GERMANS FEAR AIR RAIDS.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 January 1918, Page 2

GERMANS FEAR AIR RAIDS.

HYSTERICAL THREATS. The .overwhelming disaster which overtook the Zeppelin fleet towards the end of October has caused great depression among the German public, who seem to Oc beginning to realise, too, that the murder" raids on England are a complete military failure, producing no other result than to stiffen the determination of their enemies (writes tlho Rotterdam correspondent of a London paper). Clearly With a view to stimulating the people, tl;e German Government 'have caused to appear in the Lokalanzeiger an extraordinary outburst threatening the destruction of Paris by the German air forces. True, it is disguised unfler the appearance of being a warning to t.lie Trench of the terrible fate which will overtake their capital if the French airmen venture on the otlher side of the Rhine. The real intention, however, is to make German readers believe that though nothing can be achieved against England through the air, Paris lies at their mercy, and ha? only been so far spared out of presumably pure magnanimity. Instancing the raids on Karlsruhe and other German places, this inspired screed, to which groat prominence is given, goes on: France has long Iliad upon her the guilt of the' crime with which she tries to frighten us to-day. But for France the words ,v mene tekel" are written. Only a hundred kilometres before our front lies the fortress of Paris. Do the French really seriously believe it is their defence whiich keeps back our flyers from the heart of the French war powr? Let France not deceive 'herself. We havp means in our hands to ensure that' for ■pvery house on which bombs are thrown by the French in peaceable Gerrf.an towns a whole street in the fortress of Paris shall sink into ruins. France mnrt herself determine her oivn fate. Long experience of Germany's devious scheming* suggest that the intention is to attempt raids on Paris for the encouragement of the German people, at the same tiin.-- using the above hypocritical ''warning" as an excuse. ! PANIC IN FRANKFURT. The police authorities of Frankfurt havo ordered all theatres, concert, and cinema managers to print their prosrammes instructions in ease of air.raids. •Travellers -from Frankfurt say that a perpetual state or panic exists there, owing; to the Allies' air reprisals. F';r Five (lavs they were not allowed to leave their hotels after 5 o'clock in the afternoon, as Allied aeroplanes were reported to be near. The police do not permit visits to the streets damaged by the recent raids.