PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2364, 21 January 1915, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

The Germans have mado their long-threatened air raid on England, but in comparison with the devastating swoop of Zeppelins which they have so often promised, it seems to»havo been a wanton and brutal affair. Accounts available at the moment indicate that no point of military importance was attacked, but that, emulating the example of their compatriots who recently subjected unfortified towns on the English coast to a naval bombardment, tho German air-raiders dropped ■bombs, under cover of darkness, upon a series of towns around the coast of Norfolk and then hurriedly decamped. The bombardment, it is stated, resulted in three persons being killed. In addition, several houses were shattered. It is not clear whether_ any other damage was done, but it is mentioned that one bomb was dropped on a quay at Yarmouth, another near the drill hall, and another on or near tho Trinity depot, the local headquarters of the lighthouse and other marine services. The particulars so far furnished as to the damage inflicted may of course be subject to revision. * * * # All the places attacked are on or near the coast, of Norfolk. There is a Yarmouth in the Isle of Wight, but the Yarmouth mentioned in the cablegrams is undoubtedly Great Yarmouth, on the Norfolk coast, a fishing town and watering place with a population of about 50,000. It lies 106 miles north-ea6t of London. Sheringham, a small town on the North Coast of Norfolk (where it curves round towards the Wash), has a population of 2359, and lies 33 miles north-west of Yarmouth. King's Lynn, a seaport,- with a population , of 20,288, is situated at the south- . eastern extremity of the Wash, 38 miles south-west of Sheringham. The village of Sandringham, whioh has a population of less than 100, is six miles north-east of King's Lynn, and three miles from the east coast of the Wash. It is the site of a residence of the late Kino Edward VII, < now sometimes occupied by Queen Alexandra. » # « # From the English reports it might appear that only ore aircraft took part in the raid, but since the attacker is variously described as an aeroplane and a Zeppelin, the point remains in doubt. It will be noticed that a message from Amsterdam, dated January 19, one day earlier than the London cablegrams reporting the raid, states that three Zeppelins were> observed over Terßchelling, going westward. Very probably these were tho airships that took part in the raid. Terschelling, one of the West Friesian Islands, lying off the mouth of the Zuyder Zee, is directly opposite the coast of Norfolk, so that airships at that point would be within easy striking distance of England. Yarmouth is 160 miles south-west of Terschelling, while the latter island lies 80 miles west of Emden, at the mouth of the Ems, which may have been the baso from whioh the raid originated. < Other possible starting points aro Wilhelmshavon, 38 miles east of Emdon, and Ouxhaven, the naval" port and airship depot at the mouth of the Elbe (recently raided by an English squadron), which lies 70 miles north-east of Emden. * * # '» ,Appaeently the raid was made on the night of January 19. It Is men- : tioned that Yarmouth was bombard- ' ed at 8.30, and King's Lynn at_ 10.30, and that the raiders escaped in the darkness. Probably they wore sighted over Terschelling in the late afternoon. Since they appeared at Yarmouth, the first point of attack, at 8.30, it would be dark long.before , they reached the English coast. From Yarmouth they skirted the. coast for about 80 miles. They would have ample time to make such a journey and retreat long before daybreak. Sandringham was apparently bombarded on the return trip. « * * » It has to be admitted that tho Germans on this occasion performed a neat bit of aerial navigation, though their skill was turned to the bad purpose of an attack upon towns, and villages which presumably were wholly undefended, and therefore, under the laws of war, should have been It is highly significant that the raid was apparently planned and directed so as to avoid big towns and fortifications, where searchlights and anti-aircraft guns would have been encountered. With the meagre accounts at present available, it is impossible to be dogmatio on this point, but unless fuller information puts an entirely different complexion on their raid, the Germans will stand convicted of having once again planned and carried out the cowardly enterprise of an attack upon defenceless towns and villages. * * * * No mention is made of any attack upon the raiders either by British aircraft or by anti-aircrait guns, tho reason being presumably that facilities for such an attack were not available. It has been stated, and the experience of this raid seems to confirm it, that aeroplanes cannot operate effectively at night. The reason is, obviously, that an aeroplane flying at night would practically be "going blind." A skilled aviator might conceivably essay a flight guided by beacon-lights on the earth's surface, but it would be impossible to pursue in the darkness hostile aircraft carrying no lights, or even, probably, to steer a known course over any extended distance. It seems rather strange, on the other hand, that so long a stretch of English coast should be unprovided with searchlights and anti-aircraft guns, but it has to be remembered that the Germans have introduced the new and indefensible practic of bombardand indefensible practice ■ of bombarding undefended places which aje supposed under tho laws of war to be immune from attack.. In any case these aro points which may be cleared up in later messages. * # * * Whatever may have been the condition of tho British defences • it seems to be clear enough that the Germans were able to fly in darkness at a low altitude (it is mentioned that tho noise of an engine was plainly heard) over a long stretch of English territory and drop bombs at their pleasure. This of course opens up some uncomfortable possibilities of which the chief is that the raid may be repeated on a larger scale. Tho Germans have not yet shown that they are able to make an aerial attack which would > be damaging in a military sense, - but no doubt it is within their power to murder some additional non-com-batants. If they expect in this way to create a "moral effect" and in- : timidate the English population they ■ will be grievously disappointed. Nothing Ran he more certain than that 1 furtiyrv AadcQwardJj, attest* M Wwi.

character will infuriate instead of intimidating the people of England. The loss of life is regrettable enough, but it is infinitesimal compared with the loss that is being incurred every day on the battlefields of Europe, and the broad effect of such raids as that mado upon the Norfolk Coast will be to awaken the people- of England to a sharper sense of the necessity of sparing no. effort to compass the destruction of Germany as a military power. Like the dishonourable proposals which Germany made to England just before she declared war, attacks liko the Norfolk raid admit of no other answer than a blow. The people of England will undoubtedly deliver the blow right heartily, and it is safe to predict that the Norfolk raid liko the naval raid on the East Coast towns will notably stimulate -. recruiting. * * * * While it is no doubt open to the Germans for a time to make other air-raids similar to that upon Norfolk, the opportunity, apart from such additional measures of defence as may bc_ organised in England, will not remain open for many months longer. With the approach of spring and Bummer the northern nights are rapidly shortening, and by and by it will be no longer possible for German air-raiders to cross the North Sea and return I*> their base under cover of darkness. . « * * * It will surprise no one to hear that the_ Germans are making much •• of their recent success near Soissons, and that it has awakened a strong feeling in favour of a resumption ot the offensive against France. The announcement would be more impressive if it were not perfectly clear that the Germans have never of their own accord relinquished the offensive against France, and that their offensive, in France and Belgium both haß been converted into a defence not by their own will, but by the steady pressure of the Allied Armies. From the review of operations along the Western line which we published yesterday it appears that the Soissons incident is the only crumb of comfort the Germans have had to consolo themselves with for a long time past. The advance of the Allies has been everywhere slow, and in some places almost imperceptible, but they have unmistakably seized and retained- the initiative. Although reduced to a slow rate of progress they have been steadily consolidating their position, and in spite of the misadventure at Soissons the prospect of a successful resumption ot the German offensive becomes increasingly remote * * * « Considering the big developments which have recently been predicted in Poland and other parts of tho Eastern theatre of war, the paucity of news from that quarter is disappointing, though not necessarily disquieting. The statement that the further movement on the Lower Vistula continues successfully, is 'too vague to be informative. The reference may .be either to the advance upon the East Prussian frontier north of the Lower Vistula, or to the advance southward from the river towards the Thorn-Lowicz railway. The last definite accounts of this latter enterprise suggested, however, that the operations have assumed the form, not so much of a Russian advance asy'dfra-deadlock'and close trench fighting such as is going on at many points on tho Western lino. * * k * ; A late message reports a series of encounters on the right bank of the Lower Vistula, where a German offensive has at oi\e point been repulsed with ■ heavy loss. The position on other fronts is said to be unThere is ground for satisfaction in the. statement that the Russian batteries at some points have easily silenced the German guns. For a time the Russians were less adequately supplied than their opponents with artillery, but latterly they have been able to report a number of instances in which their guns have prevailed over those of the Germans. » « " , « The feverish attempt of the Turks and Germans to manufacture a "holy war" has been responsible for many ludicrous inoidents, but the latest effort in this direction is probably the most absurd of all. It appears that a fete was recently held at Wady Haifa to celebrate an imaginary victory over the Russians, and a special feature of the ceremony was the coupling of the Kaiser and Mohammed in the expressions of honour and gratitude. The cry of "God protect Kaiser H«m Wilhelm" was raised. A Hadji is a devout Mohammedan, who nas made the pilgrimage to Mecca, and those who want to convince the Moslems that to fight for Germany is a religious duty seem to think that they must make the people believe that the Kaiser is a Mohammedan at heart. Indeed, it is stated that someone haß discovered that he is a descendant of the Prophet's sister. This travesty of their religion must be extremely offensive to intelligent Mohammedans, who can easily see through the whole ridiculous farce. The leading Moslems of India and Egypt have made it quite clear that they realise that Turkey has allowed herself to become the victim of German intrigue, and they have not the' slightest intention of taking part in a "holy war" to please Hadji Wilhelm and save Germany from disaster. '