WAR NOTES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 213, 16 February 1915, Page 7

WAR NOTES.

PRUSSO-BAVARTAN FEUD. Further details are now to hand concerning the revolt of Bavarian troops at Antwerp. Acute dissensions between these men and the Prussians is revealed. They quarreled in the Falcon barracks, where the Bavarians were principally quartered, and the dispute developed into a riot, wherein furnitmc and, windows were smashed.

The. Bavarians were under . order to leave for the front that same day; but in consequence of the riot their 'departure was delayed until the following day. When they left Antwerp, many had tiny Bavarian flags attached to their rifles, thus proclaiming their distinctiveness from, and their opposition to, the Prussian troops. It is even asserted by eye-witnesses that several of the men openly flaunted Belgian flags, and it is known that during their stay in Antwerp they bought button portraits of the Belgian Queen freely. While in Boucholt Bavarian soldiers decorated with flowers the picture of the Queen, i n the house in which they were billeted. About eighty Bavarians were detained in Antwerp after their comrades left, and it is presumed they are to be courtmartialled.

This serious occurrence discloses, in conjunction with similar incidents which preceded it, that the relations existing between the Bavarians and the Prussians are the reverse of amiable, and that if accentuated they may prove to be a factor favorable to the Allies in the western theatre at least. —F. B. Harvey, in the Chronicle.

•■FACTS" FOR PRISONERS. A Herman prisoner, a niiln of about 45, who lias spent many years in London, and who, up to about three weeks ago, bad been one of tlio guards at the concentration camp of the British. French, Belgian and Russian prisoners, told his captors that ft bi-weekly bulletin was issued to th-j prisoners at the price of five centimes, the proceeds being supposed to go to the German Red Cross Fund. It is printed in four languages, and has recorded the fall and destruction of Paris, the "Zeppeling" of London, as well as the sudden death of the Czar of Russia, of hearing of "the great German victory in Poland." After the first few issues, the circulation sank to zero.

One of the cartoons in this marvellous journalistic effort depicts King George, in company with King Albert, sitting on a form which purports to be in a cellar beneath Buckingham Palace, looking apprehensively up into the face of a huge Prussian guardsman, who, with sword drawn, is directing a terrorstricken- servant i n knee breeches and white stockings to place a large bowl labelled "gruel" on the floor beside the two unfortunate nionarehs.. A map of Europe hangs on the wall, and the words "Great Germany and Ireland" arc scrawled across the British Isles.

Another cartoon depicts the Crown Prince riding out of a gateway in Whitehall, the mounted sentries on either side being German Imperial Guards, while in the background is to be seen a body of men, supposed to be British Life Guards, being fitted out with German uniforms, and "knocked into shape" by a German drill instructor.

The same prisoner who narrated these marvels, admitted that up to a short time ago he, along with the majority of G°rman soldiers, had believed these tt~ngs to be true, but owing to a lucky unlucky as the «iai»-may be—capture of some recent English newspapers, a tiny seed of doubt was sown among the Kaiser's helmeted hordes.

ADMIRAL CRADOCICS HEROISM. A glowing tribute is paid to the heroism of the late Admiral Cradock, in a letter received in Cardiff. The. writer says:—

"It is hard lines that we should suffer defeat, but it is not with disgrace and may God reward a brave but unfortunate admiral. Though he knew we were fighting odds too great in every respect to think of victory, he never flinched or thought of running from them, for he knew the world would, in that case, brand him as a coward. He new that by running away lie would lose the respect of everybody, and again he knew that, if we avoided the action until the arrival of the Canopus, which was on her way to join us, the enemy would not go into action, and their superior speed would enable them to escape.

"It is terrible to be in a naval engagement, with the. crashing of guns and the screaming and screeching of shells all round you, seeing shells splashing everywhere. It is like a nightmare. As it was practically dark, the flashes were simply blinding, and the stench of cordite was awful.

"I never want to see such a sight as the sinking of the poor old Good Hope. She was hauled out of the line on fire, and then she blew up with 800 or 900 hands on board. Everybody believes that Admiral Cradock, seeing that it was a. hopeless case, closed on the enemy to try and draw their fire, but the attempt was unsuccessful. They had the advantage of us in every way, because they caught us with an inferior force and with the sun setting bliind us. They had a strong advantage in light. Besides this, their guns were far bigger than either the Good Hope's or the Monmouth's.

"One shell came right through the ship's side, right over our mess, and, after going through two drawers packed with clothes and two thicknesses of steel, burst i n the captain's cabin, making a proper potmess of it, but by another stroke of luck, there was no fire. Tf it hail come a few feet further aft—well, you would have been a brother short, that's all!"