WAR ITEMS.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 95, 22 December 1914, Page 3

WAR ITEMS.

In West Flahders the Belgians fiercely attacked the. Germans' right. The Germans left. ■<<. Britain 's only objection to the hea, that walks like a man is that he doesn't walk fast enough.—New York American. . ~ ..■.•'■- , 11( TJie hqH,o„v <.rv..re ■ of the British Army is more ..deadly than the tons of dead iron from the mammoth 10-inch guns. —The Eagle.

My greatest regret is that I have been the author of three wars in which thousands of lives have been lost.— Prince Bismarck.

The trouble about General De Wet is that it is lit-rdly possible w'h any semblance of logic, to hang him without also hanging Sir Edward Cai'sor*. to —Svdney Bulletin.

The German .Government has devised a "mourning brooch" for the bereaved, to, be worn in place of the black mourning, which is forbidden. The brooch is inscribed, ''With pride I sacrificed a loved one for the Fatherland."

In the event of an attack by Zeppelins, Westminster Abbey is well-pro-tected against fire. 'ln the south-east tower, some 160 feet above the ground, are tanks containing huge quantities of water, by means of which any part of the building could be flooded, or, if i <-ed .be th,? whole of it, in a few minutes.

When the Ghurkas were told they were wanted to fight in the great war they asked: "Shall we all be .killed?" and the officer said "Not all." They inquired "Shall a great many be killed?" He replied, "Possibly." ' Then they asked, "Will a hundred men come back V " Perhaps so. '' That will be enough," they said, "our people will know that we have fought well.''

WHEN NOT TO PLAY FOOTBALL

Admiral Sir Alo-ernon de Horsey, i presiding over the Isle of Wight : -•-inch recently, said to some who were ' charged "with playing football in the street that they should be learning Ui shoot. He added, "When I see reports of football matches, I say, Good j God, what has come to our people to be playing football when the country is in a life and death struggle?" THE WAR IN CANADA.Canada found the war in her own midst (says the Pall Mail Gazette), when a couple of Aust nans -blew up a row of houses chiefly occupied by Russian immigrants. This episode will give i the Dominion, a mere vivid conception i of the kind of enemy aganst whom the j Empire is embattletd. The Canadian | imigination will be ui»lt? to realise Lou- j vain and Rheims better from a visit io ' Prontenac Street, Montreal. LOOTER'S OFFENCE CONDONED.! i A peasant of Qievy fell int'> the hands of a British patrol, and wan found in possession of ?>d marks, which ! he admitted havino- taken from -1 o •.-»(.;.ndel Death's Head Hussar. As the troops were off to the firing line, they j did not know what to do with the prisoner. He solved the difficulty by asking for a rifle and for four days fought ! courageously beside * the British. At i Compeigne he was handed over to the ' mayor, tried for theft and acquitted. ; For the insurance of the Guildhall, I the Mansion House and the Central l Criminal Court against damage by bombs, the London City Corporation is ; paying a premium of over £1,700. Portugal, which has declared war | against Germany, has been our ally since 1386. A treaty was that year j signed at Windsor as an outcome of the ! assistance which John o' Gaunt and I 5000 English soldiers hail given John I. of Portugal against Castillian aggression. "The coolest thing I ever saw in ac- j tion was that of a big Highlander, who milked a cow under rifle and shell-fire \ to get something for his wounded ; mates to drink when the water ran i out," says Private Clarke, of the i King's Rifles, in a letter home. As a detachment of British cavalry, j whic hhad previously repulsed a German attack, was enjoying a peaceful game of water-polo in the Oise a patrol of Uhlans was signalled. The British I soldiers had no time to dress, so they jumped naked on their horses and charged the enemy who fled. The Germans allow French prisoners I to communicate, with their families, but | exercise a strict censorship. In order to get a letter through, a prisoner must say that he is fed like a fighting cock and has all he can desire. A prisoner wrote in that strain and signed his letter "Creban de fam," which is i Provencal for "we are starving (nous crevous de faim). RUSSIA IN WAR TIME'. Mr Stephen ■ Graham, in the Times, mentions some effects of the war in Russia which conflicts with the picture usually formed of a country in arms. The cost of living has decreaed all round, because Russia's usual export of foodstuffs, has been blockaded ' in

Hon of vodka had produee-T-eondnions demanding a great extension, of savings banks, and Air. Graham says that ••money is flowing like, water." A country which has not become industrialised deary shows a different reaction to this sort of crisis from the experience of Western nations. ... GERMAN GUN EXPLODE?. _ , -.. One of the three 42c guns used by, the,. Germans on the right wing has exploded, through being overcharged, and a terrible catastrophe had re.ilted. The gunner and 250 other men who were in close proximity were horriDly ma'ng'Od. The bleedincr limbs fell on a cavalry detachment. At ten miles from the place of the explosion fragments of grape shot struck the infantry, and Wiled and wounded a number of soldiers. Several neighbouring farmhouses were practically demolished, and the gun itself disappeared in a large hole made by the explosion. Under threat that they would incur severe punishment h they spoke ,of the; catastrophe, the troops are remaining silent. ~ "''"" ' ——, . ! 'PRISONERS IN GERMANY. It is officially stated that the number of' war prisoners in Germany: on November 1 was as follows: French—--3,138 officers 188,618 men; Russian — 3,121 officers/: 186,779 men; Belgian—--537- officers, 34,907 men; British —417 officers, 15,730 men; making a total of 433j247 : . These figures, do not include tiie prisoners then on their way to Germany.