General News

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 307, 28 December 1914, Page 3

General News

ZEPPELINS v. AEROPLANES.

Trail and Bydniy Sun Sibvioii. (Received 8.0 a.m.) London, Decemer 27.

A correspondent, who is a German, says: The Germans place their hope on their airfleet, and rely on the Zeppelins to cause a panic and the destruction of English sailors, soldiers, and civilians. This is more or less nonsense and bluff. If Zeppelins wish to escape anti-aircraft guns they have to fly at such a height that warships appear like a star in the heavens; and the damage possible by Zeppelins is, therefore, probably small and largely due to good luck. There was a growing, feeling against keeping the fleet in strongly fortified harbours and gives as the reason the ;East Coast raid.

THE POSITION IN. 1905,

COUNT DE WITTE'S ALLIANCE PREVENTED BY THE KAISER.

Trail and Sydney Sun Sibvioii. (Received 8.0 a.m.) London, Decemer 27.

Count De Wi'tte lias published a book showing that in 1905 he felt that the avoidance of a pan-Euro pean collision was only accomplishable by an Alliance headed by France. Russia, and Germany. He Avon the Kaiser to his view, but the Raiser's lust for power and intrigue wrought failure on the eve of its realisation. GREAT DISSATISFACTION AMONG THE TURKS. Unixid Pbhm Aibooution. Athens, December 'J3 The blowing-up of the battleship Messudieh caused consternation in Constantinople. Twenty Turks and ten Germans were court-imirHalled, of iwhom three were condemned to death on the ground of neglect. Others' received smaller sentences. A German officer struck a Tvikisl. soldier in the face, arousing the angei of a section of the Miissulman.population. Many Turkish officers are refusing to salute their German colleagues. The Young Turks are taking advantage of this'to arrest many oldei Turks who are known to be unsympathetic with. Ehver' Paslia.

WAR I!6'AN FGR KOCCAMD.

Amsterdam, December 24

A war loan of 265 million florins (£2,650,000), has been authorised. The Queen has personally underwritten half a million florins.

London, December 24

Lieutenant Charles Cochrane Isles, of the medical corps, who studied in New Zealand, has died of wounds. Private O'Sullivan, of the sth Dragoons, signed a statement that he ' artd* seven" others "were~ takewpfisoners at Ypres in the early morning, stripped of their clothing except a thin shirt, and forced to march through thick snow and , bitter wind into the open fields!' O'Sulli'vftn escaped, and ' was treated in hospital for frozen feet.

GERMAN AND AUSTRIAN LOSS.

THREE ANDA-HALF MILLIONS.

Copenhagen, December 29. Estimates based on the ldwest casualty lists show that the Germans have lost two million killed, wounded and missing, including 54,000 officers, and that the Austrians have lost a million and a half. MURDER: OF CEKMANY'B SHIPTINC TRADE. Amsterdam, December 25. In noting the likelihood of a coppei famine in Germany, com monts that ■"England will never bi forgiven for her murder of Germany'sshipping trade. Germany does not deny that she has been"struck to the heart by the power of Britain's fleet." V.C.'S FOR THE MANCHEBTERS. London, December 24. After, the Manchesters' two unsuccessful attempts at re-capturing the trenches on October 29, Private James Hdgan, who is Hn ex-postman, and Lieiitenant Leach, at the head of ben others, crawled a hundred yards to the trenches amid a storm of bullets, and then in a hand-to-hand fight killed eight, wounded two, and male prisoners of sixteen. These two, as previously cabled, have been awarded the Victoria Cross. THE JAPANESE ARMY. Tokio, December 25. The Diet dissolved, following upon the Lower House's rejection of a Bill to increase the .army by two divisions. The Budget Committee had previously reported against expenditure for this purpose. REFUSAL TO MEDIATE FOR PEACE. Paris, December 25. The Petit Parisien states that M. Eyeschen, Minister of State in Luxemburg, invited the Swiss Federal Council to offer to mediate between France and Germany, with a view to peace negotiations. The Council emphatically refused. It is significant that Holland refused a similar request. M.. Eyes Chen's • action followed the Kaiser's eoufinTinj* tha Iron Cross upon the of •.' Luxem-

BETWEEN TIBET AND CHINA.

GERMAN INFLUENCE SPREADIN C. Pekin, December 21. German consular officials in the Batang and Kasu provinces are inciting the Buddhist leaders to cause trouble on the Russian and British borders. London, December 26. The Times, in a leader, on "the real reason; of : Scarborough," says: "Empty denunciation of the enemy is useless and worse, What is wanted is a calm and reasoned demonstration of the- way to defeat him • and what will befal us if that is not thoroughly done," London, December 20. A Danish steamer which witnessed the attack on Scarborough states that three cruisers shelled ' the town and afterwards steamed off so quickly, that they were much more beneath than above water, and disappeared in the thick fog in a few 'minutes. Christmas leave consisted with military requirements was granted to the new army, but there was an ; entire absence of festivity and decorations in the barracks. London butchers purchased two of the King's prize beasts and despatched them to the front for the Christmas dinner.

A wounded engineer writes: "The battlefields are absolutely sodde". Where the country is flat as a pancake," drainage is impossible, but >the problem is solved by standing on tubs and barrels.

It has been arranged 1 that the wounded Indians shall : see London before returning to the front. The first party of convalescents were taken in a. char-a-banc to St. Paul's, Whitehall, Parliament Buildings, Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park, and the Tower.