BABY-KILLING METHODS.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIX, Issue 205, 31 August 1915, Page 5

BABY-KILLING METHODS.

A JUDICIOUS RETICENCE.

INTERESTING STATEMENT BY MR BALFOUR.

EXAGGERATED GERMAN RE-

Mr Balfour, First Lord of the Admiralty, replying to a corespondent who wrote asking why English, rewrte of German air raids were meaire while German narratives ot the tame events were rich in lurid detail, and asserting that the German narratives Trere widely believed by neutrals while the reticence of the censored British press suggested suspicion that unpleasant truth was hidden from a nervous public, quotes the Admiralty's announcement of the air raid cabled on August 10. He compares the story of the Deutsche Toges Zeitung: "Our naval airships carried out attacks on fortified coast towns and harbors on the east coast of England, and despite strenuous opposition bombarded British warships in -the Thames, the docks at London, the torpedo-era ft base at Harwich, and ■other'important positions. Good results were observed. The airships returned safely from their successful undertaking." Mr Balfour comments as follows:— "If one story is true the other is false; why not explain the discrepancies and tell the world wherein the Germans distort facts? The reason is simple. Zeppelins attack at night time, preferably on moonless nights, when Inidmarks are elusive, ■navigation is difficult, and errors are inevitable, and soirotimes of surprising magnitude. The Germans constantiy assert, and may sometimes be'ieve, that they dropped bombs on places which they r'ever approached. "Why make their future voyages easier by explaining their blunders? Since their errors are our gain, why dissipate them? Let us learn what we can from the enemy, and teach him only what we must. This reticence is "judicious. "I may still be asked whether reticence is not merely used to embarrass the Germans and also unduly to reassure the British. What have the Zeppelins done ? How ought we to rate them as weanons of attack i* What can they do? I cannot phophesy the future methods of a warfare still in its infancy; but I can say something of its past results. It is unhappily certain that it has caused much suffering to many innocent people. Even this result, with all itstragedy,- has been magnified out of all proportion by ill-informed rumor. The Home Office states that during the past year 75 civilian adults and 80 children 'have been killed, and 189 civilian adults and 31 children injured. "Judged by the numbers and cumulative result of many successive primes they are not equal tp the single effort of the submarine which sank -the L-usitania. This outrage, to the unconcealed pride of Germany and the horror of the rest of the world, .sent 1098 unoffending civilians to the bottom. Yet their result has been bad enough, and one may well ask what military advantage has been gained nt a cost of so much innocent blood. No soldier or sailor has been killed, and only seven have been ■p-ounded. Only.once was damage inflicted which by any stretch of . Tankage could be- described as of thw Mr^est military importance. "Zenpfilin laids have been brutal, ■ J.nt so far have not been effective; they have server! no hostile purpose, , moral or material."