NEWS OF THE WEEK
• AFTER a rather longer delay than had been expected, the German offensive was resumed on Monday. It has come to be regarded as inevitable that the preliminary onset by either side in an attack, when men and guns have been successfully massed, is bound to succeed. The new German attack was of course no exception. At the same time, the enemy has advanced more rapidly than most of us anticipated, and we are once more living in extremely anxious times. We have discussed the matter in a leading article elsewhere, and will only say here that, when all our problems and anxieties have been reduced to their bare essentials, they mean nothing but the need of more men. That has been the obvious and peremptory need for the past year and a half. The need has not been met. But there is an opportunity of meeting it as far as possible now, late though the hour is, by Conscription in Ireland. We are told that Ireland could not yield many men after all. Yet Mr. De Valera had a scheme for raising half-a- million rebels ! What can be done for treason can be done for
liberty. •
