AMERICAN WAR NEWS

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 60, 11 March 1915, Page 8

AMERICAN WAR NEWS

-~~ (Special to "Star".)! SA3T FRANCISCO, February 15. AMERICAN MUNITIONS -PROLONGING WAR. "Protest against American merchants supplying munitions of war to contend-ing-armies .in Europe was received by Mayor Curleyo, Boston, from the Duke of Abnun. The protest was presented by. the Duke in the name of citizens of the. United States who are passing the -winter in Italy. The letter said: "Never in the. history of nations have orders of such gigantic proportions been accepted by any country as those now being executed in America for the continuance of the European war. Americas unlimited supply of deathdealing machinery will cause an indefinite prolongation of this murder of mankind:" GUNS TOR THE ALLIES. America, with feverish haste from the Atlantic to the Pacific, is working in factories producing thousands of tons of big armaments and ammunition for England and France, Its destination is generally denied, but when the bi<» guns leave New York aboard the trans-Atlan-tic greyhounds the secret leaks out. This was* evidenced' when "the Cunard liner "Transylvania sailed for Liverpool from New Yprki having on- board two sixteeninch guns, 53 feet long, and weighing nearly 75 tons apiece. They were lashed to the deck, and behind the guns was placed- a turret- for a battleship, giving ■the liner - warlike appearance. Theguns were made by the Bethel-em Steel Corporation, for whom its president, Mr. Charles M. Schwab, recently obtained in London war orders for 55,000.000 dollars. •The guns aboard the Transylvania were consigned-to-Harland.and Wolff at theirBelfast shipping yard.

AERIAL BUGABOO, ASSERTS MAXIM. The famous war expert, inventor and author, "Hudson Maxim, of New York, diseasing the Zeppelin raids on England, said: ""This German air raid on England fully -demonstrates the impracticability of the Zeppelin as an engine of war. Germany has been threatening to blow up the British Isles with the bombs that her great bags might dropout of the heavens, and I daresay many thousands of timid Anglo-Saxons have prayed-against the coming of that \ fatal day. Now, at last, that lonoenticipaied Zeppelin invasion has come,: and.. what is the result? Four or five : peaceful;citizens killed and a few thousand -pounds of property damaged. , "3 was asked not long ago what .would happen .'if "a German dirigible should 3rop77bombs76if the - Houses :of -Paxlia-71 mentor Abbey. .My taon'of :,was : a man'whb had great faith inf aerial attacks, and believed the Tfuture wars would he settled.by Tains of'fire 'out of the'skies. I laughed at him'"Lsaid that even-if-a Zeppelin should crpp" the most powerful explosive that "could be carried, by such aircraft into the -very middle ■of the Houses of Par--liaineni, it would simply break some glass, and perhaps blow a hole in the Jloor: - * • " - ; '•;■ ~~1 called attention to some dynamite :.outrages ...which had been perpetrated riot-long before in one of England's historic buildings, and, although as much as „2£ pounds "of dynamite was explode<f, 1 the -concussion \ simply smashed the.;windows and shattered a bit of the building near by. •'"Even if Germany could send 100 Zep-pelins-a day to London, and each one blew up a house —which, of course, they could not do —this would wreck only 367500 buildings during a whole year. 'As sixty thousand buildings are erected in London every year, the. Zeppelins would only cut down the normal growth of" the city a little more than half."

EDISON PREDICTS REPUBLIC FOR GERMANY. ..ZJhe Allies .will win, but in Germany's defeat "will come her greatest victory, for her form of government will change to'stbat of a republic, and within fifty years she will be on top of us all." . This-prophecy was made by Thomas A Ellison, at. bis home-at Orange, Now jjersey, during his celebration of tbe feot that he had reached the age of sixtybeight years—a, celebration that eppsfcted as always of more work than ie - performs -on ~ the other 364 days~ . "The* war," said Mr. Edison, "has not produced" anything in the line of scientific invention. The only life-destroying device that stands out is the 42-centi-metfe . gun " used 'co well by the Ger- ' mans". ' T 7 " --'It is the-principal factor in wiping out old methods of warfare. The Zeppelins—in. fact, all aircraft—were overrated, it is. now clear. They are prac.tieally useless in" destroying life and property, "arid..their value,, now lies in their power to scare. " "The submarine -is of two-fold value. They "are not only intensely destructive, but- they are . more threatening than surface -warships. And thai brings ■up two- questions now. under discussion. .- 'She : me,.by a ; belligerenf -of a neutral nation's flag is not to be condemned— it?bas been practised in all modern wars. And touching on the other question,. I do-hot see why the Germans are not within their rights in establishing. a war zone in the watere around Great Britain and Ireland. arouses comment is that this is a, hew condition' of warfare—a submarine blockade, whose effect is more largely produced by fear than performance. It is quite a cheap way of blocks ading ports, and I think our own Uncle Sam should study that proposition for his. -own -protection. We have opportunity to establish several zones, and the use in them of 300 or 400 submarines . would.throw a scare into the vessels oteyery other nation. I think the war will last two years I more. It is a question of food and supplies. If the Germans run short of food they will have to give up. il have I no doubt but that the Allies will assuredly win. I do not see how it is .possible for the Germans to win, no .matter, how brave they are. Everything ir against theim But I think Germany IWill win when she loses. * j "Instead of vesting her governmental •uthorify-in four or -fire men sitting i a.rou-id-a green table she will become a republic, for she will adopt the present English system. "With her superior training methods •he,.will..be on top of all of us within fifty:years. -She-will -have got -rid of her terrible burden of taxation—that is, if the Allies don't put in too large a bill, itemised...Her captains of .industry -"rill "be given freedom to act for the west interests .of. Germany, and ibem**Y«* individua.lly. When a country tt^^^^^° i -'^^ tr y freedom that country -viU have pros- ■'':'' ''-! '---.

ADMIRAL. BEATTT AND j CALIFORNIA. A local touch has been given to the thrilling battle of dreadnoughts in the :North Sea: through, the;relationship of J Vice-Admiral Sir David .Beatty, hero of the engagement and youngest admiral j m -the British - Navy,-to Miss Bessie I Beatty, of San Francisco, the well-known special writer of California. Sir David is Miss Beatty's cousin.

A romance of war, extending from the bloodiest -clashes on" the - battlefield to the bitterest engagements on "the high seas, clusters about the . family tree. The Beatty -ancestors, - coming from south-eastern Ireland, were -prominent in the wars which have made history, .and several members of the family have I won distinction as great as that just achieved in the North Sea, when Sir i David Beatty led his big gun fleet to ! victory, and became the most popular hero of the war. The;father of Sir David i Beatty and Miss Bessie Beatty's grandfather were brothers. The family became divided, Miss Beattv's father j emigrating to the United States, while [other members of the family remained jin Europe. When Sir David Beattv | was old enough to he admitted to the | navy he decided to follow in the foot- ! steps of liis ancestors, and when the present war broke out he led hi 3 fleet to the thickest combats, gaining triumps as he 6wept the enemy from his path. His wife is also keenly enthusiastic, and has donated her private' yacht to the use of the Red Cross.

DRASTIC WAR TAX FOB CANADIANS. A-drastic .war taxation measure has been proclaimed in the Canadian"Parliament at Otthira by the" Hon.' W. T. White (Minister of Finance). Bank circulation and the business of loan fire insurance companies are taxed. A stamp tax is applied to business and banking transactions, to railway and steamship tickets, telegraph and cable messages, letters, wines and patent medicines. There is a customs tariff increase covering all imports now duti-, able, and the free list of imports is virtually wiped out. There will be no income tax. Increased customs charged are effective from February 11. They are: 7J per cent increase to the general and intermediate tariff 'rates, and 5 per cent increase to - British preferential rates. In the case of goods now on the free list there will hereafter be a Customs charge of 71 per cent on goods from the United States and elsewhere, with the exception of Great Britain and her Colonies on the preferential list, where the charge will he 5 per cent. An I increased revenue of more than 20,000,000 dollars annuaUr is expected from the new tariff duties, and from the stamp tax 5,000,000 dollars. Mr. White estimates that even with -the new duties being imposed the loss of revenue to the end of tire present fiscal year, March 31, will -amount to 33,000,000 .dollars. iThc.total'deficitTonrAhe year's operation !is estimated at 60,000,000 dollars. The "Finance. Minister also estimated that the cash, disbursement in the fiscal year "beginning April 1 next will total 300,000,000 dollars, while on the present basis the revenue will amount to but 120.000,000 dollars. The special war expenditures, included in the total amount, he estimated,; at 7100,000,000 dollars Vail of which, he said, would be borrowed. "We shall be" obliged to borrow, heavily -over, the next fourteen months," he said. Among the ■ direct taxes proposed are: —-Bank note circulation, 1. per cent;. income on -trust and loan companies, 1 per cent; net premiums on insurance companies, except life, fraternal and marine, 1 per cent; telegraph and cable, messages, 1 cent each; railway and steamship tickets, 5 cents for tickets costing 1 dollar, and 5 cents each additional 5 dollars; sleeping car berths, 10 cents each.

WAR HSPBBOBS SEEK IW HOSPITALS. Returning from the- battlefields of Northern France and Belgium, -Endcll C. Haynes, member of the American Ambulance Hospital Corps in service in Europe, is an interesting visitor in San Fmncisco, California. Haynes left Paris on January 6th last, and .returned to America both for private and official business. His principal object in the United States was to purchase a number of automobile ambulances before returning, to his djjijes. Haynes is a captain in the ambulance corps -working under.the direction of Dr. de Bouchett, in the Ambulance le Hospital American Lycee Pasteur Nieully, in the Rue de Inkefmann. He*has seen service upon the battlefields of Mohs, Lille, Liege and Arrons. "From the latter part of - November until I left Paris in January, I witnessed more suffering from frozen feet, arms and ears than I did from bullets," he' said. '•More than'7oo. men were taken-to the base hospitals and. had to have their clothes soaked from their bodies. Some had-their feet so swollen that their shoes had split. *T was a member of the hospital corps that attended the wounded at .the siege of Lille. More than a million and a-half men, including allies and enemy, were drawn up before each other. Our corps messed with the Royal • Scots Fusiliers, with 1,284 men. The men "went -to the firing line at 8 o'clock in the morning, and we cleaned the trenches at 2 o'clock in the afternoon, and found only six men alive. Four .men.were unhurt and two were wounded. ; All the officers were dead. Of the Dublin Fusiliers 2,600 men went into battle, and only 90 came out. '•"When the Indian troops,-known as the Guerinesse tribe, went into their'first engagement between..Lille and Liege, they advanced a-mile in fifty "hours' fighting, and when they, left the battlefield'ffe saw the heads of Germans on the points', of -their lances. .-.-..'

• "Out of the's4,ooo men: treated-at the American Hospital in Paris I have known only one case in which a dum-dum bullet was found. Ido not believe that any of the Governments, are using" dum-dum bullets, but that-possibly some of the soldiers made such a bullet by splitting the nose, which would cause it to spread."

At the outbreak of-the war Haynes was in Berlin. He left there five days later, and returned>to .London, and later went to Paris, where he offered his services;to one of the units of hospital corps, which were later joined into the American Ambulance Corps. Two New York millionaires each financed five ambulances with drivers, and Mrs. Harry Payne Whitney, a noted American beauty of society, paid for ten ambulances. She then leased the Pasteur Institute,- and -agreed to complete the building and furnish it with 500 beds. There is now a staff there of 63 surgeons and 145 American nurses and innumerable ambulance driver's connected with the hospital". -;

John Regis Post (ex-Governor of Porto Rico), Oliver Filley (former captain of the Harvard crew), Charles Toost (a Wall Street broker), and Norman.Beed (the only "American signed togowith Sir Ernest'Shackleton in the South Pole Expedition) are members of the corps, and are operating automobiles upon .the battlefields -of Northern France.

One patient Haynes saw'in Paris-Bus a young- man .named. Garrett, ..of Eos Angeles, -California. 7He was paralysed through a shrapnel wound, but recovered i after on operation.by ;Dr; Rice,of Boston.

BERLIN AUTHOR DEFINES WAR STORIES. . "Dr.'..F-: Frank," of ißerlin,'.cousin, to Dr. liudwig Frank, former leader of the, German , Socialist' party, who died" in battle at Lunevillc, France, has ,arrived7in San Francisco. He is a noted journalist and i author. Discussing Germany in war; 'time, and especially the attitude:of the German Socialists, Dr. Frank said, "The position in which the German Socialist finds himself is not understood in | America. He consists of two personalities. He is the advocate of certain principles for the good of .the. human race, proving himself 'sincere, -eapabte, and high-minded. In times of war the situation changes; he becomes merely a unit of the empire and a soldier in its ranks. Economic reasons accumulating for forty years caused this war in Europe." At the first war session of the German Parliament, Socialist Deputy Haase said: "While we retain our convictions, >we shall not lag behind in defending our homes." The party acted sincerely throughout. | Discussing the wars outcome, Dr. Frank added: "Germany will win. The I country has still millions of men from j which to form well-found, well-drilled armies, and the military position at present is excellent. It would be idle to deny that Germany, like other countries, is bleeding copiously from its industrial , wounds. In Bavaria, for instance, the toy and machine manufacturing industries are paramount. These -Demand a large force of high-class mechanics, and they arc at the front. The United States has now taken up this toy industry, and Bavaria wjll never get back even half of it. A few weeks ago I saw little toy engines, made in Connecticut, United States, America, and they were being sold at 18 cents. No one but a headstrong European Chauvinist could fail to

Sf and understand that in a large, neral way the United States is bound to profit from this war. and they will be the only ones to do so."

PRISONERS OF TEUTONS BADLY TREATED.

Charges' of brutality on the part of German officers toward British prisoners under transportation from the battle front to the detention camp, made by a major of the Scottish Rifles, who escaped from prison at Crefeld, nave been made public at Washington by the British embassy there. The report of the officer also wa3 placed in the hands of Ambassador Page in London. The Officer declares that from- the time he was captured at. La Bassee,. on December 17, until he reached Crefeld, he was submitted to "continual abuse and revilement," that this greatcoat was taken from him, and he, like those who made the trip with, him,-arrived at their destination after being starved jand confined for three days and nights. A large part of the journey, he says, iwas made in a closed car used for tlie transportation of horses, and filled with filth, and having so little ventilation that it -was. almost asphyxiating. Fiftytwo men and five officers, >he asserts, were submitted to these conditions for thirty hours with no food. Accordiii" to-the major the British'prisoners were treated much less considerately than the French, and in. one case he states that the English were given only the scant remnants of the provisions" after the French had finished. One British officer, .the report declares, was spat upon by, a German officer.

I One Irish prisoner -told a storr of having been called to J a gathering of his | compatriots, and told by the commandant that the Emperor knew of the -downtrodden condition of Ireland, and that the Irish were, therefore, to be transported to a better camp and given better treatment and food than the English received. The soldier said the Irish soldiers refused to accept this offer and remained with the English. In concluding his -statement, the major characterises German transportation conditions as "brutal in the extreme," and adds that, "evidence collected at Crefeld by officers there shows that officers and men have been killed after capture.-* '