BRITISH BOMBARD COASTAL FORTIFICATIONS.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XL, Issue 11439, 2 December 1915, Page 5

BRITISH BOMBARD COASTAL FORTIFICATIONS.

The most interesting -war news to day is that the Roumanian Government and Opposiiton have apparently decided on intervention on the side of the Allies, and are only waiting nntil Russia is ready to cog operate in an invasion of Bulgaria and of Hungary. That the central Powers are gathering war material on the Roumanian frontier goes to confirm the forecast of the latter’s intention to take part in the conflict. Roumania wants a slice of Hungary, where a considerable number of people of tnat nationality occupy a subservient political status, and, therefore, would be very pleased to again become Roumanians in name as they arenow in race. The importance of the results which might follow from Roumanian intervention could not be over-estimated, for with the assistance of her large army in a position to strike at the most vulnerable positions of the enemy, the issue of the Balkan campaign would be decided in our favour within a month. Servia has still an army of 250,000 men, which, when it has had an opportunity to re-equip with ammunition and guns, will be able to again take the offensive. But at present there can be no doubt the miseries the Servian population are suffering are beyond description. That mothers carrying their children have had to flee over a snowcovered country and foodless before the invading army is yet another proof of the brutal methods of German warfare. The Northcliffe Press with its sensational articles on the war, and in its endeavour to obtain a commanding influence in British politics, has so outrun discretion that it is’now receiving a well-earned denunciation in the House of Commons, The British public wishes to be told the truth even if it should show reverses—indeed, reverses have rather bad the effect of adding more determination to the national effort than of daunting the people, hut articles belittling our military operations circulated in the neutralaud enemy States where such liberty of criticism would not be permitted could not fail to injuriously effect our prestige. The disclosures made by Dr. Karl Bfoenz, managing director of the Hamburg-American Shipping Company, as to the connection of the (ierman-American Embassy with attempts to compromise American aeutality, should cleaiy prove the pre-formed intention of Germany to declare war and the utter disregard it has for international obligations. Arrangements were made with this Company 12 mouths before i the war started for coaling and provisioning German cruisers both in the Atlantic and Pacific from p rts of the United States.