Abergavenny Chronicle

About 16.000 people are said to have been I Wiled by an eruption of the volcano Kl(-et, Java. Up to the present 157 bodies have be-en recoveTed in the Blitar district. I To prevent unemployment the Bcot and jj Shoe Wliitlev council urged the Govern- ment to distribute imported stocks ot jl leather without further Oeiay..

BEDFORD MURDER MYSTERY. JURY RETURN AN OPEN VERDICT. An open verdict was returned at Haynes Park, Bedford, at the inquest held on Miss Ellen Florence Ruby ilt, the young W.A.A.C. who was found dead in a coppice in Wilstead Park, near Bedford, on May 12, the jury finding that she was "brutally murdered by being stabbed in the heart." The verdict was received with applause. Company Sergeant-Major Hepburn, R.E., who has been remanded on a charge of murder, was present. The coroner, in summing up, referred to the evidence given by Bray and Lewis, the Bedford Modern schoolboys, who described the hard breathing and the cracking of dry bushes in the woods. "I do not know what the theory was," he said, "but if it was that the murder was being committed, it is very strange that Private Ru-sh, who was .walking along the road just before, heard nothing to attract his attention. There are also differences in the evidence with regard to whether Hep- burn was wearing black leggings or puttees that day. "There is a theory that the girl went to the gate of the camp to meet someone whom she must have known very well in- deed. It has been stated that she was a lively girl, and it may be that she teased her lover, who lost his temper and seized her by the wrist. This would account for the bruise on the wrist." The coroner then reconstructed the murder as it probably happened. "The girl struggled," he surmised, "and ran into the wood. She fell over the under- growth, and cut her face on something hard such as turf, and scratched and bruised her face. The person followed, and stabbed her in the back twice. She got up on her bands and begged her assailant to spare her. What does he do3 He stabs her three times in the chest and once through the heart. "What was the motive? It has been said that the girl was in the hal)it of keeping £ 2 10s. in notes to ena,ble her to return to her home in case of emergency. Two pounds ten in notes were found on Hepburn, but that may have been a coincidence. I do not attach much significance to it." The jury spent half an hour considering their verdict. | I SERGEANT-MAJOR HEPBURN DIS- I CHARGED. In connection with this caec Company- Sergeant-Major Montague Hepburn, who was charged with the murder of Nellie Rault at Welstead Wood on May 9, wafi again brought np at Bedford on Friday last, Mr. Sims, on behalf of the Crown, stated that after careful consideration of the evi- dence it had been decided not to proceed with the charge, and the police would bE instructed to renew their activities. The announcement was greeted with ap. plause by those inside and outside the court, Sergeant-Major Hepburn was accordingly discharged.

TIGHTENING THE GRIP. I PRECAUTIONS AGAINST GERMANY'S "NEW GAME." A week, it is anticipated, will be requLcid ty the Allies to fully consider the German counter-proposals which have now been pre- sented, just before the expiry of the time limit. They run to 238 pages. It is interesting to note that General Sir William Roliertson, Commander-in-Chief of the British Army on the Rhine, has arrived at the headquarters of the Belgian Army of Occupation in Aix-la-Chapelle, and had a conversation with General Michel to pro- vide for co-operation between the Belgian and British forces in case of an advance on the right bank cf the Rhine. On all sides it is believed that Rantzau has been authorised to sign peace on condi- tion that the Treaty is ratified by a plebis- cite of the German people. Paris says that the Huns' counter-propo- sals contain the demand that the reduction of the German army and navy should be accompanied -byb a corresponding reduction of the Allied Armies. In diplomatic circles it is still thought that after the time limit has expired the Germans will sign the Treaty, but only in face of an Allied forward march into Ger- many. Such an event is foreshadowed in the above statement concerning the move- ments of General Robertson. The Government will endeavour to prove to the German people that they only give way before the inevitable and brutal force. The "Figaro" says that Rantzau is pre- paring to compel the Allies to carry out a display of military force. When the blockade is drawn closer the German Govern- ment, jxrhaps after changing its personnel, will declare it yields only to violence. This manoeuvre would say its face before the German people, and would later on allow it to invoke duress as a first-class excuse for repudiating its obligations. Germany is, in short, getting ready to play a new hand. If the loees she will pay up. According to an Exchange message the Government at Berlin have published warn- nings againt attempts to establish an inde- pendent Rhenish Republic, stating that any such attempts would constitute acts of treason, punishable with death. Mr. Bottomley has asked, in the House of Commons, whether a day could be given for the discussion of the peace terms, and if it were proposed to grant Germany any further time extension in which to sign. Mr. Bonar Law replied: "No suggestion of that kind had been made up to now."

BOY IN A SUCTION PIPE. At extraordinary adventure, and one that I 113S made a South London boy of tea famous, is that which befel Percy Silk, who lives in a maze of courts off Bankside, S.E. It appears he was playing by the side of the river near the power works of the City of London Electric Lighting Co., when one of his companions gave him a playful push and he fe41 in the water. He was soon struggling in a whirlpool, and the next thing he remembers was striking his head "against something hard." What he struck was a suction pipe over 200ft. long and 3ft. in diameter through which water from the river is drawn into the water-circulating chamber of the power station. Though this pipe the boy was carried ty the irresistible current. The men at the power station were warned, the water im- mediately cut off, and officials rushed to the water-circulating chamber expecting to find a. dead body. On raising the grating.-Percy was found clinging to the top of the well. His journey through the 200ft. pipe can have occupied barely a minute, but from the time of his disappearance into the tube until his rescue 20 minutes elapsed.

Sir Douglas Haig is to x-eceive the free- dom of Kingston-on-Thames towards the end of July. 0 Mr. Dan Irving, M.P. for Burnley, iø lying ill from pneumonia. Both the French Chamber and Senate have passed the Bill raising the price of ordinary tobacco by 25 per cent.

I OTHER MEN'S MINDS. I The man in the street has come to regard Christianity .as a sort of insurance poliej against fire on the other side of the grave —'Mr. J. Hugh Edwards, M.P. I BE CHEERFUL. I During my career I have always mad I I np my mind to be cheerful.—Sir Frederick Bridge. I SINGING A VICE. I Almost everybody wants to sing, even ii it is in the bathroom with the two taps turned on.—Miss Maude Royden, AH! I Just tell me, what is the National Party: I -J udge Sir Alfred Tobin. I I TOO MUCH HUSBAND., I A woman does not want to be at home all the time with her nose opposite that of her husband. You can have too much of a good thing.—Miss Jessie Stephen, National Federation of Women Workers. I WORK, WORK, WORK. I Occupation both for the mind and body I is the best preventive of intemperance.— Lord Methuen. I THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS. I The success of the League of Nations rests with the people who can make their Governments what they will.—Viscount Grey of Fallodon. I CHARACTER BUILDERS. I The universities are the natural guardians Df tradition, the builders of character, and" I sreators of ideals.—Sir Douglas Haig. I WINTER'S DIFFICULTIES. I The coming winter will be more difficult for thia country to pass through than any winter during the war.—Lord Leverhulme. I STATE AND HOSPITALS. I I It is not State inspection, but State con. I I trol of which hospitals are afraid.—Lord I Knutsford. I STILL HUMAN. I Scientific men, in mufti or in uniform, I are no more brutal than their fellows.—Sir I William Osier. I THE ALTERNATIVES. I There is no half-way house between general disarmament and ultimate war.- I I Major David Davies, M.P. I THE O.T.C. I It is most important that we should con- I tinue to keep up our Officers' Training Corps.—Duke of Connaught. I WHATSINANAMEt I Some of the highest names in this country are habitually borne by people who have no title to them whatever.—Mr. Justice Dar- ling. I PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOR ALL. j Every child in this country from the Prince of Wales downward should be com- pelled for a term of five years to attend a public school.—Dr. Kerr. I R.I.P. I Some of our critics believe so much in Rent, Interest, and Profit that when they are dead they will have R.I.P. on their tombstones.—Mr. Jack Jones, M.P. I PENALTY OF AVARICE. I If we think of everything in ternV of £ R. d. we shall never have a "green and I pleasant" England. Sir Charles Lucas. WE TROW NOT! I Moscow remains the only centre of social I revolution, and all other centres must obey Moscow— Lenin. WAR AND MORALS. I The harm the war has done on the morals I of the people of this country is far beyond I any material damage that has been done.— Justice Darling. FAITH HAS TO FIGHT. I If our faith means business, prepare for I clamour and battle. In every generation I faith has to fight for its life.—Rev. Hugh Falconer, M.A., B.D. WHERE WISDOM IS NEEDED. -1 The world cannot afford to see the League .of Nations hamstrung by the domestic dis- orders of its leading members.—Mr. A. F. Whyte, M.P. A PARADOX, I I Mr. George Lansbury's paper supports men who openly preach sedition, yet we find him the other day welcoming Queen Mary at a school function.—Miss Christabel Pack. hurst. I LABOUR AND THE CHURCH. ] The men and women Who compose the> labour movement are completely out of touch and sympathy with tho Church.—Mr, F, Hughes, I SMALL HOLDINGS. There is no use blinking the fact that very much still remains to be done by the nation before the smallholder or peasant proprietor can look forward to a life of any- thing but unremitting toil, rewarded only by small £ nd precarious remuneration.—The Marquess of Ailesbury, D.S.O. SCOLDING A SNEEZE. I Children should not be scolded for sneez- ing; it is the natural method of clearing away obstruction, adopted by most animals, even clephants.-Dr. Octavia Lewin. THE EVER PRESENT! I While the Kaiser has gone, Kaiserism re- I mains.—Mr, Ben Tillett, M.P. OUR NATIONAL NEED. I Now that the fighting is over, and we are looking forward to a long and prosperous peace, I want to see the same sense of unity and comradeship preserved in peace, eo that it may ensure for our country and the Em- pire in peace a success equal to that which it gained for us in war.-P.M. Sir Douglas Haig.

I THE PRINCE IN THE CITY. I MADE A FREEMAN OF LONDON. I The working population of London has had a little show all to itself. When the Prince of Wales drove through to receive the Freedom of the City the crowd was a typical" London" one, without any addi- tions from Suburbia or the Provinces. As our future King proceeded to the Guild- hall he had a warm welcome from the waiting sightseers stationed along the route from Buckingham Palace. Several members of the Royal Family were present at the ceremony, including Prince Albert, the Duke of Connaught, Prince and Princess Arthur of Connaught, Princess Christian, Princess Victoria, Prin- cess Louise, the Marquis and Marchioness of Cambridge, the Earl of Athlone and Prin- cess Alice Countess of Athlone. Afterwards the Prince lunched with the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress at the Man- sion House. On arriving at the Guildhall the Prince was received by the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs. His Royal Highness took the usual oath in a loud, clear voice. The Prince was presented for the freedom by the Prime Warelen of the Fishmongers' Company, after which he was addressed by the City Chamberlain, who said that what- ever were his ambitions in 1914 he ruth- lessly swept them aside, and within four days of the declaration of war joined up. He had made his mark as a soldier. The Lord Mayor handed to the Prince some silver plate as a souvenir of the occa- sion. I "I FOUND MY MANHOOD." I During the course of a brief speech made after the luncheon the Prince sa id:—" I shall never regret my service overseas. In those four years I found my manhood. When I think of the future and the heavy responsibilities which may fall to my lot, I feel that the experience gained since 1914 will stand me in good stead." I WITH THE OLD BRIGADE. I Previous to going to the Guilclhall the Prince vieited the Boys of the Old Brigade at Chelsea Hospital, where Founders' Day was honoured with customary ceremonial. The pensioners, be-medalled and in their picturesque full-dress uniform, paraded for the Prince's inspection, and afterwards marched past, the oak-leaved statue of Charles II. being the saluting base. Vete- rans of many a hard-fought battle in the Crimea and the Indian Mutiny were among those on parade.

I NATURE BOMBS RAMSGATE. I Ramsgate has had an unkind visitation from the Fates, and one which mad e it fearful lest a repetition of the air raids waa to be made. A few days ago a large meteorite fell on the East Cliff and crashed against the house of Mr. Horace Green, chairman of the local Licensing Bench. In an interview Mr. Green said that the crash alarmed him, and on going to the door he was told that something like a "red-hot egg" had fallen in the garden. Investigation showed that the meteorite had broken, and numerous fragments of metal ore had scarred and peppered a thick glass window.

I CURATE IN THE DOCK. I Ordained eighteen months ago, a curate, described as an eloquent preacher, and named Sidney Valentine Allen, aged 30, attached to St. Stephen's*, Cardiff Docks, has been remanded in custody at Newport, on charges of committing extensive thefts from shops and stores. It was stated that among goods found at his residence were a Sheffield plated tea tray, curtains, rugs, mts, spoons, entree dishes, and a lamp, the total value of the articles alleged to have been stolen being .£90.

NEESIS I "Driven to this deed by who has shared in the plunder (hidden profits), Westminster Bridge, May, 1919," was the message left in a notebook found in the pockef of Arthur Andrade, aged 52, a meat ealesman, who drowned himself in the Thames. It was stated that Andrade was not in financial difficulties but had admitted a deficiency of £2,500 ki the accounts of the firm in which he was a partner. A verdict of ''Suicide while of unsound mind" was returned at the inquest.

HONOURING THE PREMIER. I Criccieth is to present Mr. Lloyd George with a silver casket representing Llany- stumdwy, the village home of the Premier, and the Houses of Parliament, the crowning point of Mr. Lloyd George's career.

BUILDING A BONFIRE. I Can you build a bonfire? If you cannot, the following hints may be useful, especially if you want a good ono for any celebration purpose. The first thing to do is to obtain a scaffold-pole, about 20ft. in length, and erect it firmly in the ground. Around this erect some small poles, 3ft. long, and at a distance of 6ft. from these put up a circle of poles of similar length. Place cross-pieces from the outer ring of small olCd to the inner ring, and your structure is then complete. Upon these cross-pieces you heap the fuel as high as you like, after placing your firewood underneath the cross- bars.

I ENGINE DRAGS MAN 30 YARDS. I t Caught by the engine of a train and carried thirty yards was stated at an in- quest to have been the cause of the death of Samuel Pearson, forty-five, Radnor-street, Soho, Birmingham. Pearson was working with a mate and a ganger at Hockley End, Great Western Railway Tunnel, when the tragedy oc- curred.

PURCHASE OF FIFTY ISLANDS. I The part of Harris bought bv Lord Lever- hulme, as. announced some time ago, is South Harris, which is practically an island, being connected with North Harris by a narrow isthmus only a quarter of a mile broad. The purchase price was £ .36,000. Included in the purchase are smaller islands, said to number something like 50, one being the lonely St. Kilda; all, of course, being very small in mileage.

Attestation forms for the new Territorial Force are being prepared. All attestations will date from November next, but registra- tion of names can begin at once. Aged 79, Dr. G. B. Brodie, formerly physician to Queen Charlotte's Hcspital, died at Folkestone.

PRINCE WITH THE PRINTERS. Speaking at a banquet held in connection with the Printers' Pension Corporation, the Prince of Wales, in the course of his speech, referred to the present peace difficulties. "What conditions, I wonder," said he, "would have been dictated to us had the enemy been victorious. "Doubtless, their peace terms are still pigeon-holed in the Foreign Office at Berlin, and they would probably make extremely interesting reading. "In any case, we should all have heen put to much inconvenience. "Imagine the horror with which the British compositors would have received their orders to set up proclamations and other such-like disagreeable documents in the German type 1"

JOKE PREDICTS DEATH. "We shall look well if it kills us all, laughingly remarked Mrs. Hannah Parkes, of Mansfield, when eating a jam roll pud- ding .made by her daughter, aged 13. Later Mrs. Parkes was taken ill and died. Three children who had also eaten the pudding Buffered from pains and sicknesH. In. a piece of the pudding, it was stated at the inquest on Mrs. Parkes, a fraction of a grain of arsenic was found, and in the contents of the stomach there were traces of oxalic acid. The daughter said she used among the ingredients, a loose powder, which her mother said was baking powder. The jury returned an open verdict, ex- pressing the opinion that the powder ueed was not baking powder.

SUNK BY A MINE. The steamship Hans Jost, while on a voyage from the Tyne to the Baltic, was sunk by a mine about 14 miles off the Tyne, and it is believed that 15 lives have been lost. The ship went down in about three minutes, and there was no time to lower the boats. Five men got hold of some wreckage and kept themselves afloat for about two hours until they were picked up by the trawler Swift. One of the men, whose name is given as Nillene, died as he was being taken to the trawler. The Hans Jost, which carried a crew of 19, was formerly a German ship. She was commanded by Captain Bruce, of Jarrow.

FASTEST VESSEL IN THE WORLD The fastest vessel in existence is the British destroyer Turquoise which, accord- ing to her trial figures, reached in deep water, the astonishing speed of 39.6 knots, or 44j miles.

For 118 pure-lred shorthorns X10,046 was paid at a sale at Kingham, Oxen. Falling oyer cliffs at Dunbeath, Caith- ness, while bild-nesting-, John Sutherland, a boy, was. killed. Dr. J. Holland Rose, University Reader in Modern History, has been appointed to the Vere tla rmsworth Professorship of Naval History at Cambridge University. Aged 76 and 69, Mr. and Mrg. T. H. Baker were, at Coalville, Leicestershire, buried in the same grave. Brig.-Gen. A. C. Lovett, C.B., command- ing the Yorkshire coast defences, has died at Scarborough, aged 56..7 The Valley of St. Gothard, a drawing bv J. M. W. Turner, fetched .£60£1 at Chries- tie's; and the Madonna with the Infant Saviour, and another, with the Madonna in red and blue dress, by Simone Memmi, fetched £ 840 and £ 892 10s.

s Look Youpg! s A youthful appearance is a valuable f asset to everybody and no one appre- ciates this fact more keenly than d 'woman. In business, social and 1 > private life it will always be to your advantage to look young-to wear I I the rose of youth." To preserve 1& J d genuinely fresh and youthful appear- J ance, It is imperative that your 1 digestion should be active and M efficient. Nothing will make you t I look sickly and faded sooner than g the liability to any form of lndigest- j A ion, whether such arise from the ft^ ™ stomach, liver or bowels. | 1 BEECHAMS } pILS j y will satisfactorily ensure the harmon- f A ious working of the digestive system. They will bring to the tired and d over-worked stomach tone and > H vigour; they will prove to be a I valuable stimulant to the liver and ™ I their splendid aperient qualities will have a beneficial influence upon the v bowels. Owing to the blood-purifying J ■ properties of Beecliam's Pill-, the ■ W complexion is soon wonderfully. d improved and takes on all the J irresistible charm of health. if, J therefore, you desire to look young I and feel young you may rest assured I J that in this respect Beecham's Pills J | WiHJelp You. | Sold everywhere I I 1 in boxes, labelled ls-3d and 3s-0d. J "8111' "8111'

I NOTES ON NEWS. I Dilly and Dally and the Police. The police strike is postponed, yet it ii hardly necessary to say that our old friends Dilly and Dally were responsible for the impasse. Had it been notified earlier that the extra pay desired would be granted, un- doubtedly much unnecessary irritation would have been avoided. Whilst every sympathy was with the police in their de- mand for a higher rate of pay, 110 one would have countenanced with, favour the action of striking in order to redress either an alleged or real grievance. A large numbei of us—those on the sunny side of fifty- know by personal experience on various Fronts that when with the Army fighting it was no use to say, "I have a grievance, and am going home." Similarly, when guarding the peaco of the country, there is no object gained by following the cry, "Down Truncheons." The police force, as a Whole, is undoubtedly one of the finest body of men in the world, and we are con- vinced that the couplet "Down Truncheons" is not the collective cry of the members of this excellent force, but rather the slogan of those who are behind the scenes and who are anxious to use this grand organi- sation as a means to achieve their sinister ends. Throughout the whole country discontent is being quietly fostered by a ce-tain class of political and social criminals who are out to handicap the governing powers in every possible way. And what better way than the dislocation of social and commercial life? If it is not the police it is the railway workers; if not the miners then the transport people are pushed forward, and so the disgusting game goes on. Needless to say, we are ever in favour of a fair arrangement or adjustment between Capital and Labour; but if differ- ences cannot be settled by quiet delibera- tion (and then if necessary by arbitration the deciding factor), surely we have come to a poor pass. Away With the Bolshevists! I That we liave come to a "poor pass" in one particular case is only too evident, and a little plain speaking will doubtless assist in explanation cf what this Hidden Hand is endeavouring to accomplish. In- stead of setting all energy to the task of restoring Great Britain to its pre-war con- dition—or even to the betterment of that- a certain section of the community, with, unfortunately, Bolshevist tendencies of the worst kind, is endeavouring to upset not only our social system but the very Con- stitution of the country itself. No country in the world has more liberty than our own, be it administered either as a monarchy or as a republic. That being the case, why this insidious attempt that is now being made to so charge- the population of the country with revolutionary electricity which at any time might emit that spark which would create a conflagration of Bol- shevism throughout the land? Such at- tempts must be suppressed with the utmost determination and vigour. In the House the other day Mr. Churchill dealt with this problem in no unmistakable terms. e trust the authorities will attend to the practical, and not oratorical, side of it in no unmistakable manner. There is, aftei all, only one place for agitators, and that is close confinement. I Mr. H. G. Wells and Spiritualism. I The erazo for spiritualism is by no means diminishing, and it is refreshing to come across something which, however fantastic in its treatment, is based on the soundest of human teachings. This is to he found in the latest work of Mr. H. G. Wells, en- titled, "The Undying Fire." Obviously few writers would venture to commence a book with a prologue in Heaven, where tho Deity indulges in formulas of human reason- ing, whilst Satan-resorts to flippancy. This Mr. Wells does, however, and his vivid, almc-st awesome, imagination brings before the reader a picture which will pass into literature as a marvellous visualisation of tho relations of Satan to God and of Man- kind to both. At this time of day is quite unnecessary for us to refer to the ex- port craftsmanship of Mr. Wells, but his numerous admirers will find in "The Un- dying Fire" a notable addition to the pro- ducts of his pen. I Another Sinister Idol. I New stories of the occult are being told daily. One of the most extraordinary is that just to hand of a marble idol -with a most sinister reputation. The idol, which is from the East, is said to have Lrought ill- luck to all those who have been associated with it. It appears that a Captain Ogston, of Swansea, brought home the idol, which is about 15in. high, last January. On the voyage home he unpacked his purchase to show some friends, and the same day he lost .£25 from his wallet. He had not returned more than a couple of weeks, when he was taken ill with pneumonia and died. Some relatives decided that they would no longer retain the sinister idol, and accordingly sent it to a curiosity shop for sale. A pro- spective purchaser on going home broke a valuable glass. The dealer's nephew was taken -seriously ill, and later his wife and son were stricken down. The dealer then determined to take no further risks, and sent the idol to a sale rooms, where it has been for the past two months without a pur- chaser. Frightening the Duke. I There is a very good story told of the latt; Duke of Edinburgh, who at the time of the Fenian plots happened to be in Chester, and one day visited a dealer's shop where there was an old, so-called trick chair of the 17th century. The chair was so fashioned that when a person sat down in it out came two curved irons which closed down over the sitter's knees, he being thereby imprisoned. When the late Duke, whase identity happened to be unknown there, was invited to sit down in it by the shopkeeper, he immediately found himself a prisoner. In view of the disturbances of the period, he became greatly alarmed, and hullabalooed loudly to be released. I Pity the Poor Taxpayer. I Although our members of Parliament each receive = £ 400 a year in payment for their services, which in the majority of cases mean simply attending the House and allowing themselves to be paired for a division, they, like Oliver Twist, are asking for more. We do not in any way. depre- cate the practice of paying members when they give up their time for their country's cause, but we do think the Party respon- sible for their election should pay any addi- tional expenses wanted out of its own funds, and not call upon the taxpayers of the country to foot the bill. Now we find that they want free railway passes between the metropolis and their distant constituencies. A natural sequence to this is that an agita- tion is gaining volume among members of County Councils for the payment of travel- ling expenses. They say that the increasing burden of work which is thrown upon county administrators—a burden which the new Government policy in respect to land acquisition and agriculture will certainly in- tensify—demands some compensation in the way of expenses in travelling from home to the county town where council meetings are held. Obviously it is only a question of time when all public bodies will expect pay- I ment for their services in somo form or ether. What a long suffering people we are!

I JUMPING TO ENGLAND. I AMERICAN SEAPLANE'S SERIES OF UOps. The American seaplane N.C. 4, which, by reaching Portugal, gained for the United States the coveted honour of being the first; to fly across the Atlantic, is continuing her process of hops. After leaving America N.C. 4 got to the Azores, and later made another jump to Europe. She started from Lisbon for Ply- mouth, but was forced to descend on the Mondego River, 120 miles north, owing to » high wind. Subsequently she restarted, but was again compelled to alight, coming down at Ferrol, about 250 miles further north. Tho American destroyers Harding and Farbell stood by to render assistance If needed. N.C. 4 completed its creditable perform- ance by arriving at Plymouth safely- Under the skilled handling of Commander Read this seaplane has earned for itself un- dying fame. Commander Read had a great reception both at Plymouth and London.

WRECK OF TROOP TRAIN. A train containing British soldiers about to be demobilised ran off the rails near Charleroi between the stations of Marchi- enne-au-Pont and Luttre, three coaches being overturned. As a result seven soldiers were killed and a score eeriously injured.