NOTES AND COMMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15891, 12 April 1915, Page 6

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

GERMAN WAR PLANS. The well-known naval writer, Mr. F. T. Jane, holds that it was over the armed liners that Germany's plans came to grief. " About a year before the war," he writes, " most of these who, like myself, are engaged ir. writing on raval matters were bombarded with letters from certain people in England, who in tho name of peace and goodwill to Germany explained to "is that no German liners carried guns, and that the idea of using a merchant ship as a commerce destroyer bad never occurred to the German Admiralty. Hal they been content to leave things at that all ::.ight have been more or less well. But they were not so content. If we replied expressing a certain amount of scepticism, they then wrote to editors or publishers pointing cut that we were purveyors of false information, deliberate | malingers of Germany, and what not. Now, whatever editors and publishers may be, they are no fools: and they repose a certain amount of confidence in those who write for them. Consequently a certain amount of suspicion was aroused, and the Intelligence Department was communicated with. An investigation of the antecedents of the correspondents revealed or suggested connection with the German Admiralty, and the subsequent deductions were simple, especially as in some fhipa gun positions were ciearly detected. This, I think, is the true story of bow we first got an inkling that Germany seriously contemplated war at no very distant date." GERMAN' HATE. An appalling crime has apparently been committed by an unnamed Hamburg professor. He has dared to suggest that after the war Germany's position in Europe can probably best be confirmed by an alliance with England. The Hamburg branch cf the Pan-German League leaps into the breach to prevent the further circulation of such treasonable suggestions. "This branch,'' says the circular issued by the league, "notes with grave uneasiness that at the present time there aro agencies at work in Germany, and even in Hamburg, who seek to rob the people of their clear view of the objects of this war. We arc :n duty bound to reject with indignation the attempts of some Hamburg professors at this moment to diminish England's responsibility for this war and to suggest publicly a future alliance with England. Anyone who now emphasises the factors which England and.Germany have in common in

order to pave the way for a reconciliation is guilty-of irresponsible weakening of the national energy. We await from the sound sense of the German people that they * 1 ( not be persuaded by anyone to deviate from the conviction that England is and remains the arch-enemy of Germany.' Vigorous efforts are being made by German agents to spread the gospel of hate in Austria, where Germans consider that there is too much tolerance shown. he methods adopted are quaint. Thus the Xeucs Wiener Journal reports: " The present German parole, 'God punish England,' has made its way into Vienna in an original fashion. A large number cf little yellow cards have been prepared bearing tho words mentioned in big black letters. These arc now set up above the glass doors of many shops in the leading streets of Vienna. They serve as topical door-charms." THE KAISER'S MONTMEKTS. Speaking at a meeting of metallurgists at Dusseldorf recently, Dr. Shuster said that lack of copper, nickel, aluminium, bronze, and lead was becoming a very serious problem—more serious every day. The doctor suggested that these metals should be commandeered not only in Germany, but in the occupied territories of Franco and Belgium, even down to seizing the watertap and the copper roof of a ch.irch. AH bronze ornaments and monu- j ments, even those erected in honour of royalty or other persons, should be sent to the melting pot. The doctor did not expressly refer to the monuments of the Kaiser, one of which is to be found in nearly every town in the German Empire, but the people present agreed unanimously with the views be enunciated. ADMIRALS' METHODS. Different admirals employ different methods in naval fighting, though of course the main course taught in the V ar College is moro or less adhered to. Tho disposition of the different units in action naturally depends to a groat extent on weather conditions as well as to the position taken up by the enemy. The stupendous task of an admiral commanding maybe more readily grasped when it is remembered that not only must he fight his fleet to the best advantage, but must forestall every possible manoeuvre on the part of his opponent that may lure him into such danger spots as minefields'or lurking submarines. It is here that the eyes of the fleet, destroyers, and light cruisers, play their part, and, by means of their superior speed, dash into the danger zone to a point ahead immediately in tho enemy's course, dropping mines, thus forcing him to divert his fleet. But it is not only in matters '.ike these that admirals differ. It is in the actual formation of'the battle fleet itself, each having his own idea as to how to obtain best results from gunfire, and at the same time show the smallest target to the enemy. For instance, Admiral Wilson, who is generally recognised as the ablest British tactician, invariably manoeuvred his fleet in such a manner ( that at the psychological moment of the battle, the whole of his battle fleet were in a close formation, while Lord Charles Beresford favoured a much more open formation at the moment of fighting. The present commander-in-chief, Admiral Jellicoe, belongs to the Wilson school, consequently wo may expect a naval battle fought under him to bo of a short, sharp, and decisive character. His methods are intended to drive a compact wedge through the enemy, dividing his ships and destroying them in turn. , THE SILVER BULLET. An interesting debate on tho new financial agreement with France and Russia took place in the House of Commons, when the Chancellor of the Exchequer made an eloquent speech. He pointed out that the resources of the alliee were enormous, and in this struggle that was what almost primarily mattered. He said that this was not merely a war of men, but even more of equipment, and that time and a resolute application of all the allies' resources were all that were necessary for victory. "I do not like prophesying too much," the Chancellor continued, "hut I do not mind saying that the reserves of gold we have got at our command will carry, us through any emergency which wo can possibly foresee.'' The arrangement of a war finance between Great Britain, France,, and Russia came as a very disagreeable surprise to Germany. For come time past the German newspapers have been alluding with special pride to the returns of the Reichsbank, which show 110 millions of gold. This amount, however, compares somewhat unfavourably with the stock of gold in the State banks of tho allies, which is estimated at £430,000,000 sterling. Thus a colossal fund of wealth is to be dedicated to saving Europe from tho tyranny of Prussian invasion. Germany, realising the financial position of her allies and their determination to spend their vast resources to tho last farthing to obtain a complete victory, seeks to cheer the German nation with the assurance that " Kitchener's plans have come to grief," that the British armies are ''bluff," and that if England could raise six armies of 720,000 men she could not arm and equip them, " even if sho opens wide her unfathomable moneybags which she has filled by plundering the whole world for hundreds of years.'' Before the spring has passed the German armies will Realise the fallacy of underestimating the strength of the British forco which has rallied so splendidly in re- ■ spouse to Lord Kitchener's appeal for ' volunteers.

LONDON'S PRECAUTIONS. London is taking ail manner of precautions against Zeppelin raid?. Into the halls and rooms of a certain famous bank which transacts business all through the night as well as by day, were brought one morning some hundreds of brass candle-sticks with candles. That night the, electricity was cut off, and behind their drawn blinds the staff worked by candlelight. Nest morning the. candlesticks vanished, and the electricity was switched on again. The expected raid had not come off, but, obviously, something had been heard oh it in advance. There are other indications also of things expected. A correspondent of the Sydney Morning Herald writes :—" I strolled into the British Museum yesterday to look at the Elgin Marbles. The Elgin Marbles had gone from their accustomed place. They had been carried into basements, where they will remain until this menace of beautiful things be overpast. On any day similarly you may go into one or other of the houses of London that aro consecrate to wonders of art, and find men busily engaged in removing the most precious of their store to places underground. Many of the most famous pictures in tho National Gallery have been buried thus these weeks past. This week the basement of the Guildhall received into itself some of the greater treasures that hang upon the walls of th; Art Gallery there. So we take care in London of London's priceless objects of beauty against those times to come—which, in truth, may come at any moment—when bombs shall be flung into our midst, and priceless and useless things alike be sent scattering."