The Manawatu Herald. Thursday, September 3, 1914. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 1292, 3 September 1914, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. Thursday, September 3, 1914. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

We have read the important part which German airships have played in the war, and have felt a little disappointment that greater use has not been made of aircraft by the Allies. To-day’s cables inform us, however, that a flotilla of armoured aeroplanes, with mitrailleuses, has been organised to chase Germans flying over Paris. But here is something more definite, daring, and enemydefiying; “The Germans ineffectually attacked a French biplane which, twice circled Brussels, dropping hundreds of handbills headed : ‘Take courage, you will soon be delivered.’ The aviator, before disappearing, gave an exhibition of upside-down flying.

Of all the armies at present in the field, least is known about that of Russia. Some idea, however, of its proportion, and of its superiority over that of previous years, may be gathered from a consideration of the expenditure during 1914, as compared with that during 1913. The expenditure of the Ministry of War for 1913 was distributed under nine heads ; in 1914 the addition of the Quartermaster - General’s Department, charged with the quartering, etc., of troops not stationed in fortresses, increased the heads to 10. The total disbursements for 1913 were 150,000; for 1914 they were tabulated at nearly £60,000-000. 000. The ordinary expenditure for 1914 is £4.790,000 more than in 1913. The increase was thus accounted for Construction of barracks, £1,050,000 ; engineer and artillery school buildings, ,£290,000 ; other military schools, ,£360,000; transport of troops and freight, £460,000 5 engineering plant, ,£200,000 ; pay of troops, £380,000; pay to re-enlisted soldiers and families, ,£2:10,000 ; rations, £740,000; equipment, £70,000 ; reserve and militia exercises, £410,000; remounts, £IOO,OOO. The item, “Maintenance of troops,” which was £38,246,700 in 1913, stands at £40.599)W tJlis >' ear *

The sinking ot the Kaipara, Nyauga, and Tubal Cain by the German armed liner Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse, which last week met a richly deserved late by being shelled and sunk by the British cruiser Highflyer, represents probably, the total loss to British mercantile shipping at the bauds of the enemy’s commerce destroyers, unless the other armed liner Kronprinz Wilhelm or the German cruisers in the Atlantic have similarly dealt with any ships. So far, however, there are apparently no grounds for believing that any other British ships, beyond those seized in German ports, have been captured or sunk. All the other ships Homeward bound from New Zealand have arrived safely in English ports, with the exception of a few which are not yet due, and it Is satisfactory to note that the trans-Atlantic, as well as the trans-Pacific, sailings of British and French steamship lines have been resumed. The German cruisers and the Kronpriuz Wilhelm in the Atlantic, and the Leipzig and Nurnberg in the Pacific, will probably be kept too busy dodging British and French warships, which are relentlessly hunting them down to do any further damage to British seaborne commerce.

Rear-Admiral David Beatty, C. 8., M.V.0., D. 5.0., who is in command of the First BattleCruiser Squadron, flies his flag in the Dion, the other ships of the squadron being Queen Mary, Princess Royal and New Zealand, The son ot Captain D. L. Beatty, of Borodale Co., Wexford, Ireland, Rear-Admiral Beatty was born in 1871, and entered the Navy in 1884. By the rapidity of his advancement in the service this young Irishman beat the wonderful record of Lord Nelson. His first opportunity to distinguish himself came in the Soudan in 1898, where as a lieutenant he proved his bravery and ability. In especially trying circumstances, he was quite unexpectedly called on to command a gunboat flotilla, and so well did he handle his little fleet that he attracted the attention of Lord Kitchener, As a consequence of the latter’s high praise, Lieut. Beatty was promoted to the rank of commander, awarded the Distinguished Service Order, mentioned in official despatches, given a medal and decorated with the Order of Medjidle, Fourth Class. When the Boxer rebellion broke out in China, Commander Beatty again distinguished himself. He was mentioned in despatches, awarded a medal with clasps, and promoted to the rank of captain for conspicuous service. Incidentally, he wounded and laid up for some time. Captain Beatty was married in 1901 to the eldest daughter of Mr Marshall Field, of Chicago, and he has two sons. Shortly after his return from China, Captain Beatty was appointed Naval A.D.C. to King Edward VII. On January Ist, 1910, he was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral, and by reaching that rank in his 38th year, he became the youngest naval officer of that position in the British service, if not in the world’s navies. Early in 1912, Rear-Admiral Beatty was appointed Naval Secretary to the First Lord ot the Admiralty (Mr Winston Churchill), and on March Ist, 1913, he took command of the First Battle - Cruiser Squadron. Rear-Admiral Beatty was high in personal esteem of King Edward, and is a close friend of King George.

Heligoland, the locality of the recent British naval dash, lies about thirty miles off the German coast, and equidistant from the mouth of the Weseron the.south and the Elbe on the north. It is probably the most strongly fortified island in the world, and its guns command the approaches to both rivers. Westward of the mouth of the Weser are the East Frisian Islands, all strongly fortified, while there are numerous shoals extending some distance off-shore. Northward of Heligoland are the North Frisian Islands, and this approach to the mouth of the Elbe is flanked with dangerous shoals running out from the coast of Schleswig-Holstein. Added to the shore and island fortifications and the natural dangers, is the certainty of a close watch being kept by cruiser squadrons, destroyer and submarine flotillas, and the certainty of floating mines.

The cables informed us recently that the militant suffragettes had decided to drop their pranks during the war period. This, however, is not borne out by facts- A subsequent message is really Gilbertian in its humour. While a London policeman was in the act of arresting two suffragettes a third attacked the limb of the law in the rear and cut his braces ! Robert then, preforce, had to release his grip of the two upon whom he bad laid “violent hands” in order to repair bis supports. Even in grim warfare there is a spice of humour.