NOTES ON THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2276, 9 October 1914, Page 4

NOTES ON THE WAR

The fact that the London Times has momentarily Telaxed from its customary solemnity to indulgo in a facciious reference to the Germans overstaying their welcome in France, and suggesting that President Poinoaee has gone to the front to bid them a hearty farewell, may be. taken as a good sign. The great Dondon journal no doubt is very well acquainted with the position, and is hardly likely to employ such language at such a time, unless it had good grounds for confidence. As a matter of fact, later messages frtmi the front show matters. in a more pleasant light than they havo appeared during the past few days. Some people who are ready at the slightest chance to jump to disagreeable conclusions seem to have imagined that because..we have not had any outstanding success recorded within the last day or two, and because the Germans made a slight impression at one, or two points, they were justified in preparing for the worst. People who -are up in the clouds one day and in'-the deepest depths of gloom the next only make needless worry for themselves and for all with whom they may come into contact. With a fighting line over 250 miles in length', thero are bound to be some points at which the enemy may secure a temporary advantage from time to time, but such happenings should bo regarded in their true perspective in° relation to the whole position, and' not given an exaggerated importance. As it is, the news to-day shows that any 'ground lost has been regained, and the situation in France is probably more satisfactory than it has been at any stage during > the past fortnight.

One of the most significant items is the statement that the northern march of the enemy's cavalry in tho direction of Lille has been checked. 'Our'readers no doubt are familiar now with the effort that is being made by tho Allies to envelop the German Eight Wing. In North-East-ern France. The purpose of this has bean fully explained on previous occasions. It would now seem that tho purpose of tho German cavalry was to endeavour to further extend tho German lines and so prevent the enveloping movement which tho infantry apparently had not been able to check. Presumably the Allies have moved too rapidly for the German infantry, or it may be that reinforcements' have reaohed the Allies' linos" from the north. In any case, the news would appear to I indicate that tho enveloping movement still continues, despite the desperate efforts of the Kaiser's forces; and this, short of the complete retirement of the Germans from France; is about the best news wo could expect, at the present stage of affairs. The Times' article we may hope will prove correct.in its hint of still better news to come. ,

.The attack on Antwerp continues, and we can safely assume that a desperate conflict is proceeding before this the great fortified seaport of Belgium. At time of writing there is little to guide us as to the probable 'outcome of the fighting here, but if the Germans have their heaviest siege guns in use tho city is bound to suffer teverely. Tho Allies, we may assume, will hasten their efforts against tho Germans in NorthEastern France, with a view to relieving the pressure on the defenders of Antwerp. The Russians are pressing homo their successes against tho Germans and Austrians, but apparently in East Prussia the Germans have been reinforced, and the fighting is stubborn. It is stated y that the Austrian Chief of Staff has been displaced, and that the Germans now control both the German and Austrian forces. This may prove useful to tho Russians, as it is likely to cause discontent amongst the Austrian troops, and especially amongst that portion whose sympathies aw pro-Slav, rather than pro-German.

Quite a budget of items comes from the sea to-day. Summed up, the enemy is reported to have suffered a further loss of ten war vessels of various kinds. Three are. sfated to have been sunk in Hiaochau harbour by the Japanese; six have gone to the bottom with practically all their the Adriatic; and in the North.Sea, off the German coast, the British submarine E9 has once more won distinction by sinking a German destroyer and damaging a second. This is the same JußEmi sank tho German cruiser Hela. The spot at which the more recent exploit is stated to have been performed is quite 200 miles from the nearest part of the English coast, and in all probability was but a short distance from the locality in which the three British cruisers were tornedoed by German submarines. The presence of a British submarine in German waters is a reminder that our fleet, though silent, is by nb means id'e. ,

A cablegram which appeals jn another column announces that the French mines now anchored in the Adriatic Sea are provided with the safeguards prescribed by the Hague Convention of 1907. During the present war the Germans have utteilv disregarded the regulations'laid down by the Convention, and as the result of their violation of the laws of civilised warfare in this respect many merchant vessels of neutral Powers have been destroyed, and much loss of life has token place. The Conference declared that it is against the .rules of war to lay unanchored automatic contact mines unless they are so constructed as to become harmless one hour at most after the person who laid them has ceased to control them; or to lay anchored automatic contact mines which do not -become harmless as soon as they have broken loose from their moorings. Loose floating mines may be a terrible danger to neutral.

shipping after a war is over, but considerations of this character have little weight with the Gorman authorities. At the Hague Conference _ the British delegates proposed that the Powers should agree to prohibit the use of all contact mines, anchored or unanchored. which do not become harmless as soon as they get loose, and also to forbid the use of contact mines of any kind,, except before fortified naval ports within a distance- of ten miles from the position of the guns on land. The German representatives opposed these proposals, but said they would agree to the prohibition of the use of floating mines for a period of five years. In the light lof subsequent events, this counter-offer seems to have' a sinister significance. Did the German War Party have the present war in view as far back as 1007? If not, why was the period of prohibition suggested by them limited to five years \

The German prosecuted in the Magistrate's Court on Tuesday last, and fined £20 for having a wireless plant in his possession, was lucky to escape so easily. There was a tendency on the part of all concerned in dealing with this case to treat the matter far too lightly. The fact that the plant in question was not a yjowerful plant was advanced as a reason why the defendant in the action should be treated leniently. The absurdity of this idea is really so • apparent that it is astonishing j to find that it was entertained for a single moment. Is a man any less 'guilty because the only weapon he [ can secure to commit a crime is less effective than weapons which are beyond his reach 1 We are far removed from the chief centred of _ conflict, but we have our own immediate risks and dangers to consider, and our own responsibilities. ■ We.know that one of our chief handicaps has been the possibilities of the enemy obtaining information as to the movements of warships and shipping by means of wireless telegraphy. The-Allies' warships have spent many weeks of valuable time in seeking out and destroying the enemies' wireless stations in the Pacific in order to cut off sources of information to German cruisers, and by so doing to marrow their both. of doing damage and of avoiding capture. And yet, when an ex-German Navy man in our midst purchases a wireless plant, because the best he can procure is a,..p00r thing, he is allowed to escape with a fine of £20 or a month's imprisonment. Are we so simple as to believe that the purchase of this wireless plant was made, as suggested, merely to practise the Morse code 1 The idea is too absurd for words. The present is not a time for. flabby sentiment-alism. The Empire is fighting for its life, and here in Mew Zealand; as in every other part of tho Empire, those who would betray us 'or lay themselves open to the' suspicion of seeking to aid our enemies should be made to feel' that they will be called on to bear the heaviest penalties which the law provides.

' Ah" offer which we have no doubt will produce a ready response on the part of citizens has been made by the great tobacco and cigarettemaking firm, Messes. W. D. and H. 0. Wills. This firm, through its local representative, has conveyed to the Government an intimation of its willingness to supply to our troops, when they reach the field of hostilities, tobacco and cigarettes at cost price and duty free. The samo generous offer has been made to the other British Dominions sending troops to Europe. It means in effect that it will be possible to purchase for our men' cigarettes and tobacco at about one-third the retail price here, and thero will be the additional advantage, if a sufficient sum is forthcoming by public subscription; that the. men will get their supplies when they most need them— that is, when they are on active service in the theatre of war. As will bo seen from a notice, in our news columns, the Mayor, Mr.J. P. Luke, and a number of other, citizens have already interested themselves in the matter of raising subscriptions for the purpose in view, and a list will be opened at the office of this paper. There are many people who would like to show in some way *their appreciation of the spirit which prompted the members of the Expeditionary Force to so readily offer their services. And here is a method of doing so. The happy, idea of enclosing in each tin or package a slip intimating that it is the gift' ,'of the people of New Zealand will serve as a frequent pleasant reminder to the men that here in the Dominion their fellow-citizens will bo anxiously. watching events and keenly interested in their doings abroad.