SIDELIGHTS FROM GERMANY

Evening Post, Volume XC, Issue 89, 13 October 1915, Page 8

SIDELIGHTS FROM GERMANY

IF THE INDEMNITY IS NOT PAID? "The Cost : A Word of Admonition" is the title of an article contributed to the Berliner Tageblatt by Herr Potthoff, one of the leading Radical members of the Reichstag. All the gallantry of the troops, says Herr Potthoff, all their brilliant attributes, all the organisation which Germany has shown, will not say« the Empire in the future from a very considerable increase of expenditure. Germany must and shall win, says the writer; she will dictate the Peace, she will come out of this war with an increase of fame, respect, and power, but it is not certain that she will receive back the uncountable milliards which she and her allies have spent, and which she will require in peace if she is to renew her armaments, to provide for the wounded and widows and orphans, to compensate those that have been robbed, to rebuild the desolated frontiers, and to provide the social institutions which it will be necessary to call into being after such a struggle. And the longer the war lasts, the more difficult it' will be to obtain indemnities from "bankrupt Russia" and her allies. It will be next to impossible to procure the hundred milliards (£5,000,000,000) or more which should come to the victor. In all probability, says Herr Potthoff, Germany herself will have to supply some of these milliards, and it is about time that her people were thinking of this. But Herr Potthoff implores his compatriots no.t to' be frightened at the prospect. The war has proved that Germany is much richer than the Treasury officials thought. It has ako shown how inexhaustible her economic resources are. On one point Herr Potthoff is very insistent. Germany's troops have shown themselves in such an heroic light., fighting, for an ideal, offering body, soul,' and spirit for the Fatherland, that there must be no attempt by those at home, no matter who they are, to reap profit out of their sacrifice. No man, no matter whether his name is Krupp or Ehrhardt, no matter whether he has manufactured boots or cannon, must be one penny the richer after the war is over. Great firms, says the article, are undoubtedly helping the nation to win victories, but they are also dividing incredible dividends. Industry is doing magnificent things m Germany, but it is being well paid. German agriculture has helped towards victory, but the agrarians have not done badly, and the Government take care that the prices of their products are screwed as high as possible. It must be made a principle that so long as one man exists in Germany who comes out of this war richer than he went into it there must be no talk of any fresh tax on any soldier who' has returned from the front. Every penny of those extra war profits must first be demanded by the State. -The man who attempts to lay taxes on the returning saviour of his country in order to protect his own pocket is unworthy the name of a German, citizen. TWELVE BRITISH SINS. - One. of the most noteworthy of the pamphlets which the German " Bureau for the Enlightenment of Foreign Countries " is circulating broadcast is entitled " A Dozen English Sins Against International Laws." It takes as its motto the following sentence : " For the people of England to talk of the sanctity of international law is nothing but hypocrisy or ignorance." The " Dozen Sins " makes no claim to complete the register of England's misdeeds.. They are merely samples. The first sin tackled is the "employment of Dumdum bullets." We are told that English troops have systematically had these bullets handed out to them. The second sin is the " employment of uncivilised soldiers." Lord Chatham, we hear, raised his voice against this crime, but a century after his death his successors have recourse to the same ignoble methods. The third sin is the " bad treatment meted out to enemy subjects in England." We drive them together as though they were a crowd of criminals and lock them up in misery. We keep Germans on ships in the Thames against the attacks of German submarines. Next we have "the treatment of enemy private property," and "injury done 'to the freedom of the post." "England in the Suez Canal " is a grave sin. We have simply ignored Article 1 of the Treaty of Constantinople of 1888. The remaining sins are treated under the following headings : " England and the Declaration of London," " Removing Enemy Subjects from Neutral Ships," "The English Abuse of (the F!ag," '' The English Hunt After Contraband," "The Closing of the North Sea," and "The English Use of Sea-Mines." The above are the great sins, but a host of minor misdemeanours are also mentioned on which we are promised future comment. Among these is the "robbing" of two Turkish ships, and the "violent pressure" brought to bear on Turkey, China, and Egypt.

Particulars as to his wounds, and interesting matter concerning the Galljpoli campaign, are contained in a letter written by Cecil Millar to his mother, of Waipapa-road, Hataitai. - "I am writing this from the base hospital," he says, "where I have been sent with a wound in my face. I received it in my second charge in the big battle we had a few days ago." (The letter is dated 10th August.) "The wound is not serious, and has started to mend already, although the doctor thinks there is still a splinter in my cheek, and he will put me under the X-rays. . . Providence was good to me, as the shot was fired at point-blank range over the parapet of the trench. Another inch and I would never have known what happened. Unfortunately, such good luck did not prevail all through, as my good pal, Syd. Ellis, was shot dead. His father is Mr. Ellis, of Ellis and Manton. Gus Levett, my other mate, got through safely, I believe, but I heard that about threefourths of our old Samoan boys fell. It was an awful day and night — positively hell on earth. I could never forget it. Our only consolation is that we carried out the work assigned to vs — the taking of two trenches and the storming of a hill. After getting my knock, I, with another wounded chap, made my way to the dressing station, and then we were put on board a hospital ship belonging to the P. and 0. Line. It was grand, a perfect palace, with doctors, sisters, and orderly men in abundance, and all were the essence of kindness. We fought with Australians, Maoris, Tommies, Ghurkas, Sikhs, and Home 'Terriers,' so you can see we were a pretty mixed lot. That was without the French and their coloured troops. The Maoris did great work, but, like the rest, suffered heavily." Messrs. E. Johnston and Co. will hold a sale of household furnihire on the premises, No. 49, Roxburgh-street, to-mor-row, at 1.30. On Friday, at 10.30 a.m., they will *ell scrap material at the Ma-. _tiafi. JJeDattinfistjlSSS'