VITAL STAGE OF THE STRUGGLE

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 84, 15 March 1916, Page 5

VITAL STAGE OF THE STRUGGLE

RUMORS OF "THE DAY!”

Gloomy Accounts from I urkey

Germany’s Latest Peace Proposals

Austro - German Street Riots

CURRENT WAR TOPICS.

Verdun is still the all-absorbing topic. An idea of what depends upon the result is being divulged in various sources, and the importance of victory to the enemy is inestimable; in fact, thq whole gamut of the war will be seriously affected to their detriment if very much longer they are unable to make substantial progress. In several towns in Germany itself disturbances have arisen, the crowd clamoring in protest against the sacrifices being made without an adequate return, and it is reported that machine-guns have in some instances been turned against the peo-

ple. In Bulgaria the Premier is alledged to have said that “the result of Verdun would show whether God was for us or against us.” In Munich the. War Minister, to calm the excited multitude, asked tham not to lose, confidence in their armies, and ednptting that, there had been mis..carriage of plans at Verdun, ppinted oift, that the development of opera-, tions required a long time.

’ But still the, terrible carnage proceeds at Vans, and violent cannonading, is the order of the day. The latest official news is favorable to the ■.Allies, the enemy having met. with several reverses. On the whole, however, there is little to report, the censor having apparently laid a heavy hand upon the cables.

The peace terms which it is stated have been submitted to, President , Wilson are unrecognisable from what we have heard previously as being the terms which Germany demanded as the price of a cessation of hostilities. The Allies have- one reply only, and Germany is likely to get heartily sick oGit before the end. Here it is: ■ ; We shall not sheath the swordj which we have not lightly' drawn, M |"uptil Belgium recovers in full measure all and more than all that g}ie has sacrificed; until France is adequately secured against the menace of aggression; until the rights of the smaller nationalities of Europe are placed upon an unavailable foundation; until the military domination of Prussia is fully and finally destroyed.

The statement that the German Fleet at Kiel has got steam up, presumably with the object in view of dashing out one of these days and giving battle to the Allied Fleets, is very interesting, and will afford many readers opportunity for instituting comparisons as to the relative strength of the two Navies. But these will be mostly odious and amusing. AH of us sincerely hope that the news is true, and that “The Day” of which the Germans boast is at hand. The Daily Mail’s correspondent at Rotterdam, who affects to speak with authority, says no German ship will surrender on “The Day,” and that in the preparation for the great event the best inventive minds have been engaged upon perfecting their supersubmarines, with which the Fleet will work. No doubt this part is true, as it is of our Navy, but so much has been written of “The Day” that it will require something more than the report that steam is up to convince most people that the all-important action is immediately contemplated.

Concerning Germany’s latest bat-tle-cruisers, “H.H.” writes:—The Derfflinger was completed in 191., and has been in service; she took part, and suffered severely, in the Battle of the Dogger Bank in January, 1915. Her sister, the Lutzow, 'begun six months later (July, 1912), was launched at the end of .November 1913, and she ought to have been completed by the end of 1915, or at latest by the middle of last year. Tuo others, Ersatz Hertha and Ersatz Viktoria Luise, were begun in June, 1913 and 1914, respectively. There has been time, perhaps, to finish the Hertha, which was launched last year amid the plaudits of the nation, and with much ceremony christened Hindenburg. The other one is certainly not finished, but may be completed this year. These vessels hav?

eight 12-inch guns. Only one other battle-cruiser enters into consideration at all—the late Salamis (carrying eight 14-inch guns, and ordered by Greece), which may be completed shortly. The total of heavy ships which Germany can have produced, even by ' the utmost effort, as completed since the war began, is therefore six out of a total of ten visibly, in prospect.

An American incident worthy of reproduction is reported by a lady living in California in a letter to her brother living in Australia. The letter shows that America is giving splendid help to the Allies which, perhaps 1 , helps to supply the reason for Germany’s campaign to embroil that country in the war. At any rate, it is some cause for any German effort that might be made in the future. ■The writer says:—“Did I tell you that we (Allied workers in San Francisco) have'received from Queen Mary a certificate for' specially valuable relief work ? The organisation for helping the! French is (splendid ; almost’ "All out ; ivoHc goes' to" as' 1 thpy.. were so, terribly 1 badly off.’ •' Ai ’ however," of all their' troubles th|dFrench sent a very fine exhibit tq; the San Francisco Exhibition, and' donated the valuable library of books,'! afterwards to the California University. At a large gathering at the fair on French Day, one prominent American said in his speech, ‘Are we neiU fral ?’ The emphatic ‘No’ from the multitude shook the building, and the French "Commissioner went up to the sneaker, wrung his hands, and kissed him bn both cheeks. I think everybody else took out their handkerchiefs.”

A ,copy of the “Peninsula Press” h.s to hand from a local resident. -It us, a one-sheet production, dated Monday;-, issue. Much interesting official news is published of the the war on the various fronts, and the “paper,.’ differs from the usual “Contingent effort at newspaperdom in that alleged humor does not fihd a place in its columns. Perhaps the most interesting par in No. 95 is a reference to the evacuation of Suvla-Anzac, as seen through German classes, which runs as follows: “We are indebted to the German idreless telegrams for a most interesting, and quite new account of our last days in the Suvla—Anzac area. Comment is unnecessary } as the details speux Tor themselves. According to this account, which purports to be that of eye-witnesses who have arrived at Salonika, “the English made one last light at Ari Burnu and Anafarta to break through the Turkish lines, ‘aided throughout the day. by tire continuous fire of their guns on land and on shipboard: this attack was repulsed hy the brave and heroic Turkish troops, and therefore on the night of the 19th—20th December, the flight of the English commenced —a flight which was observed by the Turks at 3 a.m. The Turks inflicted gigantic losses on the English and took spoils that extended for kilometres, including poker cards, whisky flasks, enormous quantities of. corned beef, jam, cocoa, soda water, lemon juice—these from the officers quarters—not to mention such things as electrical installations, ambulance wagons, spare wheels, complete wireless apparatus, etc.” A recently captured Turkish prisoner has just informed us that the Turkish Commander has been decorated as a ward for this victory.”