THE WAR.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17239, 15 February 1918, Page 8

THE WAR.

SOLDIERS' FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE BOARD. INSURANCE PREMIUMS AND WAR LOADINU. Interviewed by a Daily Times reporter yesterday, tiio Minister of Defence said that tliu question had many times been brought beforo him of linancial a-swistiUico to meet insurance, premiums ami war loading oil now policies taken out by rrswviste called up for service, and for general information ho desired to stato the practice of tiio toard in tho matter. It was as follows:

1. Tho board will consider the payutout of insurance premiums and war loading (if any) on the lull sum assured und.j.r policies taken out eomo time prior to tho date of the enlistment of the soldier, or to his being called up in the ballot, subject, of course, to his financial circumstances warranting a grant under the Soldiers' lfinaiici&l Assistance Regulations. 2. In tho case ol" new policios up to £200 oidy ,thu board is prepared to consider payment of tho ordinary premiums and tho war loading, where there is no existing policy, and where the circumstances warrant a grant of financial assistance. It was to be remembered, of course, that the board only assists with respect to a policy when a eoldier is unable to meet tho premiums out of his military pay and would bo under tho necessity of allowing it to lapse. If the soldier had no dependents or other obligations the board would not grant any assistance if his pay and other sources of income wero sufficient to meet the premiums l and nrovide for hie reasonable personal requirements vvhilo on esrvico.

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

BIG GUNS AND BURNING OIL. jbitepht-n Tarrant, writing to a. iriend from tho Convalescent Hospital, iionichurcii, gives an interesting description of his experiences in lielg.um ana I'rance. Ho states that his company was camped within range of tho guns of . One night a party, of which he was a member, were repairmg a road alougsulo a, railway, and j/ritz was doing- a ■ bit of shelling. lie was also sending over u bit of gas at times, and they had to keep their masks handy. About midnight an engine came up the lino, and stopped a little distance- from them. It lett its load and moved oft' a littlo distance. Little notico was taken of this, as railway engines were a common sight. Suddenly there was a blinding sensation, and ono felt as if all the hair on one's face and arms had all been singed, and each man had to prop himself up with his ehovel. Thero was an awful roar, and as they had not hoard a big gun at close quartets they wondered at first what it was. They then found that it was only a 12iu naval gun, which had been brought up to drop a few pills about the country. The engine then hooked on and away it went again. Each shot sent the gun's carriage down tlio lino, and it was hauled up into position again. After a- few more shots it took up a new position, and there repeated tho dose. The Huns were soon looking for it with big shells. Tho writer says ho was not sorry when his job was '"n:ih?d, as ho was able to get to his dug-out. Referring to tho immense, mine explosion at Messinos ho says ho had just got home from night duties, and he experienced a feeling as of a terrific earthquake. This was tho explosion of tho mine, which had taken several months to put in, and consisted of 200 tons of high explosive. It was lOOft down, anil one significant feature was that while it was being laid Fritz was laying one directly above it, but only 30ft underground. When tho Hun's mine was fired it made a fairsized crater, which was rushed by him, and became a strong point. Subsequently tho British mine was fired, and tho Huns went up along with it. During the time that Hnig was getting ready to advanco at Messines a railway corps was laying heavy railways (a double lino) at tho rato of a chain an hour, completed for traffic. This line was laid not far behind the trenches, and was used for conveying \2 and 15 inch naval gnns and ammunition trains. Tho British never fire a big gnu unless at a given range and at a sure mark, and they get more direct hits with their 12 and 15 inch guns per number of shots than with the smaller guns, and as they always get the range to a yard, and thus waste no ammunition. Just behind the lines at a big gun was trained on to the railway station at -, and on the main street. In direct communication with tho gun was a captive balloon. Ono day a train load of troops had just come into , which was nuio miles away. The observer in tho balloon guvo tlio signal, and the gun, with three snots, got as many direct hits. On another occasion a few 12 inch shells landed in tho midst of some (Jorman troops marching through tho streets of , and heavy casualties resulted. With regard to tho boiling oil which is sent into tho Hun lines tho writer says ho only saw one dose eent over, but ho is unable to say how it is fired. Ho presumes that it was done by electricity. He knows that the gun from which it is fired makes a fearful report, and the flash shows up the country lor a long distance round Tho oil is fired in tubes. The passage of tlieso tubes through the air seems to heat them up, and the oil appears to be in a blaze when it arrives at its destination. Apart from tho burning tho oil emits a deadly gas, and either tho gas or the oil eats through the Huns' helmets in a few moments. For this reason tho helmets worn by the British are specially treated to resist the effects of this oil or gas in case tho wind should happen to carry it back in their direction. "We left this sector after holding it for several months. We had no fighting, but we had 17,000 (?1700) casualties, all" from shell ilre. Wo were shifted to . within a

few miles of , and, it baing autumn, parties of us went out daily and assisted the farmers with tho harvest, and spent some very pleasant days at our old game." In describing an advance in which ho took part, the writer says many men wore lost owing to tho mud. Even when only slightly wounded they went down in the mud and died. The scene was awful. Guns were stuck, and even the tanks could not get through it. "We had a littlo over 6OOQ yards to carry the wounded, six men to each stretcher, and it took four hours to negotiate tho distance. Most of the way tho mad was up to one's waist, and it w;is of such a sloppy nature that a wave moved in front of us as we progressed.

IN EAST AFRICA

Lieutenant Sidney V. Montgomery, hi writing to tho head master of the Albany Street School from Dar-ee-salaam (Kc.st Africa} says that he can quite realise that there are few at tho old school who will remember the writer, "but in these flays, when the Empire's forces arc concentrating from all ends of the earth, tho old school where wo wore taught that all tho ends we should aim at were ' our country's, our God's, and truth's ' is still remembered. Probably in your own town some controversy has raged anent the advisability of teaching children so much about the history of the Okl Land and so little about t.!i"ir own birthplace. To-dav I can fnllv appreciate Mr M'Miltan's reading of ' Westward Ho!' Mr .Speneo's insistence on our knowing precisely why Oliver Oromwcll harmed Charles, and Mr Thompson's lucid explanations of our Imperial polx-y that led us against Russia at Alma, linhioluva, and Sahastopol" The writer states that ho was enjoying womlerfn) hcvilth. Frv.vr hid been a terrible srourge in tho British ranks, no fewer than 20.C00 men having been invalided from this cause alone in 12 months. When ho wrote they were preparing the final assault against the Germans, find "there is no doubt." ho added, " that before three months are over another dominion will bo added to our pofscssions."

SPAM'S ATTITUDE

AMERICA IS ANXIOUS. (Melbourne Herald Cable.) LrOXDONT, February 1. Spain's attitude continues to give the United States concern. ia regarded ns being under proGerman influence, but stronger than tlm is her wish that if she enteis tho conflict at all she shall be on the winning side. It is known that Gorman submarine crows have been changed in Spanish harbours, and that German wireless stations are munerous on Squish cnasls dir>'cting submarines. E glit /-'panish liners are still held at New York, nnd are refused bunker coal or licenses pending the outcome of negotiations the nature of which has not been revealed. Telegraphing from Madrid, Tho Times correspondent states: Onniwnting en fho sinlcing of (he Spanish ship Griralda, Count Romanoes. a foiiner l'n mirr, say?: "If Sp-iin lacks (he v r rility to protest when a Spanish ship, plying between Spanish ports, is «ink without reason, it is not because we are weak, hut, because we are a degraded nation, mistaking cowardice for prudence."