ABOUT THE ENEMY

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17078, 29 January 1916, Page 10

ABOUT THE ENEMY

FRANZ JOSEF. SAID TO BE DYING. Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright, LONDON, January 27. Reuter states that the A aticau has been advised that Franz Josef, Emperor of Austria, is sinking rapidly. (The Emperor Franz Josef’s age i 3 eighty-five years.) TWO PARALYTIC STROKES. m CONDITION CRITICAL. ROME, January 27. The Emperor Franz Josef has had two paralytic strokes. His condition is critical. A WAR OF CONQUEST. GERMAN SOCIALIST VIEW. (Received January 28, 9.30 p.m.) NEW YORK, January 27. The newspaper “Outlook” interviewed Dr Liebknecht, the German Socialist leader, who is despondent and said. “ Now there are two Socialist parties in Germany. A split has come. He .blamed the censorship for the helplessness of the Socialists in resisting the outbreak of war. . “Americans cannot imagine the awful power of the military. In an hour we were cut off from everyone, jnd became a separate cell in the body "politic. Every- thinker was a mental prisoner. It is a war of conquest. There are rich mines in France and Belgium, and they will never be relinquished. The Socialists, without a Press, never understood the situation.” Dr, Liebknecht admitted the truth of the remark that German Socialists had been cowardly, but added that it must he remembered that they owned property worth £1,000,000, including presses, theatres and halls. AMERICAN PREDICTIONS. GERMANY’S AIR TORPEDO. BIG RAID MAY BE EXPECTED. FOLLOWED BY NAVAL DASH FROM KIEL. (Received January 28, 11.15 p.m.) NEW YORK, January 27. Mr Millan, president of the American Aeronautic Society, in an interview, stated that Krupps are perfecting a pneumatic tube capable of launching an eight inch torpedo from an airship •which will strike with an impact of fourteen tons. It will fye able accurately to overcome cross currents in the air from'a height of fifteen thousand feet. It is predicted that the German fleet will soon come out and give battle to the British Navy with the new seventeen inch guns. He based his predictions on information received from a satisfactory source, stating that the air torpedo had been successfully tried under practical conditions. An air raid could be looked for in two or three weeks’ time, and on the result of the venture would depend the dash of the fleet from. Kiel.