Mystery message from the French

Landings are suggested

WITHOUT attaching undue importance to it, it may be as well to reproduce the portion of a Paris message which contains the following sentences: “A feeling of great optimism now prevails in Paris.

“It would be much greater if the public were told all the truth and also if they know where the Allied troops had succeeded in landing.”

It is reasonable to suppose that if this mysterious reference to a landing had a basis of fact we should have had official tidings of it before this, particularly if it had direct association with the forward movement in the northern sectors of the Western front.

There has long been a feeling - not confined to mere civilians - that for the Franco-British advance to secure a pronounced success at an early date a flanking movement is essential and it can be no secret that the numerous recent bombardments of the German positions on the Belgian coast have encouraged the hope that the Allies plans embraced the placing of a force at a point where a great turning movement could be inaugurated.

The difficulties in the way of carrying out such a feat and the terribly costly nature of the enterprise must however be apparent to all, especially as a surprise landing is altogether out of the question.

The Germans are fully prepared for any manoeuvre of this description - recent telegrams have plainly demonstrated that - and we may conclude that an effort of the kind could not precede but must follow, or at the best, coincide with a very successful push in the coastal region by the armies already there.

What the future holds no one can confidently predict, but we must set down the French statement as at least premature - unless, perchance, it refers to another part of Europe altogether.

In any case, we have plenty to interest us in the shape of actual performance and published fact, for - to take our own front first - Sir John French’s latest despatch, quietly as it is worded, is again a most important document.

We had been looking for a halt to consolidate positions already gained and to prepare for another offensive, the idea in general favour being that the Allies’ plan of campaign was to advance by means of a series of heavy bombardments and infantry attacks, each set of operations complete in themselves.

We have been warned not to unduly magnify the success attending what “may appear to be” the opening stages of a great offensive, and, without any hint from any official source, indeed entirely without collusion, Monday’s newspapers, both in this country and France, with a unanimity almost distracting in its harmony, spoke with a bated breath and whispering humbleness of news which should have sent us all into the streets to lose our hats.

The fear, of course, was that we might lose our heads as well and even in this summary there appeared on Monday heavily-worded warnings not to expect too much, as if the call was to “resign” ourselves to the fact that “all is well, but...”

There is a touch of hypocrisy about this cautious attitude for the truth is that though we fully realise the difficult task before us, we do not expect things to go seriously wrong at any stage.