SIGNS FROM THE SMOKE

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 68, 20 March 1915, Page 14

SIGNS FROM THE SMOKE

- f(Bj ALBERT DORRINGTON.) '■•''•: - LONDON, January 22. '■■ . CROCODILE TEARS. German "teardrops" arc falling fast on jnany of the East Coast towns of England. A few of them, weighing 601b, fell at Lynn. Sandringiiawi is close to King's Lynn, but, hap;.::y, as the papers say, the Royal Family had just jeft the house when the Zepp "•teardrop" mlashed its whirlwind of shrapnel in all directions. No one can complain of the jack of excitement these times. It seems likely that the roaring of Zeppelin engines over our towns is going to seriously interfere with the spring bargain sales Oiie does- not care to think about hats iiule the air-lluas are dropping shells from the security of "the clpuUs. ;■ cALinrass in danger. : Ifwe Britishers have a pose, it is that »we:are calm in the face of those futile airship raids." A certain newspaper, ■jfhose office was almost wrecked by a bomb, went to press at once, just to show ioTf calm it was. Its leading article decleared, in the calmest possible language, that a .fiendish explosion had occurred in the main street of the town, and had ''blown off the roofs of a number of the principal, bull-dogs aud places of interest" There is no doubt whatever about the calmness of the editor and eoinps who allow the roofs of their principal bull-dogs to get blown off. It takes a very excited journal, nowadays, to beat this in the way of news. ;: WAR ABOUT TO BEGIN. . Someone asked Kitchener recently. how long the war would last. Said K. of X.: -"I can't tell how long a war will last until it really begins. This war will tiegin about April next." One • has to be on.the spot to appreciate the above remark. ' Every town and hamlet in Great Britain is straining nerve and sinew to do'.abit for Kitchener's men. Naval depots, arsenals, and ammunition factories are working day and night to deliver the goods. Also we are providing fiie French armies with footwear, clothes ammunition. At the outbreak of hostilities France found herself short of 800,000 pairs of boots, twice as many "rifles, and about 4,000,000 rounds of cartridges. The "Times" military correspondent estimates German losses up to January 18 at a 3,000,000 a year rate, seeing that for each month of the war 300,000 casualties have been recorded. If the past rate of losses is continued, it means the loss" of seven men per minute, night and day! SHEIi-nitE FRIGHT. The nerves of the" soldiers in the trenches show" signs of wear and tear. EuJuday the ambulance corps are called upon to deal with batches of insane Tommies. It is a terrible sight to watch these poor fellows being strapped inside the ambulance - lorries, shouting, screaming, and fighting the doctors with their teeth and hands. French, German and Belgian soldiers are equally susceptible to the ghastly effects! of incessant shell fire. This .shell fright develops quite suddenly during a bombardment. A dozen men are sometimes called upon to seize and prevent a fear-maddened Tommy from tearing across the firing-line into the enemy's trenches. Ten years ago the Kaisef'-said that nerves were going to win the next great war. Well, the German medicalstaff are struggling to deal with the hordes of their own mad soldiers stampeding across the sky line. SOME GERMAN PICTURES. ■Yet another governess has been writing her experiences in the castle of a German prince and princess. She lived with them for five years, was well treated, became attached to their children, and upon certain occasions was permitted to exchange greetings with the Kaiser himself. To the.castle of the German prince came the Crown Prince, Count Zeppelin, General Ton Bernhardi, Herr Krupp, and others; She pictures the Crown Prince deftly. *TVith his smart little moustache arid light-coloured animal eyes, that surprised one-with their sudden goggling look." Or take a vignette of Marshal yon Hindenberg, now leading the German armies against" Kussia, as a man "all made of tquare. Not only w-cre his big fighting jaws square; his"head, with hair combed back en bos'se, was rather swollen, and was square. His nose was square, his tars were square, and his huge moustache, Trhieh appeared to bs artificially prolonged by a beard let in to pices it out, »as. brushed out square on the square of tie square cheeks." JTHE LITTLE GRASSHOPPER. According to our governess, John Burns told the Kaiser that the German army Was not what it used to be in the great days. It was at manoeuvres and the Kaiser pretended to think nothing of it. But it was a thing he could never forgive —it was a stab at his pride. He said, T)amn that little grasshopper!" In July list John Burns was a member of the Cabinet. He resigned rather than be a party to a war with Germany. It may i*?t comfort him to know that'the Kaiser Regarded him as a green in/sect that hops S and out of cow fooa, ENGLAND'S BACKBONE. spine," according to the German professors, is the Suez CanaJ. Tureo-German expedition across the wilderness of Sin has just begun. So it *teins that, in the immortal words- of the chairman of the political meeting, we Jay shortly expect to find our backbone coming to the front." The Tureoycrman force will have a ten days' march over an almost waterless deserL At the of this desert is the canal, unbridged jffld unfordable, nearly 100 miles long, '0 yards wide at the narrowest point, and M\feet deep. At each end is the sea, by British and French war- * Pips. . In front, an army of Indian and Australasian troops supplied with the ¥*st cavalry in the world, and every Suipment of modern warfare. If the iurcorGennan force negotiates this strip « desert we shall bear of some fighting. 4?d nothing is surer than that the men norn "down under" will be in the thick «.it The Wilderness of Sin is likely to prove a hot place for our BUI and some Others. .DECEIVING THE GERMANS. |$S e fea r of Zepps has caused many oi the shire councils, including the London C.C., to darken the streets at night, ffo.put mile-long avenues of lamps in ™«r parks and woods. It is hoped Jjttt, when the Zepp-ficnd arrives, some moonless night, he wi.'l bombard what looitslikc a piece of I'iceadillv or the owaiid. It l, as boon that the 4<maoii City Fathers should illuminate gjgHpyal Albert Memorial and a few ""■her monuments, just to give the bombaroppcr a chance.

• v - LONDON, January 22. '■■ . CBOCOBILE TEARS. German "teardrops" arc falling fast on jnany of-the East Coast towns of England. A few of them, weighing 601b, fell at "King's Lynn. SandringUam is close to King's Lynn, but, liapj.::y, as the papers say. the Royal Family had just {eft the house when the Zepp "teardrop" mlashed ite whirlwind of shrapnel in all directions. No one can complain of the jack of excitement these times. It seems ]j]jeiytnat the roaring of Zeppelin engines over our towns is going to seriously interfere with the spring bargain sales Ojie does- not care to think about hats iafle the air-lluas are dropping shells from the security of the clouds. ; CALinrass in dangsk. : Ifwe B:itis!:ers have a pose, it is that ?we:are celin in the lace of those futile airship raids." A certain newspaper, ■jhoae oiiicc was almost wrecked by a bomb, went to press at once, just to show fcow calm it was. Its leading article decleared, in the calmest possible language, that a .fiendish explosion had occurred in the main street of the town, and had ''blown off the roofs of a number of the principal, bull-dogs aud places of interest" There is nu doubt whatever sbout the calmness of the editor and eoinps who allow the roofs of their principal bull-dogs to get blown off. It takes t rery excited journal, nowadays, to beat this in the way of news. *; WAR ABOUT TO BEGIN. .Someone asked Kitchener recently.how long the war would last. Said K. of X.: - U I can't tell how long a war will last until it really begins. This war will tiegin about April next." One ■ has to be on:the spot to appreciate the above rejnark.' Every town and hamlet in Great Britain is straining nerve and sinew to do'abit for Kitchener's men. Naval depots, arsenals, and ammunition factories are working day and night to deliver-the goods. Also we are providing the Irench armies with footwear, clothes £nd ammunition. At the outbreak of hostilities France found herself short of 800,000 pairs of boots, twice as many rifles, arid about 4,000,000 rounds of cartridges. The "Times" military correspondent estimates German losses up to January 18 at a 3.000,000 a year rate, seeing that for each month of the war 300,000 casualties have been recorded. If the past rate of losses is continued, it lrieans the loss" of seven men per minute, night and day! SHELI-FIKE FRIGHT. The nerves of the' soldiers in the tranches show" signs of wear and tear. ladi*day the ambulance corps are called upon to deal with batches of insane Tommies. It is a terrible sight to watch these poor fellows being strapped inside the ambulance - lorries, shouting, screaming, and fighting the doctors with their teeth and hands. French, German and Belgian soldiers are equally susceptible to the ghastly effects; of incessant shell fire. This .shell fright develops quite suddenly during a bombardment. A dozen men are sometimes called upon to seize and prevent a fear-maddened Tommy from tearing across the firing-line into the enemy's trenches. Ten years ago the Kaiser-said that nerves were going to win the next great -oar. Well, the German medicalstaff are struggling to deal with .the hordes of their own mad soldiers stampeding across the sky line. ' SOME GERMAN PICTURES. ■Yet another governess has been writing her experiences in the castle of a German prince and princess. She lived with them for five years, was well treated, became attached to their children, and upon certain occasions was permitted to exchange greetings with the Kaiaer himself. To the_;castle of the German prince came the Crown Prince, Count Zeppelin, General yon Bernhardi, Herr Krupp, and others; Sfie pictures the Crown Prince deftly. "With his smart little moustache and light-coloured animal eyes, that surprised onewith their sudden goggling look." Or take a vignette of Marshal yon Hindenberg, now leading the German armies against - Kussia, as a man "all made of iqnare. Not only were his big fighting jaws square; his head, with hair combed back en bos'se, was rather swollen, and iras square. His nose was square, his ears were square, and his huge moustache, Tfhieh appsared to bs artificially prolonged by a beard let in to pices it out, »as. brushed out square on the square of tbe square cheeks." • JTHE I3TTLE GRASSHOPPER. .According to our governess, John Burns told the Kaiser that the German army was not what it used to be in the great days. It was at manoeuvres and the Kaiser pretended to think nothing of it. But it was a thing he could never forgive —it was a stab at his pride. He said, T)amn that little grasshopper!" In July list John Burns was a member of the Cabinet. He resigned rather than be a party to a war with Germany. It may i*?t comfort him to know that'the Kaiser Regarded him as a green insect that hops I and out of cow iooa. ENGLAND'S BACKBONE. spine," according to the German professors, is the Suez CanaJ. Tureo-German expedition across the Wilderness of Sin has just begun. So it that, in the immortal words- of the chairman of the political meeting, we jay shortly expect to find our backbone coming to the front." The Tureovennan force will have a ten days' march over an almost waterless desert' At the of this desert is the canal, unbridged jffid unfordable, nearly 100 miles long, '"yards wide at the narrowest point, and M\feet deep. At each end is the sea, commanded by British and French warTOs. . In front, an army of Indian arid rMsh-alasian troops supplied with the Wst cavalry in the world, and every Suipment of modern warfare. If the inrcotGerman force negotiates this strip M desert we shall bear of some fighting. f?a nothing is surer than that the men "J 0 ?? "down under" will be in the thick 01 it The Wilderness of Sin is likely to prove a hot place for our BUI and some Others. ' DECEIVING THE GERMANS. for of Zepps has caused many w..the shire councils, including the Lonand t0 - darken tl,e streets at night, ~"\put mile-long avenues of lamps in ™ e 'r parks and woods. It is hoped ™w, when the Zepp-ficnd arrives, some moonless night, he wi.'l bombard what woicslikc a piece of Piccadilly or the Btrand. n l, as boon ssiszested'-that the 4<manii City Fathom should illuminate gpKpyal Albert Mumorial and a few •<•»<* monuments, just to give the bomb"opper a chance.