ECHOES OF THE WAR.

Otago Witness, Issue 3402, 28 May 1919, Page 18

ECHOES OF THE WAR.

TANKS WON THE WAR.

(By Cable)

NEW YORK, May, 15 The New York Evening Post's Berlin correspondent lias interviewed Ludendorff, who said it was due to the tanks that the Allies won the war. Ho would not eoncede that the entry of the United States made the slightest difference to the outcome. Germany would have won but for the revolution. Ludendorff added that Germany should have built more tanks, but her industries were not equal to the tremendous demands for war materials. The U boat warfare, he said, was necessary, and it brought England to the verge of economic collapse. The U boats did not bring the United States into the war; the United States would have entered in any circumstances. I am willing," he added "to testify before a tribunal inquiring into responsibility for the war for the purpose of vindicating the Fatherland."

SURRENDERED GERMAN SHIPS LONDON, May 12

It was announced in the House of Commons that the German ships surrendered to Britain up to May 9 were 22 passenger vessels, aggregating 160,800 tons gross, . and 84 cargo carriers totalling 68,200 tons gross. ~"N WASHINGTON, May 14.

A strong objection is made against the British proposal to pool the German mercantile tonnage with a view to its distribution on the basis of actual losses suffered in wax. The United States seized 600,000 tons of German shipping when sh 3" entered the war, and is anxious to .retain it in order to compete with Great Britain. The United States lost less than half the tonnage seized. BRITISH SHIPPING LOSSES. ' LONDON, May 13. The Ministry of Shipping announces the number and tonnage of Allied merchantmen lost through enemy action as follows: Britain, 2197 ships, 7,638,000 tons ; France, 238 ships, 697,000 tons; Italy, 230 ships, 742,000 tons; Japan, 29 ships, 120,000 tons; United States, 80 ships, 341,000 tons. REPATRIATION. LONDON, May 19. Colonel Leslie Wilson, Assistant Secretary to the War Council, in the course of making a shipping statement in the House of Cdmmons, said that all the Australian, New Zealand, and Canadian soldiers would be returned home by the end of Jul}'. Captain Guest intimated that the question of forming an Imperial Guard was. receiving the Government's careful attention. THE COST OF THE WAR. LONDON, May 20. Mr Chamberlain, in the House of Commons, said the net cost of the ✓war to Great Britain, excluding the normal peace expenditure and loans to Allies and dominions, to the end of March was £6,70Q,C00,000.

WASHINGTON, May 12. The Anglo-American war claims arising out of military operations have reached the American Liquidation Commission, which finds a balance of £7,000,000 payable to the United States.

May 13. The settlement, of the Anglo-American claims arising out of war operations does not take into account the United States's payments to Britain for the British carriage of American troops to Europe. A separate settlement is pending for the latter. LORD FRENCH'S REVELATIONS. LONDON, May 12. Lord French continues his narrative in the Daily Telegraph. He says that he impressed on the War Office on September 26, 1914, our terrible deficiency in heavy artillery. Official correspondence on the subject continued until June, 1915, when Mr Lloyd George came to the rescue and entered on his career of patriotic salvation. " Britons all over the world," he writes, "will ever remember this distinguished statesman with the utmost gratitude as one of the greatest of the Empire's sons. An awful responsibility rested with him, and he worked in the face of a dead weight of senseless but powerful opposition." Lord French also says he cannot adequately express his sense of the valuable help he '• received throughout from Mr Winston Churchill, who assisted in sketching plans for an offensive with one flank towards the sea. Although the subsequent fall of Antwerp effected a drastic change in the conditions, these plans were substantially the same as took shape early in 1915.

May 13. Lord French, in the Daily Telegraph, has further criticisms of Lord Kitchener in connection Avith Lord French's efforts to effect a speedy move north ■when the fall of Antwerp was imminent. He says: Lord Kitchener did not make things easy for me. He was keenly desirous of influencing the course of operations. His telegrams quickly followed on each other, all containing directions regarding the local situation, of which he could know little. For instance, he told me he was in communication with General Joffre and the French Government. I was unaware of what was passing between them. At the same time he was urging me to make what I knew to be impracticable suggestions to General Joffre. I must repudiate any responsibility for what happened in the north during the first 10 days of October. Lord Kitchener explicitly told me that the British were not under my command, and " will not for the present be considered part of your force." I cer-

tainly would have made different dispositions of these troops, and regret that I must record the deliberate opinion that the best which could have been done throughout a critical situation was not done, owing entirely to Lord Kitchener's endeavour to unite in himself the distinct roles of Cabinet Minister and Commander-in-Chief. Lord French quotes a telegram in which it was even demanded whether General Rawlinson regarded himself as under his order. •' Lord French proceeds: When Antwerp was threatened Lord Kitchener,--unknown to me, arranged for General Joffre to send one or two French Territorial divisions to act with the marines. It is perfectly clear that the operations for the relief of Antwerp should never have been directed from London. They actually had no influence on the fate of Antwerp, and could equally as well have protected the Belgian retreat. More effective directions might have saved Lille, by a landing on the sth of October at Calais or Boulogne, deploying six or seven days later down the Valley of the Lys. This might also have saved Ostend and even Zeebrugge.

QUESTIONS IN PARLIAMENT. LONDON, May 12. Arising out of Lord French's articles and his criticism of subordinates, a ques-' tion was asked in the House of Commons whether the Government was prepared to permit officers holding commands to reply to Lord French.

Mr Bonar Law answered in the negative.

Mr Churchill later stated that the Army Council was in no way responsible for Lord French's articles. The Army Act distinguished between serving soldiers and those in Lord French's position (Viceroy of Ireland).

May 14. Answering Sir Donald Maclean in the House of Commons, Mr Bonar Law said he did not think it desirable to grant facilities to debate Lord French's Daily Telegraph articles in the ordinary course, but he was willing to find time if Sir D. Maclean moved a vote of censure on Lord French.

THE QUESTION OF CONSCRIPTION. LONDON, May 15. Mr Winston Churchill, Minister of War, speaking at Dundee, said that we were not going to be a conscript nation. We were going to make Germany abandon conscription, and then abandon it ourselves. It was necessary that the victorious Powers shouid exercise patience, and be firm and clear in their guidance, in order to prevent new and small States from quarrelling and collapsing. They must prevent a union of German Imperialism with Bolshevism. Mr Churchill met with a. hostile demonstration at the outset of his speech, the demonstrators protesting against the Allied expedition to Russia. A TRIBUTE TO MAORIS. LONDON, May 24. Official: Speaking at the jubilee meeting of the Royal Colonial Institute, Mr Massey paid a high tribute to the loyalty and patriotism of the Maoris and kindred races throughout the Pacific Islands. He said the natives referred to had proved by their response to the Empire's call and their willingness to make sacrifices that they could be trusted in any emergency, and that there were no more loyal subjects of the King in any part of the British dominions. WASTEFUL EXPENDITURE. LONDON, May 12. The Auditor-general's report on the Ministry of Munitions' expenditure during 1917-1918 shows that heavy expenditure was often incurred without Treasury sanction. There were large losses through altering and cancelling contracts, for which extravagant compensation was paid. In some cases cancellation caused no real loss to the contractor, but compensation was nevertheless paid. A sum of £250,000 was spent in equipping a factory to produce a certain poison gas before it had been decided to manufacture the gas, and it was eventually decided not to employ it. Another sum of £266,000 was spent on camps to accommodate munitioners, but, their numbers were never more than 549, and dropped in six months to 96, and some of the camps were eventually empty. In one case a form was received for a contract for £1,000,000, let without investigation, although the firm in previous contracts had notoriously made huge profits and charged excessive prices. THE AMERICAN ARMIES. LONDON, May 20. General Pershing's intended visit to London on Thursday has been postponed, owing to the uncertainty regarding Germany's attitude, which necessitates postuonement of the American troops' march through London. PARIS, May 20. The American army of occupation is leaving the Rhine. Their withdrawal will be complete by June 20. May 21. There is no confirmation of" the* report vhat the United States has withdrawn all her troops from the Rhine. PRISONERS OF WAR, SYDNEY, May 20. / The military authorities discovered a tunnel 50 yards long leading from one of the barracks in the Holdworthy Concentration Camp under the outer fence. This discovery prevented the escape of 150 Germans booked to sail by the Willochra. The first batchy of deported Germans arrived by the Willochra from New Zealand. After the vessel completes her term of quarantine she will take a further contingent from Australia. THE AUSTRALIAN FLEET. SYDNEY, May 21. The first section of the Australian fleet,

comprising the cruiser Melbourne and six destroyers, has arrived. The vessels had a great reception. They proceeded up the harbour after their long war vigil. Despite continuous rain, crowds gathered on the wharves to welcome the crews. ANZAC DAY. SYDNEY, May 22. The city is decorated for Anzac Day. Great crowds watched the procession of returned soldiers, headed by men from warships which arrived yesterday, to the Town Hall, where a solemn commemoration service was held. The Governorgeneral presented medals won by a large number of soldiers, and speeches were made eulogistic of the deeds of the Aus- N tralians and New Zealanders on Gallipoli. [The delay in the celebrations at Sydney was due to the influenza restrictions prohibiting public assemblies at the proper date.]

x ENEMY MINES. SYDNEY, May 23. An enemy mine has been washed up on the beach at Anna Bay, near port Stephens (just north of Newcastle). May 26. The naval authorities are of opinion that the floating mine recently found off the coast near Newcastle probably drifted from the New Zealand mine area. They state that the Australian coast was cleared of mines some time ago. MISCELLANEOUS. The King of Italy has given six of the largest Royal palaces for the use of disabled and sailors' orphans. It is officially announced that more than. 15,000,000 persons subscribed to the American Victory Loan. The total subscriptions will probably reach five and ahalf billion dollars.