The Hawaiian gazette., 1918-01-01
RODERIxO MArHEsOS. EDITOR
The Week In the War

" "
= Western and the Italian fronts which the
Germans and the Austrians have been able to
draw from the Russian fronts they have done
nothing more than hold their own during the week
that has Just passed In fact, on the Italian front
Il would appear from the reports that they have
been placed largely ON the defensive and that the
Italians, supported by their French and British
Allies. have assumed considerable aggressive
ness. The Austro- Germans have not succeeded in
forcing their way through the mountain passes to
i The Bassano Plains r.. .s.rx sa.5
week ago it was claimed that the Austro-
Germans were in a serious predicament caught IN
the mountain passes by severe winter, tanspor-
tation and supply difficulties piling up on them'
the soldiers suffering intensely from cold, hunger
and other hardships A week in which there has
been no material advance has not served to better
this situation. The winter has advanced week
further. The mountain passes are filed deeper
with snow. II is impossible to build roads or
transportation lines to their forward positions un-
der such sweather conditions and suffering and
hardships can only have grown more unbearabie
Weather conditions on the Western front have
been such as to preclude infantry operations on
either side Reports from the American sector
said the United States soldiers had spent four days
shoveling snow to keep communication with the
rear open. The daily official reports have told Of
little except artillery actions, some minor raids
and more latterly of air encounters. There was
10 have been mo going into winter quarters" this
season but there are times when inclemency Of the
weather serves to materially decrease war opera
tons and the past several days have constituted
such period. a .n-
In Palestine, reports received Sunday morning
indicated there has been resumption OF offensive
on the part OF the British which is sweeping the
Turks steadily backward. The advance was made
early in the week and was in the direction of
Jerico. General Allenby is pushing forward to the
North and adding steadily and surely to the hold
ings Of the Christians in the Holy Land.
II was hailed as significant that there came an
increase in the Teutonic submarine offensive at
the same time with their increased offenses on the
Western and Italian front, speeding up of effort
on the part of the Getmans undersea as well as on
land which brought about heavier losses to Allied
shipping, especially the commerce Of Britain 1t
IS equally significant that there has come abate-
inent in the summarizing campaign at the same
time the land offensiyes lulled Decided falling off
in British ship losses was shown in the report
issued from London Wednesday night Only one
vessel Of more than 1000 tons burden, besides
eleven smaller craft is not result to greatly en-
courage the Teutons But there is an added sig
nificance in the admission from Berlin that Lloyd
George is correct in speaking Of the decreased
Possibility OF the Central Powers obtaining food
supplies from Russia and thereby multiplying much
OF the success OF the Allies embargoes continues
70 be adisturbing factor Of the war situation and
to add to the complications which the Allies must
meet The turning against the Bolsheviki of large
agricultural sections may tend to reduce this dan
ger but it is still important and must be pecog-
nized r
In the United States war preparations go on
apace. With the reassembling of congress there
has come a time Tor retrospection, period in
which the legislators are seeking to learn exactly
the progress that has been made, what, if any
faults have been discovered in the various gov
eminent departments and how such faults, if they
be found. may be rectifed Investigations of the
war department, the army, the quartermasterS and
transportation departments, the navy, the ship
building campaign and other matters essential to
the conduct OF the war are Nprogress, The hope
Is that these will lead to .tructive rather thar
destructive leeisatqn, betterment Of methods
al along the fine, as IT,
Self satisfaction is ait to blind an individual OF
nation TO dangers AM il may be well for the
United States to recognize this and to guard
against it. @tf't as~iqstgPFs Ts6fssaf.
Drastic steps for the better safeguarding OF the
country from alien enemies within its borders are
20 Dc put into effect in February when finger