INCIDENTS OF THE WAR

Timaru Herald, Volume CI, Issue 15448, 10 September 1914, Page 7

INCIDENTS OF THE WAR

GERMAN TRICKS. DECEIVED BRITISH TROOPS. "Times" and Sydney "Sun" Servids. Press Association—By Tel.—Copyright. LONDON, Sept. S- . A wounded piivato of the Royal Irish says—"A fair number of our men havo been captured owing to the trick of tho Germans continually .sounding our bugle calls. la one of the wor&t lights the Germans sounded tho retreat, and four of our advanced battalions were then attacked in murderous fashion a.s they deployed acloss the

open. This threw the whole line into

confusion. We soon recovered and drove off the Germans with the bayonet. "Bugle calls were then abolished, but the Germans tumbled to the game and commenced picking off despatch riders carrying orders. In consequence some of our troops did not know whether to advance or retreat and got cut off here and there."

A wounded Russian reports that Germans have a habit of raising the white flag at the moment of a final Russian charge, thus disconcerting the attackers, upon whom the Germans pour a volley when at short range. GERMAN SPY SYSTEM. WELL ORGANISED. A British officer states that the persistence of German spies is amazing. "A screen of hundreds precedes the advance of the spies. Most of them are captured, hut some get through and return with valuable reports. "The Britishers find them everywhere, even marching among the British troops. They invariably wear British uniforms made for the purpose. ' 'They seldom speak English or French, and are shot without exception, but their loss does not affect the system. Ten may be found in a village and shot in one day, and there will be twenty there next day." A soldier's letter states: "Now we seldom see German airships. They have found that the French airships are more than a match for them, and prefer to trust to army spies. We never turn a hair when we see this scum shot," - ' AN INTERESTING SAMPLE. Press Association—By Tel.—Copyright. Received 10 p.m., Sept. 9th. FREMANTLE, Sept. 9. Arrived —Mooltan from London. Passengers state that when at Colombo they learned that after a prominent German had left he was discovered to have been acting as a spy and that lie had bribed a coloured wireless operator to send warning messages to approaching German vessels, enabling them to escape. The operator confessed, and he was court-martiailed and shot. BIG LEVY IN FORAGE. Received 9-30 p.m.. Sept. 9th. GHENT, Sept.' 8.

A German general informed the Burgomaster that ho had no intention to take the town, and that no money was wanted, but ho levied a. war tax of about two million pounds worth of forage and automobiles along the Berileghem, Alost and Oudenarde roads. OFF HELIGOLAND. THE NEW ZEALAND IN IT. A seaman on board H.M.S. New Zealand writes: "The torpedoers in the Heligoland fight had a hot time. We suddenly appeared on the scene out of a misk and before the enemy knew what was happening we were playing upon them. About fourteen minutes sent some good ships and some imfortunate men. to the bottom."

"COAST LIGHTS OUT."'

CAUSES TWO WRECKS.

Received 12.33 a.m., Sept. 10th SYDNEY, Sept. 9,

The French steamer Pacifique, from Noumea, brought tho crews, numbering forty-two, of tho British barquentino Titania, and Russian barque Aland, both of which were wrecked on tho coats of New Caledonia last month. The disasters wore the result of" the authorities extingu:shing tho lighthouses on the coast owing to the war. Tho Titania, while at Surprise Island lost her topmast yard, and was running for Noumea to repair when she stranded on a coral reef in the darkness. The Aland struck Neakumbi reef while trying to make tho harbour at Tehio iu the eariK- morning. Both aro total wrecks. All aboard cscappd.