German bombardment of Britain begins

The Otago Hunt Club's opening meet of the season, on Saturday, April 10: members and friends at...
The Otago Hunt Club's opening meet of the season, on Saturday, April 10: members and friends at Mr Arthur Sidey's residence, Corstorphine. – Otago Witness, 21.4.1915. Copies of picture available from ODT front office, lower Stuart St, or www.otagoimages.co.nz.
The cable messages have indicated a somewhat marked recrudescence of aerial activity on the part of the belligerents in the western theatre of war.

Such activity is of course over and above the incessant and indispensable use of aircraft at the front for scouting purposes, and covers extended flights with some definite object in view.

The opinion expressed by The Times that the visitation of German airships to England last week possesses a significance which cannot be ignored and that the British public must be prepared for increased liveliness on the part of the enemy's aerial arm must be regarded as well founded.

The accounts we received of the most recent raid were not conspicuous either for amplitude of detail or by lucidity.

They leave little room for doubt, however, that the Germans made some efforts to carry out an organised air raid, presumably with the idea of striking terror into the hearts of British folk, and that they were singularly unsuccessful in achieving that or any other material object.

The damage effected by bomb dropping was apparently quite insignificant.

There are certain conventions relating to aerial bombardments which are supposed to govern the calculations of belligerents, but the German method of waging war has unfortunately revealed itself as a thing apart from conventions dictated by regard for the principles of humanity.

Article 25 of the Hague Convention No. IV (1907) declares that ''it is forbidden to attack or to bombard by any means whatever towns, villages, habitations, or buildings which are not defended.''

While it has been held that this renders illegal the bombardment of a city from the air, it is pointed out also that an existing convention which applies most nearly to the conditions of aerial war is that concerning naval bombardments.

In this it is held that any works may be destroyed which could be used for the needs of an enemy's army or fleet.

Under this heading come harbours, docks, railway stations, military stores, and barracks. Consequently an enemy may claim the right to destroy railway stations wherever found.

If a city makes any attempt at retaliation it will immediately be branded as defended.

 Some interesting discussion took place at the conference of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants (reported at length in the Railway Review) on a motion urging the inauguration of a 48 hour week, with payment for all excess time.

The president (Mr W. T. Wilson) recalled a debate years ago when he had difficulty in obtaining support for a motion similar to that now submitted. Since then marked improvement had taken place in the working conditions of the railway service.

The excessive hours worked at that time had been greatly reduced, but he warned the conference it would be distinctly unfair to cut the ground from beneath the council, which had for years been placing this proposal in the forefront of the society's platform as one most likely to appeal.

No outside employer in New Zealand would dare employ his men more than 48 hours per week.

An agitation which had been successful in many cases had been commenced to secure a 44 hour week. In spite of improvements in a large number of branches of the service men were working 70 to 80 hours a week. The motion was agreed to.

- ODT 20.4.1915.

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