THE GERMAN CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue LXVIII, 23 October 1914, Page 5

THE GERMAN CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE.

The -following ..extracts from private correspondence received in. Hawera will" be of interest as" showing the" view

The Germans' First Set-back;

10th September.^-Undpuljtedly; their (the ferermans') • advance on Paris has been a, marvellous achievement, but no F . within gunshot of their objective, they are held up. . . .And -if <me may sum up the position from the time tftat operations began xmtil the Allies' retreat closed, one would say that 'it was a contest between German etrategy and. organisation and Anglo-French tactics m the field. The strategy and organisation have carried the Germans perilously near to Paris, but the superior tactics of the British generals have^ saved the whole of the- Allies' position, brought,the army intact' with inconsiderable losses' considering the nature of the operations to a defensive position, and inflicted losses on the enemy_.out of all ko. the number of their own casualties.

The Kaiser and the Deity

. We have, of course, to admit losses m certain directions; For instance; a German flotilla marfaged to escape the blockade, . and succeeded in capturing and sinking 15 of our fishing trawlers m the North Sea, The Kaiser is reported to have ordered a special thanksgiving service to God for this brilliant victory. The'.numberof stories going about concerning the Kaiser and his claims of divine favor are legion. | He is,reported to have, declared that*! he believed himself to be the prophet J of God, and is ; continually . sending messages of thanks to his generals arid the -Deity for. victory. Punch" of this week very, happily takes him off by pourtraying him' standing in _ cassock and surplice, and^ preacher's,. 6car£ before a lectern made of a cannon barrel supporting '..a; German eagle and with a sanctimonious face saying, <{Let us prey.". But his. predilection for patronising the Almighty is no new thing. There is a delightful etory told; of the Grown Prince when dining, with. BoineJ British officers in' India about two ' years ago. A new comet ; had recently been discovered by a great; German scientist,, and one of the officers remarked to" the' Crown Prince: "What, is th.at I hear .of a ne,w comet being jdiscorered by one of your learned yountrymea> your 'HighnessP^-^pK,"! 'said the prown Prince, "''it's- all rightl^ That is, just my papa's latest decoration bestowe'd on. the Almighty;" On"e cannot: help contrasting- the ••• respective mental; attitudes -of 'the Kaiser; and Lincoln. The ;Emperor: ... . "We j

shall be everywhere, victorious, even if we are surrounded by enemies on all sides and even' if we have to fight superior numbers, for our most powerful ally is God, who since the time of the Great Elector and Great King, has always ; been on our side. . . . With God's gracious assistance Duke Albrecht and his army ■■■have gamed a glorious victory." Abraham Lincoln during! the darkest hours *of the Civil War, in- response to the question whether he was sure God was "on bur side," replied: "I do not know. I have: not thought about that. But I am very: anxious to know., wbether' we are on God's side." ~ \

The Efficiency of the British. Airman

September 17— . . . This -week's despatches tell us that the British have definitely established themselves as the most successful air scouts, and may be said to have gained control of the air. For some reason or other thev are better fliers than the Germans. They,, Have succeeded in making long reconnaissance journeys over the enemy's lines, and have brought back detailed reports of the enemy's movements, destroyed

in personal encounters five German aeroplanes, and have themselves in every case' been uninjured. The French in this new arm have been a comparative failure, where they were expected to be supreme". The reason is not far to seek. A good runner does not necessarily make a good footballer, nor is a good jockey necessarily a valuable cavalryman; nor a good flier necessarily make a good scout. The I'rench are wonderful fliers, but for +Ke most part are untrained in 6COUt--17J2 ,ancLin the art of war.' Every one of the Royal Flying Corps is a soldier^ nrst and an airman .afterwards. They were all drafted out. of engineerine regiments, are thoroughly skilled in observation, know what is important and what is not, and give really valuable information. We are told that .they mad© as many as nine separate ' reconnaissances daily, each of 100 miles , j.m length. Largely a wonderful change iin the fortunes of the war was- v fine to.the airmen's observations of Von Kluck. After having driven the: ontish before him for three weeks and unshed them back south of the brand Marne river, Von Kluck cal-' culated that they could be ignored for some days at least, and leaving a thin screen to watch their movements, henegan to mova his troops across their front to reinforce the German centre -nnd strike a paralysing blow at the French. This movement was observed and reported by the British Flying Corps, and go accurately that Sir John French was able to inform General Pan exactly,what was happening, and * together choosing the psychological -s moment they jointly struck at - Vonr Kluck with great, results,, for KlucVs army has not yet recovered from the blow. :He was compelled to" retire at t most, across the communications of the. German centre, causing great confusion and further loss of.men. ;. . It is'' not a time to b& too confident, but the "■ pushing back of the Germans means., the end of the first organised campaign : to capture Paris and the failure*' thereof."