ECHOES OF THE WAR.

Otago Witness, Issue 3419, 26 September 1919, Page 20

ECHOES OF THE WAR.

(By Cable.) THE .'CONQUEROR OF JERUSALEM. LONDON, September 17. General Allenby received warm ovations at Dover and London. In a speech, at Dover he paid a warm tribute to his predecessor. General Murray, who, he said, well prepared the way to victory.

NEW ZEALANDERS IN ENGLAND

LONDON, September 17

Between 2000 and 3000 New Zealanders remain, in England. They are mostly engaged in clearing up operations. The work is now practically completed, and the men will return, as opportunity occurs.

OCCUPATION OF THE RHINE.

LONDON, September 20.

According to the Morning Post, it has been decided to maintain a British divieion on the Rhine in addition to a garrison brigade.

LORD FRENCH'S BOOK

LONDON, September 18.

In a preface to the second edition of his war book, "1914," Lord French .repeats his denial that he informed Lord Kitchener in the spring of 1915 that the supply of ammunition was ample for the forthcoming offensive. Lord French says he never made such a statement as was contained in Lord Kitchener's letter to Mr Asquith, upon which Mr Asquith based his Newcastle speech, but asserts that he informed Mr Asquith in July, 1915, that Lord Kitchener's statement was untrue, proving the same by reference to Lord French's diary, containing the substance of a conversation with Lord Kitchener, in which ammunition was not mentioned.

Lord French quotes a letter from Mr Asquith, dated May, 1915, after the failure of the offensive, containing proof that Lord French complained to Mr Asquith that 4.7 guns were and that a higher percentage of high, explosives was needed. Replying to the charge that he was about to leave the French army in the lurch, he quotes letters from Mr Asquith, Lord Kitchener, and Marshal Joffre eulogising his generalship during the retreat from Mons.

Another letter from Lord Kitchener, ■written after the interview in Paris, directed him to conform with General Joffre's movements, and "to regard this leter as an instruction." Lord French declares that Lord Kitchener's visit in no wise caused him to alter hia dispositions

September 19. Mr George Arthur (biographer of Lord' Kitchener) declares that it is inconceivable that munitions were not mentioned in Lord French's interview with Lord Kitchener, who summoned Lord French to England expressly to discuss the military situation at the time when munitions formed one of the most important subjects.

VOX TIRPITZ'S BOOK. LONDON, September 21. Further extracts from Admiral von Tirpitz's book have been published. These declare that fear of America caused Germany's feeble statesmen, headed by the Kaiser, to vacillate in respect to the decision to adopt unrestricted submarining, ■which alone could have saved Germany. He pays tribute to the British defence, ■which exceeded all German expectations. Von Tirpitz says: " Our submarines in 1916 -were like a pack of wolves among jheep, but in 1917 they had to fight regular battles with merchantmen.' 1

Von Tirpitz adds that such a number of American troops were raised and transhipped Ehat it took us, including the army administration, by -surprise. He asserts that the commander of the submarine which torpedoed the Lusitania was unaware of the vessel's identity, as he attacked the liner from a forward position. Von Tirpitz concludes by condemning the inexplicable abandonment of the submarine campaign in October, 1918, just when the construction of submarines had considerably'-increased, as the army and navy could have held on till the spring of 1919, and obtained real grounds for negotiating peace.

THE U-BOAT MENACE.

NEW YORK, September 21

The New York American- prints an article, signed by Admiral Sims, stating: " During the latter part of March, 1917, when it was evident that the United States was about to enter the war, I was sent to Great Britain. I travelled incognito. I had an interview with Admiral Jellicoe, who .showed me the record of tonnage losses during the last few months, amounting to 436,000 tons in February, 603,000 tons in March, and at the rate of 800,000 tons in April. " Admiral Jellicoe said to me: 'lt will be impossible to carry on the war if losses like these continue. Germany will win unless we soon stop these losses.' "I learned that only 54 submarines had been sunk from the beginning of the war until April, 1917. Later I discussed the situation with the following members of the Cabinet: —Mr A. J. Balfour, Lord Robert Cecil, and Sir Edward Carson. They repeated practically everything that Admiral Jellicoe had said. " I spent a night at Windsor Castle, and discussed the matter with the King, who was well informed respecting both the British and American navies. King George was just as outspoken about the submarine campaign as Admiral Jellicoe had been.

" Mr Lloyd George was the only one of all the influential men in the Government who took an optimistic attitude. He always saw a favourable end to the war." BATTLEFIELDS OF FRANCE. LONDON, September 20. A special correspondent, i*evisiting the Australians' old battlefields in France and Belgium, says that the peasants are striving again to raise corn amid shell-holes and smashed redoubts. Weeds grow thighhigh amid the ruins and tumbled earth. The War Office has 200,000 Germans and 85.000 Chinese under British officers clearing up the fields and collecting rusty iron, barbed wire, old shells, and rails. They dynamite the German redoubts for steel girders. Old villagers dig among the ruins for hidden treasures. The chink of the demolisher's tool resounds across the wide valley where formerly great battles raged. Souvenirs can still be found in the woods and fields in the shape of tattered uniforms and scattered crosses marking graves. As a general rule, along the whole front where the ground is not heavily shelled agriculture is beginning again, but elsewhere there is no sign—indeed, no hope—of settlement. Every yard of shell-tortured earth will have to be" laboriously treated. FRANCE'S FUTURE ARMY. PARIS, September 20. In the Senate M. Doumer announced that France's future reorganised army would total 350,000 on a peace footing, comprising two home army corps and one colonial army corps in North Africa. The strength on a war footing would be 1,300,000. Six infantry divisions and one cavalry division were* earmarked for the Rhine occupation. Universal compulsory service will bo reduced from three years to one year.

This will provide 203,000, while enlistments and re-enlistments will give 150,000.

SOLDIERS' GRAVES IN FRANCE LONDON, September 17.

Sir Thomas Mackenzie has returned from a visit to the cemeteries in France and Belgium. «• He states that the work of gathering the scattered bodies and forming cemeteries is proceeding well, and when it is finished it will be a grand memorial of the dominion's men. The work is being carried out with great care and veneration. WASHINGTON, September 22. The War Department has announced that France disapproves of the removal of bodies of American soldiers pending the passage of a Bill through the French Chamber, providing the necessary sanitary and economic arrangements.

COUNT TISZA VINDICATED. VIENNA, September 22.

The Arbiter Zeitung publishes extracts from an official volume to be issued shortly on the" origin of the war. It has been compiled from State documents. It shows that Austria's Ministerial Council, after the Archduke Franz Ferdinand's assassination at Serajevo, on June 28, 1914, induced war with Serbia, fully realising that its ultimatum to Serbia must be rejected.

Count Tisza, Hungarian Premier, alone was willing to be content with a diplomatic victory, and he wished to make terms such as Serbia could accept. Count Berchtold (then Austro-Hungarian Foreign Minister) insisted, however, upon war deciding the issues. He realised that Russia would be dragged in, but the Kaiser and Bethmann Hollweg had given a satisfactory guarantee on Germany's behalf in the event of European complications.

EXCERPTS FROM AUSTRIAN RED BOOKS.

VIENNA, September 22

Austrian Red Books which have been issued emphasise the efforts that were made by Sir Edward Grey to prevent war. They also emphasise the responsibility of Count Berchtold for the outbreak. The Austrian Ambassador in London telegraphed to Count Berchtold on July 23, 1914, paying a, tribute to Sir Edward Grey's friendliness, but saying that Sir Edward was greatly concerned about the possible consequences of tha ultimatum to Serbia. Count Berchtold replied on the same day that the shortness of time granted to Serbia was duo to Austria's long experience of Serbia's procrastination. The Austrian Ambassador in Berlin, in a despatch dated July 27, 1914, while referring to the British mediation proposals, said the German Government emphatically opposed the proposals, and had only forwarded them at the British Government's request. Count Berchtold, in an urgent report to the Emperor Francis Joseph on July 28, said the Entente would possibly still attempt to effect a peaceable settlement of the conflict, unless a definite situation was created by a declaration of war. He submitted with the report a declaration of war for the Emperors signature, basing the request on the reports that Serbian troops had fired on Austro-Hungarian soldiers at Temeskubin. After the Emperor had signed the declaration of war Count Berchtold struck out the reference therein to the Serbian attack, and wrote to the Emperor saying that he had taken upon himself to eliminate the sentence, as the reports were not confirmed. MEDALS FOR WAR WORKERS. LONDON, September 19. The War Office has notified the Y.M.C.A. that all workers serving in the war areas ovei'sea will receive the 1914-15 Star and the British War Medal. The Y.M.C.A. estimates that 560 men

and 40 women will receive the Star and 4800 men and 1500 women the- War Medal.

September 20

The Daily Mail, commenting upon the War Office decision to award a war medal to Y.M.C.A. workers, stigmatises it as unjust. The article says: " Tommy risked his life for four years in the trenches, and now finds that mach-prized and dearlybought ribbons are to be shared with hosts of men and women most of whom worked for a few months far behind the lines." FRENCH TEAITORS. PARIS, September 19. The execution of Lenoir, who was condemned for traitorous communication with the enemy, was arranged for this morning.

A stake was erected and the firing squad had arrived, when a messenger came with an order for a temporary reprieve. This was due to Lenoir's eleventhhour offer to give evidence in the Caillaus case.

September 20.

When the officials entered Lenoir's cell in the early morning to prepare him for execution they found him dressing. When asked if ho had any statement to make he declared that before God and man ho was innocent of treason, and protested against the refusal to confront him with M. Caillaux, saying that the latter iised him as a tool. He made other allegations against Caillaux. Lenoir's statement was conveyed to President Poincare and M. Clemenceau, with the result that Lenoir was temporarily reprieved

September 21

The Petit Parisien asserts that Lenoir accuses Caillaux of being at the bottom of various schemes to purchase French newspapers for pro-German propaganda. PARIS, September 23.

Lenoir's allegations have been submitted to the High Court, which will decide whether Lenoir shall be confronted with Caillaux. A confrontation is practically certain, involving a further 10 days' reprieve.

BRITISH MISSION CAPTURED

LONDON, September 18.

There is no further news regarding the result of the fighting at Hodeida. It is anticipated that reinforcements have already arrived. A small British mission which was sent into the interior to the Iman of Yemen has been captured by sheiks at Bajil. Although their lives are threatened, their release is probable.

GENERAL CADORNA CONDEMNED

ROME, September 17.

The Chamber of Deputies by 211 votes to 28 adopted the Caporetto disaster report which blamed General Cadorna.

[The Italian Royal Commission which inquired into the Caporetto disaster says it was due above all to General Cadorna's infallible absolutism and self-sufficiency. He was keenly jealous of possible rivals, and intolerant of other people s views, thus stifling initiative and truth-speaking. General Cadorna became fatally isolated, his vision became blurred, and he treated his colleagues unjustly, and deposed 217 generals and condemned 50,000 of the finest Alpine bersaglieri to needless butchery. He used his strength to depose the Salandra Ministry, which had criticised him.]

WHAT THE AUSTRALIANS DID

WAS GENERAL ALLENBY PREJUDICED?

SYDNEY, September 19. Mr Harry Gullett, official correspondent with the A.I.F. in Palestine, writes to the Sydney Sun in reference to the recent statement by General Allenby_ that his army was cosmopolitan, mentioning various nationalities, including New Zealanders, but failing to mention the Australians, and adding: '' Towards tho close of the campaign two-thirds of the army were Mohammedans." Mr Gullett says the Sun's suggestion that the omission of the Australians was an unintentional slip may be right, but he doubts it. The omission is characteristic of General Allenby's attitude towards the Light Horse. Without the Australians and New Zealanders Palestine would never have been won. Nobody knows this better than General Allenby and General Murray, but neither of them is big enough to forgive the Australians and New Zealanders their relative slackness in ceremonial and discipline, although in almo~'t every fight they gambled on the Anzac discipline to carry them through, and it did. The correspondent gives instances in proof of General Allenby's failure to recognise the work of the Australians and New Zealanders and of the British truckling to the Moslems, which, he declared, was carried to stupid extremes, and claims that with the exception of the British, Australians, and New Zealanders, the other nationals mentioned by General Allenby took an insignificant part in the campaign. Mr Gullet describes the Arab as one of the most cowardly and cruel fighters who ever made pretence of going to war. He says the magnificent New Zealand Mounted Brigade could clean up all Arabia provided the Arabs would come near enough to fight, and concludes: " The Australians need no defence. _ Time and impartial military students will probably estimate the part they and the New Zealanders played in the overthrow of Turkey and the"conquest of Palestine."

THE GENERAL'S REPLY. LONDON, September 22

■. Field-MarshaJ Sir E. Allenby, interviewed regarding his Dover speech, in which it was reported (by Mr Gullett, official representative with the Australians in Palestine) that he had omitted to mention the Australians' part in the Palestine army's operations, expressed surprise that there was no mention of the Australians in the report of his speech, and also expressed surprise v that such omission, if made, could possibly have given ofl'ence

to so gallant a body as the Light Horsey Sir E. Allenby added: "That phrase, a ' cosmopolitan army,' was used by the Recorder of -Dover. My response was naturally a eulogy of the whole of my army, which I said consisted of many nationalities, including British, Australian, New Zealand, French, Italian, West Indian, Egyptian, Arab, Jewish, Algerian, and Armenian troops. I find that my notes of niy speech specifically men* tioned the Australians. The good work of the Australians and New '.Zealanders was such that they can never be forgotten by nit." • MISCELLANEOUS. The British troops are evacuating the Caucasus. The new French naval programme, which is under consideration, excludes dreadnoughts. ». Mr J. J. Virgo has established a British Empire Union of Y.M.C.A., and is initiating a five months' campaign to raise £500,000 to meet the war work deficiency.

The Petit Journal states that a FrancoPolish agreement has been signed to employ 100,000 Poles on reconstruction work in the devastated regions of France.

At the court-martial held in connection with the tarring and feathering of a young naval officer at Cambridge early in June the husband of the woman involved in the case, Lieutenant Wright, was found guilty, but the court merely administered a simple reprimand, with no loss of rank or seniority. During the debate on the Peace Treaty Mr Hughes corrected his former figures with reference to Australia's claim for an indemnity, stating that it should have been: War Expenditure, £364,000,000, and the capitalised value of pensions, damage to civilian property, and similar war costs, £100,000,000. The case of Francis Hugh Snow, charged with trading with the enemy during practically the whole war period, has conconcluded at Adelaide. Accused was fined £2OOO and costs.

Though a rush of investors occurred in Sydney, the last day for subscriptions to the Peace Loan, it is understood that the total is far short of requirements, and compulsion is anticipated. Five hundred representatives of all lower-deck ratings, including all the available -winners of the Victoria Cross, entertained Lord Beatty and 42 other admirals at a peace dinner at Portsmouth. The seamen covered the Town Hall with electric illuminations. H.M.S. Excellent's gun crew, who won the championship at the Olympic tournament, hauled Lord Beatty's motor car in triumph to the Town Hall.