Nearer Metz

Continued French advance

Russians marching on Ezerum

Probably before the day is out we shall a know approximately at all events what actually took place last night, whether the hostile aircraft consisted of Zeppelins or aeroplanes and how many, the places visited and the number of lives lost.

At the time of writing the various reports make somewhat confusing reading, but that there was a raid and bombs were dropped on undefended towns and villages that several non combatants were killed and that damage was done to property are facts apparently beyond dispute.

Yarmouth, Sandringham, Kings Lynn and Sheringham are the places named as receiving these unwelcome visits and later it will be possible to form an opinion as to whether a raid on a large scale or whether the whole venture was in its character, preliminary to a greater attack.

There is a report current that one of the Zeppelins was destroyed, how true this is, is not at the moment known – but so far this is the only mention of anything in the nature of defensive work or counter attack.

We may expect to learn that our defensive energies were largely confined to a certain area for a raid has been expected for some days past. Indeed unless it takes place within the next fortnight it will stand a very poor chance of success.

Last night’s affair, so far as can be gathered at present, does not appear to have developed into anything upon which the Germans may plume themselves and it is doubtful whether anything more than a trial fight was intended.

In this country so far out military authorities have declined to listen to any proposals. For reprisals other than those countenanced by the rules of warfare, but if the Germans continue to deny international usages the demand will assuredly go up for retaliation in kind.

Our airmen with a fine sense if the proprieties, great-hearted gentlemen as they all are, have attacked only places of military importance, Friedrichshafen, Dusseldorf, Cologne and Cuxhaven where some military object was to be gained and where real courage was needed to successfully carry out the exploits.

But if we are not fighting against gentlemen and if we can only guard our undefended towns by attacking German undefended towns, if we can only teach manners by temporarily abandoning our own, surely the time has one for us to demonstrate accordingly.

There is hardly any limit to what we could do in this direction and if one lesson did not suffice they should be put through a whole course of tuition.

In fighting uncivilised beasts like the Huns the only effective plan is to hit that part of their anatomy which happens to be nearest, disregarding the geography.

The main idea of the Germans is probably to strike terror, an idea borrowed from backward or decadent races and if they believe that by dropping bombs on peaceful citizens they can achieve this object their state of mind as a nation is probably such as to render them amenable to similar treatment.

In any case whether by departure from war usages or otherwise we are as Mr Winston Churchill said at the end of September, in a position to take measures of reprisal to almost any extent and we may be sure that before long the Germans will have cause to regret last night’s venture.