ENGLAND ON THE BRINK OF DESTRUCTION.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 160, 21 August 1916, Page 2

ENGLAND ON THE BRINK OF DESTRUCTION.

Englishmen who have been for many years resident in neutral countries, and have managed to get back to the Old Country, are, says a Home paper, agreeably surprised on arrival to see us, to use a naval expression, "carrying on " as usual, for, according to all reports that had reached them, Ave Avere on the verge of' absolute destruction. A business gentleman who was in Bar I celona some'time ago, hearing that Engcelona some tim ago, haring that England was calling up her "last man," came back prepared to place his services at the disposal of the Government, and being informed on examination that lie would be exempt by rea-, son of a slight physical defect, expressed astonishment. It only tends to show how our enemies are endeavouring to throw dust in the eyes of neutral powers. This gentleman had heard that the Houses of Parliament, St Pauls Cathedral, and many other great public builidngs were heaps of ruins, and his surprise, after taking a walk round and seeing that our national edifices were still in a perfect state, can be better imagined than described. He had been told that half the country had been wrecked by Zeppelnis, and England was vainly suing for peace on ?ny terms. If his recent letters to his friends in Barcelona have the good fortune to reach their destination, they will prove eye-openers to those who be lieve, as he did before he saw the actual facts, that England was on her last legs. As a matter of fact, the Zeppelin business is another of Germany's many mistakes. Their bombs damage private property and kill un- j armed citizens, and there is an end of

it, for in a- month tof Two the property is repaired or rebuilt. The enemy, how ever, makes many rods for his own back when the war is over and he tries to open business dealings again with the United Kingdom, for the relatives of the murdered people vow to have their own bade in due season.