General News.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXX, Issue 65, 12 November 1914, Page 8

General News.

THE MAN BEHIND THE GUN. GOVERNMENT SCHEME TO ASSIST DEPENDENTS. [tiy ELECTRIC TIiLIiGRAX'H —CoX’i RIGHT j UmtED PItKSS aBSOOXA'XTON. Loudon, November iU. Under llio Government’s revised scheme, the widow oi a man in the lowest grade ot the army and navy, with tour children, receives a minimum ot a pound u week; a widow with three children, its (id; a widow, with two children ios; and a widow with one child, 12s till; while a childless widow, receives 7s (id a week. These allowances will lie increased in necessitous eases, and widows’ lull separation allowances will bo continued tor twentysix weeks after the husband’s death. The Government will also assist unmarried men’s dependents. Allowances tor partial disablement, apart iroin national insurance benefit, range Irom 3s (id to 17s (id, and for total disablement Ms for unmarried to 23s lor ’married men with children.

It is estimated tliafc the scheme will cost roughly two hundred millions il tho war lasts for two years.

THE PROBLEM OF RECRUITING. Loudon, .November id. Every voter on the Parliamentary rolls has been circularised, requesting information of tho ago and military efficiency of tho household. The -Morning Post, representing the moderate militarists, disclaims conscription for service abroad, and advocates systematic six months’ training which should create ample partly brained reserves. The Post warns tho nation than conscription will come unless the friends ol tho voluntary system put their shoulders to the wheel, and suggests that the military bauds should ho used to stimulate recruiting. Tho military display at the Lord Mayor’s show produced an immediate effect. THE FIGHTING IN BELGIUM AND FRANCE. Paris, .November It). The high ground running from Arras to lloye forms a sort oi frontier between the armies. The French are content to repel attacks without attempting seriously, to assail the sti ang line of German positions on the higher hills to tho eastward. Occasionally tho French carry out \ laborious hand-to-hand encounters in the villages, occupying strategical points. Arras commands six highways strategically important to the operations to the northward. Tho Germans made desperate efforts recently to gain a foothold in the suburbs. Determined Louse-to- 1 liouso lighting occurred by day and night, but tho French still hold the town. The Germans hold Lapaumc and Porouue, and regularly bomoard Albert, but the French by a brilliant bayonet attack captured Cliaulines, and expelled the enemy between Duullons and llapaume.

lleiniorceuicnts continue to arrive iii support of the Gorman right. The British in many positions are outnumbered by Lou to omy.

The Indians are lighting with enthusiasm and dash which clcctrilics their British companions. The Gurk has, by night continually discard then rilies, and, armed with the kukris, creep from the trenches, and, signalling by a system known only to themselves, and without sound, kill the German sentries and make openings for the British troops. Twenty Hathans south of Ypres overpowered the German sentries noiselessly. Then the rest oi the party crept forward, suddenly hung fireballs in the air, and dashed into the trenches. For ton minutes the Bathans hacked and slew the JiaU-auakc, wholly bewildered Germans, who were sleeping preparatory to a night attack on the British trenches.

Loudon, November it). JJand-to-liand lighting at Messines continues. The Scots Guards and Scots Greys brilliantly bore the brunt of several attacks. Once a devastating shell wrecked the British line and a retirement was imminent. When the shell lire ceased and the German masses pushed forward to sweep the trenches, the Scotsmen leapt out and awaited Uie charge. The conflict was short end sharp. The British lost heavily, but flung back the enemy.*

Two French battalions on the uth November ambushed the Eighth -Regiment of Prussian infantry, which win occupying a village five miles from Warneton. One regiment hid in a wood. During the night another crept up to a farm on the other side of the village and cut down the German battery before they were able to lire a shot. When the fog lifted the regiment in the wood dashed on the'village. The Germans were surprised, but rallied. Then the second regimen) appeared in the rear, and 1350 Germans surrendered. The rest wore killed. Not a man escaped. The whole hat Lei y was captured. French cavalry, am bushed a party of Germans. Correspondents report that the Ger mans made desperate efforts to pierce the Allied line at Warneton, northeast of Armentieres. At Poolers the Germans accused the inhabitants and shot forty-three civilians down. They burnt many factories and mills, and fined the town a hundred thousand francs. When this was paid the Germans doubled the fine. DARING FEATS OF AVIATORS. Paris, November 10. i Official.—Note books found on Gormans prove that our aviators produce') the most startling effects. A Frenc e aviator struck a bivouac of guard;'., an ' killed eight men and eight horse:-:, and wounded thirty-two men. Another wounded sixty with a projectile called gu Auhy bomb; and killed

thirty. The second projectile wounded twenty.

A bomb which burst in the midst of a group of cavalri men killed thirty men and fifty horses near Lille. Tho cavalry, which had been pursued during the whole day, was finally prevented from carrying out its object by the aviator’s bomb.

British aviators have been equally successful. The teals were all accomplished during salvos of grapeshot and shells. The new arm has fulfilled its promise, but does not replace any arm of the ancient army. Cavalry must always reconnoitre and patrol, and artillery open the way for infantry, w hile engineers must prepare the ground for the latter. Finally the infantry itself, still the main factor of the battle, must take up positions and pursue the enemy, GERMAN WOMAN DISGUISED AS RED CROSS NURSE. Times and Sydney Sun Services. London, November 10. A clover and accomplished woman, speaking fluent English, and dressed as a Red Cross nurse, met the British wounded at the Gare-du-nord, and invited the officers to dine. "While under the influence of her hospitality, sin l tried to wheedle military information from them. She also visited the hospitals, and attempted to discourage the men. Upon it being discovered that site was the divorced wife of a German officer of Uritisli-Russian descent, she was tried and sentenced at Paris to two years’ imprisonment. This is the first woman spy thus caught. JOKING IN THE TRENCHES, luma and toiJONRY Sun JSxaxmoisu. London, November iU. in the neighbourhood of Vailly the trenches were so close that constant, jokes were played by the rival armies. One ol the latest is that a German left the lines in search of milk at a farmhouse. By mistake he wandered into tho Trench trenches, was captured, detained all night, and sent buck dressed in woman’s clothes, and minus the milk.

GERMAN PROFESSOR’S' MISTAKE.

Times and Sydney Sun Seuvxceh. London, November IU. Amongst the prisoners at Warsaw is an elderly Prussian, blinking under a Cossack’s luige busby. He explained that he was a professor of botany at ■Berlin, While marching he saw a rare plant in tbe marches, and felt he must have a specimen. He left the ranks and secured the plant, but when struggling in the marsh ho lost his eye-glasses, and stumbled along into a Cossack’s arms. I HE KAISER AND CHRISTENDOM. Times and Sydney Sun Services. London, November 10. 1 he Novoe \ romya, dealing with the Kaiser’s efforts to instigate a jehad against Christendom, says; “The Mussulmans have forestalled Kaiser Wilhelm’s criminal designs and are Hocking to the standard of the Allies.”