General Items

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 98, 15 August 1914, Page 2

General Items

"IMPENETRABLE MYSTERY." London, August 13. The Daily Telegraph's war correspondent predicts that military operaLions in Belgium may culminate on Friday in a terrific collision between the forces and the disruption of civilisation. Ho adds: "-Never have the tiovements of armies been shrouded in such impenetrable mystery." TKE SIEGE OF LIEGE.

London ; August 14. The Press Bureau states that the bulk of the 26 Gorman army corps lave been definitely located. It is S evident that the majority of the Ger-

mans are concentrated between Liegi and Luxemburg, leaving the casteri frontier lightly guarded. The heavj siege guns at Liege are chiefly sixinch howitzers and four-inch mortars shaking the houses at Maastricht twenty miles distant. Brussels, August 13. The deadly accuracy of the fire of the Liege forts successively destroyed all the heavy German siege artillery. The forts are still intact. Amsterdam, August 14. A brother of M. Brelow, ex-Chan-c-ollor, was killed at Liege. TKE TIMES' COMMENT ON THE CAMPAIGN. London, August 14. The Times' military correspondent says: "We can be well satisfied with the events of the past twelve days, fiiig period was needed for the mobilisation of the French armies. Its close finds scarcely a German soldier in France. The only "attaque drusquee" which the Germans delivered totally failed, and there has been nothing to show that the morale and fighting aptitude of the allies is not equal .to, if not better than, those of the enemy. Wo have now passed through a very critical phase, during which the forces of the aggressive Power which prepared its' stroke in advance wore offered many chances of easy success, but neither the political, military, nor naval opening of tho campaign has been creditable to Germany." Much importance is placed on the assistance of the British expeditionary force. The rival armies are so nearly balanced that two or throe army corps' added to one sido or the other way produce, a vital effect. ' j Sevonty ■ thousand beds are already provided for wounded in Britain. . DURATION OF THE WAR. i ■ London, August 14. 'A prominent European commander considers the Continental war may last for three years. Economic and financial experts, however, maintain that famine and financial stringency will crush Germany within six months unless she accomplishes some strikingly decisive military victories. A RAID ON BRITAIN. London, August 141 Mr Archibald S. Hurci, naval expert, in the Daily Telegraph, expresses the view that no tremendous invading force could' be landed in Britain. He isays it is difficult to perceive what object could be served in landing a few thousand troops in a country, having more than half a million men under arms. Such advents would not cause more than a temporary panic in the district directly affected, and this feeling would speedily give place to one that the invaders must be capjturod or shot in the shortest possible time. Nevertheless, it is possible that such raids might bo attempted, because many Germans believed that if ono or more successful panics were created it would have an appreciable effect both in England and on the ConItinent. PRINCE OF WALES FUND COINC A. MILLION. (Received 10.0 a.m.) London, August 14. Arrived at ' Plymouth: The Rotorua. The Prince of Wales fund amounts to a million. THE ARMISTICE. A parallel to the refusal of the German request for a twenty-four hours 3 armistice, ostensibly to bury their dead and collect their wounded, is afforded by all incident in the South African War. After fierce fighting in the battle of'Paardeberg, on February 18th. 1900, the British attack under the command of Lord Kitchener had failed to get into tho strong position held by General Cronje, in his laager in the Modder river-lied. Lord Roberts, Commander-in-Chief, arrived on the 19th with reinforcements. Cronje bad made no attempt to break out. The only stop he bad taken, an application for a twenty-four hours' armistice to bury his dead and collect his wounded, clearly showed that his best hope now lay in postponing tho attack. In twenty-four hours, his men might re- j cover from the effects of the battle, ! and, at any rate, improve their defences; above all, twenty-four hours ] gained might mean everything to tho [British forces hurrying np to tho relief. Lord Roberts saw this, and at once sent a message to Cronje declining to grant his request and summoning him to surrender unconditionally, j Cronje, however, had no idea of surrendering, and sent back a laconic refusal, which was, however, mistrans- \ lated as an ncceptanct. Heavy firing on the troops sent down to the river to take over the prisoners, revealed tho mistake.