The Manawatu Herald. Thursday, October 29, 1914. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 1317, 29 October 1914, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. Thursday, October 29, 1914. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Thu Post Office Savings Bank provides a fair indication of the prosperity of the Dominion. Replying to criticism in the House yesterday, the Postmaster-General said that it was true that on three occasions the Post Office had received as much as a million pounds a year by excess of deposits over withdrawals. Two of these years were 1906 and 1907, but in 1908 the excess dropped to ,£256,000, and 1909 to The Mackenzie Ministry held the record lor excess of withdrawals over deposits in one week—,£66,ooo in the first week of July, 1912. The “Liberal” Government had also to their credit, or discredit, an excess of withdrawals over deposits over a whole year, ,£15,662 in 1894. He was glad to announce that in the September quarter of this year the excess of deposits over withdrawals was ,£IOI,BOO, and this after two months of European war. This was proof of the prosperity of the country, and proof, also, of the confidence of the people in the Government.

A well-known analytical chemist, writes to the London press with reference to the use ot turpinlte by t'ae French artillery. He quotes the remarks of an American member of the Croix Rouge as having seen “the German trenches as the French guns had left them, filled with dead, but with dead in such posture as the world has never seen since the destroying angels passed above the Philistine camp, in that avenging night of Scripture, They stood in line rifles to shoulder, a silent company of ghosts.” “One of the salient features of this novel terror,” says the chemist, “is that it cannot be fired from an ordinary field gun, and tor its use guns ol particular and difficult construction arc required. The handling of these guns is at present confined to specialists. Had the successful ■c .p-:. ■ :nts carried out at Chalons-sur-Marne taken place earlier, the result of this war, in so far as its primary stages were concerned, might well have been different. Turpinite produces complete paralysis of certain organs of the body, causing invariably instantaneous, and absolutely painless death to every living thing within its reach. That the end thus accomplished is without pain or convulsion has been abundantly demonstrated by a lengthy series of experiments. It follows, therefore, that amongst modern instruments of warfare this invention must be counted as the most humane, The explosive produces an effect wholly different from that derived by lyddite fumes whilst other advantages are claimed for it, from military points of view. Who can say that the therapeutic value of this discovery may not afterwards assert itself, or that an antidote may not hereafter be found ? Whether the latter could be made the subject of military usage is another question.”

A striking comparison, which showed the effects ot the prudent administration of the Government, was made by the Hon. J, Allen, Minister ot Finance, in the House yesterday. Mr Allen said that the liabilities under the Public Works Fund, on March 3rd, 1914, were -£992,098. The balance to credit in the fund, together with loan money to receive, was ,£1,406,000, leaving an available balance of some after meeting every liability, but on June 30th, 1912, twelve days before the Government came into office, the liabilities under the fund were ,£1,649,000, while the available funds were only ,£777,000. “This is a most astounding difference to have taken place in a little over two years,” said Mr Allen, “and I say that the Government deserves the credit of every man in the House, even the Leader of the Opposition, for having placed the Public Works Fund in so much better a position than it was when they found it when they came into office.”.

“Out of evil cometh good.” The war has opened the eyes .f a certain section of the public -.ho, not so long ago, blindly iollowea the blatant un. . ;aces of a psvk of lUmsygog-KS, who howled down the military training of our youths for defence purposes. Insults were hurled upon the heads of those who were preparing to defend the integrity of the Empire, and the workiug men were told that they were being taxed for the setting up of a military caste aud paying

for guns that may be turned against them on some future occasion. The war in which we are now engaged upon has provided a crushing reply to the vapourings of such men. The eyes of ts e working men have been opened and he is thinking the matter out for himself. If he would only exercise his grey matter to the same extent '-i industrial affairs, there would be no room in New Zealand for the imported strife-maker. Anyhow, the Defence Act has justified itself, and the necessity for a local navy will be forcibly impressed upon the people when the time comes for making certain facts known concerning our own shores during past months.

In the current number of the Review of Reviews, under the heading “ The Neutrality Treaties,” Mr Stead gives some particulars of the treaties which guarantee the neutrality of Belgium and Luxembourg. They were concluded, one on November 15, 1831, the other on May 11, 1867. The clause in the firstnamed, which is vital, is Article VII., which says Belgium, within the limits specified in Articles 1., IL, and IV., shall form an independent and perpetually neutral State. It shall be bound to observe such neutrality towards all States.” Article XXV. said ;—‘‘The Courts of Great Britain, Austria, France, Prussia and Russia guarantee to His Majesty the King of the Belgians the execution of all the preceding articles.” The chief clause in the Luxembourg Treaty was Article ll.: —“The Grand Duchy ot Luxembourg, under guarantee of the Courts of Great Britain, Austria, France, Prussia and Russia, shall henceforth form a perpetually neutral State. The high contracting parties engage to respect the principle of neutrality stipulated by the present article.” It will be seen, therefore, that the neutrality of Luxembourg was more definitely set forth than that of Belgium. Great Britain has, however, always considered herself more bound to uphold the neutrality of Belgium than that ot the Grand Duchy, naturally so because it was to her interest to do so ; she did not want any great Powers at Anlweip or on the Straits of Dover. Luxembourg has no coast line.

In the same journal Mr Stead returns to the question of the possibility of an aerial invasion ot England. Last month he set forth the reasons why he considered the Zeppelin menace a formidable one. He stated that he did not think that the airships reported destroyed in France and Belgium were Zeppelins, but only Parsevals. This was confirmed by General French’s report, which stated that no Zeppelins at all had been sighted, and causes Mr Stead to feel that the seriousness of the aerial position set forth last month was in no way overdrawn. Since that article appeared, cables have described experiments on the Lake of Constance, the dropping of torpedoes from a Zeppelin high in air, followed by a terrible explosion as the missiles struck the water. We had had rumours, from American sources certainly, that at least fifty Zeppelins are waiting at Berlin, one oi the headquarters of this craft. Finally comes word of a contemplated aerial raid on England, confirmed to some extent by the news that orders have been given for all lights to be shaded in London at night. We are told, too, ot the arrival of train-loads of framework and airship material at Wilhelmshafen, where Count Zeppelin is making his headquarters. This framework will not be for the airships themselves, but for the sheds in which to house them while preparing for their flight across the sea. The Indian troops have received their baptism of fire, and from the cabled report have acquitted themselves famously. The Germans were confident they had found a way to the coast in the neighbourhood of,La Basse, but they were rudely undeceived. The Indian troops were supporting the British,

and this was the first time they had been in action. For days they had been watching the bursting of shrapnel, and were thirsting to prove their quality. Now they were ordered forward with the bayonet. The forces met and clashed. In an instant, says the eyewitnesses, the issue was decided. The German advance was not only checked, but beaten and broken. The Indians ran through them, pouring the foe back to receive right and left the fire from the British infantry. The Indians were not content with re-capturing the trench, but leaping it, they pursued the Germans downhill until the officers recalled them. A corporal of the Field Artillery who

has arrived at Aberdeen narrates a thrilling charge of the Bengal Lancers. The British had been fighting hammer and tongs lor three weeks and were exhausted. One brigade of German infantry attacked, and when hall-way to the trenches the Bengal Lancers, who arrived the day before, made a slight detour to avoid the British line of fire. Then they swept into the Germans from the left like a whirlwind. The Germans knew the Turkos, but not these darkskinned Lancers, who, with thrill yells, brought down a man at every lance thrust. The Germans ran for their lives, and the lancers pursued them lor a mile. They received wild cheers when they returned to the British Hues.