Pushing ahead

More French successes

Great move on the right

More prisoners

Some interesting telegrams were published in our eighth edition last night.

Once again our attention was drawn to the operations of General Botha’s army in German south west Africa and it is well that our eyes should occasionally be turned in this direction.

For some reason or other, comparatively little interest is taken in this field but the work in process of accomplishment is nevertheless of great importance and moreover it has attached to it a moral.

An outspoken German publicist, writing on the great national hero, ventured the opinion that Bismarck’s and therefore Germany’s idea in the matter of colonisation were based on an erroneous assumption, briefly that Germanising was wrong and that British methods embracing free institutions were right.

South Africa was quoted as an example and mournful allusions were made to the loyalty displayed towards Britain by the race they had conquered in a war comparatively recent.

The lesson this taught is not likely to be forgotten by us or Germany and in the case of the latter country the tidings of last night should assist in the rubbing-in process.

The Union Forces have been continuously advancing and they have now occupied, curiously enough without opposition, Warmbad.

Warmbad is the southern capital of German south west Africa. It is situated 25 miles to the North of the Orange River and is the terminus of the railway system. Germany’s place in the sun is growing smaller by degrees and so far as this sphere of operation is concerned we are indebted both to the courage and ability of Boer generals and to the far-seeing British Statesmen whose ideas of colonial government and administration are so vastly different from those entertained by Germany.

Another telegram of a peculiarly interesting character to hand last night was a French official estimate of the German losses in officers and probably it is safe to say that up to date the number of officers including reserve has been reduced by over two thirds.

Such a figure is really appalling and when the German public realise what is really happening their much-vaunted strength of will and power to endure will have a very severe shaking.

There are facts which are available in at least all the big towns in Germany, the German mind is not an open book to us but at least one writer, Edgar Wallace, acknowledges that bad news will eventually play havoc with the people.

He has written of the unsportsmanlike way that German athletes accept defeat and he says that the German is in fact a ‘squealer’ and from this he deduces that unmistakeable defeats in the field of battle will speedily bring the entire nation to its knees.

He believes that the next few months will see his theories put to the test.

The French official communique supports the fact that the French are making great headway in the Woevre with attacks still being made.