NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16206, 8 May 1918, Page 8

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

The German casualties in the present offensive are said to have staggered the German nation, which probably does not yet know their full extent. The extensive weeding-out of the civil population, including many business men, which is now said to be going on, will indicate in some measure Germany's need for inoro men to replace tnose killed and disabled in the past six weeks. These measures, However, are only an extension of those adopted a month or more before tlie offensive began. Tne German military authorities at that timo thought it desirable to conduct an elaborate Press campaign to prepare tho people for tne expected heavy casualties. 'Ihey were also exercising unusual strictness with regard to the army, pressing into service and keeping in tne front lines every available man, including those who had reached 48 years. This policy gave rise to a debate in the Reichstag, during which strong complaints were made against tne treatment given the oleier classes of German soldiers. A Socialist member said the Government had no intention of releasing tho older military classes. He criticised the fact tnat in tne Lanuisturm. men 48 years of age were still being kept in tne trencnes, despite tue order that they should be taken out of the fiiiug-iino. Another speaker asserted that iO,UOO of the old men still were in tho firing-line. The pretext tnat there were no reserves to replace such men was scouted 'by anotner socialist speaker. "it would only bo necessary,'' he remarked, "to request all the L'au-German braggarts, who thank God iho war is not yet ended, to volunteer. 'The feeling at the front is not enthusiastic, and this is not surprising in view of the treatment the soldiers are getting." There were units in tho army called "hunger companies," and a furlough could be bought by subscribing to the war loan. Tne Reichstag eventually adopted a proposal that all men norn in 18d9 and 18V0 should be withdrawn immediately from the front lino and sent home, and that all the Landsturmers who had been serving since the beginning of the war should be treated similarly. The Reichstag may, however, propose, but it is the High Command that disposes, of the troops, and in view of to-day's news it is extremely unlikely that tho men of 48 have been sent home.

An English visitor to the United States not long ago declared that the American women had not yet begun to show any* sign that they realised that their country was at war. The Washington message which reports that a million women are now engaged in various kinds of war work in America proves that this reproach can no longer be levelled against American womanhood. It is true that a far greater number of women are doing war work in Great Britain—over three-quarters of a million were employed some time back in munition works alone, while thousands of others are mployed on the land, in public services, as V.A.D.'s, and behind the lines in France. But tho Old Country has been three times longer at war than has America, and if the la tier's fighting army is eventually to be increased cither to three or fivo millions, its army of women workers will assuredly grow in proportion.

American papers naturally gave much prominence to the employment of women on work which hitherto had always'been done in the States by men, and long articles reminiscent of those appearing in London papers' three years :ngo, iiavo lately been published in tiie American Press, The meuioas of employment of- women woiKers in munition factories in the l&taies, appeals to bo modelled, very largely on iHose in rogue in JUngland. 'ilie American girls, However, mot one difficulty that JidigJsh girls were spared, it seems ui have ueen the pieasant custom of German agents to spread rumours that the giris working in certain factories acre not ail they should bo morally. This made it difficult for them to get lodgings in decent homes, and also tended to deter other girls taking up work. The companies concerned got to hear what was going on, and as tlie rumours were utterly baseless, the propagandists are now under lock and key iv here they can do no harm to anyone.

The American girl, like her English 'sister, can do almost anything in a munition factory that is not beyond her strength, and do it very well. Orten it is found that they work quicker than men. "The men don't like that," remarked a president of one shell and fuse-making company. "A man doesn't like to have tho foreman tell him that Lillie Jones at the nest table turned out 480 fuses in a day and he only finished 300, and why does he cumber the earth if he lots a woman beat him? - But it's absolute equality here. Women are paid the same as men for the same work, and we will let them undertake anything that isn't too hard for them." Pay varies from about fifty> shillings a week, which is the minimum for easy pieco work, to about £7 10s.

Later and fuller news than has appeared in our cable messages regarding the death of Richthofen, tho crack German airman, shows that the manner of his dyipg is in dispute. Tho official correspondent with the Australian force claims that the bullet that killed him was probably fired by a Lewis gunner attached to a battel y of tho Australian Field Artillery. The light began when two Australian aeroplanes well out behind the German lines, suddenly met six entemy machines above them. The Germans dived immediately to attack sitting on our men's tails. The Australians, turning and firing over their tails, caused one of tho enemy triplanes to fall, .apparently out of control. .The Australians eventually found themselves out of tho battle which was proceeding between about 15 aeroplanes on each side. British squadron fighting scouts engaged the enemy squadron, of which the Australians evidently only met part. Four German triplanes were believed to have been shot down, but no British. The German machines were not recognised till Richthofen's dead body was identified. Then it was seen that the enemy machines formed part of his famous "circus."

On the other hand, a British airman believes that he fired the shot which

brought down Itichthofen, and Mr Perry Robinson, the "Times" correspondent, says that the latter's wound was through the chest from the back to tlie front, proving that ho was shot in the air from his own level. His machine crashed close to the Britisn lines but it was an Australian officer who crawled out, and finding the pilot dead, fastened a rope round his l;ody, and crawled with it back iuto the trench, despite the barrage which the Germans put round the wrecked plane, apparently in the hope of rescuing the. 1 anious airman at night.