VERDUN'S POPULATION DEPARTS
Fresh German Offensive Pending
THE NEED FOR ECONOMY
Great Meeting in the Guildhall
McKenna and Kitchener Speak Out
CURRENT WAR TOPICS.
both arms' length any attempt of our enemies to claim a share of such international dealings. In this country. at this stage, it is the duty of the businessman to see that all his eligible employees volunteer for active service, but it is quite as necessary that he should join hands with hip fellows and with the authorities in the direction of promoting our future trade and commerce on a reciprocal basis, which has for its object, first, interchange between the peoples of the Empire, and then reciprocity among our Allies. As heartily as we now wish damnation to enemy trade, so should our energies 1)0 extended in the direction of stilling all his efforts—and they will be many, it is certain, and of the very most questionable kind—from the very outset. The manner in which, as soon as the war started, Germany set about choking Britishers who were trading in their country is plainly described by a Mr Frederick William Hanson, a Britisher, in another column of this issue. The retaliatory methods employed are illustrative of the Teutons' best Kultur! Brete Hart's famous Chinee must be nowawarded second place to this European peril! The article referred to appears on page 7. It is woiih everybody's while to read it and to commit the facts to memory.
We are left in a state of anxiety and uncertainty concerning the progress of the light at Verdun. There is no further news as to tin l fort ; t Douaumont and the fate of the '.and of Brandenburgers, who recklessly oe'cupied the fortifications and were cut off from their fellows, but we read that Verdun lias been evacuated by 'the civilian population, and that shells arc falling in the town. Verdun is a small town of 12,000 inhabitants, situated in a basin enclosed by vine clad hills, which are known as the heights of the Meuse. The greater 7 part of the town is on the left bank of the Meuse, and, even if the Germans capture all the forts to the east of the town, there is a line of forts on the west which should ,endor the crossing of the Meuse a very expensive undertaking. Against the necessity of the Germans forcing the lines of the Meuse in this direction, it is unfortunate for the French that the enemy possesses a bridgehead at St. Millie). Verdun was captured by the Germans in 1870, after standing ,> long bombardment ami many assaults.
| The quiet confidence of -,h • P<m!i commanders and people is a ery ••'• assuring note in the cables, and one writer looks forward with interest to the time which might come when tiie fighting will be in open country, arid the enemy will once more meet their victors of the Marnc. It has been pointed out that it must be realised that no defence, as established in the absence of heavy pressure, can be absolutely rigi'd against a determined attack! and when we learn that the Germans will consider no sacrifice too great to attain their objective, there may yet come news of the capture or the town, most probably through evacuation by the Allies to save valuable lives.
However slightingly some Americans were tempted to regard Germany's Crown Prince before the war, it must now be confessed that he lias won his spurs (says an American exchange). 'Many Germans in these last si*een months have gained a place nporothe indelible scroll of history through their great generalship, but none other has equalled his record. Were they willing to die for their country!'—-ah, yes; but it was with the wish that they "had more than one life to give" —a confession of incompetence. It remains for the Crown Prince to shame them by carelessly throwing away life after life with patriotic abandon. So at least it has seemed to us who Have had no better information than the news reports to rely upon. A Danish news writer has summed up, iis a valuable contribution to history, the chronology of Prince Friedrich Wilhelm Victor Augustus Ernst's part in the war ; August 5, 1914—Victim of an attempt against hi s life in Berlin. August 18—Severely wounded on the French frontier. August 20—Second attempt against hi s life, in which he loses one leg. August 24—Third attempt against his life. September 4 —Committed suicide. September II —Died in a Brussels hospital. September 15—Commanded an attack near Verdun; September 16—Wounded by shrapnel in Poland. September 18—Once more wounded on the French frontier. September 20—Is hastened to his death-bed. October 24—Buried in Berlin. October 24—His body found on the battlefield. November 3—Once more buried. November 4—Once more killed by the French. November B—lnsane; taken to a lonely castle. November 13—Appointed chief commander on the Eastern front. November 17—Once more killed. January 16, 1916—Once more killed. February 3—Sent home.
I Economy is the text for the sermons preached by Mr McKenna and Lord 1 Kitchener at a great meeting in the Guildhall, London. The seriousness of the situation as shown by the speakers' remarks should make every Britisher dwell lengthily upon his own position and searchingly scrutinise his habits and mode of living so that he may, wherever possible, chop down all unnecessary expenditure. Not only luxuries come within the scope of Mr McKenna's words, but even what are called the necessaries of life (but after all are not really so) afford a field for economy. Lord Kitchener pointedly pointed out. that the war was largely one of financial and economic exhaustion, and he urged the utmost energy in the production of the viti.l. 'or the Army and Navy and '■he greatest economy in consumption.
: 01' late much has been written and spoken of the slate of pre-war trade, and of what must lie done to prevent a repetition of the tactics adopted by the Germans to follow in the footsteps of tl.o British—and, lor the matter oi that of the other nations—for the purpose of controlling, ii' possible, all( l by whatever means appears best and easiest to them, all the avenues of commerce. No one will deny that these fears for the security of oui future trade are well-grounded, and that every assistance should be given to the Imperial and Dominie,., Governments as well as to tlu.se of the Allies with the object of conserving itheir own interests and keeping at
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Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 73, 2 March 1916, Page 5
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1,079VERDUN'S POPULATION DEPARTS Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 73, 2 March 1916, Page 5
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