NOTES ON THE WAR.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVI, Issue 17030, 3 December 1915, Page 6

NOTES ON THE WAR.

The cabled account of the new German aeroplane reads very like a German version of descriptions of new French machines. It is quite l’kely that tho Gormans, like the British and French, have been giving their earnest attention to the development of the aeroplane for military, purposes, but for all that there is a marked family resemblance between the cabled story and' a recent Associated Press despatch from Paris to the American newspapers. However, the destruction of a German “battleplane.” which simply means an armoured aeroplane of large size mounting a gun, has already been reported by the Allies, so that there need be no real doubt concerning the enemy’s improvement on the pre-war machine. The American message from Paris gives an indication of what the Allies have achieved in this department, and it would! perhaps be fair to assume that the Germans have also travelled a good way towards the solution of the essential problems of the weight-carrying aeroplane.

According to the Associated Press s correspondent, the French Government, during tho first week in October, arranged. for a party of neutral and friendly journalists to inspect new types of battleplanes manoeuvring in the air and at rest on the ground. Two experts were detailed' to accompany the journalists to a great park in the vicinity of Paris. “As we entered the field,” says the correspondent, “ a monster battleplane loomed thirty feet high with a number of the planes stretching a hundred and thirty feet across. Further back was ranged a fleet, of battle cruisers and scout planes, formed like a battalion. twenty planes in front and ten deep, their huge wings making a front nearly half a mile wide. The battleplanes. and all the cruisers were heavily armed, and carried both 3in cannon and rapid-fire mitrailleuses. The monster battleplane was the chief centre of attention. The engineer who constructed it was in charge, and explained the details. The officers stated that this was the first actual realisation of the battleplane, as other reported aerial Dreadnoughts had' not proved practical. But tliis monster actually flew, carrying a crew of twelve men with two cannons, on the wings, throwing 3in steel projectiles.”

Trial flights had been made, showing that the machine possessed the steadiness of an ordinary biplane, and the huge craft was now ready for the battle line, where the regular crew during fighting will be four men commanded by an officer. Armoured cruiser aeroplanes were next brought out, and put through courses high in the air. The cruisers aro small biplanes of high power, capable of rising almost vertically from the ground' at a speed of ninety miles an hour. Captain Franz and the operators, Mondelli and Mallard, made successive flights in battle cruisers, rising straight from the ground at an angle of (jOtleg. Many of these battle cruisers are now ready. Several of them had recently executed a night bombardment at the back of the enemy lines, and during tho Champagne engagement one of the cruisers hit two German balloons, which exploded in a mass of flames. This, however, was only an initial trial. The battleplanes and cruisers, it is stated, would soon begin movements in large squadrons, both defensive and offensive. attacking the enemy’s lines of communication and railway junctions, cutting off supplies, and demoralising the morale in the enemy’s rear.

Sir John Simon’s reference to a number of Genuanophile newspapers in Spain that are regularly supplied with news made in Germany was not without a barb. The matter provided from Germany, for these journals, he said, was largely based on articles in the Northcliffe newspapers, and the sting of the remark lies in the fact that a few weeks ago “The Times” itself directed pointed attention to the German activities in Spain. According to a correspondent, who quotes largely from “El Liberal,” there are seven proGerman journals among the thirty-four important ones in Madrid. Four others of less importance have also been captured by the Germans, including two military journals and an illustrated weekly with an enormous sale. At least one of the journals is owned outright by Germans, and others have l>een liberally endowed with German capital.

“El Liberal” estimates tile German expenditure in Press subsidies at £3OOO a week. It would seem that after the failure of the Germans toi capturo the Italian Press the activities of the agents were transferred to other neutral countries. Thero had always been a certain German element at work in Spain, allied chiefly with the Oarlist irreeoncilables and working through Carlist channels. But this propaganda was naturally suspect, and after tile failure in Italy there was a marked stimulation of the enemy’s efforts throughout Spain. It was alleged at one time that the Germans were endeavouring to stir up strifo in the peninsula with the object of embarrassing France, but the Government took prompt steps to put a stop to action in that direction. It is considered significant, however, that after prohibiting anything in the shape of un-neutral comment in the newspapers for a year the Government should lately have permitted “.El Pais” to publish a series of bitter at-

tacks on Germany, declaring that the Germans have deliberately encouraged the Oarlists with a view to causing another civil war in Spain.

This journal alleges that the reactionaries were fully organised months ago, but the Germans grossly underestimated the solidarity of the supporters of the present regime and the influence of the Absolutist minority. “ 151 Pais” is even permitted to say that King Alfonso, if he followed his own desire, would lead his troops into the field by the side of the British and French, who are fighting for the liberties of Furope; and it is evident that this observation gave no offence in official circles because it was repeated almost verbatim in a later article. Of course, tile discussion of war topics impels the Liberal journals to declare that the Clericals tare hand-in-glove with the Gormans, but this interpretation of domestic polities has no special interest for foreigners. The general offect of the correspondent's survey of tlie position is to indicate that the great mass of the Spanish people is soldly sympathetic towards the Allies, and that France and Britain enjoy the goodwill of every section of the community worth considering.