Renewed Furious Fighting in West

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 28, 8 May 1916, Page 5

Renewed Furious Fighting in West

light-long Bombardment at Verdun Roumanian Territory Threatened Irish Rebels Pay the Penalty Lloyd George; Replies to Criticism

CURRENT Vv'AR TOPICS.

The Germans appear to ne attacking on the west front with renewed rigor, which, however, *is meeting with no more: success than did 'Jieiv prev.ov.s furious fighting in the attempts i:) the Verdun front. 'Tncredinlo violence" is . the wording of to-day's report in clnonicling the news from this quarter, and wo read; of the bombardment of Verdun being conducted right throughout the night. Attacks on other sectors were also repulsed with heavy Josses tcthe enemy. These continued failures must have a far-reaching effeoc upon the morale of the German troops. And can ono wonder at it. No troops in the world can be,up against it all the time and not waver or question the futility of their commanders' instructions.

A story comes from Bucharest to the effect that the Germans are concentrating 80,000 Turks and 40,000 Bulgars at Constantinople with .the object of shortly'sending them • to the western *ront, Now that wouldbe a very good -nov* indeed for the Germans, but '•lns w£: terW* alwivs understood ■• that the Turks had their hands, full; with the Russians in 'Asia; Minor, while the EJu-g-ar's are'' expecting ,to be fully employed W the immediate fnture either with meeting the; assaults of .the A lies now hr Salonika oiv else in , invading Dobrudja and engaging'the Roumanian's Perhaps 1 Germany , now thinks, with the Allies' that the War wul be decided on the western front and that as the Russians are helping the British and French there should be no question about employing the Turks and Bulgars in similar operations for her benent. Either Germany is acknowledge the *weakehing of her strength on , this frbnt or she is paying a-fine .compliment to the over-increasing power ot the Allies:- :i Firrt, the objective was Paris then it was Calais, nest came a diversion in the Balkans, \ erdua w g nnearthea, and still failures tod to be recorded. Tt is just possible that Germany is hard pressed for ta tent lot further theatrical displays after the, mosf recent instance of intrigue p Ireland. 'The Turco-Bulganan trip to theWcstern front cannot be swalowed n t a culp. Further news must He Ued heading to-clay's message wit h a previous one, the P^Wity -* that these forces are destined for the Houmanian frontier.

Lord Curzon's speech to the Primrose League was thoroughly m keep--Sg with the objects of the > League, viz , the maintenance of religion, of the' States of the Realni, and ot the Imperial ascendancy of Britain. The League was founded in 1883 by Loixl Randolph Churchill, Sir John Gorst, Sir Alfred Slade, and Sir Henry Drummond Wolff in support of the principles advocated by the Earl of Beaconsfield, and so called because on the of his death everv member Nrears a bunch of primrosesf said to have been the earl's favorite flower. No greater service can be. done the Empire at the present time than the consolidating of National opinion as to the desirability of prosecuting the war to a successful issue, than the setting of political and civil tangles straight, than the unravelling of the skein of party schemes which, left alone, threaten to wreck the whole fabric of government, and than the restoration of confidence in the Cabinet and in the leaders of our means of defence from the common foe. The splendid tone of the speech will find many admirers throughout the Empire. His unqualified support of the Government will go far towards securing ultimate victory, and his assurance that be the War long or short, the Government will go on to the end is quite a necessary statement for the purpose of buoying up those unfortunate people who arc quite unable to stand alone in any time of crisis, and who, given half a chance, will at once join in the rear of the chase whenever the hounds are out scalp-hunting.

It is possible for the first time (writes Archibald Hard in the Daily Telegraph of 24th February) to give a complete conspectus of the heavy losses which the mercantile marines of the world have suffered since the' opening of hostilities. For some time past details have beon issued of ships under the mercantile flags which have been seized or sunk, and it is now practicable to complete a picture of ;he ravages which war has wrought, to the embarrassment of all the nations and their menace owing to the high prices of foods Rnd other commodities.

Owing to the courtesy of Admiral E. .P. Inglefield the secretary of Lloyd's —who is, by the way, an editor as well as a naval officer, since he now has in charge Lloyd's List, a daily publication with a circulation, in every part of the globe—l have been able to compile statistics which reveal the extent of the interference with ocean commerce owing to war conditions, which has occurred down to 22nd January last. . Admiral Ihglefield's staff has* kept a record of every ship, whatever the nationality, which has been detained, captured, or destroyed, > which in summary is as under:— Number. Tonnage. British' ... 485 1,506,415 Allied ... 167 282,178 German ... 601 1,276,560 Austrian ... 80 267,664 Turkish ... 124 Uncertain. Neutral ... 736 441,472 Totals ... 2193 3,774,289 These figures indicate the influence: which hostilities have had on the j world's carrying trade. It may be interesting first to take 'the losses which have been sustained by/the British Merchant .Navy unckr j the various heads. They are as follow:' British. ' '. ; ' '.,,;< ._ ■;.,.,,•.' , , , ; ,^ T °v Tonnage. Detained in Genrmn ports ] '/.' on outbreak of, war'..., 80 171,603 Detained in Turkish ports 9 12,496 Captured and sunk by ~ ... .enemy 56 234,589 Captured by enemy ... 3 9,111 Sunk by submarines ... 225 746,468 Damaged by submarines 27 129,281 Sunk by mines or explosions .... ... 53 103,548 Damaged by mines or J oxplosions ... ... 28 94,191 Damaged by aircraft ... 4 I 5;128 485 1,506/06 The loss is larger than might have been, The figures will Serve a useful .purpose'if'they'forcibly remind all. consumers that the number of vessels available to carry things they want is now restricted, and that the road to cheaper living lies in the direction of self-denial and economy. If tire volume m goods to be carried is decre ised by cutting off luxuries, the competition for carriage will decrease and the rates of freight will fall. Thus the nation may help to save itself from one of the greatest inconveniences of the war—the high prices which aro now ruling. The nations which are fighting with us have also suffered heavy casualties at the hands of the enemy, as the appended statement show.s: —