FRIGHTFULNESS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 6689, 16 August 1919, Page 3

FRIGHTFULNESS.

BARBARITIES WHICH RECOILED 1 ON THE GERMANS. With the development of trench warfare the enemy resorted to devices of devilish ingenuity to gain an advantage over the Allies. The roles of civilise,! warfare were iloutcd in uccoi dance with the German intention to win the w;tr Ity fair means or fool, the latl.'i', it lev::u;clear, for piefcicnee. In this they :'e seroiid'eil tiv the coiKenlrated eltoit <■ i i heir s.cient ific men. In April. 1915, the Gennaus launched their lirst gas attack, gaining by the aid of this atrocious weapon of warfare an advance noith of Ypres. The news of the foul device sent a thrill of ini.ror tlirooghoot Christendom, but for a long time the Allies recoiled from reprisals in kind, (las masks were inwnled' anil perfected, and etl'orts nVade with these protectors to counter whatever advantages were gained by the enemy with the aid l of the gas cloud. Then the Germans introduced 1 other forms of gas, more subtle in their apj.uiacli, more penetrating ill' their rami- ■: " ition.s. more liiilrons in their torment, i.Ming al Hie same time a frightt'ul ..vcapon known as the llammenweri'er the "nine thrower- by which liquid' 'ire was projected into the Allied trenches, indicting excruciating agony on the unfortunate men who were caught in the zone of burning spray. It now a matter of military necessity In meet these atrocities by reprisals in kind, otherwise the situation would have been seriously prejudiced. The Allies called on their scientists, and, it can truthfully -be said', for every- weapon' of I'rightfulness the Germans devised the Allies went one better. I'oison gases were invented-, flame throwers devis-ed, and other varieties of fright fulness iuIroduced which were perfectly appalling in their effects. Their influence on ! l,e morale of the Germans may be .lodged by the facrthnt hints were actually thrown out by the enemy's agents' and propagandists that proposals for a return to recognised methods of warfare might be discussed. Needless to say, these proposals were not entertai.ned. The Germans had by this time forfeited all claims to any sort of consideration at the hands of civilisation, and 1 they were made to pay dearly, before the armistice, for their disregard of the rules o'f war and their frightful violations of the rights of humanity.