WAR NOTES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 139, 5 November 1914, Page 3

WAR NOTES.

MJSSMN BALTIC NAY'S

the naval correspondent of the London Times points out that although the Russian fleet in the Baltic is not strong enough to dtigage the Germans in battle with any hope of success, it is bound to have an important influence upon the course of the Allies' naval campaign as a whole. The presence of four Russian battleships and a half dozen armed cruisers in the Baltic compels., the German Admiralty to maintain a superior force in that sea and so weakens materially the enemy's effective naval strength in the North Sea. The Russian ships are supported by fairly strong torpedo flotillas, and behind them are four dreadnoughts, still under construction but due for completion by the end of this year. The Germans cannot reach those new ships at the present time without facing the hazards of mines and torpedoes in the Gulf of Finland, and j'dt they must realise that the presence op four Russian Dreadnoughts in the Baltic would mean necessarily an important reduction in the striking force of the North Sea. The Russian Fleet is commanded by Admiral von Essen, who is stated by naval authorities to be a brave and skilful sailor, not at all likely to repeat the mistakes which brought disaster upon the Russian warships in the war with Japan.

DIED FOR HIS COUNTRY'S HONOR. I The news of the death of Captain Bertram! Stewart, who was killed in ac- ■ tion while on Sir John French's stall', was communicated to the Times by his father, Mr. Charles Stewart, of Achara, Argyllshire, with the following moving addendum:—"Captain Stewart's wife and his father and mother arc proud and happy that he has died for his country's honor and for 'a scrap of paper.'" That is the noble *spirit which is animating British fathers and mothers and wives throughout the Empire to-day, and in this sign Britons will conquer. Among other documents which are being kept as precious treasures by the editor of the Christchurch Press is a letter written by Captain Bcrtrand Stewart on June 12—less than two months before the war —in which he . referred to an article which he had written for the Na-, tional Review, entitled, "Germany arid Ourselves." He said he was anxious on national grounds that the article should receive as much publicity as possible, and he suggested that perhaps room might bo found for a reference to it in the Press. It will be remembered that Captain Stewart was arrested at Bremen in 1911. on a charge of espionage. Before he was tried the Germans papers referred to him as "the gentleman spy," and tried in other ways to poison public opinion against him. The trial was conducted in camera, and after a Rearing lasting four days Captain Stewart was convicted and sentenced to detention in a fortress for three rears and six months. There was only one witness for the prosecution, and he, by all accounts, was a witness of a class whose evidence is always regarded with great suspicion by the English Courts. He was (says the j Times) on tke facts of the ease an ap- j provor or informer. Captain Stewart j did not serve the full term, having been j released a.; an act of clemency on the 1 occasion of King George's visit to Berlin I in May, 1013. Immediately mi Ids return j to England he set to work to arouse, English public opinion as to the reality | of the Gorman menace, and tile article j in the National Review was an example ] of his work in that direction. The war j had actually started before the. Press j was able to make use of it, and Captain I Stewart's indictment and warning had I aiready received the strongest possible justification. He made a most telling ex-.: posture of German ideas of administering justice, contrasting them with the absolute fairness of British courts. He continud: "Is not die ■preservation of the priceless blessings of freedom and '. justice for the millions under tlio King's sway a sacred trust which lies on all of us—men and women ? If it is, we must realise that it depends, and depends only, on keeping ourselves strong enough to prevent Germany defeating us. and then forcing her system and 'justice' on our people, as she forces thein on unprotected foreigner* in her hands, and on her conquered provinces. She hopes at the most suitable moment to array against us hi support of her demands, a-i she did against Russia in ISOX, so formidable a force, naval and military, as will, by its mere threat, impel us to ignoble, acceptance of her terms. Failing that, her troops will be ready to I attack.'' Of Captain Bcri|rand Stewart j it may be indeed said that "lie, being I dead, yet spcakclh,'' llis written and i printed words remain to show us what ; we. 'have to expect if, through any laxj ity on our part, we allow ourselves to Ibe vanquished in this war. Above all, ■ we have his noble example to nerve and I inspire us, and it will lead thousands of Britons to resolve, like this gallant i Scottish gentleman, that -they will be j faithful unto death in the battle against j German militarism, -despotism, and injustice.

INDIANS TAKE HOLD. Indiana have begun. It was CO days after England's declaration of war before they reached Marseilles and 25 davs have elapsed before tjiey traversed l-'rur.ee. Speculations on the* delays have been violent. The commonest reason was getting the horses lit after a fortnight at sea. Perhaps other reasons, which count for more than horses, are twofold. I An Indian division must have its camp I laid oil, iv;:t so m-aeh w-itli respect l„ j artillery, cavalry, and infantry, as with j respect to creeds and customs. Throw- • ing a shadow over the food of Ghota Khan or Alt Mu Deen or Dost Mahoin-

mini may prove awkward. A second rea!son accounting for the delay would be ; the liucs.-'e. to put these men into action 'at a good time. First impressions are i abiding, and the Indians \.-ill talk when | they go home. Well, they liavit been put in at a very good tmic-'-the time when the Allies seem to be c.nterin;,' lk-lgium. They have also been put i« a very good place, for La l!a*sec is only l:j ' miles away from Lille, and only two marches

from the frontier of Jiclgium. That is to say, when they were "blooded'' in a novel war for them--war against white Christendom—they found- the English and French winning. They will not be likely to forget their lir.,t' vivid picture, and less likely to forget to talk about it when the war ends and they arc back in the bazaars. Of their first engagement I he cables give some picturesque details, which wear a good face value. The b'.-st is told by a corporal of artillery. The Ilritish holding the front at La liasseo had been lighting for three weeks and were exhausted. A Herman brigade was coming—one of brigade after brigade, no ' doubt. The .moment had arrived, and the Bengal lancers came onward. Thej

> made a detour to sweep wide of the Briti ish shooting line, and tlien closed in at j the gallop on the German infantry, not J from the front, hut from the !<; f t flank, An ordinary war correspondent perhaps j would not have noticed those details — I the, detour and the awing to the flank— Which, the give tlnj corporal's Btory the hall-mark of truth.

A wounded sapper declares that the British troops rushed into battle singing and shouting "Early doors this wayl Early doors, ninepenee!" While they manned the trenches, with the German shells plundering overhead, he saw two Tommies playing marbles with shrapnel bullets. A story of great calmness under trying conditions comes from the naval arm. A British submarine was scouting in the North Sea. As she came to the surface her coning-tower was fired at. As she was not struck she submerged herself and rested on the bottom. After'dour hours, the atmosphere having _tecome somewhat thick, she came up fdT air. Her coning-tower was again a mark for the enemy, and one shot went through. Hastily plugging the hole, she again submerged, waiting at the bottom until it was dark, when she .came up and escaped. The young oflicer in command, in making his report, was asked what they did while on the mud. "1 did line," he said. "We played auction-bridge all the time, and I made 4s lly 2 d."

A FINIS »,STORY. A war correspondent -writes:—"No finer story can be found than the manner in which the parents of young Lieut. Xavier de Casetlnau received the news of his death in battle. He was the youngest of six sons lighting for their country, and served in the army commanded by his father, General ft* Castelnau.-ffhe general was dictating orders when an officer presented himself, "What is it?" asked the General, turning round. 'Sir,' replied in the officer, in a trembling voice, 'your son Xavier has been killed by a bullet in the forehead while attacking the enemy, who were repulsed.' The general remained silent for a moment, ani? then, turning again to his staff, said, 'Gentlemen, let us continue,' and he resumed his dictation of the, orders. Madame de Castclnau, witii the remainder of her family, had retired to a house in the south, and when the news of Xavicrs' death reached the chateau, it was decided to entrust the parish pnest with the task of breaking the news. Madame de Castelnau was in the habit of attending .Mass every morning, and on this occasion she appeared before the priest, who had decided what he was to say. She noticed his distress, and shaking hands, and thinking always of her husbad and six sons, asked the simple question, 'Which'/'"

POLICING OF THE' NORTH SEA. An interesting account of the efficient methods of the policing of the North Sea was given by a trawler captain to a Daily Telegraph correspondent. He is in charge of a North Sea boat, and anchored each night near the shore. "We were laid under the land," he said, "when about two in the morning a cruiser suddenly appeared alongside of us. All his lights were extinguished, and the quiet way in which he came up and the clever tactics he showed in getting alongside without doing any damage was astonishing. Talk about cats seeing in the dark, these naval officers are wonderful. When the cruiser reached us, all we could see was a huge black object hemming us in A voice shouted out, 'Who are you?' and I answered back, 'A British trawler.' 'What is your name,' he asked, and I replied, 'The .' 'When did you leave?' he next asked. 'On ,' ].* replied. 'What were your orders when you left?' he next asked. ] told him, and in a flash, the commander shouted back, 'All right.' It was a fine piece of work, believe me, but there was something even more astonishing. Directly the commander finished talking to me, another voice from the stern'of our vessel sang ous, 'The name is quite correct his.' A submarine had crept up from behind to verify,our name and number, and although all the crew had come up on deck to see wiiat was happening; not one of the men aft had seen the submarine appear. The whole episode only occupied a few minutes, and the cruiser, after wishing us good morning-, and plenty of fishing,, disappeared in the darkness."

"IT'S A LONG- WAY TO TIPPIiUAHY." The owner of the copyright, "It's a Long way to Tipperary," must be making a nice fortune out of his voyy conventional music-hall ditty. Not' only the soldiers on the march and in the t reiK-hcs are singing it, but all the Eng-lish-spelking people is hard at it, on and off the stage. A WelUngotn music seller declares that he has sold four thousand copies of the song, and has orders for. one thousand six hundred more, and no doubt there is the same rage for the Khaki warriors' lilt over the dominions. Of course, no one woiiid have troubled about "It's a Long way to Tipperary" had it not been for the cable , messages. The soldier's taste in inarch-

ing and camptire songs is very much like that of the deep-water sailor, who prefers tin; most sentimental of vaudeville ballads to the most rousing of sea songs. In the days of the Bolt War a popular campaign song was ''flood-bye. Dolly Cray." liere, as in thi; song today, tin? trooper's thought go to the girl he loft behind bim. The soldier : has not changed very much in the lapse of generations. The "old hands" of the New Zealand War say that as far back as the forties, when' the British regulars were, tramping along the muddy tracks on the way to the front after the elusive Maori, their most favored j song and band tune "Oh Susannah! j Don't you weep for .Me." then a brand

now importation from the "darkle" States. There lias never been so line a marching- song, amongst English speaking peoples at any rale, as "Marching through Georgia," which not only went rolling- up from thousands of throats, in the American Civil "War, but was the great route-music, and camp-song in British campaigns for years after the American struggle which gave it hirtii. It replaced '-(Mv'Susaimah.'' in the la*V wars in New Zealand, hut "Tippcrary" will probably go down in history as the most* famous of them all.