THE GREAT WAR HOAX.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 233, 24 June 1915, Page 3

THE GREAT WAR HOAX.

HOW RUSSIANS SAVED PARIS. KITCHENER’S CUTE TRICK. (BY ALBERT DORRINGTON.) LONDON, April 24. Thee true history of the Great Hoax will be delivered to the British public when peace is declared. To- appreciate the Hoax in all its bearings, one has to go back to August last, when the German Deluge threatened to sweep the British and French Armies Into the Bay of Biscay. It was just here ,that the Hoax saved Paris, Europe, and probably you and mo. Schools of armchair strategists have sought to account for the sudden delirium of panic that seized von lOuek at the very moment his right wing was beating at the gates of Paris. Some people assert that the German "debacle” was caused by that mystery of mysteries, General Manoumey. During the Mons retreat, when our little army was as chaff before the gale, Manoumey is said to have appeared on von Kluck’s centre, like a thunderbolt from the blue; The German texYbooks knew nothing of Marourney or his army. He is credited with stopping the Germans’ terrific onslaught. He absorbed the shocks of ten army corps while Joffre got his fighting wind. Von Kluek’s battering-ram was shattered before his defence. The* Siermans turned ; Manoumey flew at him like a tiger. They ran.

We have believed all this until today, And now , something has transpired to throw fresh light on the German panic at the Marne. It was not the ear of our little army, oT Manoumey’s unexpected appearance, that turned von Kluck's right wing. It was owing to a trick of Kitchener; and the facts are just leaking’ out. The complete document will read’ something like this: —

In August last, when our Army was disputing every foot of ground with the Germans at Mons, a statement was flashed abroad that half a million Russians were being entrained in the north of Scotland, hurried by rail to various ports of embarkation on the south coast of England, and thence sent per transprts, to Belgium. We had’ the testimony of thousands of reputable citizens, who proved beyond doubftiiat trainloads of Slav soldiers were- passing nightly through the principal’English towns. We had the joke of the snow in the train to prove that they wore Russians.

The writer saw r one of these trains, wuth blinds down, moving into Southampton. Here and there an open -window revealed groups of bearded, roughcoated figures armed and equipped after the style of the typical Russian soldier. All this was noted by crowds of inquisitive people. And each day brought fresh ‘news of other Russian regiments hurrying to the ports of embarkation. Ministers and public men had spoken to them and had been answerc-.* in Russian; and still our Press mavtained a discreet silence. Not a sing*reference to the movemnt of foreign

troops in England was made in anwßritish paper.

And to crown all, the Premier, Mr. Asquith, In response to a question put by an Irish member in the Commons, stated emphatically that no Russian troops had ever passed through this country. So the story was classed with the one about last year's sea SOTpenf, and the writer was laughed at by every pressman to whom ho had eonfidedf fils Southampton experiences. But one notes that the’ Premier d&f not contradict the of entrainpet Russians until every German spy ia England had sent the report to Berlin, The people of this country believed it; the German General Staff swaibwed ft; von Kluclc heard it at the moment. Paris was in life grip. He Mad nor counted on the sadden appearance o? half a million troops on his Belgian flank. It was this that sent him r pelting back in his tracks. * It was a great hoax! We know novr that Kitchener had rigged up seVefsif regiments of Tommies in Russian rfnlforms and sent them travelling through the land for the benefit of the Germany spies. We also know that after thjp Marne these spies were dealt with tvp" Scotland vard.

But these spies and several tons or" false beards saved Paris.