THEATRE OF THE WAR.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 174, 28 August 1914, Page 3

THEATRE OF THE WAR.

LECTURE AT CANTERBURY COLLEGE. The last of the series of popular lectures at Canterbury College in aid of' the library fund, was delivered by Mr Lutton Carter, of Christ's College, last evening to a large audience, his subject being Theatre . of the Present War.'' Mr J. C. Adams presided, and in introducing the speaker .explained that Mr Carter was filling the vacancy caused by the absence of Professor Stewart with the Expeditionary Force. Mr Carter said that he had/approached the task with diffidence, seeing that he possessed neither the prophetic vision of the seer, nor the power attributed to Wellington of guessing what was 011 the other side of the hill. His one excuse for delivering the lecture, however, was that he had spent some time in Western Germany, . from Cologne down to the Swiss frontier, and had cycled through France from Paris, through Eheinis to Metz,. and down the Moselle valley along the line five or ten years ago was thought to be the national line of advance of a German Army invading France. Further, -at Cambridge, he had studied the campaigns of Marlborough in the field now covered by the contending armies. He had felt the threats of Germany to be very real, and had made a special study of the situation. He pointed out how "universal service was a part of the life of the people, and dealt with scheme of mobilisation and the means of the army

reaching the front by the many j strategetie railways which • had been ! launched towards the French and Belgian frontiers., Owing to the position Germany occupied with France and Russia adjacent, she had either to face a deliberate immediate action or a liberate and more dangerous inaction.' She had been compelled to assume the offensive, and that with lightning speed, which- probably explained why she was not wholly prepared for the jiresent war.

Mr Carter dealt with the area through which Germany was attacking and compared the strength and size of the French and German forts. Pealiug with the German line of retreat the speaker showed how the fact that there were but very few bridges over the Rhine would seriously hamper the German Army in the event of their having to beat a retreat. If an army of two million men was hurrying-back across the Rhine, which was often 400 yards broad, with an average depth of 10ft, and a depth in some place of 75ft, they would get into rather a mess. The Germans were now building bridges as fast as they, could, but more with the idea of hurrying up troops than for the purpose of retreat. • Mr Carter then touched on the Alsace Lorraine problem from the time of the Roman Empire. Alsace had been peopled by Germans and Lorraine by the French, and they had changed hands. Since 1871 Germany had endeavoured to Germanise Alsace and Lorraine, and -had drawn all officials from Prussia, thus making a very foolish mistake, as Prussia was loathed by all souther" Germans. Germany's semi-militarv railway administration was also touched upon, and Mr Carter showed the strategic value of these railways, and how they were worked en-

tirely with a view to war. In all probability the present campaign had been planned out ten years ago. The lecturer then compared tho French armaments with those of Germany, showing that in only , r three instances was France aheadj with aeroplanes, quiek-firers and rifles. In reply to a letter received asking why France had' not thrown 200,000 men into Belgium to relieve Liege, Mr Carter said. that • France had not been prepared for an attack in that quarter; it was v not a part of the French defence, and as General .Joff re had said the otlnpr day they had at last gone into Belgium.; because the Belgians iiad"/fought so.gallantly. . .. -■ In conclusion the lecturer compared airships and aeroplanes, his remarKS - going to show that the latter were much more serviceable. Airships did not move as fast as ( aeroplanes, and they cost much more to buiTd. The French had 334 aeroplanes, which, on account of their speed, were very difficult for the enemy to hit. If they flew only at.,-"* a speed of 50 miles an hour they would be in range of a gun for a very short' time. ; Various lantern slides were shown s during the course of the lecture, principally of German and French military views and aeroplanes. > A vote; of thanks was accorded the lecturer with acclamation. -