LOOKING AHEAD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 154, 25 November 1914, Page 6

LOOKING AHEAD.

London, October 10. What of the future? What of the days that will give place to reconstructed order f Here everything is hopeful, assuming that our Empire remains intact. Germany hag been a most formidable commercial rival in almost every market. It has sent tons of electrical and other machinery to this country in competition with home manufacturers. It has fought vigorously and astutely for colonial business, again in competition with British firms. In neutral markets it has employed a highly organised combination of diplomatic and financial circles to secure contracts which the British manufacturer frequently deserved on his merits. In foreign countries the German Government lias worked hand in glove with German manufacturers and German financiers to obtain concessions and orders. The Kaiser was not only the Great War Lord. He was the greatest commercial traveller the world has ever seen. All that is changed. Whatever the outcome of this war, it has already killed the chances of German competitive trade in the Britisli Empire, in the 'United States, and in Russia. And there is reason to believe that in Japan, Argentina, in Spain and Portugal, in Italy, and in many other countries the action of •ermany will prove a lasting handicap fegainst Teutonic bagmen.—The Electrical Review.

THE COMMANDEERED CAE. At Doullens, a few miles north of Amiens, there is a large cotton-mill owned by M. Sydenham and his brothers and run by a staff of Frenchmen, with two or three English overseers, one of whom is Joe Beswick, late, I think, of Oldham. M. Sydenham is the owner of a Panhard landaulet, and one morning, just as the day was breaking, lie was aroused from his slumbers by an insistent hammering at his door. He came down to find three -German officers demanding admittance. A motor-car stood * outside with a man working away under 1 the bonnet. The back of the car was piled ira with peculiar square packages. One of the Germans calmly informed >l. Sydenham that he would be allowed just thirty minutes in which to find another enr to take the place of the one at the door, which was crocked up; also that his garage was needed to store the damaged car. While the derelict was being pushed into the garage, another ear arrived, also containing Germans. This is the car 1 have already mentioned as being the innermost part of the garage at Abbeville. 11. Sydenham, seeing that resistance was useless, went oil' to the mill to get I the Panhard landaulet. As he was returning he saw some French soldiers in the distance and hailed them. Half a dozen of them got into his landaulet and then the car was driven up to the unsuspecting Germans, who had in the meantime been helping themselves liberally to eatables and drinkables in M. Sydenham's house. The scrap was short and sharp. Two gendarmes were killed and four .Germans, and then the remaining four gave in, and were led off in triumph. In the meantime an examination of tile . first German ear, which had been pushed into the garage, revealed the fact that it contained a ton of explosives— I detonators and electrical outfits—eviI dently destined for the blowing up of Bridges and railways—Daily Chronicle.