General News

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 26, 1 February 1915, Page 3

General News

THE KAISER’S BIRTHDAY. SPANIARDS TAKE SIDES. Timh and Bydnbt Bun Subtiobb. (Received 8 a.m.) London, January JO. Ten thousand reactionary Spaniards celebrated the Kaiser’s birthday by handing cards to the German Ambassador, thanking him for removing the statue at Brussels. The Republicans, Radicals, Democrats, and Liberals retorted by handing numberless cards to the Anglo-French Ambassadors. THE ARMY’S WORK IN FRANCE. TiMxi ‘and Sydnbt Sun Ssbviom. London,. January 30. The Times’ military correspondent, reviewing the army in France, states that guns of all calibres have joined the trenches. Telephones made a strong frame work of defence. The fighting v at the front is largely between snipers and men at the sapheads. Our sniper organisation is making progress and eventually will beat the Germans at their own game. The flying corps has maintained its supremacy. It has only missed six days in the air since August. The army lately has been through a process of organisation. Many changes have occurred in the higher commands, the staffs and the general stuff at headquarters. The soldiers trust Lord Kitchener to apportion troops fairly between the armies abroad-and for Horne defence. Nobody is doing more than Lord Kitchener to win success. He is indispensiblo in his present position, as Sir John French is indispensible in the field. The two Field Marshals complete each other, each doing the work he does best. The main needs of the army are infantry and heavy guns, high explosives being more than enough.

AUSTRIAN CRAIN MONOPOLY. * United Pbebb Association. Venice, January JO. The Austrian Government has decided to organise a grain monopoly similar to the German. FRENCH TRIBUTES TO BRITISH. Paris, January 31. Following on M. Millerand’s and M. Angagneur’s visits to England, widespread articles- have appeared in the French Press, paying tributes to the British military sacrifices, and to the high quality and efficiency of the new army. Some of the newspapers point out the world-wide character of the British army’s activities, and emphasise the * services of the Navy. TURNING ON THE SCREW.

Havre, January 30. General Yon Bissing has announced that a heavy tax will be imposed on Belgians who do not-repatriate before March 1, when their property will be sold. The Belgian Government notifies that the absentee laws provide for the recovery from the new possessor. IMPORTANCE■OF INOCULATION. London, January 30. Sir William O'sler (Regium Professor of Medicine at Oxford University) is urging the vital importance of inoculating. all the .troops against typhoid. Dr. Williams has also written a letter to the Times, wherein he points out that the Australasians were inoculated during the voyage, and were also vaccinated.

FOODSTUFFS IN GERMANY. London, January 30. The anticipations’ of Germany respecting the possible duration of the tvar is shown by the measures taken to provide against the shortage of certain classes of food. In some towns orders have been issued that kitchen refuse not required for feeding animals has to be saved and handed to the authorities. ( MFNTALLY DERANGED GERMANS. Copenhagen, January 3J. A doctor who was recently at Berlin states that thousands of soldiers continue to return mentally deranged. He has seen trainloads of men otherwise perfectly well. PRISONERS IN GERMANY. Paris, January 30. A Swiss, who visited the camp of French prisoners in Germany, reports that the men are badly fed, being restricted to 2.50 grammes of bread daily, the vegetables being uncooked, and the supply of soup inadequate. They are compelled to undertake hard work, and when they stagger under burdens they are thrashed and set upon by guards and dogs. Their quarters are unheated, and a thin layer of straw serves for a bed. There is much sickness, and the death rate is high. Amsterdam, January 30. A British prisoner named John Bramble was remanded at Spandon for having assaulted a sergeant who struck him with a whip. Bramble ran among the prisoners and a Landwhernian hied, killing another prisoner. The Kolnische Zeitung states that sixty British colonials were arrested at Hamburg, and that ten Australians are still free.