TOO MUCH MERCY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLVII, Issue 4406, 25 November 1916, Page 3

TOO MUCH MERCY.

BRITISH TREATED TOO WELL. HUN PREACHER’S LAMENT. Tlie campaign for nithlessness against England continues to increase in fury, and “Vorwerts” cites a sermon preached on this theme by a Hamburg cleric, and published in book form, too. The title was “Agag the enemy spared,’’ and the text was taken from I. Samuel, xv. The author cannot “refrain from the conviction that God means to say something special to us in this chapter of the Scriptures. And I am expressing what He wants to sa v in the warning: ‘No false mercy for the enemy,’ for it is a judgment from God which, is to be executed upon the enemy.” This preacher then goes on to say “God has put all the means of overcoming the enemy into our hands. We have submarines enough 10 force England to Iher knees in a few months, and—yet we don’t use them. We have Zeppelins enough to reduce the most arrogant nation of the earth, and yet we show too much mercy towards the enemy. 'God has given us the greatest genius among the generals of our clay, whom the enemy call .‘the .Russian terror,’ and yet we are waiting for fliim to rain new Wows on the Russians. All mercy towards the enemy is branded by God’s Word as a direct disobedience to His holy wills’ THE RUSSIAN TERROR. Representatives of the most important German newspapers have been permitted to hold converse with Field Marshal von Hindenburg at his headquarters, and the correspondent of the -‘Berliner Tageblatt” sends home an almost lyrical account of the interview. At the first si glut of Hindenburg lie was compelled to ask himself, -'Where was the broad, severe soldier face which industrious draftsmen are circulating among the German people?” He describes Hindenburg as follows:“Hindenburg’s features are plain, but not course, slightly pale from the burden of his work, but not agitated. There is nothing materialistic in his face, nothing of ttie“Russian terror”; the eyes are not piercing, and scarcel v those of a general ; an expression of serene vitality plays round his features, benevolence and assurance shine from him ; and his almost paternally quiet glance, and the absolute repose of his features often completely cancel that characteristic) moustache of his with whidu our artists, with their exaggerations of it, are frightening I Germany’s children. Hindenburg is a rare type of soldier full of kmdness and regard ; no Napoleon, no Frederick, but certainly a great soldier, and above all a great human.” Hindenburg spoke of the difficulties in front of them, and said:—

“It can be done, if it has to bo done. Where there is a will there is a way. Only the way has to he found ; it has to he decided upon; and must be followed consequently and energetically to biie end. The difficulties are great, but we have good right to hope that we shall be victorious.” He mentioned the urgent necessity of money to carry on the war, and spoke of tin* sufferings of the people at home . “Even they must remember that they are at war.” And Hindenburg apparently touched the Hi ear ts of all these correspondents by his words about the poorer women “who have to wait for hours for half a pound of meat, always anxious for their children at home, who are sitting behind locked doors and, probably playing with the fire-tilings.”

CHANCELLOR AND ZEPPELIN

The recent mention of Count Zeppelin’s letters to the German Chancellor on the subject of the war against England has aroused considerable feeling in party circles. The “Deutsche Tageszeitung” again turns its attention to the explanatory letter written by Count Zeppelin and published by" the “Norddeutsche Allgemeine Zeitulig.” It says: —- “Count Zeppelin says : —‘l have convinced myself , that the use of Zeppelins is not hindered in any way by any political or other scruples.’ Now 'the question remains, when Count Zeppelin ‘convinced’ himself, and for what reasons or at whose instigation did he find himself compelled to convince himself ? The declaration as a whole as - well as in detail, does not give one the impression of coming spontaneously from the Counts own initiative.” . The article emphasises the importance and the necessity' of the explanation of such an action, and demands the publication of the two to Bethmann-Hol 1 wegg. Similarly the letters written privately by Zeppelin Conservative Freiherr von Zedlitz writes in the “Post as follows- “ Count Zeppelin, whose letter to the Chancellor is occupying the attention of the press at the present moment, is above attempting to express in this letter anything else than his own full conviction. If this lettei contradicts in a certain measure the two unpublished letters, then, t ‘ TCreuzzeituug” is probably iwt i its opinion that this contradiction X lie explained by the fact that between those two letters and the third there lies the refusal of the pv.o-p.h Government to give any sat iif action for the Bavalong murder C'in«rqueritlv. as a reprisal foi this ini rq ait (1 murder, the regard which was "shown for the civil copulation m 1 former Zeppelin raids i s no lon ° e exercised.”