WAR JOTTINGS.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 6 February 1915, Page 4

WAR JOTTINGS.

A short manual of instructions recently issued to German gunners, says that the maximum production of German factories will not be able to supply the army indefinitely witlh ammunition. Therefore gunners are enjoined: Never fire unless the mark is worth while Use projectiles apropriate for the result to be attained.- "Keep batteries silent at night as obsei-vation is then impossible." The manual throughout harps on the "waste of ammunition." Oitics remark that after the first few weeks of the war th© German artillery was prodigal of ammunition, ancl there lias evidently been a change of policy.

A petty officer of the Naval Brigade interned at Groningen, Holland, writes: —"Wβ all feel how very useless we are shut up in Holland, and are hoping that we may yet be allowed to do something more whidh shall justify our names appearing on "rolls of honor." "We are being treated very well, indeed but ar© not allowed the liberty which all English value, or at least are taught to do. Luckily, the potty officers are allowed out occasionally, and althrough we have to have an escort, we manage to enjoy ourselves at the cafes, etc. Groningen is a very nice town of about 80,000 population, and has a splendid university and museum. I have 'been over both these places, wTiich is a model of up-to-date machinery. We go to the local kinema sometimes and haw plenty of concerts in the Tiarracks. The Dutch take a great interesfin our foothall, and on Sundays their local twims play our brigade. It is interesting to note that leading mullahs appear to have realised that the war in which Turkey has rangsd herself on the side of two Christian Powers can by no manner of means bo regarded as a> religions war Csnye tho Pioneer). It is reported from the frontier that Mian Sayid Jan. Dadshah of Kumar, the successor of the late well-, known Mullah of Hada. has written to the Babra Mulla.h, the ohief religious leader among the IWaTimands and Afghan Mohmands, expressing the strongest views on this point. He says that in accordance with Mohammedan law, the war with Turkey cannot be construed as other than a secular war. and that a roliorions war cannot onrpr into the question. Tbo attitude of tho Amir of Kabul ,a,s discloscv! in li's pronouncements ass to tTio ty-rn neutrality of Afghanistan, should liavo its duo offect on Wip more important trifofts. They cannot fail to be influenced by Tne policy of the Kab"ul Durbar tbon.cn minor restless sections may be tempted 1 to give trouble.

The attitude of iTip United States in the present war appears to Tie influenced to a large extent l>y the German element . T>ut how large that element <s perhaps scarcely appreciated by easuiii readers of the cablegrams. The Literary Digest, in a recent issue, giv?s the following analysis of the United States foreign .population :—Germany 8.2500.00, Ireland 4.500.000. Canada 2.750,00 Russia 2.505.000, England 2.250,000\ Italy 2.100.000, Austria 2.000,000. Sweden 1,300.000. Norway 1.000,000. Hungary 700,000. Scotland 650,000. Denmark 500,000. German fctock, therefore, very largely predominates over that of any other single nation. There are in nli about twelve million people of German and Austrian stock in the State, about one-seventh of the entire population, and ton million British. Trsih,' a.iid Canadian. There figures certainly provide food for real thought in conjunction with President Wilson's cordial birthday telegram to the Kaiser.