VISIT TO GENERAL
BIRDWOOD.
THE GENERAL AND HIS MEN.”
[FROM LOED MORTHCLIFFE,]
SUPER ZEPPELINS.
THE HONGKONG DAILY PRESS, THURSDAY, GOTORMR 19mm 1918
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We were steaming to the westward, to like a disc of inolten, copper, was slowly wards the spot where the sun, glowing nearing the horizon. I had been one of those hot, breathless sort of days with no breese; and now, near sunset, nothing across the sea to ruffle its glassy surface in irregular shaped patches. Elsewhere, the water, shining like a mirror, reflected the blazing glory of the sky,
Lord Montage of Beaulies, speaking at Bury St Edmunds recently, said al- though our anti-aircraft armament had SOMEWHERE IN FRANCE.
been improved and was still being in- The high hopes of the Australasian It was not suficiently powerful, and its proved, there was still not enough of it. peoples are centred round a bare room organisation was far from being perfect. in one of the numberless French châtea far from despising Zeppeline, our aux where nowadays the air vibrates with attitude as a nation should be that we the throbbing the guns, In that small should regard it as intolerable that Zep-but an occasional cat's paw stole gently room, the fure turo principally consist pelins could constantly invade this coun- ing of the simplest possible bed, a tele-try without our having a chance of doing phone, and a map marked with the them very serious damage. Our greatest latest moves on the battle line, is General ally had been the weather, and when we Birdwood, the idol of the Anzace.
claimed as victims to our strategical fences Zeppelins which had fallen in the dispositions and the efficiency of cur de North Sea, or on the coast of Norway or Denmark, it showed that we were pretty hard driven for n defence in these mat ters. His own opinion was that we munition. It was the shipping. have very much more powerful anti-air- craft guns and a much higher state of organisation in the Air Bervice.
An officer from Victoria received most the gate of the château, where stood on guard two Australians giants having be fore them a fluttering flag of Six Stars It was a muggy morning, reminding the officer of October in his own country in the late shearing time. We passed through one of the halls of the chatean where numbers of the clerical staff were busy at typewriting and telephones, and upstairs to the General's room,
General Birdwood stands aft. 3in., has not an onnce of spare fat on him, and looks like a man in hard training. He has a strong but gentle voice, firm mouth with a slight moustache, despset pale blue eyes, and a cropped head. He looks a fighter every inch of him. He is fifty years of ago, and has been engaged directly or indirectly in the business of war during most of his adult life. He onts and drinks little, is up and away at daylight in winter and before six in
in them.
ZEPPELING WHICH CAN CARRY FIVE TOKS
* OF BONES
Some distance off lay the coast, ita terious in the evening mist. But it was familiar outline din, purple, and uys neither the sunset glorious as it was, or the scenery which helt our imagina
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M. VENIZELOE AND HIS
POLICY
IMPORTANT STATEMENT.
Writing from Athens Inst month, Mr. GJ Storene said :-
■ To-day I visited M. Venizelos in order to The Daily Telegraph's readers, a to obtain from this great man a message thessage which cannot but be warmly wel domed as coming from a staunch and tried friend, who believed in our victory when others doubted it, and who, in serv- ing his country's interests, has also served our own...
that I heard with joy and great relief "You can tell your readers," he began, of the intervention of Roumania, and this joy is genaine, and, with but few only because it makes doubly sure your exceptions, general amang all Greeks, not victory, which was otherwise nover in doubt, but because it will help to hasten it. It must also hasten a decision in my All manner of craft there were. First country, a decision that can no longer bo came the Spurt, of Tromso, a Norwegian delayed. We have made aiready one war, tramp of disolute and chastened" ap for our ten months of mobilisation, the pearance, whose deliberate, plodding waste and loss of our war material, the gait and general air of senility belied strain on our financial resources, the Mother name, or at say rate the English sufferings and misery brought by the pro- decorated with three large squares paint of the country, and, in adition, the meaning of it Her rusty black hull was longed mobilisation of all the manhood ed in her national colours, red, with acnewy's invasion of our territory, con vertical white edged stripe of blue in the stitute in reality the misfortunes conse contre. Next a bulbous, prosperous-look- queat on a war. ing Dutchman, who seemed to waddle in her, or his, stride. She was slightly faster than the ancient Spurt, but was no ver, and boasted hull bearing her name in fifteen-foot canary yellow letters, and enormous painted tricoloure striped horizontally in red, white, and blue.
super-Zeppelins which the Germans would He had obtained information of the shortly use. Of the older type which were capable of raiding the Germans pro- bably owned 40, of which 15 were, per haps, really available for harassing this country. The new Zeppelins were a great advangs on them in four directions. They had greater range, carrying capa city, speed, and power of climbing. The new Zeppelins had a capacity in round figures of nearly 2,000,000 cubic feet, their length was 786ft. and their beam soft. Their maximum speed was 65 miles,
Then two Swedes with unpronounceable
We are now called upon to make a second war This second war we must wage, for it is a necessity imperatively cannut avoid it, nor can we delay it. Our imposed by our most vital interests. We
existence, the future of our country and of our race, are at stake: My opponents believed that Roumania would not come in, and they imagined that Greece could tervention upset all their calculations, plank on which their policy of posudo oppose me, for every argument, every line neatrality rested. They can no longer they took, has been shattered to pieces.
the army itself has left them. The events They realise that the eyes of the people have been opened. They see that even at Salonika, the great popular demons tration of last Sunday can leave no doubt, even to the blind, that the national conscience has awakened, and that it las
the differences between him and King come impossible and dangerous further to oppose it."
At this point I asked M, Venizelos if
Constantine have disappeared. Ee replied:
summer. He pushes, his headquarters us cruising speed 35, radius with half-load names who, by their embellishments, in stand aside and remain neutral. Her in- near the front as possible, knows many 3,000 miles, and their maximum carrying formed the world that they hailed and removed from under them the last of his boys as ho calls them, who fought with him in the Gallipoli Penincapacity in bombs for such purposes as spectively from Goteborg and Helsing- sula, their Christian names, and they visiting England five tons. So for no his borg. They also sported large rectangles, believe in him as implicity as he believes ascend 17,000 feet when their load was bine, while closes behind them, a Dane, information went, they were able to painted in vertical stripes of yellow and discharged, and there were six or seven with an absurdly attenuated Funnel and some four rows of well-carned ribbons, 15,000 horse-power, and they were armed
Birdwood, erect in pole khaki coat with engines working. The engines were over long ventilators sticking it all angles cord riding breeches and riding boots, is with quick-firers and machine-guns, how not a man to lose a moment of time. He and stern, and with machine-guns on the was just off to meet the boys back for top of the envelope for dealing with aero Trst from Pozierce. They were camping plane attack from above In normal in some woods to which we drove in his circumstances they carried from 30 to 35 open car, which flies the Australian flag. of a crow. Some of them had already arrived. The suu, which had been absent for some
#
out of her bull like pine from a pin cushion, ambled stolidly along like a weary cart-horse. She, corning usher decoration, merely showed the scarlet white crossed emblom of her country Some of the neutrals carried signs bear
Germans were relying he hoped falsely-termined not to afford any prowling Han Those particulars showed how far the ed at night, and all seemed equally do ing their names which could be illuminat
days came out at this moment, and upon. Zeppelins as a means of harassing submarine a legitimate excuse for torpe- oever do I remember seeing a more debe available at about the beginning or
us,"
Taree or four of these craft would doing them on sight. lightful sylvan soege than that presented middle of October, and he believed there by these battle worn but merry mldiers were two out already, one of them having with their booty of German helmets and actually manoeuvred over the North Sea. caps, German drums, and German field He believed this type would be improved glasses, riding and walking up to their upon next year. huts and tents. Some had already ing dampers, cooking beef in the cookers arrived and were boiling their tea, mak- they extemporarized from keroseno tina, and eating keenly and heartily after their long, long vigil in the heavily
abelled trenches,
GOOD DIGGERS
The greatest use of the airship in Had we proper service of rigid airships future would be as the eyes of the feet. there would be not half the mcessity for imperilling our cruisers acting as scouts. Those lost had nearly all been sent out oh missions of reconnaissance. Without risking the loss of a cruiser or tur valu able complement, and at far less expense, the Germans had kept a very efficient air patrol of the waters immediately surrounding her coasts.
SERVICES
LACK OF CO-OPERATION BETWEEN THE tired that we had passed them asleep as they had. arrived, others were full of life and gaiety, and as Captain Mackenzie, of the Salvation Army, known throughout the Peninsula and in France as "Mac." said, many were already anxious to get back to the firing line and show the German that if they were looking for more trouble they could get it.
others by more than four, to one were But the craft which outnumbored the British. They bore no distinctive marks or colouring on their sides, and their travel-stained and weather-beaten SP pearance, their rusty hulls, discoloured pretentious look about them showed that funnels, and the generally dingy and in they were kept far too busy to trouble about external appearances. The only token of their nationality was the wish of tattered red bunting duttering at the stern of each; the gallant old Red Ensign which, war or no war, still dances trium phantly on practically every sea Except the Baltic,
differences consisted in the foreign policy tween my Sovereign and myself..
There are no personal differences be
I advocated and in the conception arm
The
interpretation of our democratic constitu tions. These I had the sincerity, and the
held in front of my house last Sunday courage to uphold, and to clarify in my speech to the mass meeting of our people
my Sovereign now gives his consent to the Zaimis Cabinet to carry out my policy our differences on that score disappear. As to the others; what may be called our constitutional differences, they regard our internal affairs, and these will be settled by the coming elections, for there is no cannot be held. reason why even if we ate at war, these
As the General stepped out of his car he was instantly recognised by his men, most of them from New South Wales, who had bee engaged in what was
He had reason for saying that Sir out of date and old-fashioned. Some
Many of the passing vessels looked probably their hardest fight since Galli-ships as a help to our fleet. While he only to sail under a foreign flag accord of help to your struggle, which will John Jellicoe would welcome rigid air veterans of the 'eighties or nineties, fit for we have not only to provide our quota The task before as is a difficult one, poli. They had dug themselves in deeply admitted that the army must come first ing to pre-war standards, may have been become our own, but we are confronted the other side of Pozieres, and had not and have the pick of the mechanical dug out of their obscurity to play their with the one that diretely touches us, viz., left their trenches for days, are good diggers," remarked the General defences of this country were becoming part it is. Ships must run, and, at a and villages which he has invaded. I do My boys devices at the front, the anti-aircraft part in the war. And a very important to drive away the invader from the townS They dig deep and quickly, and their more and more important, and it was time when the Admiralty have levied trenches are so clean that you could eat incumbent on the country and the Gay heavy toll for war purposes upon all not despair that we shall be equal to off them at dinner time. Be addressed ernment to see that the policy of treating classes of ships belonging to the Mer- his soldiers simply and truly, and drew, them as of secondary importance was not cantile Marine, every vessel which will ho has indicated, M. Venizelos cares
them,"
Provided his country follows the path first from one and then from another, continued: stories of the fierce fighting they had just
Boat and curatam equally he may nothing for power, and will stand aside times over for the
important experienced. Some were
work of carrying cargo. It is not proce ful work, either, in these days of pro- Lord Montagu gave as an instance of miscuous mine-laying and enemy sub- lack of co-operation between the army marines armed with guns and torpedoes and naval authorities the case of a flying ready to sink without warning. A
THE BRANDENBURGERS AT station where there were several aero- The important work of the yachts,
GUILLEMONT, planes ready to go up, but where when pleasure steamers, trawlers and drifters notification was given to the commander, other naval purposes need not be entered The taking of Guillemont by our Bri- Zeppelins approached very close used for mine-sweeping, patrol work, and and the noise of the borabs was mistaken into here; but the Mercantile Marines Allies gave rise to a desperate battle. The correspondent of the Liberté on the Somme front says
I looked with interest at these already nothing of the raid until it was over, we may call, the deep sea service, has The famous Brandenburgers of Douau for gun practice. The commander know proper, what, for want of a better term, hardened warriors for whom death, He mentioned that a new type of nero supplied the Royal Navy with many thou mont fame defended the ground foot hy wounds, and the German guns held no fear. A good deal has ben said of Aus had already accounted for 27 Fokkers.
plane now used by the British at the front sands of splendid officers and men who foot, fighting with a courage which their tralian discipline English Australians Criticising the Admiralty, he alleged ships as members of the Royal Naval ern part of the village on the road to are now serving their country in fighting adversaries recognize. In the south-east- who were among them told me that when there had been a hideous amount of Reserve. Moreover, numbers of its ships Combles a party of enemy resisted in a it comes to ighting their discipline is as wobbling in their rigid airship policy, of all classes are employed for war pur small fort fill all their ammunition/was rigid as the most adamant commander and there should be very serious inquiry poses as armed merchant cruisers, tran exhausted. When the British took the could wish. They obey their officers iar into it. There was not the harmony in sports, oil fuel vessels, colliers, aumuni- redoubt there remained only 10 men un plicity from the moment serious business working which was necessary to produce tion ships, storeships, and the like. But wounded amid the bodies of their slain begins, and their relations with the hood airships, and he did not think the the function of those ships which are comrades-Reuter. Imperial officers are perfect. The Inet in their usefulness. The R.N.A.8. had carrying is of equal importance to the Board of Admiralty as whole believed left for their legitimate purpose of cargo that the young English schoolboys and been snubbed whenever possible. slightly older lads who man the aero should never have a satisfactory state of since we could not exist without them thanks to the bravery and skill of all on
We country, of inestimable value, in fact, planes have driven the spying German things at the Admiralty until the service their duty is fraught with constant boat, the ship escaped aeroplanes from the sky greatly rejoices was treated as a gallant, energetic, and peril. Submarines may be larking and There was also Captain Palmer, of the Their long experience in the trenches and until there was an Air Lord added they havo to traverse, but never have actually been torpedoed stood by her in brave body of men deserved to be treated, mines may have been laid upon the routes Blue Jacket, who though his ship had in Gallipoli have made them the excellent to the Board of Admiralty. The Air there been the least signs of unreadiness his boats, reboarded her, and, in spite trench fighters that they are.
Hoard had tried ila hest, but it had little or unwillingness to proceed to sea when of her damage, steamed her to a place power, and there was danger of a crisis ordered to do so, before long because its views would not
of safety. Recollect Captain Cloperty. coincide with the views of the Admiralty cantile Marine are not trained to war ured by a German man of war, was Most of the officers and men of the Mer whose vessel, the Southport, was cap- or, maybe, the Wur Office. Cabinet, Parliament, and people would They are not paid, and their ships are her disabled by the removal of certain have to decide whether they desired an not built, to fight; but yet, time and was evidently to be utilised as a collier, Then the like their comrades of the Royal Navy taken to the isisad of Kussin, and wan
alert and progressive war policy unhin time again, their natural pluck and in
important parts of her machinery. She dered by service jealousies and intertropidity has shown itself in the face of but no sooner had the memy left than departmental quarzels, or a continuance an entirely new danger.
ther
SABIMPLE, SPEECH,
I accompanied Birdwood and his Staff from one portion to another of the scattered forest scene. In some of the huts all the men were asleep, and Bird wood would on no account allow them to be d'etarbed, but in others they were morry with mouth-organs, flutes, and
*
the master, officers, and men set to work to effect repairs. How they did it with
captured, drum. The General peered in. of the present chaptic state of things. are so numerous that it is the meagre appliances at their disposal
no had doubt as to the reply possible and there they temporarily formed into country. Shibboleths about no military lins and saluted him as he approached, damage were no comfort to people suffer ber the gallant fight of the Clan Mac He had a simple speech for every group, was tantamount to an invasion of the heavily armed German raided Afgewe ing from air raids, everyone of which Tavish, with her single gun, against the always to the same effect." You have country by Germany. Unless we made it Take the case of the Blue Funneller suffered, but you have done splendidly. a point of national honour to preserve Luertes, Captain Probert which was Are you ready for more when the times the country inviolate we were not carry ordered to stop by an enemy submarine, comes!" and there always came a great ing on our patriotic traditions and we shout of" Yea." Many were the stories should suffer for it. told. Ose of how a more, lad, for some
remains that the ship, escaped.
having a torpedo fired at her staffer anzpsbacked up most nobly by his officers
but, disregarding the summons proceed ed at full speed, steering & rigzag course of them are extremely young, chased a
and so escaped. Remember the little huge German out into the open, and
Thard, Captain Fell, which, finally settled the terrified Hun alter a terrife struggle waging at the moment. rammed and sank the submarine which hand-to-hand bomb duel, Another of how The men came into the wood in a constant fired it.
Hou machine gunner fired at the stream. Having seen their, General, they Anzaces mutile bad, used the whole of at once went to wash and eat or sleep. can, Capt. Walker, which was attacked Again, there was the transport Mer- ha cartridge belt, when the Gorman Birdwood had always one piece of part by genre from a hostile submazine is Whrew his arms.
the nearesting advies to the boys, Write home. the Mediterranean. Some of the troops Australian and called out, "Pardon, Let your mothers know where you are, on board were killed, others were wound Kamerad."
what you are doing, and how you are, ed, and nobody could have blamed the All the time we were talking the for if you don't write to her she will captain if he had surrendered. But what « erumping" and booming of great guns write to me. I get dozena of letters by did he do fe endured a bombarthunt was & reminder of our proximity to the every mail asking for one or other of lasting for an hour and a half, and, you.United Cable Service, Lad., of (Continued at foot of neat Calamin.) Australasia.
(Continued as foot of nezt Colur.)
rozd
like deeds of our "peaceful" merchant- volumes might be written round the war These cases are only typical Whole
men, and from the many instances of gallantry road of and the still greater t is evident that on every occasion of numbers which do not achieve publicity encountering the enemy the master of the
destruction but has never hesitated to aid crew, has not only done everything posible to save his ship from capture or become the aggressor if he stood the least
one can return shot for shot is one thing, chanos of nuccess.
Courage in the face of the enemy when but heroism of the same kind in an un- armed thip is on rather a different plane. The work of the Royal Navy and the Mercantile Marine largely interde pendent. The two great ses services of the country must ever work hand in hand and side by side, and lot is never forget what we owe to the latter Daily Mail,
Hello! Are you there? Oh, no, it's not nearly finished yet, and Haig's simply pouring shells across into the Hun positions north of the Somme.
Hand grenades, too, are the order of the day, and
our boys REALLY GOOD
WORK with them.
Eh! What
do
What's that?
they cost?
Well, a £100 EXCHE- QUER BOND repre- sents about 800 hand- grenades, and these in the hands of a fast bowler
you won't need my help to draw a mental picture.
Lively picture, eh? Yes, the Hong- kong Bank gets the Bonds for you. Think it over. I'll ring off now. Bye- byembr
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From 12th to 18th October, 1916. HIGH WATIK,"
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