GENERAL WAR NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 16032, 25 September 1915, Page 3 (Supplement)

GENERAL WAR NEWS.

I?*AOS BY CHRISTMAS. '^sfvm oe is said to be optimistic of ~ i .:■.£££ before Christmas. , rr n . __ yjSK ENEMY IN CANADA. lltFthe last fifteen years 200,000 Aus- *__* 3 8 - 771 Germans, and 1108- Turks Some into Canada. . -— Tfllb KEEP THE PUTTEE. Tie War Office has derided to retain a puttee and ankle boot, and secure a Raited number of long boots for trench I tort 810 DEMAND FOR CATTLE. * Chicago firm >vas asked for an estimate on a million cattle fowpthe British Tuny- They were unable to accept the' 1 UiVitation. __________ I JIBBED WIEE PAINTED GREEN. 3 Barbed who painted a foliage green is 1 -manufactured i" Pittsburg, Pa., for i the use °* tn<? arm, - '" Europe. Reports 1 from abroad say that at a short distance 1 »wav it is impossible to see the wire. ' SUBMARINES FROM U.S. With the launching of _ the submarine 520, the Fore River Shipbuilding Corporation, of Quincy, Mass., completed its contract with Great Britain for ten undertea vessels to be delivered after the war .■■. is ended. _ AID FOR SERVIA. ;. V Tie general frontier of Servia is now •qwded by French aviators, the river Boundary is protected by an English naval contingent, and there are two Russian batteries of artillery entrenched behind JJBfcjgw**WAR TAX AND POSTAGE. Tile war tax in Canada has not increased i* postal revenue as much as was anticipated owing to the economy practised by the people in the mailing of letters. The /.-increase, which was expected to reach 50 ; -per cent., only averages a little over x 3O. #£: ■ ~ ;^ : INVASION OF TURKEY. f§§itThe fact is disclosed that joint military • action by Italy with England, France, and ' I Bussia. "against Turkey was arranged by -the Italian General Pirro, during his visit visit to the Anglo-French front in July. . Plans studied then, it is said, can immediately be put into action. vjs THE GERMAN WAY. Sppln announcement in a Lodz newspaper -T«f the issue of a new series of bread cards .-, and market ordinances shows how far al- -"■ ready German institutions have been ex--1 tended in Poland. Another item in the game paper forecasted the introduction of a \™ ; .tex on theatre tickets and tickets to other 6r.luse_.ent3 on German model.

.; fSEKOH PROCLAIM MARTIAL LAW. g||? Martial law will bo abolished every ' .where in Franco, outside the zone of military activity, after September 1. The "decision of the Government in this respect l-Jh interpreted on. all sides as a sign of confidsnctt in official circles that the interior y; administration of France will not be dished again by military, operations.

|H- PULPIT AND TUB WAR, Nearly all ©ss New York pulpits are : !.i favour of war, according to a recent I .'Sunday's sermons. The few clergymen who think there is still hope for peace ■ with Germany admit the outlook is dark. Several think that the United States has waited muck too long. Some declared ar the time for the United States to act H had been ripe for at least six months, and in the case of Merino for two years.

; swiss KAY JOIN WITH enemy. 1 I The American Minister efc Berne, : ; Switzerland, says is a report to Washing- ; ton that he has been given the impression [- from official sources that the Swiss Govern--1 ment is preparing to take sides in the li European war with the Germanic allies t on account of resentment over alleged ii interference with Swiss trade by the f ~ governments of the anadrnple alliance. H GERMANY'S COPPER SUPPLY. i The time is at hand in Germany when the copper problem will have to be dealt with systematically. A compulsory census ot all the manufactured copper used by the various industries is to be made. The p- substitution of other metals is advocated apart from the needs of war, on the ground that Germany would save a large part of the ten million pounds which is , paid every year for imported copper.

ff SURPRISE CHAMPAGNE FOR DINERS The lunchers at Simpson's Restaurant, Cheapside, had a pleasant surprise, when the proprietor, .in accordance with an ancient custom, was compelled to stand champagne all round. Daily at lunchtime since 1723 it has been the custom ' to place a Cheddar cheese on a pedestal, :> and customers are invited to guess its height, girth, and weight. Recently a customer of 33 years' standing, a Mr. ,;Kendal, guessed correctly, as follows: Height, 12Ain : girth, 27£ in ; and weight, 19iib.

§§ SHE BIRDS AND THE POISON GAS.

In daylight the approach of the deadly ~ clouds of poison gas is easily detected, and there is time to take precautions against its effects. But in the darkness of the night the coming of the eras is unseen. Then it is that the birds come to the '; help of the soldiers. Long before the . smell of the fumes can be detected in the trenches there is a great clamouring of 1 4 hJrds awakened from their night perches. The birds fly away beyond the reach of - .the fumes,, and the silence that follows gives invaluable warning to the men in - the trenches-.

isK££sr. r —————— ;; A. NOBLE GERMAN WOMAN.

. Countess Charlotte Rittberg writes in the Berliner Tageblatt a passionate letter about an incident she witnessed of children insulting a group of war prisoners— - . wen who have fought for their country Mid have also left at hom« children of \ their own." This noble German woman p)l|f "i* : "Do not preach hate at schools. ||pV-: • Take en re of what you say; ex- . amine the children's books, and watch oyer their games. Teach the children the Pride of their race, but teach them also that nobility obliges, and that thev~nmst, • respect the man in the enemy. Do not *>'r accuse the children who do not understand *nat they are doing, but accuse thf> I «achers and the parents who- have planted *"» hate in their young souls." -; : gg' CELLULOSE VERSUS COTTON.

i§§fv,..'ov _ -~ 8lr „ William Ramsay further tells us "»t. 'powder made, say, from bale cotton develops a much higher pressure and j-auses a much higher muzzle velocity in a otUlet than powder made, say, from straw. Aowders made from wood )>u)p (cellulose) *'• a a intermediate position. Tf nitrocellulose made from material other than cotton, substituted for cotton a ■weaker «*plosiou will result; the bullet will not M propelled with tho same velocity, the being equal. This involves alter"X. the sights of every - gun which uses «s weaker explosive. If. an the other «i •' * . lar ß e r quantity of the weaker exff re . l « employed, the chambers of the 1-°*, field pieces, and other guns must •jygfjeed. the sights being left un-

_ TO WRITE WAS OPERA. A.«?"f»d° l^V i ™ press, Signers collaboration, »n^« m 3nt ? nd to ™&* » ««• of th c InnoS." nUiled " Th * m *' *I*EL FOR HUNS' FIRES. «tIVw R Sa: nt s Ubray 0{ the Univerbe removed fn tin, a ' 7 BetUer ' ccmld nofc into th « M *Tt£ as? its fallin * "THE LLOYD T3EOROE SHELL." BANISHED FOR LIRE PROK PRANCE. limiK - des ?? tchu to a. Cologne firm 22? Hen;?v ilthro^ h * fi ™ in S tone faclrJ R««me. director of a Men, fong tpStion 8 beeß COndemned * »* ■£2,293,600 WAR ALLOWANCE. «J« 6 ,j n ? of soldiere' families bein* supported in Berlin increased from 62.980 m August last year to 150.911 in July «f}' and the allowances naid up to the end of July totalled £2.295,600. WHAT RUSSIA CAN DO. The mobilisation of Russia's industrial resources, the Matin says, is so far perfected that, within a few weeks th© facjorres ™ country will be able to produce 200,000 shells a day, in addition to those which are imported.

DRY TIMS IN SCOTLAND. Scottish distillers have been compelled, owing to the urgent needs of the Government for industrial alcohol used in connection with the manufacture of nigh explosives, to curtail their allocations of spirit for whisky to such an extent that supplies must fall short of requirements. JEWS AT THE FRONT. Out of an aggregate of 220,000 Jews Irving m the British Isles, more than A>,UUO are wearing British uniforms at the front. Five thousand and more are on their way, being just now in the recruiting ranks This is approximately 10 per cent, of the entire Jewish copulation. SERBIA IS READY. According to a colonel in the Royal Servian Army, who was taken from the service only a couple of weeks ago, Servia during her recent apparent inactivity has been preparing, and has now a much larger army than ever before in her history. She has also established unlimited lines of fortifications. ' A COMPLETE TRIUMPH. In a Paris paper the French UnderSecretary for war declares that what France has and what England has and will have is' bound to assure the allies of complete victory. "We have an army," he says, "at the present moment that is armed to withstand any shock, and which is capable of making a strong offensive." RUSSIA HAS JAPANESE GUNS. Lausanne, August 26.—Despatches to Vienna newspapers from the eastern front state that the Russians are now employing many Japanese guns and great quantities of Japanese ammunition aeainst the Teutonic allies. A considerable number of gins captured recently by the Austroerman forces were of Japanese manufacture. -

SOLDIERS MAKE INVESTMENTS. | Canadian prisoners of war In Germany w&ose pay is being held for them pending their release have in * number of instances sent directions to have it invested in the certificates' connected with the British war loan. Varying, according to the rank, the accumulation of the pay will be considerable, and, investment in the way indicated is both of a safe as well as patriotic character. LILLE-WARSAW EXPRESS. Eleven days after the capture of Warsaw a new train -was put into operation called the Lille-Warsaw express. This train connected the extremes of occupied enemy territory, leaving Lille at six o'clock in the morning and arriving in Warsaw for luncheon the next day. The first trip carried a party of American war correspondents who were going to witness the bombardment of Port Novo Georgiewsk.

RUFFIANLY AUSTRIANS. An incident which probably will have serious consequences occurred at Pekin recently. Twenty Austrian marines belonging to the Legation guard entered a British-owned moving picture theatre, in which Lusitania films were being shown, cut the screen to pieces, broke into the operator's room, and forcibly carried off the films.' The police arrived too late to assist the proprietor, who has applied to the British Legation for redress.

FAMOUS OFFICER KILLED. Lieutenant Richard Tanfield Vachell, of the sth Fusiliers and Royal Flying Corps, who has died of wounds, was the only son of Mr. Horace Vachell, the novelist and dramatist. He was educated at Harrow and Sandhurst. Lieutenant Vachell was with his regiment during the retreat from Mons, and fought in many actions, being mentioned in despatches. He _ was: wounded last October, and then joined! the Flying Corps, first as observation officer and later as pilot. He flew from Farnborough to France in an hour and a-half a few days ago. A TOO CANDID AMBASSADOR. A curious report comes from Athens: That Mukhtar Pasha, the Turkish Am-, bassador at Berlin, has been recalled at the Kaiser's request because he reported to Constantinople that Germauy and Austria were in the last stage of exhaustion, and that the first serious German repulse would bring destruction. He recommended the Porte to- employ discretion, pointing out that if Germany lost she would use Turkey as the scapegoat. General von der Goltz, on heariug of the report, immediately cabled, demanding Mukhtar's recall. HOW GERMANY GETS COFFEE. That coffee is filtering into Germany by way of neutral countries is apparent from the following figures published in the Bulletin de Correspondance of Havre. In the course of the year 1913-14 Germany imported 1,801,000 sacks of coffee from Rio and Santos, and Austria 971,000 sacks. During the same period, 1914-15, the two Empires had to content themselves with 65.000 and 50,000 sacks respectively. Coffee imports of neutral countries, however, must be remembered. They totalled in 1915-14 1,223,000 sacks, and in 1914-15 they reached 3.113,000 sacks —that is to say, an actual increase of more than 150 per cent.

800,000 STEEL HELMETS. The Intransigeant states that the French Government is now providing steel helmets for the soldiers at the front with all possible rapidity. Three hundred thousand of them have been already distributed, and- others are being supplied at the rate of 25,000 daily. These casques, which closely resemble those used by the old-time 'sappers, are painted grey, the same colour as the artillery, and are baldly visible at £ . distance. Specimens received in Paris after undergoing a fusillade at the front all bear marks of bullets which would have killed the toldiers wearing th« regulation cap.