SIDELIGHTS ON THE WAR

Waipawa Mail, Volume XXXVI, Issue 7721, 18 May 1916, Page 1

SIDELIGHTS ON THE WAR

FROM VARIOUS SjQURORS. Early End of the War. A young Dane, who has recently arrived in England, states that opinion in Denmark is that the cpjlapso of the Central Powers will' conjJ much sooner than is expected intra country. "I was surprised," he-fSd, "to lind that English people Seera|& think that the war will be attenuated, and that Germany can hold out much longer. ’ ’ The Kaiser’s Comfort) Professor Paes, the 'Portuguese Minister who has been recced from Berlin, in jn account of whflJ, he saw in Germany,'snyß: in the same circles where the bellicose spirit formerly reigned one sees only weariness and regrets. Everywhere the Kaiser, when he visits hospitals, lias hut one phrase, always the same in response to cries and complaints, ‘lch babe das nieht gewollt’ (‘I did not wish it’). Now, only peace is spoken of and the necessity of concluding peace. ’’ “Kaiser’s Last Kick.” Jubilant letters are being received from men at the front to the effect that German prisoners are crowding in from the vicinity of Verdun, and they say that the war will be over in two months, Verdun being "almost the Kaiser’s last kick.” Large numbers of mere hoys of fifteen and old men are in the German ranks. Airmen’s Poison Gifts. Bologna newspapers publish a coramunique from the military commander of Ravenna, stating that Austrian aeroplanes on the occasion of the raid on the provinces of Ferrara and Ravenna last February at several places dropped sweets contained in tough paper bags. The sweets were picked up principally by children. From chemical analysis of some picked up at Codigoro, it appears they contained a large quantity of bacilli likely to spread infectious diseases. “Jack Johnson” Statistics. The "New York World” prints the following details relative to the famous German 42-centimetre (16.5 inch) howifker, used to hatter the forts of Verdun:—Weight of gun, 97 4-stons; weight of platform, 41 j tons; length of barrel, 16ft sin; weight of shell, 8851 b; length of shell, 4ft 2in; number of parts in gun, 172; railway cars to transport it, 12; depth of foundation, 26ft; Liege shelled from distance of 14 miles; casualties from first shot, 1700; casualties from second shot, 2300; Namur and Maubeuge held out 1 shot; putting up gun takes heldo ut 1 shot; putting up gun takes 25-26 hours; adjustment of range, 6 hours; gun fired from 300yds; all windows broken within radius of 2£ miles; each shot Costs £524; to serve gun it takes 200 men. The gun crew proper wear protectors over their mouths, eyes and ears, and lie on their stomachs to keep from being injured by the shock of the discharge. The entire gun emplacement is mined, and the engineer in charge is sworn to blow up the gun if it is in danger of capture.

A Mysterious Message. A mysterious message has been received by Mrs Wilson, of the Marfords, Bromborough, Cheshire, suggesting that her husband, Captain Wilson, of the 4th Cheshires, who was reported missing, is still alive. He was reported missing after the Suvla Bay landing on August 10th. No news of him has been received since, but recently Private Harvey, Worcester Regiment, handed to the captain’s wife a sheet of notepaper with the following words written on it, but not in Captain Wilson’s handwriting:— "Captain Wilson, Bromborough, Cheshire Regiment, taken prisoner. Whoever finds this note please deliver it or send it.” German Floet’s Effort. Lord NorthclilTe, in an interview with a French Press representative, recorded in the "Daily Mail,” said:— “As the Germans are now beginning to feel the pinch of famine as the result of the implacable blockade exercised by the Allies, 1 expect a violent explosion of German anger on land and sea during the next six months. I am convinced that the German fleet will before long attempt a great effort. The British Navy knows it, and is expecting the great day with anxious impatience. Not having been invaded, England has been a long time waking up to the reality of the war, hut the old Eastern proverb says, ‘Beware of the man who is slow to anger.’ I believe 1 know Gennany well, and I have not the slightest doubt as to the final issue of the war. ’ ’ Business After the War. Much has been written of the preparations that Germany is making for the resumption of business after the war, while little attention is apparently paid to the mutter in other belligerent countries. In reality, however, the question of business when peace is restored is being studied as closely in France, England and Russia as in Germany. If more publicity is given to the German preparations, it is due partly to the fact that Gennany does nothing quietly, and partly to her realisation of the fact when peace is signed, she will he in a more precarious financial and economical situation than any other of the belligerent countries. Brave British Airman. Letters received in England give particulars of a brilliant aerial performance at the front by Second Lieutenant Cyril Morhain Scedhouse, Royal Flying Corps. Lieutenant Scedhouse, while flying at a considerable height over the enemy's lines

with an observer, Hugh 11. B. Cox, was attacked by two Fokker machines. With considerable pluck and dexterity Seedhouse manoeuvred his aeroplane, enabling his observer to make such useful shooting that one Fokker was driven off. The second then attacked, and during the manoeuvring and shooting Seedhouse was wounded in the back by a bullet, but pluckily continued the fight until his adversary turned tail. Observer Cox, noticing something amiss with Seedhouse, and finding him wounded, shouted "Go home.” By this time Seedhouse was only partially conscious, but in this state ho piloted his machine nearly 20 miles over the enemy lines and completed his task, bringing his observer safely back to the aerodrome. Some Military Slackers. General Gallieni’s hand is striking with n force that should frighten all those men whose proper place is in the trenches and within the range of German bullets. A clean sweep is being made by the Minister of Mar, a territorial officer who had a serviceable soldier for orderly being the first to smart under the general’s displeasure. The fact that the orderly in question possessed an automobile, which his superior was pleased to make use of, only made matters worse, and the officer has been ordered 60 days’ confinement in a fortress. That is not all, for after purging his sentence he is to lose his commission. As for the amiable young soldier chauffeur, he is under orders to join the first contingent hound for the firing line. "It is necessary that all officers and men he convinced,” says the martinet Minister, "that it is a criminal offence to take advantage of certain slack regulations”—to act even us the officer of whom he has made an example.