The Hawaiian gazette., 1918-02-12
. ADVERTISERS sEHH.WEEKLY
The Week In the War


"A BSENCE of strong and concerted offensives
"A by any OF the bellgerents on any of the Eu-
ropeA. fronts is noticeable in the news OF the week
The nearest approach to any movements of such
character has been by the crown prince who is
reported to have launched seven fierce attacks in
lis many days against the French in the Verdun
sector. His efforts have been fruitless and the
losses his force sustained are said to have been
great In the whole conduct of the war it is
doubtful if there be found commander in
any Of the armies who has ppaidsso fittle heed to
the cost in man power OF his attacks as has the
crown prince. In the fighting along Chemn des
Danes this was much in evidence but those at
tacks as those reported last week in the
Nerdun sector. are but evidences OF the little heed
which ne pays to the cost in lives once he is set
upon the determination to take an objective. Yet
with all his great expenditure of flesh and blood
or perhaps because Of them he has been time
after time, in the end, compelled to fall back and
to give ground
Artillery engagements, minor raids, upon
trenches and more especially aerial attacks have
gone largely to make up the war of the
week On the Italian front the position of the
Italians and their Allies appears to have been
the fighting of few short weeks ago in that
theater, there is at present lull in activities.
So also on the Western front. There was the
one exception OF the fruitess efforts Of the crown
prince The Allies are, from all reports success.
fully holding their own and the long expected
great offensive OF the Germans IS still in allegiance
Slowly but surely more and more each day, is
he opportunity for the striking Of decisive blow
slipping away. -. ,..
In submarine warfare the reports Of the pre-
ceding weeks losses held much of encouragement
Tor the Allies. All Of the Allied merchant losses
for the week were far below those Of the British
Alone in the earlier days of unrestricted or ruth
less submarine warfare. For the month Of Janu
AIRY the dsparancy is even more noticeable. Al
the same time the Allies are warned to look for
darker days while the movement Of American
troops are on as it will be impossible to furnish
the same protection to the merchant shipping
that has been recently furnished.
One feature of the news of the week is the
greater importance attached TO the information
which has been given out of the activities of the
american contingent. Either there are now
enough Americans in that sector of the West
Front to make their presence of vastly more i'm
portance or else there is to be found indications
of new and entirely different policy on the part
OF the war department, policy Of giving to the
public more information as TO what their boys are
doing over there. Perhaps it is both. In any
event there has been 10 week since the entry OF
the United States in TIE war when so much space
has been given to actual military activities of the
forces of the United States.
AS to the progress of peace negotiations be-
tween the Central Powers and the various Rus
sian factions or countries and Rumanians also it
las become, evident that the Central Powers have
had all the use from their Bolsheviki catspaws
which they need and recognize the futty OF
peace negotiations with such an uncertain guam
tty. They now appear turning to the Ukrainians
and the Rumanians and to be quite willing to en-.
courage them against the Bolshevk, thrown into
The scrap heap. Indeed Berlin announces the
signing of a treaty with delegation from the
Ukraine Undoubtedly the first desire of the
Central Powers is to make separate peace with
section OF Europe from which they CAM draw
supplies They could gain much more from the
Ukraine than from ,Petrograd AT the same time
so long as the Slavs kept fighting among
themselves it removes for the Central Powers
the necessity of wagiag upon them or fear,
ing hostilities from them and leaves them free to
use their armies elsewhere This is only second
in importance to their pressing and crying need
Of food.
mn - sL1 ~ -