ENGLAND ON THE BANK OF DESTRUCTION.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 201, 18 August 1916, Page 4 (Supplement)

ENGLAND ON THE BANK OF DESTRUCTION.

Englishmen Mho have been for many years resident in neutral countries, and have managed to get back to the Old Country, are, says a Home paper, agreeably surprised on arrival u> see us, to use a naval expression, "carrying on" as usual, for, according to all reports that had reached them, we were on the verge of " absolute destruction. " A business gentleman who was in Rracelona some time ago, hearing that England was calling up her "last man," came back prepared to place his services at the dsposal of the Govrenment, and l>cing informed on examination that he would be exempt by reason of a slight physical defect, expressed •astonishment. It only tends to show bow our enemies are endeavouring to throw dust in the eyes of neutral Powers. TVs gentleman had heard that tho Houses of Parliament. St Paul's Cathedral, aud many other great public buildings "were heaps of vims," and his surprise, after taking i walk round and seeing that our rational edifices were st'l] in a perfect .state, can Ik- better imagined than described. He had been told that half the country had been wrecked by Zeppelins, and England was vainly suing for peace on any terms. If his recent letters to his friends in Barcelona have the good fortune to reach their destination, they wijl prove eye-openers to those who believe, as he did before ho a\\v the actual facts, that England was on her last legs. As a matter of fact, the Zeppelin business is another of Germany's many m'stakes. Their bombs damage private property and kill unarmed citizens, and there is an end of it, for in a mouth or two the properr,i> rc-paired or rebuilt. The enemy, however, makes many rods for his own back when the war is over and he tries to open business dealings again with the United Kingdom, for the relative* nf the murdered people vow to have their own back in due season.