NOTES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16646, 3 September 1914, Page 7

NOTES.

The news from France during the last clay or two has been so very vaguo and contradictory that an unusual strictness of tho censorship must be inferred. Presumably important allied developments are- in contemplation, and,even news of the present position af the German; forces is withheld.

The statement published yesterday that the Allios had suffered a minor reverse on tho left wing is confirmed, or seems to be confirmed to-day ; which would account for tho suggestion of "Tho Times" that the Germans are occupying Amiens. So far as the ■official reports go there is ho solid basis for this suggestion, because General Pan, with the army brought over from the Alsace side, was reported to have advanced well to the north of Amiens, and no direct indication of his being driven back has passed the censor.

However, there is a story from Ant- | werp that Pau has defeated a German force near Peronne, which is some thirty miles north-east of Amiens, and approximately the same distance north-west of La Fere. If this story is correct Pan must be hitting in on the German right flank. Peronne itself suffered in the Franco-Prussian war. It was invested at the end of 1870, and was bombarded for twelve days. Its capitulation was said to be due to t the fact that smallpox had broken out among the inhabitants, and not to any actual military weakness.

Whilo this story comes from Antwerp, another interesting item of news drifts through from Rome. Everybody has been wondering what was happening at the fortified posts avoided by the Germans on flieir rush south—Lille and Maubeuge being the important ones. The Germans came down to the east of Lille, and they must either have invested it or left a sufficient force to mark it. Valenciennes may possibly have been abandoned by the Allies,, though that is improbable, but Maubeuge was buiTt to bo held. It is a great entrenched camp, big enough to hold an army that would seriously threaten tho invaders' lines of communication, and therefore it could not have been neglected. The Germans apparently put abroad the story that they had taken Maubeuge and St Quentiin, which latter town, by the way, gave its name to the last big battle of the war of 1870-71. It is now denied authoritatively in llomo that _ the Allies were defeated at these points. The message docs not clear up tho mys'tery attaching to Lille and Maubeuge, of course, but the German story suggests that these towns are not lost. Some idea of the secrecy which governs the movements of the British Expeditionary Force may be gained from the report sent by Mr H. Hamilton Fyfe to the London " Daily Mirror." "I have been motoring in the country in France, and talking to a number of British officers and men. None of them had any idea where they were going. A general loft last night. He was ignorant of the spot where, he would meet his command. "When the troops entrain they are sometimes told how long the journey will be, but never the destination. The fog is further accentuated by the prohibition of letter writing on tho part of the troops. Only postcards are permitted, and these have short, printed phrases such as ' Am well and happy.' Colonel Seely, the former AVar Minister, is assisting on the staff. He cannot tell his family where ho has gone. The instruction applies to all ranks. ' The joko is,' said an officer to me, ' telling us not to say where we are going when Ave don't know ourselves.' Similar precautions have been taken by the French, so that the Allies' designs are absolutely masked." Recent cable messages suggested thatthe German forces ( in France would make a great effort on 'September 2 to crush the Allies, as that date was the an-

niversary of Sedan, when the Frisians decisively defeated the French. On September 2, 1870, Napoleon ITT. and 86.000, men surrendered at Sedan. The French were out-manoeuvred, and the superior generalship of the Germans, and the terrible superiority of the .German artillery, marie their position hopeless. The Germans were helped by the vacillations of the French command. Heroic elforts were made to save the day. Three regiments of the Chasseurs d'Afrique and several squadrons of Lancers were sent against the German lines on a task as hopeless as that of the Light, Brigade at Balaclava. Before the rifle fire of the Germans they went down as grass before the scythe. The, French commander refused to surrender, but Napoleon, to stay the frightful carnage, ordered the white flag to be raised. A German officer went to arrange preliminaries, and to his astonishment was ushered into the presence of the EmEeror. The well-informed German staff ad not known that the Emperor was with Marshal MacMahon. On hearing this news, King William of Prussia, who all day had sat on horseback watching the hattle, said to the Crown Prince: "This is,-indeed, a great success, and I thank thee that thou hast contributed to it."

The reported success of a French force in the neighbourhood of Peronne indicates that the Allies do not intend to allow communication with the Euglish Channel to be cut without offering resistance. In discussing the importance of just such a development, a writer ( in the " Sydney "JVorning Herald " said:—" If only the British can keep clear their communication with the sea, then tho war would not be lost to France even if Paris were taken. In fact, the taking of Paris may be only the beginning of this war. If a big part of the French Army managed to retreat doggedly on to the English Channel, with the British keeping the way open all the time, the French could probably keep up their resistance for two or three years, even though the Germans were in possession of . the greater part of France. So long, as Britain holds tho seas,'the British could pour supplies into Calais and Havre, and keep the French there in a position to resume the attack as 60on as ever the Germans were distracted by events elsewhere. The position is very different from what it was in the FrancoPrussian War, when the French never had an assured control of the sea."

Cameron of Lochiel, who, with Lord Lovat, is raising a corps for the front, is at tho present time commanding officer of the 3rd Battalion Cameron Highlanders. He passed through the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, and entered the Grenadier Guaids. During the South African War he saw much active service, being in the field in 1899 and' again in 1901-2. For centuries the name.of Cameron of Lochiel has been a power in the Highlands, and, doubtless, the hardy men of Invernessshire and the north will bear once more tho gathering cry. To Lord Lovat the work of raising a corps will be nothing new. For many years he has been associated with Territorial affairs,' pndnt one time commanded the Highland Mounted Territorial Brigade. When the war in South Africa broke out, Lord Lovat received a corps, of scouts, which were known as Locat's Scouts, and that body did good work in the important i.ask of carrying despatches. On returning from South Africa, Lord Lovat threw himself into tho Territorial movement with increased,ardour, and raised two yeomanry regiments, which are now part of the Highland Mouuted Brigade. ' . " ; ; *:",,