GENERAL WAR NEWS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 1382, 6 April 1915, Page 4

GENERAL WAR NEWS.

HEROIC HUSSAR. Captain Spiers, of the nth Hussars, detached from the British general staff as "officer de liaison” (a post of great danger, as the officer’s duty is to maintain communications between the various trenches), has been mentioned in a French Army Order, for the following reasons ; "He has never hesitated to fulfil dangerous missions in the line of fire. He was wounded on January 6, while maintaining communications with the British trenches, and only allowed his wounds to be dressed when he had reported on his mission to the British and French authorities.” SWISS INDIGNATION. The recent expulsion of 5000 Swiss from Alsace-Lorraine by the German military authorities raises a serious question. According to official statistics, there are 70,000 Swiss in Germany, 70,000 in France, 10.000 in England, 10,000 In Austria, 6,000 in Russia and 2250 in Belgium. The present German population in Switzerland amounts to neatly 200,000. If the Swiss Government were to take reprisals, which is hardly to be expected in this country of liberty, it would cause a great deal of suffering to inoffensive inhabitants. Pourparlers between Berne and Berlin on the subject are in progress.

ACCIDENTS TO WAR AVIATORS. Au interesting statement is that made by a French publication that the number of deaths of aviators in the war service by accident was very small as compared with the records in time of peace ; and the explanation is made that in this service only the most skilled men are engaged, and moreover they do not indulge in the sensational exhibition stunts that have brought disaster to many. It may be noted that it is this same sensational exhibition business that has given the general public many erroneous and misleading ideas about flying machines that will sooner or later prove an injury to aviation,

NOBEL PEACE PRIZE; As was reported at the time, the Nobel Prize Committee decided a short time ago not to award the Peace Prize this year. The Norwegian papers now declare that their decision ought to be reconsidered, in view of the subsequent meeting of the three Scandinavian tnonarchs at Malmoe, the most valuable and Important pacific events iu Scandinavian history. They suggest that the prize should be given to King Gustaf of Sweden, on whose initiative the meeting was arranged. The proposal has been sympathetically received in leading circles in Norway and Denmark, and has aroused enthusiasm in Sweden.

LADY MOTORIST AT FRONT

The British and French Red Cross have hitherto set their faces against women as drivers of motor ambulances in France, though the Belgian authorities have taken up a different altitude. Miss Muriel Thompson, of Queen's Gate, London, whose skill as a motorist at Brooklands and elsewhere is attested by the possession of more than thirty cups and other bandsome trophies tor speed and hill climbing, has, says the Despatch, just been sent over to Calais to drive a motor ambulance. This will release a man for combatant duties, though there is no question of allowing women to transport wounded on the first of the successive stages from the fighting line down to the base hospitals on the coast.

TORONTO SHRAPNEL. , A large iron and shipbuilding company in Toronto has installed a special plant for the manufacture of shrapnel shells. The machinery will be one of the most complete in Canada, and the firm will be enabled to turn out a very large supply of shells daily. The general manager of the company states that his firm has been given a portion of a large contract subdivided among a number of Canadian manufacturing concerns. ‘‘We already,” he said, “work day and night shifts in order to fulfil shipbuilding contracts.” A feature of the situation brought about in Canada by the war has been the market adaptability of Canadian manufacturing firms of which the above is but the latest example. Everything goes to prove that there is probably no article, of German or other manufacture, which the Canadians have so far touched in the way of manufacture, in which they cannot compete satisfactorily. GUNNING FOR THE AIRMAN. The Echo de Paris reports an interview with one of the military aviators in which be tells an interesting story ot his experience with the sharpshooters of the enemy : "Generally speaking,” he said, "when we fly over the enemy’s line we run fewer risks than a sharpshooter who leaves his trenches. However, our job has become somewhat more dangerous during the last weeks, tor the Germans, whether it be that their shooting has improved or that they now possess a new aeroplane gun, are firing shrapnel which bursts at a height of 2300 meters. In the early days their shells were ineffective beyond 1800 meters. Now, at 2300 meters we are too high to see clearly, so if we want to bring in any useful information we must descend into the zone of fire. Even then our risks do not appear to be very serious, for a day or two ago I found on landing that my machine had been struck by no fewer than 15 projectiles, but neither I nor my observer were a penny the worse for it,”