1916-12-08 — Page 7

RUMANIA."

PIVOT OF THE WAR.'

[BY DR. EF. DILLON.J

In the deliberate judgment of the fow who possess accurate knowledge of the driving forces of the war and a keen foeling for the politico-military necessities of the moment, Rumania is become the pivot of the European campaign. Oir cumstance, not choice, has made it so. Tested by accepted standards, comparison of belligerents resources, or even by the purely military consequences of recent events, this statement is undoubtedly paradoxical. For we have been repeatedly assured that so long as Rumania's armies are intact the loss of her territory. can be logically proved to be of little moment to the Allies, and even to be positively disadvantageous to the enemy, But to reason on these lines in Rumania's case to-day would be misleading and dangerous. I venture to emphasise this view because it is based upon varied and carefully sifted data, and is there fore well worthy of the attention of those upon whem prompt and energetic action depends. Events are certain to bear it out, in whatever direction they may point.

.

What strikes me

is the enormous power of attraction which the invasion of Rumunia has for Hindenburg and the

Kaiser.

ENEMY'S GREAT EFFORT.

THE HONGKONG DAILY PRESS,

DESTROYERS AT JUTLAND.

THE NIGHT HUNT.

RAMMING AN ENEMY CRUISEN.

[BY RUDYARD KIPLING.} Whon the German Fleet ran for home, on the night of May 31st, it seems to have scattered "starred" I believe, is the word for the evolution-in a general cuve qui pent, while the Devil, livelily represented by our destroyers, took the hindmost. Our flotillas were strung out One man far and wide on this job. compared it to hoands hunting half a hundred separate foxes.

"What happened to the cruisers!!! "Oh, they went on, and I heard 'em being attended to by some of our fellows. They didn't know what they were doing, or they couldn't have missed me sitting, the way they did

TRIDAY, DECEMBER 8TH, 1916.

But it was not written in the Book of been, the hawears thority, across

should die that night as Gehenna died. Fate that stripped and battered Eblis After built the books was

found that several fires on her were man-

ageable, that she was not making water aft of the damage,

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grisly list of cammities, and her helm

Goofin jammed.

swerved, returned, and swerved again; Shaitan astern tried. to clear her, and the two fell aboard cach other, Goblin's bows loep in Bhaitati's fore bridge. While they hung thus, lock ed, an unknown destroyer ramined Bhai- THE CONFIDENTIAL BOOKS. ⠀-

tan aft, cutting off several feet of her After all that Eblis picked herself up stern and leaving her rudder janimed and discovered that she was still alive hard over. As complete a mess as the But she did not bank on it. That grand devized, and all des to the merest ser with a dog's chance of getting to port. Personal Devil himself could have slam had wrecked the bridge pinning the dent of a few panicky salvoes; presently commander under the wreckage. By the the two ships worked clear in a smother time he had extricated himself he con of steam and oil, and went their several sidered it advisable to throw overboard ways, Quite a while after she had fidential and secret books? the steel chest and dispatch box of con parted from Shaitan, Goblin discovered These are several of Shaitan's people, some of them never allowed to fall into strange hands wounded, on her own foc'sle, where they and their proper disposal is the last step had been pitched by the collision. I take the adventures of several couple but one in the ritual of the burial ser- Goblin, working her way homeward on of destroyers who, on the night of May vice of his Majesty's ships at sea such boilers as remained, carried on a 31st, were nosing along somewhere Gehenna, afre and sinking, out some one-gun fight at a few cables' distance towards the Schleswig-Holstein coast, where in the dark, was going through it with some enemy destroyers, who, not ready to chop any Han-stuff coming back on her own account. This is her Acting knowing what state she was in, shtered The Sub-Lieutenant's report! -- The con off after a fów rounds. Shaitan, holed to earth by that particular road.

The First forward and opened up aft, came across lender of one line was Gehenna, and the identid books were got up. next two ships astern of her were Eblis Lieutenant gave the order: Every man the survivors from Gebeans clinging to their raft, and took them abroad. Then and Bhaitan, in the order given. Thereaft, and the confidential books thrown

The ship soon afterwards some of our destroyers--they were thick were others, of course, but with the ex- overboard. ception of one Goblin they don't come heeled over to starboard and the bows on the sea that night-tried to tow her violently into this tale. There had been went under. The Firs: Lieutenant gave stern-first, for Goblin had cut her up a good deal of promiscuous firing that the order: Everybody for themselves. badly forward. But, since Shaitan lack- evening, and actions were going on all The ship sank in about a minute, the ed any stern and her rudder was jammed round. Towards midnight our destroy-stern going straight up into the air. hard across where the stern should have ers were overtaken by several three and

and, after four funnel German ships (cruisers they thought) hurrying home At this stage

leave asked of lawful all that waste of waters, they sank of the game anybody might have been

Shaitan by gunfire, having first takes all anybody-pursuer or pursued. The Ger

the proper steps about the confidential mans took no chances, but switched on

book Yet Shaitan had had her little It is no exaggeration to affirm that for their searchlights and opened fire on

which meant two-crumb of comfort ere the end. While she them it connotes a definite Victory over Gehenna. Her acting sub-lieutenant re- all the Allied nations, and everything ports: A salvo hit us forward. Ithirds of her were, more or less, in com- lay crippled she saw quite close to her a else which it would involve. We may opened fire with the after-guns. A shell mission, and, best of all that three boilers Gorman cruiser that was trailing home NETH. laugh this notion to scorn, but we cannot then struck us in a steam pipe, and I were usable in spite of the cruiser's shells, ward in the dawn gradually heel over

So she shaped course and speed to make and sink. But both gainsay that it is the conviction of the could see nothing but steam.

the least water and the most progress Germans, and supplies them with an starboard torpedo tubes were fixed."

towards land." On the way back the astonishing driving power of which, at Eblis, Gehenna's next astern, at once wind shifted this stage of the campaign, they were fired n torpedo nt the second ship in the ing-it who fight points without warn you remember deemed incapable. However difficult the German line, a four-funnelled cruiser, that so embarrassed Cripple and Paraly invasion of Rumanio seems, and is, Hin, and hit her hetween the second funnel tie on their homeward crawl and, what denburg may deem it well worth while and the mainmast, when she appeared with one thing and another, Ellis was to attempt it repeatedly at a seemingly to catch fire fore and aft simultaneously, anable to make port till the scandalously prohibitive cust, and for this eventually heeled right over to starboard, and un- late hour of noon on June 2nd," the it beloves the Allied nations to be pre-doubtedly sank." Eblis loosed off mutual ramming having occurred about 11.40 p.m. on May 31st." She says, this pared. Unwanted promptitude and second torpedo and turned aside to re- thoroughness on their part are essential load, firing at the same time to distraet time without any legal reservation what

the enemy's attention from Cehenna, whoever, "I cannot speak too highly of to success. Russia having discerned this, is now doing her part, and during the was now ablaze fore and aft, Gehenna's the courage, discipline, and devotion of

acting sub-lieutenant (the only executive the officers and ship's company," past few days (the article was written on

officer who survived) says that by the November lat) has been despatching time the steam from the broken pipe dium of Godly Deeds for the Use of Her recommendations are a Compen- troops which the enemy hoped..would

cleared he found Gehenna stopped, near-

Mariners. never come. It would be contrary:ly everybody amidships killed or wound-

They cover pretty much all

but it may be permissible to say that it exploding one after the other as the fires who, while his commander public interest to disclose the numbered, the cartridge boxes round the guns that man may be expected to do. There was, so there always is, a first lieutenant was being represents a very liberal contribution to took hold, and the enemy not to be seen. extricated from the bridge wreckage, took the undertaking. Italy's effort is already Three minutes or less did all that dam-chures of affairs tad steered the ship known. In short, all the Allied Govern age. Eblis had nearly finished reloading first from the engine-room, or what re ments are strenuously exerting them when a shot struck the dayit that was selves to belie the popular proverb that swinging her last torpedo into the tube mained of it, and later from aft, and prevention is better than cure. And this and wounded all hands concerned, otherwise manoeuvred as requisite, among In his leisure he is as it should be, For to frustrate Thereupon she dropped torpedo, work, doubtful bulkheads.

improvised means of signalling," and Hindenburg's scheme no efforts can bored at an enemy searchlight which wink- too strenuous, 20 sacrifices too costly, beed and went out, and was closing in to if there be not one joyous story behind cause, us already stated, the bearings of help Gehenna when she found herself that smooth sentence I am a Hun!. the Rumanian campaign are become so under the noses of a couple of enemy The nearer one," he says, far-reaching and varied that they can altered course to ram me apparently.

cruisers. longer be gauged by the standards of strategy, nor by these political criteria still in vogue which were hitherto looked upon as infallible

The sooner, therefore, we readjust system of valuation to the changed conditions, and take a true view of the interplay of psychology, national politics, and strategy, and of the limits which each sets to the others, the better for the

common cUNASE,

concerned.

HOW RUMANIA WAS DECEIVED.

It has been mysteriously suggested in certain quarters that numanian's war plans were upset by an unlocked-for development. The truth is that Bulgaria had entered into a secret treaty with Rumania guaranteeing that if Rumania entered the war Bulgaria would bo nitral so far as her neighbour was But this treaty, doubtless dictated by Berlin, was merely a German was that "scrap of paper." Thus it Rumania found herself involved in a war on two fronts instead of only one.

It seems remarkable that Rumania trusted her perfid ous neighbour. But such, it is alleged, was the case. Hence the big army thrown by Rumania into Transylvania, and the subsequent retreat owing to the recall of troops to defend the Dobrudja front against Mackensen. WHO STARTED THE WAR? GERMAN CHANCELLOR'S IDEA.

The German Chanceller, Dr. von Bethmann-Hollweg, replying to a speech delivered on October 23rd by Viscount Grey, referring to German preparations for the war, said that Russia's mobil sation began the war. Viscount Grey's statement was based on the edition of the Lokal Anzeiger of July 30th, 1914, which falsely announced the German mobilisation.

The German Government immediately stopped the sale of the paper and denied the report..

THE ART OF IMPROVINING,

They all improvised like the masters

40ft. of hole.

The Senior Service writes in curiously of craft they were. The chief engine out fires, improvised stops to the gaps lawyer-like fashion, but there is no deny-om artificer after he had helped to put ing that they act quite directly which were left by the carrying away of therefore put my helm hard, aport and the forward fummel and must. He got the two ships met and rammed each and kept up steam to a much higher other, port bow to port bow." There point than would have appeared at all could have been no time to think and, possible, and when the sea rose, as it for Eblis' commander on the bridge, always does if you are in trouble, be none to gather, information. But he had morovised pumping and drainage ar- observant subordinates, and he writes rangements, thus allowing the ship to and I would humbly suggest that the steam at a good speed on the whole." words be made the ship's motto for ever- more he writes, "Those aft noted that There could not have been more than the enemy cruiser had certain marks on

The surgeon-a probatiouer-perform her funnel and certain arrangements of derricks on each side which, quite aparted an amputation single-handed in the from the evidence she left behind her, wreckage by the bridge, and by his

"wonderful skill, resource,

and betrayed her class. Eblis and she met. Says Eblis: I consider I must have ceasing care and devotion undoubtedly considerably damaged this cruiser, as saved the lives of the many seriously 20ft. of hor side plating was left in my wounded men." That no horror might for'sle." Twenty feet of ragged rivete lacking, there was a short circuit slinging stoel, razoring and reaping among the bridge wreckage for a con- about in the dark on a foo'sle that had siderable time." The searchlight and collapsed like a concertina. It was very wireless were tangled up together, and fair plating too. There were side-scuttle the electricity leaked into everything. holes in it what we passengers would Thers were also three wise men who call portholes. But it might have been saved the ship whose names must not be better, for Eblig reports sorrowfully, by forgotten. the thickness of the coats of paint (duly given in ends of the inch) she would

+ not appear to have been very new ship

A FUGITIVE ON FIRE

This completes my version of the vari- ous accounts of the four destroyers directly concerned for a few hours, on one minute section of one wing of our battle Other ships witnessed other aspects of the agony and duly noted them as they went about their business. One of our battleships, for instance, made out by the ginre of burning Gehenna that the supposed cruiser that Eblis torpedoed was a German battle ship of a certain class. So Gehenna did not die in vain, and we may take it that the discovery did not unduly depress Eblis' wounded in hospital.

ASKING POR TROVIR The rest of the flotilla that the four destroyers belonged to had their own ad- ventures later. One of them, chasing or being chased, saw Goblin out of control just before Goblin and Shaitan locked, and narrowly escaped adding herself to that triple collision. Another loosed a who were attacking Gehenna, which, couple of torpedoes at the enemy ships perhaps, accounts for the anxiety of the enemy to break away from that hornet's or so of them ran into four German nest as soon as possible. Half a dozen battleships, which they set about torne doing at ranges varying from half a mile to a mile and a half. It was asking for trouble and they got it; but they had in same observant battleship of ours who return at least one big ship, and the identified Eblis bird reported three satisfactory explosions in half an hour, followed by a glare that lit up all that sky. One of the fictilin, closing on what she thought was the smoke of a sister in difficulties, found herself well in among the four battleships. It was too late to get away," she says, so she attacked, fired her torpedo, was caught up in the glare of a couple of searchlights, and pounded to pieces in five minutes, not even har rafts being left. She went down with her coloum flying, having fought to the last available gun.

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Another destroyer who had borne & hand in Gehcona's trouble had her try at the four battleships and got in a tor- and the ship take a heavy list. Then pedo at 800 yards. She saw it explode I was chased," which is not surprising. She picked up a friend who could only do 20 kapte, The sighted several Hun destroyers who fled from them; then. dropped on to four Hun destroyers all together, who made great parade of com mencing action, but, soon afterwards They were Chief Engine" thought better of it, and turned away." room Artificer Lee, Staker Petty Officer So you see, in that flotilla alone there Gardiner, and Stoker Elvins. When the

was every variety of fight, from the funnel carried away it was touch and go ordered attacks of squadrons under, con- whether the foremost boiler would not teal, to single ship affairs, overy túra of explode,

These three ** put on respira which depended on the second's decision tors and kept the fens going till all of the men concerned endurance to the New or old, the enemy had done her fumes, ate, were cleared away." hopeless and bluff and cunning; reckless best. She had completely demolished each man, you will observe, his own advance and red-hot flight; clear vision Eblis' bridge and searchlight platform, particular Hell which he entered of his and as much of blank bewilderment as brought down the mast and the fore own particular initiative.

the Senior Bervice permits its children funnel, ruined the whaler and the Lastly, there were the two romaining to indulge in. That is not much. When dinghy, split the foe'sle open above water

a destroyer who has been dulging enemy from the stem to the galley which is abaftaartermasters-mulinous dogs, both of

'em-one wounded in the right hand and torpedoes and gun fire in the dark the bridge, and below water had opened the other in the left, who took the wheel realizes about midnight that she is fol it up from the stem to the second bulk- head. She had further ripped off Eblis between them all the way horpe, thus im-lowing a strange British flotilla, having complete Navy pattern lost sight of my own." she "decides to and shares their skin plating for an amazing number of Proving ono

refused to be re- remain with them, Quartermaster, and yards on one side of her, and had fired leved during the whole 28 hours before fortunes and whatever language is going. a couple of large calibre shells into is the ship returned to port." So Eblis If lost hounds could speak when they at point-blank range, narrowly missing tial as a prize-court. She reports that her vitals. Even so, Eblis is as impar passes out of the picture with "never a cast up next day, after an unchecked mom or complaint from a single wound night among the wild life of the dark, the second shot, & trifle of eight inches, ed man, and in spite of the rough wea they would talk much as our destroyera

ther of June ist they all remained do. may have been red at a different time cheery." They had one Hun cruiser, tor- Dr. von Bethmann-Hollweg detailed or just efter colliding." But the night padood, to their credit, and strong evi what he described as Germany's enemies' was yet young, and just after getting dence abroad that they had knocked the annexation proposals, alleging Russian clear of this cruiser an enemy battle end out of another. designs on Constantinople, which Britain cruiser grazed past our stern at high/But Gehenna went down, and those of and France guaranteed, and French

speed and again the judgmatic mind- dosigns on Alsace-Lorraine. He had never

I think she must have intended to ram her crew who remained hung on to the proclaimed that Germany intended to us." She was a large three-funnelled rafts that destroyers carry till they were annex Belgian England joined in the thing, her centro funnel shot away and picked up about the dawn by Shaitan, war because Germany's peaceful enter- lights were flickering under her foc'ale third in the line, who, at that hour, was

As compared with last year, exports prises bad become too great. It was as if she was on fire forward." Fancy in no shape to give much help. Here is

She saw the unknown show an increase of 57 millions and im Europe's unlucky fate that Britain the vision of her, hurtling out of the Shaitan's tale. favoured French and Russian schemes of dark, red-lighted from within, and cruisers overtake the flotilla, saw their ports of 10 millions. The only decrease leader switch on searchlights and "open as compared with last year is 33 millions conquest. It was not Prussian mili- fleeing on like a man with his throat cure as she drew abreast of Gehenna and in foodstuffs exported, tarism, but their adversaries' hemming: As an interlude, all enemy cruisers that at once fired a torpedo at the third Ger- în policy, that had caused the war. night were not keen on ramming. They man ship. Shaitan could not see Eblis, When the war was concluded, the im- wanted to get home. A man I know who her next ahead, for, as we know, Eblis mensity of the catastrophe would be was on another part of the drive saw a after bring her torpedoes had hauled off realised. There would be an outery for cord just settled himself for a shot at one searchlights of Shaitan hauled out too. bolt through our destroyers; and to reload. When the enemy switched his the peaceful settlement of future quar- rels, and Germany would assist in that of them when the night threw up a second It is not wholesome for destroyers to bird coming down full speed on his other keep on the same course within a thou- Referring to Dr. von Bethmann tween the two as they whizzed past. One

He had bare time to jink be sand yards of big enemy cruisers, Hollweg regarding the Lokal Anzeiger's switched on her searchlight and fired a She picked up a destroyer of another statements, Vorunerts says: Germany whole salvo at him point blank. The division, Goblin, who for the moment had had not yet mobilised, bat overnight heary staff went between his funnels not been caught by the enemy's search Russia had. It was said, with the She must have sighted along her own semblance of truth, that the mobilisa beam of light, which was about a thou tion did not mean war, and everything and yards, might still have been saved had not Germany demanded the revocation of the Russian mobilisation under the threat of

direction."

21

beam.

"How did you feel?" I asked. "I was rather sick. It was my best chance all that night and I had to miss it or be cut in two."

lights sad had profited by this decent obscurity to fire a torpedo at the hind- most of the cruisers. Alinost ne Shaitan took station behind Goblin. the latter was lighted up by a large ship end heavily fred at. The enemy fled, bat. she left Goblin out of control, with a

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