SIDELIGHTS ON THE WAR.

Waipawa Mail, Volume XXXVII, Issue 7916, 9 August 1917, Page 1

SIDELIGHTS ON THE WAR.

FROM VARIOUS SOURCES. “Flight of the British Government.” The “Berliner Morgenpost” prints in heavy type under the headline “Flight of the English Government from London,” a Dutch telegram, stating that the English Government is seriously entertaining the intention of removing the seat of Government from London owing to the continual aeroplane attacks. Frugal Hotel Breakfast. The official organ of the German Commercial Travellers’ Association complains of the “miserable breakfasts” now served at Berlin hotels. They are said to consist of a small pot of coffee substitute, a tiny smear of sugar-beet marmalade, two pills of saccharine, and two thin slices of bread. This repast costs Is 6d, and the “commercials” raise their voices in angry protest. A Sign of the Times. A Norwegian newspaper states that the Government shipping office is at the present time engaged in the construction of a new model lifeboat with which all 'Norwegian merchantmen will be equipped. The chief object of the new boat is to provide shelter and warmth, so that wrecked seamen may not freeze to death after their ship has been torpedoed. Trench Foot on the Decline. The R.A.M.C. are very pleased at the low percentage of trench-foot cases which have been recorded in the past winter. It is hoped that this trouble will be eliminated if there should be another winter campaign. The judicious oiling of the feet is an important matter; Frostbite, by the way, is a more serious affair, but it is not of frequent occurrence. Man With 15 Children Exempt. When the military applied for the review of a conditional exemption certificate granted to Frederick Rocknil, 40, farm hand, at Henley Rural District Tribunal, on June 16th, it was stated that he had 15 children. Mr E. H. Dee, the Board of Agriculture representative, said the man deserved exemption. He was granted conditional exemption until September 30th. Doukhobors in Canadian Army. Although the Doukhobors, the Russian tribe who settled en masse in Canada some years ago, are recognised as immune from military service, over 100 of them have joined Saskatchewan battalions. This is the more remarkable when it is remembered that they left Russia largely on account of their rooted objection to military service. Many of them still maintain that attitude, and the Canadian Government lias recognised their scruples. It is also remarkable that they should now be fighting in a cause which so largely concerns the land they migrated from. Help from the Basutos. The Basutos have completed a national collection for the Imperial War Funds as a practical proof of their loyalty and patriotism to His Majesty the King. The gift is a very substantial and valuable contribution to the British and Allied war resources, and incidentally a noteworthy proof of the material prosperity of the Basulo people. The Basuto nation has raised, in money or kind, no less than £30,000. They had already raised a sum of £2861 for the Prince of Wales’ Fund in 1915. It evoked a message of warm appreciation from His Majesty, who intimated his approval of its utilisation for the purchase of aeroplanes, to be employed in the war. Flour from Wood.

In Germany, says Professor Delmer in the “Times,” there is at present in use a method secretly but extensively practised of obtaining a kind of flour from wood. This “flour” goes by the name of Holzemehl. The Russian forests in the occupied districts, he has heard, are being ruthlessly cut down and turned into wood-meal. This wood-meal is intended primarily to serve as a cattle food. “Of its nutritive properties I know nothing. They are said to be low. Bread is also made from it, and I have been told that it is given to the soldiers. I am more inclined to think that it is reserved as a delicacy for the prisoners’ camps.”

A Fighting King. In the course of a descriptive article on the fighting on the Italian front, Mr Rudyard Kipling says: —Many pleasant tales are current in his armies concerning the King of Italy. The gist of them all is that he is very much of a man as well as a statesman. Kings and ammunition dumps are fair targets for aeroplanes, but, if the tale be true, and it squares with all the others, there is one king at least who shoots back and shoots straight. No gear or circumstance distinguish him from any other general in field kit, down to the single ribbon that testifies to a year’s war service. He moves temperate, loyal, keen, in stark simplicity among his men and the full hazards of war. War-time Smokers. Venerable jokes about cabbage or hay cigars have become a sad and seriouse reality in Germany owing to the scarcity and high cost of genuine tobacco. The latest war substitute within the purview of the governmental department on substitutes _ is composed of the above, together with other ingredients like strawberry leaves, lavender blossoms and sandalwood to impart aroma.

The Kaiser *8 Deserters. The “Berliner Tageblatt” announces that the Kaiser has signed an army order promising all deserters a stay of judgment, with the probability of pardon, if they report for military service before July 15th. Pardon will be granted in the case of soldiers whose conduct in the present war justifies such clemency. All deserters except those surrendering direct to the enemy are included. The measure is directly intended for men who have reached neutral countries. It is calculated there are about 35,000 German deserters in Holland. ,

Epidemic of Fires. The “Munich Latest News” states that a serious “epidemic” of fires is raging throughout Bavaria and other German States. ‘ ‘ Whole cities, parts of villages and towns, factories, railway stations, farms, and other properties,” it says, “have latterly been burnt up. The losses run into millions, and are especially grievous because in many cases irreplaceable raw materials and foodstuffs have been consumed. The public cannot be too strongly warned to be on its guard against prisoners of war and against carelessness by Germans, grown-ups as well as children.”

The Pronunciation of Wytschaete. Referring to Wytschaete, captured by the British, a writer in the 1 ‘ Evening Standard” says:—A Flemish correspondent kindly supplies me with a phonetic aid to the pronunciation, which I gladly pass on to my readers. In Flemish the name is rendered as if it were “White’s Shat” (“a” as in father). In French the word is pronounced “With’s Cat.” The name Wytschaete is derived from “WideSchoote, ’ ’ a word which means ‘ ‘ longshot.” Never in its history, I suspect, has the place so fully justified its name as it is doing in these days. Our Tommies call Wytschaete “White sheet. ’ ’

Armenians at £1 Per Head. Information which has reached London from the Caucasus shows that, despite the wholesale slaughterings of last year, there are a considerable number of Armenians as prisoners in the hands of the Kurds, who have kept thepi, partly it may be hoped from kindness, but in the main for ransom. The Kurds are now offering to give up their captives at a price as low as £1 a head, and the Armenian Relief Committee would be quite willing to do business on this basis. The difficulty is that only Turkish gold is accepted, and Turkish gold is difficult to obtain. English sovereigns are refused, and, of course, no paper money of any kind would be looked at.

War Prophecies. There has been a rush of interesting forecasts regarding the duration of the war during the last few days, and the “Daily Dispatch” gathers them together. Lord Esher says that the end is in sight and approaching rapidly. The Duke of Portland, on the other hand, plumps for “a very long war.” Mr Balfour, on leaving America, has predicted “an early victory,” and General Smuts has just said, “I think we are nearing the end.” The Berlin “Vorwaerts” declares that “the war must last three years more before it leads to a clear settlement.” Other prophecies of recent date are General Nivelle’s “complete victory soon,” Sir Gilbert Parker’s “victory in the autumn,” the Lord Mayor of London’s “the war will bo Avon this year,” Mr Arthur Henderson’s “Ave are almost at the climax,” Herr Ballin’s “peace by July,” and Mr Austen Chamberlain’s “the date is not very far distant when final victory will be absolutely assured. ’ ’ Shelter in the Clouds. Recent attempts by the Germans to use floating clouds as screens for aeroplane raids have led to some rather spectacular sky bombardments by British anti-aircraft guns, says a correspondent on the western front. The guns occasionally have driven the raiders from cover and forced them to turn back over their own line. German aviators seem especially trained in the defensive use of clouds, for during air battles if a bit of passing vapor is available they inA'ariably dive or side-slip into it. That is but another demonstration of the German passion for digging-in, such as first brought the world war to trench fighting. The Germans dig in on the land, in the air and under the sea. U Boat Bases in Africa. Germany is building air castles about future U boat bases on the coasts of Africa. That fact is disclosed in some comment by the Gov-ernment-controlled Socialist organ “Vorwarts”on a recent speech by General Smuts in London. Referring to the general’s statement that international ways and means ought to be found to prevent the military training of native races, “Vorwarts” says:— “Smuts has had some disagreeable experiences with the well drilled black troops under German command in 1 South-East Africa. He fears that if the Germans have colonies in Africa they would endanger England’s Atlantic and Indian Sea routes. There are good grounds for such fears. It is not a pleasant thought for England that in a future war Germany would have submarine bases elsewhere than Zeebrugge and Wilhelmshaven.”