WAR JOTTINGS

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 151, 1 March 1915, Page 7

WAR JOTTINGS

ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS. FALSE OR DEROGATORY REPORTS FORBIDDEN. The following adclitonal under the War Regulations Act were issued in a Gazette Extraordinary:— No person shall publish or communicate, or permit to be published or communicated, any information with respect to—(1) Forecasts or plans of future naval and military operuions; (2) the organisation, strength, movements, armaments, condition, disposition, or distribution of the naval or military forces of his Majesty or of his Majesty's Allies; (3) the condition of the warships of his Majesty or of his Majesty's Allies, a.' the transport, supply, or other services; (4-) the situation, armaments, or state of defensive works, whether in New Zealand or elsewhere in the British dominions ,or in territory belonging to his Majesty's Allies, unions—(a) The information is received by cable passed by the appointed censors over British cables; or (b) the information has already appeared in newspapers, received by mail in New Zealand from some other portion of the British dominions; or (c) the information has been passed for publication by the Chief of the General Staff, New Zealand Military Forces, Wellington.

No person shall by word of mouth, or in writing, or in any newspaper periodical, book, circular, or other printed publication spread false reports or make false statements likely to cause disaffection to his Majesty, or to interfere with the success of his Majesty's forces by land or sea, or to prejudice his Majesty's relations with foreign Powers or his Allies, or spread reports or make statements likely to prejudice the recruiting, training, discipline, or administration of any ef his Majesty's forces, including the New Zealand defence forces. Fifteen .hundred Iron Crosses have been distributed among the German army surgeons in the field. The Germans in East Prussia are using machinery, driven; both by electricity nad by petrol, for making trenches and for excavating pits in which to bury their dead.

Every Russian soldier engaged against the Austrians or the Germans carries on his person an ikon or sacred picture, which is supposed to guard him against the bullets of the enemy. Every Russian general departing for the front has been presented with an ikon solemnly blessed by a priest or bishop. The Dutch Minister of War announced in the Second Chamber of the States General on December 19, that he was bringing forward as soon as possible a Bill introducing universal compulsory militarj' service for Holland, instead of the present system of conscription by lot, coupled with voluntary service. Teh Strassburger Post states that the authorities at Zabern have condemned to three months' imprisonment and a fine of 500 marks a lady named Marie Saver, aged 71. Her offence was greeting French troops entering the town with the cry of "Vivent les Francais! " and displaying the French flag. In the past few weeks British orders for war material placed in Canada have amounted to between £5,000,000 and £0,000,000. The French and Rusians also have placed large orders in Canada. The United States, whose productive ability and capacity for quick delivery have never been better shown, is also receiving a vast increasing quantity of orders from Europe. "Nothing occurred," writes Private A. Lightfoot,of the Second Duke of Wellington's Raiment, why w.i3 in outpost duty 'trnti'l the seventh night of our : /igil when about th'.ity G.-imans attacked six of us. W: h.td orders not to fire, but to charge with the bayonet, and I must say that not one of the enemy was left to tell the tale."

One would like, somehow, to got --.rer to Belgium. Couldn't we have an alliance on the side with Belgium that would give us big brother privilege."?? Shipping food is all very well and a timely office, of course-; but, oh, how' one would like a warrant for getting in and saying: "See here, you (censored) great hulking (censored), step off ray sister! " —Life (Mew York.) It's wonderful how a few weeks of military training transforms the "temperament of "the nut"! A friend, stationed at Purfleet, was telling the other day that a certain heavy swell joined his company as private. Shortly afterwards he wcas served out with his uniform, which presumably did not strike him as having been "built" in Savile 'Row, for, on being asked by the offieor inspecting whether his outfit was quite comfortable, he replied cheerfully: "Everything's fine, sir,'".with the exception of the trousers, which are a bit tight under the 1 arm-pits."—"London Opinion."