General

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXX, Issue 31, 23 September 1914, Page 3

General

NAVAL EXPENDITURE.

ENORMOUS TOTAL OF £183,000,000 DURING 12 MONTHS.

AN INTERESTING COMPARISON.

Times and Sydney Sun Services. (Received 8 a.m.) London, September 22. The Admiralty return of the naval expenditure for the current year shows: — Power • Expenditure Britain ... £52,000,000 Germany 23,000,000 France" 25,000,000 Russia 26,000,000 Italy - W- 000 ' 000 Japan 10,000,000 Austria 7,000,000 America 30,000,000

Total 183,000,000 The personnel of the navies of the Triple Entente is 280,000, and. of Germany and Austria 102,000. SERMON ON THE WAR.

London, September 22. Dr. Jowett, of New York, late of Birmingham, preaching at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, said he hoped that now Germany would be emancipated from her servitude to militarism, and that now Britain would be purified from moral and spiritual 1: difference and frivolities.

planting' for employment.

The King has'ordered extensive planting at Sandringham to diminish unemployment. WAR'S HORRORS. IN THE FLOODED TRENCHES AT SOISSONS. "THERE WAS NO GROWLING." London, September 21. Mr Philip Uibbs, cabling on Saturday, said: "When the great storm was raging at Soissons on Thursday ana Friday, causing floods, the British had tne most trying time of tho war. it tried their nerves and souls to tho last point of human endurance. Several who left the trenches on a special mission looked as though they had been through a torture chamber. I'Jiey Buffered nameless horrors, were chilled to the bone, and were snaking in every limb. JSeveytheless, there was no growling. The aimy, dirty as mudlarks, unshaven and tattered, were still confident, and as ready to joke as ever. "The strength of the German position made it very difficult for the British to cross tho marshland, which ij intersected by rivers and canals. At present it is utterly impossible for infantry, cavalry, or heavy guns to cross tfio swamps. "Tho German lliri guns on the surrounding hills were giving a lot of trouble to the British gunners. An incessant artillery duel waged for days, covered by which both sides have been entrenching and rushing over tho open ground, with rifle fire and bayonet charges, in order to obtain advantageous positions for further entrenchments. The British showed superiority in the battle of the trenches, and gained good ground, though at heavy cost. With the experience of the Boer war, the British were far better than the enemy at taking advantage of every scrap of cover. Fighting in open formation, on several occasions they took trenches which by all tho rules of war were impregnable. The British were assisted by the Zouaves, who repeatedly charged under the deadliest fire and reached the enemy's positions. The Germans fled, but not until the trenches were filled with the corpses of tho slain. The Frenchmen tossed ti,em out of the pits 'as though they were haymaking,' as one of them said. . , General von Kluck on Friday night o-dered a general advance of the infantry from Chavinguy and Naizye Chateau upon, for tho most part, the British trenches round Soissons, while the artillery again searched the position, endeavouring to unnerve tho British. The wind was howling and the rain lashing down, and the BritiF.i needed all their courago. Shrapnel k-lied many, but the Germans were tt'.t the right stuff to turn out tho entrenched British, and they retired quicker than they came. Tho British gv.ns pounded them, and the rifle fire Kid them in heaps."

REMARKABLE EFFICIENCY OF ENEMY'S GUNNERS. ASSISTANCE FROM AVIATORS. (Received 9 a.m.) London, September 22. Mr Gibbs continues: "Tlio eeuracy and rapidity of the German ounne -s were particularly remarkable. At Soissons tliey were assisted by aviators, who drop scraps of papers am 1 bombs which act as smoke-signals. In one case on Friday an 11-inch gun dropped a shell close to the British headquarters and several of the stalf had a narrow escape. Tho hendquaters were, immediately shifted ant within half an hour fifty shells dropcd on the same spot."