The German Coastal Raid.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 302, 19 December 1914, Page 5

The German Coastal Raid.

BRITAIN WAKES UP.

“AVENGE SCARBOROUGH I”

THE COUNTRY PLACARDED.

United Pbebb Association.

(Received 11.40 a.m.) London, December 18

The rqid materially increased enlisting, particularly in the area directly affected by Wednesday’s bombardment. .

• The authorities are placarding the country with a poster headed “Avenge Scarborough,’ 5 and a pub-heading of “Up at ’em,” and adding that the wholesale murder of innocent women and children demands vengeance and to show the German barbarians that they cannot bombard Britain’s shores with impunity.

THE INQUEST AT SCARBOROUGH.

COASTGUARD DEAN’S EVIDENCE

London, December 18

At the inquest at Scarborough Dean, a coastguard petty officer, gave evidence that two large cruisers, accompanied by two smaller cruisers and some larger vessels were seen. At first the starboard guns were turned and fired at the port. The bombardment lasted forty minutes and five hundred shells were fired.

NO CAUSE FOR ANXIETY.

FLEET CANNOT BE EVERYWHERE AT ONE TIME.'

110 KILLED: 405 WOUNDED.

Times and Sydney Sun Sekvioeb. London, December 18,

The Times’ military correspondent derides the German raid on the coastal i towns, which merely exhibits a wild disappointment that our unbeaten and greatly superior fleet has enabled 1,300,000 troops to leave. There is no cause for anixety, fo'r our land defences are adequate. Underwriters had accepted large amounts of insurance on' the east coast against bombardment, and have received many claims. The Times’ naval correspondent says the distance from Heligoland to Hartlepool is 300 miles, and rather less from Borkum. Vessels doing 20 knots could cover the "distance in fifteen hours. It is quite dark now at D o’clock in the afternoon. If the warslgips left at this hour they would be off our coast by 8 o’clock next morning. We cannot have a superior force at any and every place the enemy selects for a hasty raid on our eastern coastline, wdiich is 600 miles long. The fleet has other duties to perform. WORLD CENSURE. BOMBARDMENT OF UNDEFEND- > ED PLACES.

[Unit*!* Pwfjw amootattow i London, December 18

The Daily Telegraph’s New York correspondent. says that the Wall Street Journal describes the bombardment of undefended places as an act of cowardly and murderous malice, which will do Germany more harm than good. One of the prevalent views in America is that the confusion apparently domifr.ting 'Germany’s military staff has extended to the high sea fleet, whose enforced inactivity must have been very galling.

Rome, December 18,

Newspapers severely censure the bombardment of open “towns tvhich are not situated in the region of war operations.” They quote this latter phrase from an official German communication of 10th December, in which Germany protested against the bombing of Freiburg. The newspaper Messagero says that the aviators flew over Freiburg merely, to bomb the military buildings. London, December 18.

Patrols on the east coast have been ordered to shoot prisoners signalling in any manner, or exhibiting any lights visible at sea.

Ten were killed and eleven wounded during the naval engagement off Hartlepool.

INTENSE HATRED OF BRITAIN. “WILL NEVER LAND ON BRITISH SOIL.” United Pbess Association. Rome, December 18.

United Pbess Association. Rome, December 18

The newspaper Messagero says the German bombardment of British towns was intended to destroy everything,, and kill unarmed citizens, proving the hatred burning in the German people and the Kaiser against the English. Similar action may be repeated, but the Germans will never land on British soil. THE LION’S MOUTH. FRENCH PRESS INDIGNANT AT THE MASSACRE, (Received 9.55 a.m.) t Paris, December 18. Newspapers are indignant at the massacre, which, they say, will arouse the spirit of England and prove fatal to the German navy, which is described as walking into the Lion’s mouth.

AMERICAN PRESS COMMENT.

(Received 12.30 p.m.) New York, December 18

The Tribune states that civilised opinion everywhere will share the indignation at the bombardment of undefended coast towns, and that such ruthlessness Avill come home to roost.

The Times says ruthless bombardments are utterly useless. The massacre of non-combatants aroused worldwide angry resentment which will not fail to be prejudicial to Germany.

GENERAL.

London, December* 18

The Morning Post say that six German vessels were engaged in the raid, and it is unknown whether the fire of the shore batteries had any effect.

The Daily Express coiro-tPo Germans dropped mines to prevent pursuit. New York, December 18.

Captain Von Papen, German Attache, has issued a statement that the attacks on the English coast did not infringe the Hague Convention, as article 1 only prohibits attacks on unfhrtified or undefended places. The English towns were fortified or defended, hence the attack. Washington, December 17.

Admiral Fiske, before the Naval Investigating Committee, said an adequate number of submarines along the English coast would have prevented the German raid. Germany evidently thought a strong British navy would be kept along the English coast in order to prevent raids, and she would then endeavour to destroy vessels in detail. If the German cruisers were speedy, and were kept moving, however. the submarines would be practically useless. London, December IS.

The Times’ naval correspondent says that, owing to the weather cou-

ditions, and the distance from which the Germans fired, it was difficult to ascertain the number, but it is probable' that there were five ships, specially chosen for their heavy armament and great .speed, probably the Von der Tann, Moltke, Seydlitz, Blucher and Boon. Our coast defence system is based on the principle that only ports containing resources oi national importance ought to be fortified, and other places, such as those unlawfully bombarded, should be protected by. their unfortified condition. The captain of the Hull trawler Cassandra, which was thirty miles from Scarborough after the bombardment, reports that he saw a German Dreadnought and seven other warships rapidly approaching and steaming past Southsea, firing shells, which hissed overhead. The British squadron, miles in the rear, followed, firing for half an hour, but gradually relinquished the chase. Correspondents on the east coast suggest that he saw a German —? suggest that the Germans followed the British trawlers, knowing this would be a safe position, and that * they would be able to reach England without much danger of mine-fields.

The totab losses on the east coast were 110 killed and 405 wounded, including Hartlepool’s 83 civilians, eight German bombardment of British towns soldiers, and four sailors.