OFFENSIVE BY THE ALLIES

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 92, 24 March 1916, Page 5

OFFENSIVE BY THE ALLIES

Germans Driven from the Heights

Situation Unchanged at Verdun

More Victims of German Submarines

BULGAR HATRED OF THE HUNS

CURRENT WAR TOPICS.

War news of any importance is searce to-day, and beyond the report of a skirmish in the Balkans near Salonika and the sinking of more shipping by the Huns, there is .little new. In the case of the former, it is stated that the French engaged and drove I put the Germans from their positions near Maisikov or Matshikovo, which is south-west of Doiran, and about thirty miles north of Salonika. The fact of the Allies engaging the enemy goes to slioav that a_n offensive movement has begun, and this is good news indeed, for their position at Salonika from the point of view of men and fortifications must then be very satisfactory. It is high time Greece threw off the cloak of neutrality and put in her bit for justice and right. Or does she expect to stand by, and, in the shelter of the bankruptcy court, owing to the strain of keeping up mobilisation, watch the struggle, till just at its close, the opportune moment will be seized to join in and share in the spoil? It is more than likely that she will be loft out in the cold. But here lis a great opportunity for the Allied diplomatists to make use of her financial troubles and place some money -at her disposal, thus assisting the Greeks to make up their minds as to who are their best friends.

This is not pleasant to contemplate, of course, but the truth of it is borne out by the cables to-day. We read of Count Zeppelin stating in the Reichstag that improved Zeppelins are in course of construction, and that these are designed to rise to a greater height and to carry heavier loads than any of the machines already in use. One remark which the Count. made was probably in reply to criticism drawing attention to the number of accidents which have befallen Zeppelins of late, and no doubt on the grounds that any excuse is better than none, the Count said that he had expected a certain amount of accidents owing to the fact that the motors in use had been hastily tested. The Germans might swallow this with theii*sauerkraut, but very few of the English-speaking people will believe that such an immense machine carrying valuable lives, and travelling long distances on important missions, would be allowed to leave the workshop with admittedly imperfect machinery- The excuse is too thin, Count.

Roumania can hare little grounds for standing out of the Entente Alliance. 'She has seen "hat Germany has come to a stop at Verdun, the Russians are mai'ohing victoriously over Persia and Asia Minor, Salonika holdsthe Allied troops in great numbers and in strength, and now at her very door the Austrians are getting more than they want from the . armies of the Czar of All the Russias. The occupation of Czernowitz, following so closely upon the abandonment of Usciezko, which is forty miles north on the river Dneistev, should be conviction certain that the Russians have "come back." and that these sterling fighters intend to carry out their purpose without again looking back on a repetition of the disastrous retreat of a year ago. They are not troubled with fewness of numbers like the British, and rehabilitated and reorganised, thanks to the assistance of her Allies .particularly, it is understood of the Japanese, the addition of Roumania in the Balkans would bo sufficient to completely turn the tables on the Central Powers. Writer expects to leam at any time now of the intervention of Roumania on the side of the Allies.

In the course of a valuable book on "Aircraft in Warfaro," by Mr P. W. , Lanchester, the well-known authority ! lon ..aeronautics, there occur some interesting passages on the question of raids on Britain. He says: "There lis-no doubt that, so long as the wcajther conditions are favourable to defence, anything in the nature of a idayljght raid on London could be rendered impossible by a sufficient defending force of aeroplanes; but even here, in the case of an attack in great force, it is by no means certain that some measure of success might not be achieved; it would at least require an immense preponderance of power if every hostiie aeroplane is to be beaten back or otherwise accounted for. When, however, the weather conditions are favourable to attack, also in the case of attack by night, there is no means of defence j at present known to the author whieu 'would prevent the enemy from inflicting enormous damage if the attack in sulficient numerical force and is pre' pared to act with determination in spite of any losses he may sustain; no reasonable superiority in the defending aircraft, either individually or, numerically, can be entirely effective. Neither can we pin our faith to counter-aircraft artillery, under the in question it may prove to be useless. We have so far not witnessed an attack by aircraft on an important city on a grand scale, such as, without doubt, the future has in store. The raids which have hitherto been carried out are compared with what, in due course, will become possible."

A .cablegram ■ in, Monday night's Post; stated that Dr. Liebkneoht, vtJjo Socialist member, in his speech in;the Prussian Diet, which ended in. the sudden closing of the sitting, said that the Government was transforming the schools into training stables; for war. Hatred of England was-fomented in the schools, and the children were educated for war, submarines and poisoned bombs being their ideals. In connection with Dr v allegltwn^''the following * the Nation (the well-known ,libndt|| publication) is of Royal: Hungarian, Minister for 'Education requests all teachers W pij| special attention to educating the children in the coming term to the respect.and honor due to our enemies;; that no hatred or contempt should enter the minds of the children against the brave men with whom their fathers are in deadly combat; #vnd that hate or contempt is not to be cultivated in the youthful minds." Commenting on this information, the English Labor newspaper, The Herald, commends it to all those who from quite mistaken motives are doing their worst to create and foster national and race hatred, antr I ' earnestly as,ks its readers to make the fact known that, despite the "Hymn of Hate," there are thousands of children in Austria-Hungary who are being taught not to hate, but to respect and honor the citizens of all countries.