WIDE RANGE OF OPERATIONS

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 43, 26 January 1916, Page 5

WIDE RANGE OF OPERATIONS

Aerial Activity on all Fronts

Turks on the Run in the Caucasus

Serbian Troops Landing at Corfu

Passing of the Compulsion Bill

ping of Germans is no more an mci- ! dent than the Baralong murders, but is the outcome of the English system that everything German and all Germans must be murdered, dishonored, degraded and robbed. All this would be very amusing were it not that it is part of the great German plan of intrigue and imposition to influence the Neutrals. It will help to prolong the struggle, perhaps, but as Mr Lloyd George concludes a striking interview, the text of which is published in another column: "The Allies are engaged in a mighty effort to dig the grave of the wicked doctrine that 'right is might,' and we shall not cease to strive'to the uttermost until we have dug that grave deep and wide."

The New Zealanders under General Wallace in Egypt have again got among the Senussi, the Arab tribe which they engaged some time ago. It is" stated that the British successfully fought a considerable enemy force close to Tripoli, and about thirty-five miles west of Mersa Mutrah, and inflicted heavy losses upon them. Concerning the operations in this quarter, an interesting letter has been received from Rifleman Leslie Amies, son of Mr and Mrs G. H. Amies; of Main Street, Palmerston North, of the New Zealand Rifle Brigade (Liverpool's Own) which received its baptism of fire on Christmas Day. Rifleman Amies,'who is well-known in this district, is a nephew oT !\lr T. Lawson, of The Post mechanical staff, and it will be seen that he confirms this morning's cable reference to the use of an aeroplane in the operations. Writing from Germania Wells, Egypt, Rifleman Amies says:—We arrived at Alexandria and then went on to Zeitoun, and finally marc-hod to Heliopolis, and saw the Nile and Pyramids. We stood by for two days, and then left.to go to an unknown destination. I was on ammunition guard. For the next two days we had a train journey of 200 miles away in the desert, where we arrived i& th e afternoon and pitched camp. No. 2 platoon, to which I am attached, was picked to guard the wells, so next day we marched seven miles there, where we are still. The place is onegreat expanse of sand. AVe has English cavalry and Australian transport. We take the night work and they take the day work. The enemy are about thirty miles away, led by German and Turkish officers, and are the same troops who gave the Italians battle for eighteen months in Tripoli. We are on the African Coast, about sixty miles from the Tripolitan border. We have armoured cars and an armoured train manned by Indians, there are also aeroplanes uith us."

One of the simplest ways of catcning enemy submarines is to hunt tliem down by following the track they leave upon the surface of the water. So large an object, as a submarine, especially of one of the latest types, cannot travel fast, even if periscope and all are submerged, without leaving some trace above. And this a scouting destroyer may spy and follow. An English newspaper has published a description of a hunt of this kind. The writer of the description wa s standing somewhere on the east coast of England when "three destroyers came steaming up; two were travelling abreast, and one stood back, about midway. They were going about half-speed. 1 watched them through the glasses until, suddenly, the rear destroyer made a spurt forward. She gathered speed so that the foam rushed over her bows. The others zig-zagged, and the guns boomed out. The destroyers were twisting and twirling in a maze of movements, the while their guns cracked. Soon the fifing ceased, and the destroyers moved about over the apparently vacant sea for about half an hour: Then they turned seaward and steamed away. Their mission was accomplished. On the next, incoming tide the shore was strewn with oil."

CURRENT WAR TOPICS.

The report that the Austrians have occupied Scutari and Berat, together with the statement that their objective is Durazzb, and that the Bulgarians' have set their minds on reaching Valona, point to a well-con-sidered design to subject Albania to their will. This movement embraces the whole seaboard of Albania, from Montenegro in the north to the Grecian frontier in the south. Scutari is the capital of the Scutari vilayet, south-east of the lake of the same name which is exit by the Mon-tenegro-Albanian frontier line. It is 16 miles from the, Adriatic on the river Boyana, and boasts of a castle, cathedral, and various industries, with a population of about 40,000. The Jalje of Scutari is 10 miles from the Adriatic, haying a length of 27 miles, breadth 8 miles, and area of 135 miles, the maximum depth being 145 ft. It drains to the Adriatic from its southern extremity.

Durazzo (or Drach) where, it is stated, Essad Pasha is organising his forces, is about 55 miles south of Scutari. "It has an interesting history. Originally founded by the Corinthians and Corcyracans (621 8.C.), under the name of Epidamnos, the quarrelsome nature of its colonists was-the occasion- Of the 'Pelopoh l ' nesian war. It was the scene of the long struggle between Caesar and Pompey (48 8.C.). The Romans in the 4th century changed its name to Dyrrhachium. It and Bnmdusium, on the opposite coast of Italy, were the Dover and Calais in the communication | between Rome and the Orient. In 1273 it wa s totally des-; troyed by an earthquake.

Berat (or Bielogorod) is a town in the province of Janina 50 miles south-

east of Durazzo, and 30 miles northeast of Avlona (or Valona) a seaport * on the bay of the same name, 58 miles south of Durazzo. Until 1691 it was under the suzerainty of Venice. It is an archiepiseopal see of the Orthodox Greek Church, and ha s a population of over 6000.

It will have been noted that with the occupation of Berat both Durazzo and Avlona are in almost immediate danger of attack, and in the absence of organised defence of any pretensions their fall should not be long delayed. Still, th e fact that they lie under the wiwng of the Allied fleet in these waters .will no doubt stand them in good stead. Again, Corfu, which is th 0 scene of much activity on the part of the Allies, is distant not fifty miles, and if assistance is requested by Essad Pasha for these Albanian towns it need not be long in arriving. However, in view of the statement in the Houso of Commons that Scutari was cut off and that there was no information available about the Montenegrin situation, it is not likely that much detail of the enemy's latest offensive will soon be forthcoming.

It is hard to understand, why, in these strenuous times, the cable"craramer" should spread broadcast the wholly misleading statements concerning the report of alleged public whipping of Germans at Rabaulj without a word to enlighten the superficial reader except a line buried in the end of the cable that for a certain reason they are specially amusing. The action of the British authorities has, it is stated, deeply excited Germany, where it is regarded as one of the greatest horrors of the war! The message is not clear, concerning the position of the Australian Government and the Administratpr, and the latter's action is said to have been deprecated, but this ■ does not matter at all, as the whole circumstances are unbelievable under British rule, unless, of course, the conduct of probably one German subject had brought him within the four corners of the law, for which he had been ordered to bo flogged, It will doubtless be found that the position—if there is such—is something of this bature. It is only to be expected, however, that Germany will squeal loudly, and there is talk of "complete satisfaction" and the "adequate punishment of the officers responsible." Indeed, Count Reventlow (who ought to know better) violently protests against allowing the subject to drop, stating that the official whip-