NEWS AND NOTES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1520, 9 March 1916, Page 4

NEWS AND NOTES.

Old hands are of the opinion that we are in for a hard winter, and they base their forecast upon peculiarities in the present weather (states the South Island correspondent of the Farmer’s Union Advocate). For instance, up country whirlwinds, souie of them of considerable magnitude, have been frequent, and those who study these phenomena state that these eccentric air currents are a sure forerunner of severe weather in the winter. Men who live in country liable to bad snowstorms are very observant of the weather, and many of them arrive at pretty accurate conclusions regarding the future.

In the course of an address to members of the National Reserve in Wellington, Major Sleeman, of the Royal Sussex Regiment, who came out to New Zealand in January last to take up the position of assistant director of military training, said that as a result of i 8 months of fighting, all on the Western frout, both officers and men. were most optimistic. They felt that if Germany, with all her initial advantages of numbers and preparedness, her overwhelming advantages as regards munitions and so forth had not been able to win out there was no chance of her doing so when the allies’ munitions were equal or more than equal to hers, and the advantage of numbers was beginning to tell on the side of the allies. But while they were optimistic, he said, they should not let that interfere with their recruiting, nor with their making every effort to put forth their utmost strength, for Germany was still very strong. She would doubtless take a lot of beating, and she was a great bluffer. If she saw any slackening in British, recruiting, and other preparations, whether at Home or in the Dominions overseas, she would take heart again and fight on all the longer, thus costing the allies far more in blood and treasure. But Germany was now losing heart, and if British recruiting was kept up and British preparedness was kept up to the highest standard it would break Germany’s heart, and she would give in. ,