Britain.

Manawatu Times, Volume XL, Issue 13210, 29 September 1915, Page 5

Britain.

ENTHUSIASM BUT NO "MAF-

PICKING."

LONDON, Sept. 27,

The news of the offensive on the eve of Sir John French's birthday aroused enthusiasm in Britain, but nothing approaching "mafficking." The Stock Exchange is more cheerful in tone and war loans rallied sharply. A military parade in Throgmorton Street occasioned patriotic demonstrations. I ——— X ENEMY BACK TO THE RHINE. Colonel Maude, the well-known critic, whose forecasts are being fulfilled, is of opinion that with reasonable luck the Allies should drive the Germans back to the Rhine in two months. Other critics deprecate undue optimism and say the present are only the opening moves in a game which may continue for days and weeks, but there is general relief at the apparent end to the period of waiting which the pessimists construed as paralysis. THE OBJECTIVES. ;The Pall Mall Gazette says it considers that the advance on the Menin road ensures North La Basse and also holding the attack. The real British objective is Lens where there are at least two corps. • The French advance in the Champagne implies the engagement of at least five army corps. We are now within three miles of the railway in Souain region with the small rivers 'Aine and Tourbe on either flank, hence we should be able to make good against expected strong counter-at-tacks. , A ZEPPELIN MAN'S STORY. BERNE, Sept. 27. A member of a Zeppelin crew, writing to the newspaper Der Bund, says: "London is beyond our range. It is possible if there is a steady east wind, »s we can float a considerable distance, conserving our petrol. Unfortunately, the weather is England's best ally. It is either windless or over-windy, or bright moonlight. We took fewer bombs on the London raid, but specially large ones. We reached the mouth of the Thames unobserved, owing to clouds and the silence of our engines, and until the Tower Bridge, where we crossed to the north side. Searchlights then caught us, and immediately the sky was ablaze with searchlights. The air was rent by a terrific cannoade. The guns at first were unable to reacli us. and we dropped bombs regularly. Shrapnel then began to play around us. "We discern dark spots of considerable size amid a ; glow of light. We dropped bombs here, but the searchlights hampered us, and cut off our view of our objectives. "The English are terror-stricken by our wonderful Zeppelins. The effect must have been awful. The English land guns are useless, but there are better ones on the coast, so we are careful when returning. They always try to intercept us from Dunkirk in the morning, so now we take another direction.

"A great thing is to have plenty of petrol when the English aeroplanes are about." ONE OF OUR OWN. Received 1.30 a.m. LONDON, Sept. 28. J. A. Jickell, a New Zealander, at a recruiting meeting, said he was too old to join the army but came to England to offer his services as a munition worker. Jickell's three sons are at the Dardanelles. CLEARED OF ALIENS. London is practically cleared of Aliens of military age. Over 4000 are quartered at the Alexandra Palace.