NOTES ON THE CABLES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16315, 23 February 1915, Page 6

NOTES ON THE CABLES

Bi Shbapnxl.

A GERMAN AIR RAIDER. The German reply to the raids by tho Allies' aeroplanes on the coast of Flanders has been made in Great Britain. A single machine wee considered sufficient to have a.s greet an effect in England as the British 40 aeroplanes made in Flanders.. The German raider made his journey night, which is somewhat remarkable. To iind tho road by night is considered a very diilicult problem by aviators, and if the weather is at all thick, they generally lose their way in spite of tho ueo of tlio coin-piu-s. Safe methods of travelling at night to a given spot have not yet been evolved. On a clear night aeroplanes can bo guided by beacon lights, or by flaahlights from motor oars; but tho latter must be used in relays as the Bpeed of an aeroplane in favourable weather ie greater than that of a motor car. That method is too chnnsy except in times of peace. The beacon light method is the better way when a distinct point of arrival is aimed at. •> The glint of a river at night is a good guide if the river leads in the desired direction, but tho tortuous course of a river :s tho drawback. This visitor to Estjcx must have flown from Belgium, and used the loom of the land against the glint of tho sea as a guide to land him somewhere in England. He struck the coast of Essex after flying across in a north-westerly direction from Belgium. It is quite probable that Essex was not the place he intended to visit, but steering by night in an ueroplane is very difficult. The vibration of an aeroplane impairs the vnlue of a compass, and unless the compass is insulated in some way the ironwork about tho machine must aleo affect tho noodle. The aviator in all probability had it in , his mind to strike the estuary of the Thames, and bomb the docks at London, or the yards at Shcerness. If so, he lost hie way and, in default of something important, bombed a village or two in Essex, trusting to earn the Kaiser's gratuity of £5 or £25 for killing anybody, from a "baby to an adult. He nearly killed a baby, but luck was against him, his bomb riddled the house, broke the windows, and destroyed furniture. That ie the extent of destruction that the cable reports; but the whole story is yet to be told.

The most interesting questions raised by this visit are those as to how far the aviator was followed by aural detection, and as to the course he took eo as to calculate his chances of safe return, which would be more difficult since it would not be easy in the dark for him to strike the small strip of Belgium on the return journey. The way of combating nocturnal visits from hostile aviators is for British airmen to be prepared in such circumstances to fca-ke tho chance of being able to strike the enemy. By soaring high they could detect a raider's presence by the email observation light he uses when working his controls. That light cannot be seen except from above. BRITAIN'S FOOD SUPPLY. The announcement by cable that Great Britain hae enough food on hand to maintain a normal supply for four months ia somewhat of a surprise. The generally hold belief has been that Britain would be reduced to a state of severe shortage if her food supplies were withheld for as short a priod as a fortnight The present announcement conveys the idea that the merchants of the United Kingdom, upon their own initiative, and upon a hint from authority, havo been secretly and steadily increasing the food stocks in the country. The cablegram goes on to say that under abnormal conditions the present food supply could be made to last 12 months. That may bo so, but one is reluctantly inclined to doubt the assertion. By "abnormal conditions " are presumably meant the conditions that would obtain if an effective blockade were established of aTI entrances to the British Isles. That, however, is an utter impossibility. The British fleet would have to bo annihilated before this could happen. Even then, on the extreme hypothesis that Germany's fleet -would be intact, there would be many daring blockade runners which would, along Britain's great coast line, be able to outwit the German watchers.

If this bo the case, what chance is there that the present attempt of the German boasters will be successful in any degree that will be felt except in the matter of insurance rates? At present there is no great increase in these rates, and shipowners have no difficulty in securing insurance. That fact argues that the British Admiralty has in hand waye and means to render the attempted submarine and mine blockade fairly innocuous to British comfort, and somewhat dangerous to those who are trying to effect the consummation which is so liftle dreaded. Granted that the existence of abnormal conditions in Great Britain, through the maintenance of an effective blockade, were possible, how would the troops in Europe fare? The headquarters of the army eupply would necessarily be moved to France, and supplies of food and material would be obtained from abroad through French ports.. THE EASTERN THEATRE. In the eastern theatre of the war affairs look interesting, but from the Allies' point of view ominous. It remains, however, to be seen what the Grand Duke Nicholas and his staff will provide to meet the immense development, of German force which has been evolved against them. The Grand Duke has baen peculiarly silent for a long time, and his silence may mean that he is silently preparing a great counter-stroke. His present task is the most gigantic of the whole war. Germany is concentrating in the east every man eho can possibly spare for the purpose of delivering such, a staggering blow to the Russians that she may afterwards return to the western theatre and for a time give undistracted attention to the problem of defeating the Allies in France. If that ie the intention, and the Russian reports seem to imply that it ie, the Germans, unless they achieve a Sedan of unparalleled and absolutely stupefying magnitude, find their forces so attenuated that they will be unable to reply to the portended offensive in the west. Huge reinforcements have appeared in East Prussia. . They were too great for the Russians to withstand, though apparently the latter fought a stubborn retreat and, according to the tone of the latest cables, are gradually bringing the advance of the Germans to a standstill. In the south the Auctrians thew an overwhelming force into Bukowina, and drove the Russians across the Pruth. Thai, however, does not imply that the Russians have met any disaster It may be taken as an indication that knowing the superiority of the hostile force, the Russians retreated across the Pruth, and, wisely against such numbers, did not attempt to hold Czernovitz, and have their forces locked up in that town by a largo brsieginsr army. The Pruth is not the border of Bukovina, but the Russians will not stop now till they are across their own border, where they will strengthen their forces either by reinforcements, or by falling on to some strongly-prepared base. To the north of Bukovinu, in Southern Galicia, the Austro-German forces have captured the important town af Stanislow, and it looks as though a great movement is about to be inaugurated to recapture Lemberg, raise the siege of Przemysl, and drive the Russians out of Galicia.

Tho Russians report that in the Carpathians, between the Strj River and the Donajec, 800,000 Austro-German troops are advancing through the passes to clear Northon and Western Galicia. The Russians make no comment on the announcement, except that they are fighting desperately, and that, though successful in some places, they arc being heavily pressed, even in the Dukl.i region, where (hey have considerable forces.

This groat Austro-German movement is evidently being carried out• in conjunction with the heavy advance of the Prussians in (ho south of East Prussia and along the rip,ht bank of the Vistula towards Plock These two sections of the northern forces seem v> have for their objective the important fortress of Novo Georgievak on the Vistula, about 18 miles north-west of Warsaw. As the capture of that town would endanger Warsaw, some severe fighting may bo looked for before it i 6 reached.

The Russian fo r ces in the south of Poland and Gal'cia still threaten Cracow, although they are now much further away from that important, gateway to Silesia than they were two or three months ago. It is to relieve this threatening phase of the Russian strategy that General von Hindenburg is co-ordinating all these great movements in Prussia and Austria. In the south of Poland th' Russian l ! are in a stronger position than

anywhere else. *or there tho troops are fed by an indc[)endent and slightly more elaborate system of railwayf-. Thy Russian message a week i'go that great and d'eisive events were impending is being veriiicd. It is to be hoped that the prescience whioh foresaw the development will suffice to foreftal! disaster and to effect an overwhelming defeat o{ the enemy.