GENERAL WAR NEWS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1879, 19 September 1918, Page 4

GENERAL WAR NEWS.

THE RUNAWAY TWINS

Two captive balloons recently broke away from their moorings and set off towards the sea at about 100 miles an hour. A (light of aeroplanes went up to pursue the runaways, which, by that time, had disappeared. Following the wind, the airmen came into view of the balloons after a thirty-mile run. As it was desired for economy’s stijje to tiring down the balloons in as good a condition as possible, the “light” with them was quite protracted. It was a mailer of aiming only at vital spots where the damage to the main structure would not be great. In fact, the truants had almost reached the sea when, at length, the commander of the Jlight got one, and another olliecr the other. OUR lIUN PRISONERS. “It’s an absolute rest cure,’’ said a repatriated British soldier, when about fifty German prisoners who had been sifting cinders behind Wood Lane station, London, were driven away to (heir camp for the week-end. “I wonder what I should have got if I had taken my work so easily in Germany ?” he added. These well-fed Germans arrive at 9 a.m., sift as many cinders as they fancy, smoke when they please, and look at the papers. At 4 p.m. on ordinary days and 12.30 on Saturdays they are driven back in a lorry to their camp. In Germany we had to walk to our work', no matter how far, and if we had slackened we should have got the hult-eml of a rille on our heads. I spoke to a German prisoner the other day. Ho told me lie did not want to go back to Germany.”

VALUABLE REFUSE.

All hard nutshells and fruit stones have been added to the list of official wants. They are needed immediately by the Government for a special war purpose, and the success of the collections will depend upon local initiative. Sacks of this refuse, hitherto regarded as valueless, are to be sent to a certain gasworks. MUNITION HOLIDAYS. It is a reassuring sign of the condition of our munition industries that the Minister lias decided not to interfere with such customary holidays as establishments engaged on munitions work think well to give their employees during the summer and autumn of this year, subject to any special demands which it may be found necessary to make on particular establishments in order to maintain the supply of essential munitions to the front.