GENERAL WAR NEWS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1842, 20 June 1918, Page 4

GENERAL WAR NEWS.

BERLIN’S WOMEN BURGLARS

Women, fully equipped with skeleton keys, jemmies, and:other apparatus of the burglar, are now frequently discovered among the large band of criminals operating in Berlin and other German towns. Two young women, named Hennicke and ■Noeker, were recently surprised while trying to break open a safe in the Weberstfasse. Their equipment was quite up to date, even including an electric drill. Two girls, named Pumplin and Wilke, were recently convicted for entering a boardinghouse in the Sehiffbauerdamm, .where they broke open two safes, besides cupboards, etc., stealing money, jewellery, wearing apparel, bedclothes, etc. 80ft. AIR RAIDER. It appears that one of the Gothas which attacked Paris in April was brought down in the neighbourhood of Compiegue. At the beginning of the raid it was seen to send out a red flare,, and almost immediately afterwards it dropped its bombs. Then it descended rapidly, and capsized on striking the tree tops. The forest was searched later, and four dead bodies were found lying among the bracken. The pilot was a lieutenant, decorated with the Iron Cross. The bomber was a captain, and the machine-gunner was a lieutenant. The mechanic had in his haversack a number of proclamations intended for Paris. The Gotha measured nearly 80ft. from tip to tip, and is armed with three mach-ine-guns and five bomb-carriers.

EMPIRE ORDERS DECLINED. The following, says the London Gazette, should be omitted, at their own request, from the list of appointments to the Order of the British Empire, announced on January 8 th: — Mr Herbert Smith, president Yorkshire Miners’ Association. Mr James Wood, Director of Shrapnel Production, Imperial Munitions Board, Canada. Mr Joeseph Woods, senior dental surgeon, Murren, Switzerland. Lieut-Colonel W. Grant, American Remount Commission.

HUN BOMBS HELP THE HEATHEN.

If air raids do a lot of harm, they occasionally do good. The vicar of a parish in “ a certain district,” the official reports say, has reason to be grateful to the Hun airmen. In his parish magazine hq announces a profit of £350 as the result of a missionary sale, and adds: —“Ws feel deeply thankful that the two incendiary bombs which fell in the garden behind the church and church room, in the early morning of the day on which the sale began, buried themselves; harmlessly in the ground; one was dug up and viewed at 3d a time by those who came to buy! By this means an extra 25s 6d was gathered in for missionary work.”

NO CONTRACTS FOR ENEMIES

The Corporation of London proposes to take drastic steps to prevent alien enemies from participating in any contracts given out by them. The proposals will affect particularly Germans, Austrians, and Hungarians, and businesses 5 per cent, of the capital of which is subscribed by such persons unless they were naturalised in that country before December, 1900, or have sons who have served voluntarily in the forces during the present war. The corporation also have authorised one of their committees to present a Bill to enable them to revoke the grant of freedom where it is considered necessary.

PATE OF SMALL NATIONS

German propagandist organisations in Switzerland are circulating gratis in large numbers a pamphlet entitled “The Ideal of Freedom,” written by the well-known liberal member of the Reichstag, Herr Naumann (author of “Central Europe”). The following are some of the characteristic passages:— History teaches that progressive civilisation is rendered possible only by the destructiton of the national freedom of small nations. History proves that there must be ruling nations and nations which are ruled, and it is difficult to be more liberal than history. It is impossible to recognise the right of small nations to be independent. The old petty ideal of freedom must be thrown overboard in the interest of the development of civilisation. It is. not an eternal right of men to be governed by men of their own race.

CHOOSING A PIANO,

As the selection of a piano calls for sound judgment and nice discrimination, a buyer will do well to avail himself of the ripe experience of /the Bristol Piano Co,, Ltd. During the past 32 years this firm has given satisfaction to thousands of purchasers. Indeed, most of their instruments have been sold on the recommendation of users- —a fact that proves the ever-growing confidence reposed in them by New Zealand music-lovers. In “The Bristol” Showrooms are always displayed the latest models of such renowned English pianos as the Broadwood and the Sames. The Bristol also sells Canada’s leading Organs —the Bell and the Imperial. The Bristol Piano Co., Ltd., Wellington. North Island Manager, M. J. Brookes.