Penistone, Stocksbridge and Hoyland Express, etc. — 1916-02-05 (Penistone, South Yorkshire, England)

SATURDAY, FLIIRUARY .341. 1.916.  THE WAR IN OUR MIDST...  The season's Zeppelin campaign against England opened this week with the most determined and ambitious raid that has yet been carried out. It was an adventure remarkable in many respects, and to say that it was not impressive would be to affect an indifference that is not felt by the people of this country for the perpetual menace offered to the security and peace of these islands by these aerial monsters, so cunningly devised , and directed from the German Admiralty. We assume that this promiseuous scattering of death and destruction is designed to produce moral effect rather than to inflict material damage, and that object has, to a t,t7y /urge extent, been achieved, although not in the precise way that the Government intends. The moral effect produced in England by these repeated incursions is very considerable. Zeppelin raids have done more to strengthen England's determination and to and brace the neraes of the people than any other feature or aspect of the war. Zeppelins have carried conviction. People might read 'ad infinitum' of German atrocities on land and sea, of the ruthiess deslrtiction of inoffensive nations, of the cynical murder of innocent travellers, and yet have remained unmoved. But the Zeppelins a.ssiet the imagination and help us to realise that wherever Germany has the power to inflict, outrages, not only upon recognised enemies but upon all who thwart her ambition, she also has 1 the will.  1 But for the Zeppelin raids the people lof England woukl to-day. after eighteen months of this awful international agony, have been without an adequate reattsation of the nature of the foe against whom we have sent our armies and navies. But to-day the characteristic easy-going tolerance of the British nation has been annihilated by Zeppelin bombs. The people realise that the monster they , are fighting will be a monster in peace and in war far all time., unless he is completely crushed. The lesson the long series of German air raids has taught us is most salutary. We must realise thet although we have raised immense forces. which include the most inagnitimnt Navy known to history, together with millions of the nation's: braveat and most vigorous nniabood, we are not thereby purchasing immunity from personal risks. The peaceable citizen at home must 'take some share of the wneral hazard lof warfare. 'Although we may for the moment stand agini,st at the prospect of warfare which contentplates the casual and inciscriminate destruction of peaceful hon-combatants, this is the method of warfare which the enemy has adopted. aixi there are only two ways in which it can be answered_ The first, and in the long run the most effective. is for the nation to resolve., and to re-affirm its rusolution, to continue this war until the enemy is crushed: to let no personal difference', no shadow of disunion, interfere with or impede the nation's concentrated effort.  The se.con(i method is one that is loudly clamoured for, not only here but in Prance. where Zeppelin hooliganism has again been manifesting' itself: that is, to carry out deliberate reprisals upon German towm and the German populafrion. This week's raid upon England has intoxicated Ger! many with joy. lEvery German is convinced of the propriety, of these out' rages, and we can have 1)0 compunction in carrying this detestable method of warfare into a country- where it finds such general acceptatic,e. As to the practicahility of aerial reprisak, this rmist necessarily be left to expert militarcv judgment. But the feeling of the na,tion undoubtedly favours a vigorous aerial offonsive of this kind, and the Government will doubtless give the closest and most earnest attention to this aspect of the campaign.