NOTES ON THE WAR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15729, 2 October 1914, Page 4

NOTES ON THE WAR.

ARMS OF THE RIVAL FORCES. No ono of the hostile armies can claim absolute ■ superiority ' for its armament. Franao, it is generally agreed, has tho finest field artillery. Her quick-firing* gun fires a shell weighing approximately 161b, with an .initial,' velocity of 31739 ft, per second. Tho German 'gun, an 1896 type weapon, remounted on a quick-firing carriage, fires but a 151b Bhell with an initial velocity of 1525 ft per, second. - The British field gun, although inferior to tho French in tho matter of muzzle velocity,) fires a shrapnel more heavily loaded with bullets than any other: field shrapnel in the world. Tho-projectile, which' weighs l&Jlh, and has a muzzle velocity of 1590 ft per second, carries 364 bullets to tho German and French 300. The French Schneider gun, used by the allies in the recent Balkan, campaign, fires a 14.31b shell over au effectivo range of 3J miles. So effective are the quick-firing appliances on this gun that 30 rounds can bo discharged in ono minute. Tho British Army shows to advantage with its new howitzers. The 4.5 in howitzer can fire a 551b shell 7200 yds. A. shrapnel shell fired from this howitzer carries 492 bullets weighing 35 to tho lb. The German howitzer fires a 34$lb shrapnel containing. 500 bullets of somewhat lighter weight, and tho Austrian howitzer fires a 3141b shrapnel carrying 450 bullets, also of a higher variety. When wo como' to the rifle, Germany takes the lead. The German Mauser has a remarkably flat "trajectory. It is possible, therefore,. for the German soldier to firo with accuracy over a greater distance than his opponents without any alteration to his backsight. The French rifle, thoLcbel, is tho least satisfactory of the rifles in use in the present conflict. Tho Mannlicher rifle of the Austrians fires a lubricated steel-faced' bullet as compared with the copper-nickcl-faced bullet of the other Powers. However inferior the French rifle may bo as a firearm, it has tho advantago of greater length when used with tho bayonet in hand-to-hand fighting. The Lebel, with its bayonet, has a total length of sft 11 Jin; tho Gcraafl Mauser, with bayonet, is sft 9|in over all; the British Lee-Enfield, sft ljin; the Belgian Mauser, 4ft lljin; and the Austrian Mannlicher, 4ft ll{in. '■ ;'" '"' CANADA AND GERMAN TRADE. The probable effects, of tho war on, Canada, were recently dealt .with by Mr. Richard Rcid, Agent-General for Ontario. In tho course of a conversation with a | representative of a London paper, he, said j that tho agricultural interests, which | predominated in tho Dominion,' would cer- I tainly benefit. Beforo the trouble began j the Dominion imported £14,500,000 worth of goods from Germany annually and only sent her £4,500,000 worth in return, so that some £10,000,000 of Canadian money found ' its way to Germany each year. This would now stop, and if Homo manufacturers would seize their opportunity they could secure nearly all of tho business formerly done by German firms. Canada's imports from Germany consisted chiefly of ready-made clothing, cutlery. nickel-plated goods, drugs, and other articles which could be supplied by Great Britain. Possibly Canada, by, extending her sugar beet industry, could eventually step into Germany's shoes as regards supplying tho Mother Country with this kind of sugar. BRITISH ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUNS. ■Those who havo faith in British engineering skill trust that gome demonstration may. be riven of tho excellence of the British, anti-aircraft gun. It has not been the custom of the English armament firms to seek publicity for their antiaircraft weapons. Germany, on '-> tho Other hand, has lost no opportunity ,for spreawflg stories of their activities. The fact remains that three prominent Englisfl firms have been specialising for some time past in the production of guns capable of being efficiently worked , at almost any. angle of elevation or depression. Amongst one guns actually in service is one of rifle

calibro capable of. discharging 500 rounds per minute. >I. Another* of larger bore fires J)G 21b shells per minute,'and a. third— a. Sin weapon—fires ;25 10.81b -projectiles'■ per minute. Very ingenious methods are employed for giving these guns the highest possible effect. In the case of the twopounder 'the wheels controlling tho elevating and training gears are conveniently. piaced on tho left-hand sida of the mounting,' and tho trigger for firing 1 tho gun is fixed to the training handle. ' This enables the gun to follow a moving target with a stream of • projectiles much in the same way as a fireman plays with water upon a burning building. The sighting gear is so arranged; that, whatever may be the angle of elevation, or depression, the gnn-layor can always keep the target in view. The majority of tho guns built tor action against aircraft aro equally suitaoio for service against submarine attack. Tho German submarines of recent design carry, in addition to their torpedo tubes, a 14-pounder ' mounted on a disappearing contrivanco and a one-pounder, iho former can be brought into action within a minute of tho submarine.reaching tho surfaco; tho latter is always in position, being actually exposed* to tho sea water- w,hen the craft is running bei.cath tlio surface. ~