The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. TUESDAY, AUGUST 31, 1915. AMERICA AND GERMANY.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2, 31 August 1915, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. TUESDAY, AUGUST 31, 1915. AMERICA AND GERMANY.

It is altogether too ridiculous to sup i pose that the "stern" Notes issuei from Washington have had any rea .effect on Germany's policy of murde and piracy, and whatever German, 1 may pretend it isTfairly, certain thai the American'negotiations, which wen after all merely talk, are only heiti}. used as a pretext for the partial- dis continuance of general submarim criminality, when the real reasons ar( probably that the ..vigilance of the British Navy and the general disgust ol neutral nations at the inhuman work, has made even directors of German warfare realise that the position is untenable and that America's remonstrances might be used as a useful plank to slide out upon. But to imagine that the cunning Teuton has listened to Piicle Ham's moral suasion talk for any other reason than his own purposes is too much * to. ask the rest of civilisation to believe. Shortage of German submarines to continue high-sea piracy is most probably the reason of Germany's apparent yielding to United States "pressure." Prom the beginning of these outrages Germany has never been able to truthfully cite a single instance in which a purely merchant ship has used a gun against one of her submarines, but she has falsely asserted that "it is well known that all . British ships are armed" as an excuse for the diabolical methods of her submarines, in torpedoing or shelling helpless merchantmen without warning. One writer reminds us that since February there has been a growing agitation in Britain in favor of the arming of all merchant ships for defence against submarines. To those who argue that this would give Germany exactly the justification she lias attempted to make, it has been said that with ■very ship armed the position could »e no worse, but dearly very much •etter, than with every ship unarmed. Several masters have shown that littler certain conditions an unarmed Merchant ship skilfully handled is nore than a match for a submarine. leveral of which have been rammed. )ne of more quick-firing guns mounted n every British merchant ship, even I they did not provide complete imininity from attack, would at all vents make the submarine commaudrs very chary of attacking on the nvi'-.U'o. Germany, through her spies, my have learned thai something of his is going to happen. I

THE SOUTH AFRICAN LEADER

'General Botha, one of the Empire's heroes of to-day, is a soldier of many parts. One of the principal officers of his personal staff, Major Harry Trew, writing to a friend recently, describing the arduous trek into the German territory in South-West Africa, declares that the General was a great source of anxiety to the writer because he did not seem to know what fear was. "As soon a§..a shot goes off he fidgets until he gets up to the firing line. He is a most charming chief to work for. and as a general would, in my opinion, take first place in any army of the world. His strategy is l bold and I'arseeing. His; combinations over a vast front invariably come off as he planned them. Local success or failure does not elevate oj- depress him. All his attention is fixed on the big objective. Whilst always trying to turn his enemy out of strong positions by wide flanking movements, lie is quite prepared to fight when anything is to be gained by so doing." It has been suggested in"more than one quarter that the services of such clever .Generals as both Botha and Smuts (might be very useful in- Europe.