TACTICS OF GERMANY.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 174, 28 August 1914, Page 5

TACTICS OF GERMANY.

MOVE TO GAIN TIME. MAIN DEFENCES OF BERLIN. LONDON, August 27. The Dutch Press, on, the strength of German sources of information, declares that Germany 's plan appears to be to abandon temporarily East aad £ West Prussia to the Russians, tie armies withdrawing slowly west to the River Oder, where the main defences of Berlin are. ■*- • The object, of this move is to afford time for the German armies operating . against Franco to deal a, death-blow to . the British and French forces, and then March to 'Paris. The distance between Mons and Paris is only a quarter of the distance between Insterburg, in, Eas| Prussia, and Berlin. / FINANCE IN* BRITAIN. FOREIGN COUNTRIES' INDEBTED. ' NESS. ' AN INVOLVED POSITION. LONDON, August 27„ The '' Morning Post" says that at® present the indebtedness of Germany, Austria, France, Russia, Italy, and. the Netherlands to the Yorkshire wool and textile trade is estimated at be- > tWeen four and five millions, of which half is German. Practically no bills have been honoured for goods 'shipped after April last. Many firms have their whole capital sunk in the countries now at war. It ii suggested that the Government will be bound to consider some arrangement for a clearing house, on lines whereby the British, nation's debit can be set against what is owing. The ' 1 Bankers' Magazine'' states that during the ten days prior to the closing of the Stock Exchange on July 30, 387 representative stocks depreciated £187,992,000. British funds show a loss for the month of £44,600,0t)0, and j foreign Government secuxitijesr--£47,000,000. Chicago wheat, jumped., three . -cents on the news of Lord Kitchener's announcement that Britain was preparing for a three years' war if necessary. FRENCH CABINET RESIGNS. A RECONSTITUTION. PROMINENT STATESMEN INCLUDED. * PARIS, August 27. The Ministry has resigned, and a reconstitution has taken place as follows: M. Viviani, Premier of the CaMnet of National Defence. M. Millerand, Minister of War. . ' M. Brand, -Minister of Justice. M. Delcasse, Minister of Foreign Affairs. /

M. Ribot, Minister of Finance. M. Angagneur, Minister of Marine. M. Sembat, Minister of Public Works. M. Malvy, Minister, of Education. , M. Doumerges, Minister for the Colo« nies. IN THE FAR EAST, NAVAL ENGAGEMENT AT TSING* TATJ. BRITISH LOSE ELEVEN KILLED. SYDNEY, August 27. A Reuter message, via New York, dated August 26 (evening), reads: — '' Peking —The British lost eleven killed and wounded on Aug«st 24 in a torpedo-boat fight with Germans oij j Tsing-tau." BRITISH SHIP HELD VP. BOARDED BY THE GERMANS. ARMY OFFICER AND GUNNER REMOVED. f LQNDON, August 27. The steamer Galician has arrived. She reports that during her passage

H German cruiser signalled her to stop j find not to use her wireless. The opera- j tor, however, immediately scut S.O.S. fsignals ami had sent the iirst three letters of the Galician's name when the Gcrmaus signalled "We will blow off your bridge if another letter leaves.'-' .Genua 11 officers then came aboard in - a courteous manner and arrested a Britis'i Army officer and a gunner. While the incidentwas proceeding, a German liner, disguised and flying the colours of the .Union-Castle line, appeared. The cruiser forced her to hoist the German mercantile flag. The Galician's passengers ilieered the Germans as they left the Galician, which was allowed to proceed liiter her wireless had been wrecked. AFTER MANY YEARS. REVENGE FOR MURDER. CIVILIANS IN WARP ABE. LONDON, August 26. In 1870 German troojjs plundered the farm of a German named Hauff', living hi Alsace. Hauff, enraged, shot a eouple of the marauders, and the Germans placed liim against the wall of bis house and shot him. His little son, weeping over the body, told his mother that when he grew up lie would shoot the Germans who killed his father. The widow emigrated to' Belgium and settled at Vise, and the son married and had two sons. When the Germans reached Vise last week, Hauff's hatred was rekindled by the German atrocities, an I , | lie shot one of the invaders. The Germans thereupon placed him and his tw r o sons against the wall of their own house . and shot them. . * An American who has returned fro.n Germany states that the Germans, on . reaching Battice, in Belgium, compelled the cure to stand barefooted and ba res'■ headed in front of his'church while the . irmy passed, threatening liim with death if the slightest provocation was given ■by the townspeople. After a few thousand soldiers had passed, the priest heard his woman servant cry out, and, pushing to his hou?e, found her struggling with a German soldier. He struck ;tfie soldier, • whereupon six soldiers inarched him to the front of the church and shot him.