GENERAL WAR NEWS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1795, 28 February 1918, Page 1

GENERAL WAR NEWS.

PHJCKY E.A.M.C. ME>f.

A young American surgeon, Captain Lister Huer, now attached to the Second Northern General Hospital in Leeds, relating his experiences in France, says that the regimental medical officer, the streach-er-bearers, and the bandsmen who acted as bearers, and went forward into “No Sian’s Land” to recover; and succour the wounded, are worthy of the highest praise of any man in the war. They were unarmed, he relates, until German atrocities became so bad that many of the regimental R.A.M.C. armed themselves, because a German prisoner would occasionally retain his revolver, and while his wounds were being dressed would endeavour to shoot the surgeon or one of the R.A.M.C. men. KILLED BY COURT RULE. Lecturing on “Austria,” at King’s College, London, Mr Wickham Steed described the rigidity of court etiquette, and told the story of a young archduchess, who was to have married King Humbert of Italy. She had contracted the habit of smoking cigarettes, and while waiting to enter the ballroom at the late Emperor’s palace in Vienna was smoking in a recess, when the Emperor arrived. To hide her wickedness, she concealed the cigarette in the folds- of her muslin dress. The dress caught lire, and she was burnt to death because no lady or gentleman of the court bad the right to touch an archduchess, except the particular lady-in-wait-ing set apart by court ceremonial for the duty.

TANK POSSIBILITIES. ®

Tanks are the popular subject of the moment, and every kind of rumour is abroad regarding their development. It can be no secret that the type goes on improving. Colonel Stern* who has been responsible for the production of the tank, has ahvays been most insistent in their possibilities. It will be remembered that he recently changed his job from director of tanks production for similar work in the Overseas and Allied Department. It is understood that America has been greatly impressed with tank possibilities e\ T en before the Cambrai triumph. A coreerted movement of production by England and America might have great results. AnyAvay, Colonel Stern is a live man, and under his direction tank development on these lines would become very formidable. . PROFITS OF HUN AEROPLANE WORKS. Judging by the profits recently announced by that great German industrial undertaking, the A.E.G. Co., noAv fully engaged on munition, particularly aircraft, Avork, the energy Avhieh is being put into the endeavour by the Central PoAvers to obtain the mastery of the air in the coming spring campaign is under, rather than over-rated. This net profit for the business year recently ended, of £1,518,000, compares Avith £1,350,000 a year ago. A dividend of 12 J per cent, is declared. The directors claim that never in the concern’s history were so many orders on their books —Avar business almost exclusively—Avhile, of course, its productive capacity was never so big. AIRMEN IN A BARRAGE. What an airman feels like in a barrage is in some measure indicated in' a letter just seen by “A Londoner” and .written by Flight-Lieu-tenant Stanley Rosevear, who Avas

recently gazetted as having received the Distinguished Service Cross for destroying hostile machines and attacking and scattering parties of enemy infantry. “I could not begin to explain what an awful hell a barrage is,” Lieutenant Rosevear’s letter runs. “At times I could not hear my own engine or my machinegun. Several times I distinctly saw large shells zipp past-my machine. We were heartily congratulated by the general for" our great help in making the push a success, but w r e paid for it in pilots missing.” AIRMEN’S STRATAGEM. Hardly a day passes without an attack by enemy aeroplanes upon the Italian observation balloons, says Mr Ward Price, writing to the Times from Venice. Two contrived to get within striking range by an ingenious trick. They approached, tiring at other, and going through all the manoeuvres of an aeroplane duel. Until they had come close enough,for the shape of the machines to be clearly seen, the Italian look-out s-iiaturally mistook them for an Austrian aeroplane being attacked by an Italian. The enemy machines were able in this way to get close to the observation balloon witliout being molested. Then the stratagem was discovered, and . the balloon began to be quickly hauled down. It would have been saved if the winding-gear had not unfortunately jammed, with the result that the enemy airmen were able to set fire to it.

TO THE RESCUE IN A SEAPLANE.

A mediator who was active at Coventry on a recent week-end was a chaplain of the Koval Naval Air Service. Heading at an aerodrome in France that the strike had broken out, he sought, and obtained, leave to come to England to investigate the causes of the trouble, and to try to bring about a spirit of reconciliation for the sake of the young pilots and the soldiers whose lives were at stake. He crossed the Channel in a seaplane—it was his first experience of flying—and travelled in the early hours of the morning to Coventry, where he spent the day in hearing the views of both sides and talking to the workers wherever he had an opening. THE AMERICAN TOUCH. If Germany insists upon annexations, we may yield them the proGermans .—Columbia State. As we understand it, the object of the British “drum-fire” is to make the Germans beat it. —Nashville Southern Lumberman. One good Liberty bond deserves another. —Chicago Herald. Field-Marshal Haig is also driving a wedge between the Kaiser and the German people. —Chicago Daily News. ' Russia just now has tF steamroller, but no steam.—Wall Street Journal. THE 1914 STAR. The issue and wearing of the riband of the 1914 star forms the subject of a new Army Council instruction. It is notified that a preliminary issue of 4in. of riband has been sanctioned for each individual now serving who is entitled to the decoration. The 1914 star is to be considered a Avar medal, and must be worn as such.