EAST COAST RAID.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 192, 22 January 1915, Page 3

EAST COAST RAID.

ENGLAND AROUSED. PREPARING TO REPEL ANY NEW EXPLOIT. (New York Post Correspondent). With mingled feelings of wrath and resentment at this attack on unfortified towns, England is astir to-day as not before since war was declared. Another raid is confidently expected, and the entire "machinery of home defence has been put into action. On the east ami south-east coast of England, emergency committees are at work, while in London plans to organise a national guard of men too old for military service are under way. Although to the British mind a raid on London seems remote, yesterdays' episodes drove home the realities of war as nothing else. Arrangements have been made at Deal and Dover to expedite the removal of the civilian population in case of attack. These measures are primarily to forestall any panic or congestion on the railroads and thoroughfares which might impede military movements. The belief is general that the Germans in this expedition had the able assistance of spies. The remarkable secrecy with which the raid was executed is shown by the fact that not an incoming vessel at any east coast port saw the German ships prior to their sudden appearance. The nearest parallel to this visit of yesterday is found in the activities of John Paul Jones at the time of the American Revolution.

ESCAPE OF THE RAIDING SQUADRON. A dispatch to the Daily Express from Hartlepool says that as the German squadron steamed out to sea, mines were dropped to prevent ships from following in their wake. Steaming at high speed, the cruisers, barring mishap, should have reached their advance naval base off Heligoland some time after midnight last night, their trip requiring about fifteen hours, j 'Thirty hours out of port on such a< venture in mine-laden waters is a feat -English papers do not belittle . Englishmen express hopes that it will be essayed again, and if necessary again, until the call is paid once too often. The towns attacked yesterday had resumed much of their normal appearance to-day, except in the bereaved homes and in the hospitals where the wounded were quartered. Everywhere the sound of hammering was heard as the damage was repaired.

OTHER TOWNS WARNED. j The news of the German raiders' arrival was promptly sent to the military authorities of all coast towns and pre-arranged steps were immediately taken everywhere so as to be prepared in case a raid developed at other points. The ifayor of Tynemoutb, on the. North Sea, eight miles east-north-east of Newcastle, immediately ordered the gas-, supply turned off, directed the police to round up a larg# number of aliens,, and issued the following proclam'ation to the emergency committee:— "There is a rumor that ft battle Is proceeding in the North Sea, and there is a possibility of a hostile attack on Tynemouth. The civil population is advised to remain indoors, but if the people wish to leave their dwellings, they should proceed in the direction of Newcastle. There is no reason for undue alarm, and we strongly urge the population not to leave the town, as notice will be promptly given if we consider this necessary." There is much speculation in London as to how far the German raid has succeeded in creating a feeling of uneasiness or panic in other east coast towns. One of the London newspapers telegraphed to the Mayors of all east coast towns, asking what effect the news of the enemy's visit had had. All replies received so far indicate that j"; panic is felt. Among the replies are the following:— Felixstowe.—Complete arrangements have been made here for all evenutalities. Business is going on as usual.

Great Yarmouth. —We have taken all necessary precautions to protect the inhabitants in the event of a bombardment here. The 'people are quite calm. Harwich.—The city is calm and normal. Hull.—The excitement over the raid soon subsided here. We have full confidence in tho Navy.

Lowestoft.—The raid has not affected our nerves. The emergency committee has taken every precaution. No attack is expected, but we are prepared for any contingency. REFUGEES ARRIVE IN LONDON.

A number of refugees and travellers arrived in London from the bombarded towns during the night. Some of them showed signs of the raid in bandages coverii ; minor injuries received. Arthur Wood, manager ot the electric light company at Scarborough, had his head swathed with bandages, to cover wounds where pieces of shell has struck him in two or. three places. His son, who accompanied him. was also wounded in two places. The elder Wood said: "I was standing in front of my house when a shell burst a few yards away, and fragments ricoclietted from a window sill and hit both myself and my son. I took my family to the cellar, where we bound up the wounds and remained there until all sounds of the bombardment had ceased. We then decided to leave town for a rest.

"It is my impression that the damage to the fine houses along the waterfront was very heavy. The town has scarcely a window pane in it. At the firsfi sound of firing, our soldiers wore ordered into the trenches, to prevent any attempts to land troops." A commercial traveller, who smoked a cigar on the porch of a hotel at Scarborough throughout the bombardment said:—

"Although there was some excitement

in the town, the attack was over so soon that there was no panic. The guns engaged in the attack were evidently of small calibre, as the damage done by each shell was confined to a

small area, while some of the shells merely cut clean small holes in buildings,

passing on harmlessly. My hotel was struck by several shells, but nobody was injured. One shell wrecked two rooms, but fortunately neither of them was occupied."

A COOL HOUSEWIVE. Another passenger from Scarborough was a cool young' housewife, who said: "At daybreak, I glanced out of my kitchen window, and saw three, warships lying in the haze a mile or two off shore. It never occurred to me that they were anything but British ships, so I went quietly about my preparations for breakfast. "About 8 o'clock T heard the sound of guns, but paid no particular attention. A few minutes later, there came a shock —T can think of no better word for it. A shell had struck the'house, and passed straight through the room I was in. T was poaching eggs at the time. I looked up and saw great holes in the walls near the ceiling, indicating the course of the missile. I was puzzled for a moment, and then suddenly realised