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NOTES ON THE WAR

Three outstanding features of to- ; day's news from the centres of war ! are: (1) The reported naval engagement between the British and Geri man fleets in the North Sea; (2) the desperate fighting between the Belgian and German forces near Liege; and (3) th 6 drop in the bank rate to 5 per cent. Too much importance should not be attached to the fall in the bank rate, because it is no doubt partly due to the fact that the Bank of England is not now called on to meet its obligations in gold, but may pay in notes; but the drop is nevertheless an enoouraging Bign. The reported naval engagement is not officially confirmed, but there are a number of significant incidents which support the idea that there have been encounters of some sort in tho North Sea. From the' mass of contradictory matter two things stand out clear enough. The first is that the shipowners whose vessels trade out of the Tyne have been notified by the ■ Admiralty that their vessels can continue trading by daylight. The Tvne, of oourse, is on tile East Coast of the North of England/ and it is to be assumed that the intimation given by tho Admiralty'indicates that any German warships .which have been hanging around that quarter of the North Sea on the look out for colliers from-New-castle-on-Tyne have been driven off, probably to ' the south'. The other messages confirmatory of fighting in the North Sea are the reports setting out particulars of the number of German prisoners' and wounded landed at Harwich, on the East Coast of 'England. . One message states that 300 Germans wounded had been landed at' Harwich, which, by the way, is one of the naval hospital centres. ; It is obvious that these Germans must have been wounded in some sort of naval engagement in the North Sea. Another message mentions that a torpedo flotilla had' an encounter, and landed, both English and German wounded, although none of the vessels v of the flotilla were_ injured. The reports are so conflicting that it is not safe to assume more than.the fact that therehas been fighting of some description and that the North Sea around the' northern coast of England has' been cleared for the time being of the enemy's warships. Ashore the position is' somewhat different Circumstantial - reports of the fighting' around Liege are now coming to hand, and they go. to confirm previous accounts of the gallant resistance which tho Belgians are offering to the onslaught of thb German forces. It. would seem that the German officers have endeavoured; to carry the day by sheer weight of numbers. It is well-nigh incredible that the German troops could have been exposed to slaughter in the manner described, and yet the special Military writer for the London Times, who has made a study of German army methods, foretold something of this nature long before the present war broke out. His chief line of . criticism was directed against the manner in which the troops exposed themselves during their military manoeuvres, and his anticipations of what would happen should they pursue such tactics in actual warlare have proved terribly true.. We are not told the actual losses suffered by the invaders, ■ but in asking for-an armistice the Germans are stated to have admitted a loss of 25,000 men, besides which seven regiments are reported to have surrendered Evenconceding that these figures may 'have been exaggerated it is certain that the advance of the German forces has been checked in >. manner <little anticipated. The Belgians refused the. armistice, and it is now stated, that a force of 400,000 Germans will: march against Belgium. At the outset of the fighting on the . Belgian frontier the Germans .expected, to sweep all before them with a foi;ce of 100,000 men. After their first attempt had been frustrated, an additional 30,000, headed by the Ceown' Prince in person, was brought forward. Now we are told that 400,000 men-are , to bo used at this point. In the meantime the Belgians are gallantly holding their own, and French troops are going to their' assistance, while a British expeditionary force, of 100,000 men ere this is published may have landed in Belgium. ""Germany oontinues to add to her troubles. To the onlooker it would almost seem that those who govern her destinies have been stricken with madness. Not content with making war on Russia and France, she deliberately rejected the opening left her to secure the neutrality- of Britain ; forced Belgium to . take up arms against her - now makes an active enemy of Holland; is on the verge of driving Switzerland and Sweden to join the ranks of her foes;--and has threatened to swell the forces arrayed against her by making war 1 on Italy. Could folly go further 1 The : situation to-day is an amazing one. The arrogant aggression of ;the Aus-tro-German combination lids forced j into the field against them three great Powers ('England, France, and Russia),- four smaller nations (Servia-, , Belgium, Holland, and Montenegro), i and there is every probability that : Germany's disregard of all obliga- ' tions to other nations will add still 1 further to> the* hostile .forces which 1 she has dragged into, the conflict. , Small wonder is it that we learn to- ' day that the German troops and'tho ] German people arc depressed. Well j may they marvel at tho madness : which has stricken their rulers. < . — _ i • A great many people are over- ( ready to assume from the reverses . suffered by the German forces that i the war cannot last for any length of 1 time. Everyone would be glad to ' think that such was the case, but as a ' matter of fact tho fighting, so far as f known, that has taken place up to the , present- ban bran tun re in the nature' t of preliminary, ckirmiehiag thaujj

anything else.' In making this statement, it is in no way intended to underrate the importance of the fighting near the Belgian frontier. That, indeed, is of vital concern, insofar as it has checked for the time being at least ono part of Germany's plan of campaign for the invasion of Franco, and has had the further effect of affording time for the mobilising of tho main French and Russian forces. But the huge armies of the_ Austro-German alliance, with their _ millions of trained men, aro steadily moving towards the various frontiers, and the main clashes have yet to" come. The moral effect of the check given by Belgium will in all probability do quite as much injury to the Austro-German cause as tho actual losses inflicted. The German Army has been taught kfhelievo that when it once took the field in grim earnest it wouldbe irresistible, and here is an insignificant little country like Belgium, not merely setting it at defiance, but repulsing its repeated onslaughts with heavy losses. The German belief was that Belgium provided an easy road to France, and y could be overawed or brushed aside as occasion required. With the disillusionment now afforded will come , a recognition of the tremahdous possibilities of a rejuvenaWd France and a reorganised-Kussian Army. The. steps taken by the Government to relieve the position of mortgagees during the period of financial strain consequent on the war will ba generally approved. The ■ measure passed to provide for the control of food prices will also meet with favour, although very great care will require to be exercised in giving effect to the powers conferred under this Bill. It is wholly desirablo that tho public should be protected against any attempt at exploitation, s but at the same time' nothing should be done' that is; likely to act as a brake oh the enterprise of those engaged in our overseas, trade with Britain andfriendly foreign na- , tions. It is desirable that we should maintain the volume of our trade as far as possible, and in this connection wo must face heavy freights and high insurance rates consequent on the war risks, which means dearer prices for certain lines •of goods. However, as we understand the position, it.is not the intention of the Government to rush into any_ hasty action in the way of interfering with the trade of the' community The Act passed is merely a precautionary measure which will enable the Gov--ernment to take action should circumstances demand it. , The response, to the call foi/ 'assistance in providing horses and other needs in connection: with the dispatch of _ah Expeditionary Force to assist iif'the maintenance of the solidarity of -the Empire has been most gratifying. Mr. Hunter, Sir Walter Buchanan, and -Mr. Myers; and others in the ranks of the Parliamentarians led off arid set a fine example of practical patriotism, and other citizens* are acting in an equally generous spirit as regards donations of horses and money. Political differences bavo been thrust into the background, and keen controversies -which tend .to separate the people have been discontinued until the present.trouble is over. The excellent spirit_shown by. the. leaders . of .the 'Biblc'in-Scbools -Leaguo ining the Minister of ■Education not to proceed anv further with'the Referendum Bill, for the present is a. case :in p'oiiit. It'means a great to. them at the present critical juncture in their strenuous campaign. But they are not content merely-to watch and wait for a more convenient opportunity. They have offered £1000, to be devoted to the equipment of ambulances; The action or the League is a typical illustration of the feeling which pervades tho whole community. Everyone seems determined to place- the welfare of the Empire before all party and sectional considerations. M*r. 'Asquith's exposure. •'of Germany's "infamous proposal" to purchase Britain's neutrality at the expense of her solemn obligations -to other _ nations must have created a deep impression throughout the whole Empire. If thereis such a thing as honour among nations,! Britain could not have refrained without disgrace from drawing the sword. The action of the British Government was in simple recognition of the claims of international.morality. It is generally recognised'that there is a difference between private and international morality, but, as a modern historian remarks, it' is 'quite another thing to assert that there is no rule of right at all in international matters. A State's "regard for its own existence, safety, and strength is not to be treated, as it may easily be, as a concession to an iniquitous selfishness; but as the right and duty of statesmen." But after . making every allowance for a State's duty to itself,, the British Empire could not have escaped a deep sense of humilia* tion had the Imperial . Government been tempted by any promises to.be-tray-France and Russia to Germany, andr had it refused to assist small . nationalities like Holland, Belgium, and Switzerland 'in 1 resisting ■ a Power which openly violates treaties and tramples ruthlessly on national rights. If any reasonable man had previously any doubts as to the_ justification ' of-,:Britain's intervention,' Mr. Asquith's disclosures can hardly fail to , remove them, -and to establish the conviction that "no nation ever entered a great conflict with a clearer conscience." Britain is not fighting for her own aggrandisement,' but against Germany's arrogant attempt to place the rest of Europe under her iron heel. ;

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19140810.2.12

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2224, 10 August 1914, Page 4

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,874

NOTES ON THE WAR Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2224, 10 August 1914, Page 4

NOTES ON THE WAR Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2224, 10 August 1914, Page 4

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