SYDNEY SUN MESSAGES

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXIX, Issue LXIX, 3 September 1915, Page 6

SYDNEY SUN MESSAGES

LONDON, Sep. 1. The Amsterdam Telegraaf's Petrograd correspondent states that tiie Japanese Government has promised mobilisation of the Japanese industries to assist the Allies, especially Russia. The 'lime^' correspondent says tfiat Switzerland is swariaing with German agents, who are spreading lying calumnies with, the object of pexsuauing tue Swiss that the Allies' cause is lost. They are inauenciny, the German-Swiss to advise their J>!(o\v countrymen to resist tne rormaiiu:; of an important trust. The correspondent thinks, supposing Germany intends a fresh, attack on France through Switzerland, that it is conceivable Sv.ii/.<'ibnd might be influenced to withdraw her army on the first line of defence on; the German side, which is some way south of the actual frontier, thus leaving a broad, open, corridor passage for the German troops to France south of Belfort. At the present time Switzerland is honestly neutral, and does nob want war, but if lying agents' persistent efforts convince the Swiss that the Allies mean to starve them and their industries there is a real danger. The Bulgarian Minister of War has instructed the commandants of various districts to immediately take a census of all men up to 50 years of age who have never served in the army.

Colonel Repington says that the mili"tary direction of the war on the British side has not been happy or particularly fortunate. Since the initial decision in August, 1914, we increased our force in France, but in other improvisations the -Cabinet has shown conspicuously an absence of genius for war. and we have aaerely driftecf, uugoverned in a strategic sense. He«specifies the unorganised munition supply, and the failure to adopt national' service. The landing at Antwerp was a fiasco, and he says that the Dardanelles expedition, which was directed from London, was done in an amateur scatter-brained fashion. lacking the elements of surprise and. Impetuosity that were necessary to carry i+, through successfully. The Times' naval correspondent says the-report that Germany" is about io introduce a modification in submarine warfare is rot substantiated. It is pro bable that the, announcement of the inteation to suspend warfare on pa-?sen<rer snips ik merely an interpretation of Count Bernstorff's remarks intending to imply -hat submarine commanders have been ordered not to attack merchantmen without warning. There is no evidence to show that this is bcin^ done. Diplomats and seamen regard the matter, from quite a different point of view. The former hope to "achieve their purpose by argument, but fishing men know that force alone "/ill bring the war to a satisfactory eonfln-iion. Count Bernstorff's announcements nave been made for the purpose of gaining time or influencing neutral opinion. i