of her participation canno
be felt for a year or more.
= When Kitchener foretold tire
b years OF war he had certain defnit
facts on which to base the prediction
$ Better than any man then living h
!. knew the state of Britains UMPIRE
s paredness. as well as the extent {
n Germany's preparedness. He knew
}, TOO, Britain's potential strength
z therefore be discounted the possibil
ty Of Germany winning the war BY