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t, I 3 A German raid 'upon one of the three pUmall adjaeenu neutrals has been suggested | as likely on account of a desire to seize their jpstoras of food. Switzerland in that respect if offers a much less attractive prospect than lioliand or Denmark. And of the latter, Holland again would be the more difficult "'to seize than Denmark. The Dutch Army i8 powerful, it has been assiduously trainl, f and the country possesses not only the ij spirit that cut the dykes in the Middle Ages, but the means to do so, in which the hooding the Yser plain could be repeated Upon a far greater scale in an equally brief epace of time. And there is nothing gainst {which the Modern army is so helpless as an inundation. Holland ;s a country W;i('l'e )tbe canal and ditch are as frequent aB 11 e ?hedges in Britain, and the Dutch would not ? hesitate to &aeritic6 their country to pre-' .rYe it from the horror" that they have L>itnessed at their \ery doors. Denmark, on the? other hand, is a t-!ch | ftbut far weaker country, with no natural ur artificial difficulties to impede an invasion, 1 .?nd all the islands open to a German mc' sion. Of the three neutral Stat.s indicatd, .Denmark appears in the greater peril; but l? scepticism may be expressed as to such a ?German scheme, ?for the many serious and f solid disadvantages that would be incurred by the Germans as an offset to a very tern- Porsrv and partial relief of the-acute suffer- ?ngs of an underfed population. German ? Ldistre?ss be7voij d a ir-?lulation. G?riiiai,, ?istre? is beyond all doubt exceedingly Peevere, and even if not decisive, it beyond fP-H doubt weakens appreciably the German pacity of resistance. The soldier in the [ trenches is little encouraged to stand up to r.'ihis own bitter ordeal with the knowledge "thát at home his family is in a condition of emi-starvatioll. I

j. From the circumstances in which it is de- stined to b? held. the forthcoming annual ,oonferenoe of the Labour party at Manches. ter will be at once shorn of many of its nor- ??nally characteristic features and invested ^with a new and w der nationa.l importance. ?The main rolutions have already been tabled and they indicate that the principal r?)Ic of discussion will be the position of ?bour, and especially of organised labour, ?n the future which awaits the country after ?hp war; and two problems which naturally r titand forth conspicuously are the questions Ipf the restoration of Trade TTnion conditions jifend privileges a.nd the demobilisation of the j vast armies of industrial workers who have Kjfor the time being exchanged the civilian cc- j ieupations to which ithey must one day re- turn for the gallant/ta sk of' defend in-t their ,country, their homes/ and their women- folk from the Prussian aggressor. Though the voice of the irrepressible i ischief-ma-kers is certain to be heard in the Congress Hall, aud though the pro.Germ."n < minority may he trusted to pull every string f^at can.be made to serve the enemy's inter- ?t&st, we do not th'nk that anvone innide or ?ipu?gide the conference ivI ll pay too much attention to a faction which seeks to make ?p in noise what it ohiously hckR in m.m- .6rs The nation would .rejoice, indeed, if ? tt might be spared these anti-patriotic de- tnonstrations ?t such a tIme. but it will not 'pli-?ta.ke them for an authoritative cT r"pre- ntative expression of the mind of British  ]ab?ur in the ma' Magnificently led throughout the war, British labour has f turned with instinctive patriotism to ii?- rightful cuunsel!ois and suo?e-nten. and we look confidently to t-ii- conference for a pru- dent and bi-,L,a(ini;iirlod handlin? of tli" vei-v » important problems with which it lias to J • ( It is not OUT purpose, however, to attempt in any detail to anticipate the proceedings or de-liberations of the coming Congress. We desire rather to seek in its advent an S appropriate occasion for recalling and rû- viewing some of the fundamental changes which this great war has already wrought in the social and industrial life of the nation. The minds of many men-- aiid particularly of our principal War Ministers and of our Labour Parliaiiie,ilta-riati,are alreadv t.u,ii- ing, very properly, to the .problems of re- construction which victory will bring imme- diKiteK- in its train; and only, perhaps, those who have positively faced these ques- tions in the light of their own personal re- sponsibility have fully realised the depth and extent, of the alterations to which we have alluded. Organised labour in Britain, as the whole country will ever gratefully remember, has willingly made unprecedented sacrifices for the war. It ha? freely consented to set in ebayajice cherished fights and privileges which had only been attained -after years of concentrated effort and agitation. But the changes are not all of a material kind. Moj,-t important, probably, are the changes in outlook, and relationship, and understanding. Above all. we believe that the agony ot this desperate struggle for lie and liberty has made it manifest to j thinking mer; and women of all classes that the whole futue rof the Empire, after the war as during its contnuance, will depend on the establishment and maintenance of an entirely new accord between those old anta- gonists. the representatives of Labou r and of Capital. Concurrently with the sweep- ing aside of valued customs and traditions among the workers, there has taken place a general "scrapping" of old machinery and old methods; and the organisation of in dustrv throughout the country, for all the waste of the war, has undergone a tonic and thorough overhauling. Both parties to the industrial contract must inevitably ap- proach the questions concerned with their future respective rights and duties with a clearer vision and with a vastly accentuated sense of their mutual inter-dependence. Though statesment of foresight and genius have stedfastly laboured for years past to build the foundations of the bridge between employer and employed, the work, up to 1914, the year of destiny, had gone for- ward slowly—and not always forward. Perhaps this terrible struggle with the enemy at the gate was needed to make us Britons first and palftisans afterwards. Certainly no one had dared three years ago to hope to see the edifice as strong as it is to-day. By way of introduction to his appeal to all classes to take a hand in the | Victory Loan, a.s they have in the forma- I'tion and equipment of our armies, Mr. Bonar Law made a characteristic reference to a prospect, which has always inspired his public utterances, and which is now come so much nearer realisation. If we iiiav re- call Mr. Law's own favourite thesis, he' was woiit in the eld days to insist that 'the greatest social problem of our country was to produce a fairer distribution of wealth without drying up the springs of wealth." That is -not,iHMja^vertwas, a party stakes | m^nt. It- is a 'fundamental principle tn- wards which in spirit, the war has already carried us far, and upon whose attainment, iii practice, ti)e future life of the country will depend. We would urge, "wittt due deference, upon -a.ll members of the Labour Conference the vital importance of the ad- vance already made towards the oblitera- i lion of the suicidal ;■ rid unnatural ;ur a- gonisms of the past, and we would eni- phasise with all the force 'at our command the grave responsibility which will rest, whether now or hereafter, upon tho.-e who. for any factious or selfish put pose. try to substitute retrogression for progress: 'u  roc,,ress i on for p ro g l,e"

■ » ————— < Most people in this coin try are now looking forward to the next big push (writes Mr. Arnold. Bennett, in the Lon- don "Daily News.") ".This big and record- breaking push, which iis to em'e all illsi monopolises our expectation. What Russia may do on the East Front does not really Interest us. We regard her potentialities as j supplementary, and not essential, to the Anglo-French work in France and Flan- j ders. What Rumania has not done due;- i not really interest us. Her faHure, gCQms to us- not to matter greatly. The sameof the Salonika stagnancy y.nd the acrobatics b? King Constantine. Our ti. >ps have re- ??K'ngConptantine. Ourtr<o p s h aver' centlv eased Egypt of a distinct menace— we iweived 'the news with bland calm. Our troops are also making clear progress towards wiping out. the Itumijiatloncf Kitt —we do not care deeply about that either. For us tbece :sónly one push, which win occur at the close of winter, and which will c?ccui- -it ilie clo se of i ii t e  ali d -,v h ic h -,vill end the war.   The Government itself has encour- aged this pleasant idea by hints, speeches, and the strictly unofficial influencing of journajjsts. This pleasant idea hris be'. come ata obsession, almost a religion. True, the last big push was preceded by a similar, obsession. The last big pupil wac to end the war. It showed, however, thnt onr generals had still a lot to kanl; and it did not end the war. Therefore it has been called a failure. It was not, in my opinion, a. failure-rather was it a mighty achieve- mehtbut it was, unquestionably, a slow disappointment to the majority of citizens. Has that disappointment, impaired our jaitli Not a bit. We believe as sin- cerely as we did last year that the next push will wholly and finally succeed. We believe that ere it begiis our generals wiil nave ncr¡Uin,d technical wisdom in the right ^chool, and that when it ends the German? will ask for mercy." This is a view whch. if not' the general opinion', is at least sumciently widely held to deserve an analysis. As it it Is unreasonable and represents emotion epthei-I than an examination of the situation and t-he drawing of conclusions from such facts 1 as are available. Too much may be ex- pected from the West ;Iiid t(,It),Iittle from the East. True, we lack knowledge of the strength and equipment, of the Russian Army, and we do not care much to see such allusions as that made in the order to his j troops written by General Dimitrieff at Riga., j laying stress upon the .value of saving ex-e-r. "tens of thousands of shells." But, last year Russia crumpled up the Austrian front and inflicted at least three-quarters o* a million casualties; and this year. presuma bly there has been a continued improvement in num- hers, equipment and efficiency. To wipe Russia almost- clei,ii uff the late and to en- tertain no expectation? at an of her efforts in the coming campaigning season. Is alto- gether exaggerated. On the other hand, in the West. the long-sought'-for "decision" I may continue to e?ad? us. "Th ij" t t. 'b k, The til-At to he :?ked. i" examin- .ingthe?ituationtntheWestandthepro.?- pects of the coming oftensive. :s. t? -?_? quiremen't? of success in an on'o'?Ive cam- paign and the second question, whether the Ai'iies fulfil these requirements. An offensive under the prevalent conditions deiuruMs a skilled and experienced staff. )f .lenders and organisers; a numerous, ardent, and endurin.g infantry; sup'eriority over the enemy in weight of fire: perfect co-opera- tion between artillery, infantry, and the aerial observing services; and special ac- cessories such as "the Tanks, which, imper- vious to bullets and not- easily hit or (lis, -aided by shells, can frolic about in any system of trench es and destroy the garrisons which-have survived-bombardment.. The Allies have all thsse, andmeet all the de- ma.nd8 laid down above, and there can be no quest-ion that generally they lutve a c-.Iear and all-round superiority in resources. And they can US;) the latter at last to the best advantage. The two French victories in the counter-attacks at, Verdun in the j aiitumn and winter, and the British victory on the Am-re, demonstrate that. De- oidedly the prospect* are bright. ) A British semi-official writer, however, maintains that we possess nothing like the preponderance in numbers that is required in the West, not only to secure a victory, but a decisive victory. Need that be fatal to our prospects? Emphatically, no; but it does threaten to reduce seriously the extent of the victory to which we are justified in looking. A two or three to one superiority in numbers ha,8 probably never obtained in any great offensive in the West or the East,Hakim; the situation as a whole. There was nothing like, the two to one advantage on the side of the Germans in 1914 in the Wrest when they attacked the Franco-British and Bel- gian Armies, though in t-hi,, plwe or that they may have been two or three to one, or even many times more numerous. But there is an instance in which one of the Allies also possessed .¡¡.t the outset, in a certain, no- torious action, a superiority in numbers that was, at the opening, overwhelming—so immense as to be ver y rare- in war of any time. Yet it ayailed that side nothing. In the West then, it may be said that the Allies possess not only a superiority of resources to holo out every chance of sue- cess, but the knowledge of how to turn it to the best, advantage. It Js incapacity in the latter respect which has hitherto played havoc with the Allied plans. Rumania is a classic example of a waste of resources, and Greece and Bulgaria, and in a sense even Turkey, are further 'in- stances of factors that might have been in- valuable to the Allies, being thrown away through sloth or folly. The whole won- derful history of Germany is an example not of superiority of resources over other I countries, but of superior capacity in utilk- ing such means as lay to hand. Compare tho German navai and military expenditure with that of trance and Russia- in the vears preceding the war and compa-re the peace strengths of the French and Ru ssian and of the German Army. On paper the contrast would seem totally. disadvantageous to the but the re^ul to,- achieved by the Germans, for a much leaser outlay and with smaller num?rp of men, ipeak for them- selves. (-, i a !vea- t supe- Numbers, or the lack of a (great supe- riority in them, need not, howeveiv be at all fatal to the pl(Jpeet of a decisive Allied success. In the portentous triumphs' at Verdun in (fccf-ober and December the; French and the German forces were about 1 equal, if the French had a it does not appear to liav,-? bee,,ii Urge. Yetth? j French achieved results. that, whet hor judged by losses iniEQted in proportion to losses sustaipei, fortified ground stormed, ??r -4,1?!- (a 'lb?-.xr., ?tt-?- ?tt? .the shade their, ps&t achijev?ne]'!?. a'id -o(fpr''d to the world a revelation oi whatkHl c<?< I. effect. 310I'e0ver, moral-di?c?uut? num. her?; 5??0u men on one ?ide, if in better j?pirit, bebter fed. clad and equipped, better led. and h'Mher tha-a a con-e&ponding 5,COO adversaries, co.?t m reality for much more jn the elements of? superiority that arc ncnc the less vital h-ec.iuse th,?v ?re impon- ncnc the teas  are  det'?bie. And there ih no.d?ubtnow but that 1 all fche.-e advantages incline conspicuously to the Allied forces in. tire NVest. I Granted the means and the sk-ill there re- mains a third dimension—that of time. With a time-limit upon them the finest armies fight und e r' a gra\-e handicap. La.st'l year we made ? belated, attack, and were robbed of tha fruits of victory by the doge of the season in which c?mpaignmg wa? pos- sible.? This year we do not start under that fata!h?n<!icap. We can make full use of every day of fine weather that th" year will contain. 1 here cctufs in then the question of the objective. Will Nivelle end Joffro seek this year at last a definite break through' Last yea" it was declared, the kind aii(i tl, -.e ncthing of the kind -was intend?d. and the Sovnnie offensive was even tosor.1e extent defensive in its .aims—to e?.*e th'-> di essure on hard-pressedVerdnn. As to tji? objec- ozi liard-i)re.Sed Vei-diiii. As t?D t.?-objec- ii 1917 tjip p-i-.bl;c 7f is for tiie Allied leaders. Nivelle and Haig, foltle _Vlli6a"-Ieadei??. Ni-eLe and Haig, wit-Ji their full knowledge, to decide what )s is Ynea,,is ?iid tile strive to achieve all that is poasibic, iust as we are convinced that pinchAvill be possible. "The success attained may he beyond or niav be far short of their expectations or plans. But we can make the general statement, j chat a.sati. sfactory is-ne of the coming effen- su v ill he the expulsion of the enemy from the greater part, if not the whole of I'.ranpe .and Belgium. We say. thfej .because it ;q from his" continual retention of the invaded territory tb.fc the en-mv still 'considers himself victorious. And we have to disabuse him, and not ourselves of that behef. A foe is beaten not when 4is enemy j* convinced of it, but when he ac- knowledges it himself. Military and moral deteatarenot necessarily the same tli Illg The Fiench deduct consider themselves .e?yb?en as a nation on account of 1?0. Ktfinse the cond?nsiu that war v?re not pqna), and did not aeord i' test. there was then national preparation ni the part ot Germany, nn'd the French Army was not "national" as that is under- stood to-day. We want, to defeat the enemv. not in the manner the. French were defeated in 1870. h.H;ni;Se that iF iiiii)o' -sib' hut by p method I that Will drive it home to th. German mind that hIs military machine, the summit of German capacity, embodying the maximum of German efit)-cl lr;s been not only defeated i hut broken to bits, The British Army is peculiarly capable of doing this, not only despite, -but even, oii,Rc- count of its.extemporised nature. This is one of the things that maddens the Germans, because r-fter he has sweated and striven for manv years to p rfeet his machine., the Britisher the muddling •' unscientific," rule of thumb, unmethodical Britisher, is knock- ing it to ai-id ea,i-- going manner, as if he were taking up a new Besides. tpe German has no reason to believe that the French and Russian Armies themselves, raided, wero st- '')' likely to beat him, in the end. And. (is we observed, we have no* only to make the enemy admit that he is beaten, and reduce him to a grovelling mood of eomnlete desp-iir and ".nconditioiuil surrender, but to con- rtract our own war ma p. And that- is a piece of work that differs n, I 'v from the present day examoJe of Teutonic draughts- manship that we must he prepared for m,re. prolonged and costly efforts than it is the popular mood, to anticipate. ^lw»v.s pre- suming the failure of the potato crop in Ger- many last year does not enforce a to this ni'trhtv drama. But it i will be the wrong kind of fiuale for -the Allies. v

It' ? up to t?ery'ne to put every Rpare i penny in the War Loan. And Her' Fli,-iinv iii the Wa?r A;?d evei?-'?l  M xs-r?xS?? ) Swansea Sa\in?-.B?nk. Heathiield-?tretiL, ha? a surplus, aMer paving evcrv de??ito).' in" full, ot £ 12:11^1 Swansea "spe?-njs" are a:'i?tgjug a iic??k trial ?extT?e?day. Ilie prisoners lia-ve olready eecti???d ( The OermaHs- say- they '■stifled in its birth an enemy enterprise Oil the Western J froiit. The baby-killers at it again. It "><;>< tilp IN- i i6 l e of It is interesting to note that the whole of the forty alk?trnf?t? Ht Canuaithen Public Park have been taken up. The borough has been very prompt in this matter. A certaiu 8,hweamah claims to Lave had a drink in every ptiblic-hc),.ise and a shave in every ltarber's shop in the town. ) It broaden? one's mind," he Lieut. Guynemer, the French airman, who has brought down 26 enemy machines, has been awarded the annual prize of 10.000 francs ( £ 400). presented by the Academy of Sports. Real "sports." too. <5f- £ xSt»-<x5>- One day this w^ek a teacher in a local a eta,.Ss in a Welsh lesion, -and tried to get the Welsh name for n&assge. The only reply received Wr's Cvg ine-.vn cwdyn." It hes long-been the custom of'people liy- ing in the Jersey Marine district to buy a bag or so of seed potatoes and then rent a few "drills" ^rom a local farmer. The writer, when living there, did this on several occasions with most satisfactory re- salts/ both to the farmer and himself. t: -4-- -< & -< Rev. J. Garfield Roberts, formerly curate of All Saints. Llanerlly, has just left Win- chester I-lospitzkj and icjoined the colours after five months' convalescence, and will take light duties at home until his wounded hand and foot, are sufficiently cared to en- able hiin to service again. Fathe r O-f Two Soldiers (Swansea) writes:—" I really protest against the sensatioijalisiijig of accidents such as that of the troc,? train in France this week. Have Fop!e no f(,r tiie feel. ings of pare?t? '?'ith so'M in tha war? J think it a crying shame." ..Not guilty, s\f it a crN .,Not gijl ? "-I have nianv curious jóbs," Mtd'' 'i^rrelis at '?be '??t? TribuuaL "bHt nothing Uks this OM'?.' 'It was that of ak smetler at a brewery, the niaii in qm-stion having to smell th-ecasks to se if the/ were, sweet. "The man; with the expert nose," was- the description applied to him., c • Garin'ajrJj&ensfeire Foreman:, Heio, Alike fetch th-o.se rails there aud put them her j i«.'t-ch' those ratils over there and put them j'usw here and also those rails yonder just in the same place. Mike: I say, governor, look in voiir book; look in Fo re- mail: -Why, Mike? Mike. Well, unliable J is Simpson, not Samson! "Coalie" (Swansea) writes "When I had; rheumatics, all my mates had remedies and cures—^from -bran mashes to cowslip wine. Now the same gang are trying to teach me how to grow potatoes. Let them put their rnoneV in the War L.tati and grow that, and then I will listen to their hints on spud- grbwing afterwards." Let her go: 0 < > No effort is being spared tog;et I the best availablb men to assist tho Welsh Rugby team against the Ktew' 'Zedlanders at Swan- sea 011 5vd, in the game arranged for the Mayor's Comforts for Swansea I Boys Fund by the "Daily irost, and wnen the names of* the teams are published, it is c-Miftdentty Imped that the inclusion of cer- j t-ain welJ-t;nown Welsh players in the back division make success certain this time, The managers of the Swansea Savings Bank, Heathfield-sti-e^, while co-operating vith the trustees in the general -manage.- ment. arc a survival of the time when there- onlr one paid officer at the bank, and a manager bad to be present at every transaction. Thauks to the evev-growinc sue- ceFs of the bank there are now three or j four ofifcers. 4> ••>< ■>0 <>> tIle Lmdou "Star" ¡.:a:vs: Some people -| arc stiH worried about the family name of the Premrr. Is it George I or Lloyd- Gecrgc? Here are the facts. 'Mr Lloyd George's grandfather was David George: his father was William George; his brother i is William George. And, to. clinch the j argument, lone, of the Premier's sojts applied for a- post as an engineer under the Port of London Authority some years ago in the name of T. L. George." i America's di-Ily dallviiig President's Notes to Germany. may assume a more de- cisive tone shortly, when he realises that a large portion of the enormous British ca-pitai invested 111 American concerns is being gradually diverted to Britain. This process was once before put into operation during Ivord Rofcbery's premiership wneu President Cleveland talked high;falutin' norWnse. Wall-street compelled hi;o to climb down iy -AL- 1 k Once. ") It ha, eu discovered in the war /one that journals make excepi-ionaliy capable ;>aicers. The" y, invariably exbib.it initiative and re "V'p quite believe it" (says- tlifc "Western MaiL") "These very qualities are- daily called into play In, their, civil voca- tic,n. *?"Tlie '1 7 can p?itT..by the way, to have pent sjx of its Horary MtaMtnth" Colb?ry', whi?t two of its non-eligibles have wll;l ,t '?wfo, ig i' I s -h?ive' of tht,, V.T.('. -,iii(?e the varli- •• Id the old Cape Horn days (wiifcst Yard Ann." Swansea) s,areely a Swansea barque left the port without one or two-Ger- man's in the forecastle. But they geldom nfde more than one voyage in the-same ves- sel. They were simply pefit-s and ndanufac- tured all sorts of mischief between tut officers -ayd crew.. But they had their match with the' Swansea hoys, ^ho jilaid them back in their own coin. Often when 011 these long voyages the ship would, run short of 'grub.' and it was then that Frib; was a beaten man I have known them ti) et up in their watch below and cat all the fat pork and biscuits in the forecastle. In those days they were known as the 1 hungry NY i t,, and I re member one German who had mad. the voy age and wanted to go back for less, money; being told by the captain at; the. Shipping Office. 'I wouldn't carry you again, for li-af- (Fact.) I i. t ray water is said to be too strong for j the pipes at the Mumbles. ( „" £ X^-«3S—VWJ> The War Savings Certificates are not I affected i-n iW.>jsii^lMt id-^greo by the pew Vhl. "m Both are worth bsckihg. ;<.> The next entertainment eaterpriee at: Swansea will be of a, nature that wil! be curiosity. watched wi&h conf-?der:;b!f mtprept and I he weather b<M-om?ter" keeps steady, hut 11 J¡. hope :s that the War Loan ItiAicat,r wiU he very unsteady in th? upward direction. ?';th (?;erriiai, to pJauL swedes locally we are promised quite an alien atmosphere. The Germans would no do: L prcfei- to plant the British. 4 & > 1\¡hifle to questioners at. the ReyuuJd- ston Home Production meeting of farmers as to the keeping of pigs "Rear them, and teed them well, and afterwards eat them." -E>' A Swansea man who sent out for a lioliid of oats for a, tamp rabbit the other day found him 3d. When eggs are. 3d. apiece it is worth while recalling the price of fowl food. 0<XSX>"3-<S 1 To indicate the rise of the Swansea War Loan barometer liquid will be poured into the tube behind which will be a light to iUumm.atp it at night. Wc hope sf-me quarts will be needed. j A Swansei man who sent out for a pound it is put up will recall the Y.M.L.A. "lightning" ai)peal for £ 100,000 made j locally a few years ago. On that ococasion loc..a a fenv ve ars a b o. On that Cardiff was badly beaten, and on ths,- well: I Swansea generally/gets ahead of move- ments. The plan now adopted by the I Government for securing small investors for the War Loan was suggested by Mr. C. C, I Vivian, of the London City and Midland I Bank, in a letter to the "Times" in June, 1915. A favourite complaint in this country just now is. cold feet. This is seasonable, if unpleasant, but it is up to us all to see that t-he- Huns suffer from the same thing-I in an aggravated fc.rm-in the efriy stiiii- mer—and earlier. ":¡;4> A11 old Swanfewute, a habitue of most public meetings, says it is curious how he meets the same men time after time at t,be "back of the haJI'" in the Cradock-street building. And, morover, he says, they a}way* seem to make for the same spot. At present the betting is whether • the Swansea War Loan will not reach the two million pound standard. The million is; assured. And it will aii be wanted. 1wol thousand miliion takes some getting-and ■ as much beyond that as possible is needed. "õ » A Swansea merchant says lie is only, a communi. or gardeir private in i he 3rd G.V.R\ and he wondcrp how ?ft?r the war he i? g&ins to -keep dkcipline in his.('\fI1 --One of hIS ex clerks has won the Military Medal, another is a lieutenant • ftUd the j ali another i?z ?i -lik'Lit?el?aii t iLAlilt? we ? other a major, and —— ?  One of the speakr-i-,4 at the Three Crosses Home Production of Food meeting put a pertinent point to the chairman. 11 n asked, if the food; prices were fixed by the Government, why should not the (on- sumer benefit and not the middleman and wholesale merchant only. He instanced the question of hav of which the Government had raised the nrice and the consumer, be said, get no benefit. i I The new recreation room at the Muiiibles Hospital is now complete, and on Thurs- day. to the huge delight of the men. a full- sized billiard table wa.s installed. The new wash-basins and appliances and in- crea-sed lavatory accopimodation have also greatly added to the comfort and well- being of the patients, who appear to be very happy and ,contented in their temporary home. ,4->C><. I In the Daily N eW8" r= port of Friday night's meeti!?g at SWlnsea the Mayor is mistakenly made to say—no doubt due to J telephone d liffctilties--that- "he had zieverl attended, a meeting with greater pleasure. That which be did say, as correctly re;pro- duced in the "Western Mail" (referring to the splendid effort Swansea was/making) w::s "that he never felt so proud of being Mayor of such a town as he now did." <&-<>- •• A" The Swansea Nava-I Brigade boys had a smart half-hour's drill near the Guildhall, and .,c\ eral captain# and ships' ofifcers stopped to look.at them. When the boys were brought to the halt Lieut. John Hodgens invited the captains to ask the bovs "ome seamanship questions, which they did, and got, satisfactory answers. One little chap said the compass backwards and forward without making a mistake <. -< t x $ < S By nature of his profession, Mr. Wm. James, the well-knoxii Swansea auctioneer, can always obtain attention, and bids also as far as that goes. At the Gcwer farmers' I food production meetings in Gower, he- proved himself tc> have been a farmer and well versed in all departments. He hes a, humorous vein which appeals to his atidi- cnces on" subjects of the troubles of the I farmer in the early days. Farming was up- j hulwor!:inhist:?P- In bi,; 3>~6-<Sx3> ( j In his report to the Neath Guardians, Dr. D. HeweHyn Dfi\ ic? tells of the re- markable record of the Cctta.ge Homes at /ryncoeh; Hundreds of children have passe d. in and out of the homes since they vere established over half 0 century ago. and during that )' period onfv two I deaths'hn' cccurred: In his own inimit- able fashion Dr. Da vies says "They come in „-?ki.n and hone. First day I have to ve.:tliem medicine to make then) eat, and tiext day 1, have tic; give them medicine to I make them 'stop eating t-oo much. Much of this astonishing record can be set down to the csire/and devotion of the .staff, also to the splendid situation, one of the finest in South .Wales, in which the homes are: built. .It wa-s .an important day in the trenches, for the Cor;p Commander was coming up -to inspect.. Overwhelmed at the prospect \}1" black" 'sheep of the regiment seised the 1 opwn'tai'ity to break iiito the (itig-out, con- taining the riun supply. His potations, though hurried, were deep, and when dis- covered' h.e was t-c-- ad] int-ants and punp-oses K'eies^ log., In order to dispose of him i c-efore the houv appointed for the. ihspee- lie was placed on. a stretcher, but as luck would have it the Coi-ps Comrpandei was before his time, and as he passed Ill) the communication trench he met the proco?- sion making its- way, to the rear. Flattening himself against the wali he stood stiffly to attention, and as the bearers and their den pibsKed him; he rais?.U his liand to the Ii i n), a nalute, with the I salute the liobk dead." The cor[.)se. being d-fed at any to this world, acted his part, to perfec- tion. The- stretcher bearers preserved a marvellous impassivity, and the cortege Pro- ceeded on its melancholy way. | Ttie "big pu.-h"—t-he ar Loan. "Harry Laud-r su bscribes for £50,000 War Loan. What about Charlie. Chaplin? J^vwy/^y* talking-^abcirt tlie War Loan. And 1 the "t^lk* ic fumt resolving it.-elf -inw action. 1 ■ It is not a ouestion so much üf the prics'i of coals &t the Swansea. it, "Have you got a boat '■' ••Pan-toaiinie^ »v-"ed ^jj r<3yu»- are in- fimtdy )pore pnt?rtan?!!? tijauS ..fvues ie- pi-,)duce? i pantomimes." —( "Drains ticus. ") Traces of petroleum are said to have been fuund at Barnstaple: but the average Devonian prefers to come to Swansea to strike oil. ?-<?>? t><?-<  lil,'L.,jrle pk?r- TJ.eDujufoiAthoI? Htf historic per. sonage whose death is announced, was a dûse friend of the h.tc Mr. Grnli:jinwa6 C1:J:e Cattle: Swansea's war effort emphatically ton- firms the tradition long established among commercials that it is a "warm" and a "safe" town. i ?xt??-?-<?-? Now the trouble is that Cray \?ter i? to!? ?troug for the pipes at, t.hè Mumbles, yet there was a time ot complaints, of the village beer being too strong for tired town travellers. D. H. L.' (Neath) writes:—"I trust our member won't put all his documents in the great War Loan; I hope he will keep one for our prca-t Xationn) Fcsteddfod at Xeath, 1918. J Judging by the sheafs of circulars— j mostly on superior paper enclosed in superior envelopes—reaching this office from Govern- mental departments, paper economy has not worried them much. A picture exhibited, at a Swansea cinema this week shows a man bathing in a frozen | pond. He not only swims about, but dives through the, thin ie;=>. The spectators' teeth rattled an accompaniment. -Y-<? "It would be unwise" (writes "Old "t-o ignore the openly expressed .comments of the Swansea High-street Sat- urday crowd as a young and apparently healthy curate passed along carrying a 'week-<nid' handbag-. Young British man- hood the days carry The paragraph in Saturday's "Post" to the effect that the great Pilsen Breweries of Austria had closed down sent a thrill of sympathetic hoiror through every local toper. Just like as if the Burton breweries ""a8 on stop-tap for ever," g-toaned one apprehensive ivigbt. O The ordinarily staid precincts of Finsbury- terrace. Swansei! were treated to an unusual experience oy Sundny morning when the local volunteers lined up after drill on the s'nds, and after giving three Tinging cheers for. the Rffglars (whom they from Sun- day practicallj- metge intg-),; And our tarp, sang ,i' God J>av<» -iHle -lSiaj.v- ",12,j ring times, sirs! ■ ■ "Thanks, '( ycii ste,' tor your always 1 entertaining articles, and when in your latest effort you refer to 'duff' as fpotted dog." you bring me to tears, for on a certain Sabbath Day in the 10ng ago the writer, was one of two "cook's mates", who perpetrated an alleged Sunday dinner and had to face the wrath of forty hungry young manhood, and those were peac* days, and 'spotted dog' was on the menu. "— ("Old Volunteer.") 1 A ,ru&d ctot-y is told of a Swansea trades- man who often has a deal %N itli an ex- tremely economical Carmarthenshire1 farmer. "I make- this little dot." said the farmer, "£32 4s. lid." answered the. Swansea man. "Well, look at. the ready-reckoner then," was the reply. "That readv-rackoner of our- said the Abertawe man impressivoly, "is two years old Took a the date. Now sub- tract two from thirty-two and you have thirty therefore it is iliO 4s. lid." And that amount was* duly paid The astounding query, "Anybody here from Land ore?" shouted in the wilds of the Palestine desert, a? described elsewhere,' is only one example of how Swansea and West Wales soldiers appear to be everywhere in the zones of war. Not so very long ago a friend of the writer, home on leave, nar- rated how. on arriving at a. certain base, he found the cook to be a Swansea man, and a man on guard duty who hailed from the Mumbles, and within ten minutes after- j wards lie ran into hs own brother, whom he thought was in England! I One of the effects of the war has been an appreciable reduction -in the number of offenders incarcerated in the various prisons throughout the country. This is borne out! by the annual report, just issued, of the Discharged Prisoners' Aid Society for Car- marthenshire, Pembrokeshire, and Cardi- ganshire, which states that 323 prisoners were discharged from Carmarthen Prison in 1916 as compared with 367 in 1915, 579 in 1914, and 683 in 1913: The number as- misted bv the Society was 44 in 1916, 85 iu 1915, 1?6 in 1914, and 123 in 1913. We have received a letter from Corpl. D. f-ivilis, of the A.S.C. (M.T.), who tells us; 1/ a very successfu pantomime organised and produced by his unit in France re- (ently, a? a result of which over 3,000 fralics was realised for charity. The "show" was conducted en a grand scale, and t-he performance lasted over three hours. Its magnitude can be gauged from the number of performers shown on the photograph- taken of the "company" which I Co r-neio«es. The "Iem,le" characters look" pr-rt-icularlv realistic, and the excellent making up must have contributed largely to the unqualified success of the alfair. Unfortunately the photograph is unsuitable for reproduction in the-se I columns, else we would have great pleasure in submitting-it for the amusement of our readers. Corpl. tvans was stage manager. He was on the Swansea. Empire staff for i many years, and also the licensee of several well-known local hote: • Pickings from" Punch." Consternation ha* b^en caused among the' pessimists (who have dociirc-d. that thi, will be a long wari by. the recent statement Louis Ivabourdin. the French scientist, that in five thousand years the worki will be uninhabited. Jtars is the name of a star so (ar off it would.take a million years to Walk t here in an. express train." A miracle is •anything'' that gomeona d^es that can't be donp." People who ha-, e iiqed tootli brushes and who know the tiling to do cover use/arty but. their own. "The contented race until the! Christians came among them."—(" I-L, waii Educational Review. If "The Review" j cam maintain this form the consciously comic journals of the American Empire will, have to look to their laureL- Tune to deal finally with Tint,. ua.1 iiounced evening *p^per lin-fc thereby dcing a great deal to alky a di. quieting impression that fire mutte^ was to eleft to eternity. ?h? :)bo'jt <h(.- W.e)sh Rjgby Umm ) Fnnds and the Victory 'AVa? Loan?—C'Pr? Pat ria,") | Liigunu under/' &ii*3 Lr. g?iju :inder/t&eJ?u?JG?ntrol? -L'?hi.jijp Ord?r. ?C?f?s4?-Ci.&pterxxiT., T<r?]'?J'i. A London weekly makes reference to "the Rhondda T ali«*v and Welsli health resorts." there, now v The lui'tcur ve-ariaogenteat at the Swan- sea Docks will put an end-HlNiirv^^eat deal of lost timt thtef. triii^ttahle' up4t- the 01,1 --4" A p.riaoiier was mi^i^S^the Swansea specials mock trials < ^jlTwesdav evep- lng. It is said that he had to look for the overcoats. i ♦»»«-»<• ■fhe man was certainly aeui"asthenk> and Then the medical witness at the Swansea County Court had his sentence iiroken with "The court is adjourned for half an hour." tA  i A thoughi-tui houppholder in Mau&e:- street. Swansed, placed a very liberal sup- ply of sawdust outside bis hou?e when the pavement was -jaiie slippery.: He ought to be made a freeman tl)t; borou-gh- -.6 $ $..». He will jiever make a mayor like our mayor if he doesn't go to school." —(Chair-, mall at a 'Police Court on Tuesday to a parent, ot a lad, who bore the same Christian and surname as his Worship). A taxdiff paper made a curious error on W cdnesday. Headirg- a paragraph regard-' lug the coming visit- of Mrs. Lloyd George to Swansea was the line, "Mr. Lloyd George to Visk Swansea. Tbo good to be ■true: > ifb i^> 1^ Capt Trevur Hunter, oiie o-, the many who has made real sacrifices in this war, turned in at the Swt'.isea County Court on Tuesday. The popular barristev-at-law re- ceived a cordial greeting from his profes- sional colleagues present. & 0 ■ T|» A couple oi naughty Manseiton boys were caught in the act by the sweep whilst up- setting his bag. The sweep took a serious view of it and rubbed their '.faces and nccka with the soar. Later the boys CToi what- for" at home from father. Shiall boys, please note. please note,. With respect b a paragraph in thu columr le?ardin? the long ?wan&ea orche- tr.?' co=ectiji, of Mr. Tomlinson of th? Empire, it is painted out that he was con- ductoi of the ta.r" Theatre orchestra from July, 1822, until the death of "Emm" iH • • < t "29s. a, week to keep seven of us, and 7s. rent .to pay out of that." Thus a } woman summoned in a school case at Swan- sea Police Court on Tuesday, and who said her husband was with the Colours, :md that she could not afford to buy boots for the child she was s am monad ever.. for the chilc) the was stimrione d over. "Economy" (Swansea), writes:T nolicfl n paragraph in your Postbl& out 1!.i.. per lbv n* ccnjparea^mih Ge-nian food pricfes- This flbt. the oialy direction in which the frugal hoiiisewife can economise in the meat line. but unfortu- nately most of them can't, cook. And now for the deluge! ?-< f -<??'<xt-<? I Lieut. Tommy Vile, t-he Newport captain and Welsh .international, hag expreseed a. desire .to partner Sapper Fred Birt, of New- port, at half 111 the next Welsh match against the All Blacks'at Su Helen's oil Saturday week, and the promotjrs have p;hdly a,yailoo themselves of his services as weK as those of H. Wrefold, the Newport i custodian. H. NVrefovd, t h 4 0 Ne%N-poirt ?-!   .< t t-<  -<  | Thqise interested. in coincidences will note (writes a correspondent) that the mem- bers of the Swansea V.T.C., the youngest of Volunteer movements, assembled in Finsbury-terrace on Sunday last to furnish additional proof of ail abiding loyalty; .also that in Finsbury-square, London, are the headquarters of the oldest Volunteer corps in the world—the Honourable Artil- lery' Company. lery Company. ■ < ><>-<s> "It if interesting and gratifying" (writes Musicus") "to recount the numerous efforts of musical members of local religious communities of all sects, creeds and denomi- nations on behalf of the 'Daily Post' War Prisoners' Fund, and the organ recital and concert of Sunday next at Horeb Chapel, Morriston. provides an occasion not only of musical interest but marks an act of thoughtfulness that will be gratefully re- membered by those of our kith and kin who are prisoners of war and in dire need." "Surely" (writes "Old Volunteer") "dig- nitaries of the churches do not imagine for a single moment that the Swansea- public will listen with the slightest feeling of sym- pathy to any potest they may enter against the Sunday working of allotments. 1 It is incidents such as that of the letter sent to the Swansea Allotments Committee that disclose the lamentable degree in which a. certain type of leaders of religious thought a.re utterly out of touch with the great, splendid British race of these, our days." Tommy Phillips, of the 6th Welsh, the boxer who is really "doing his bit." and at the fjpont too, has written to the "Sunday Pictorial" a few literary upper-cuts and cross-counters at the Freddy Welshes and other boxers who prefer to "make their bit" i at the back, in neutral countries. The "Pictorial" heartily, endorses his observa- tions. Tommy, by the way. is filling in time before the big push by a championship match against "Dusky" Miller, in which his officers and men have put their money on him. I" T&c great Riiby contest between Ne* Zealand and Wales has now been definitely* fixad up for February 3rd, and it is hoped the public will rally rou nG the "Daily Post,"• who are promoting the match for the Mayor's Comforts for Swansea Boys Fund, with their usually liberal patronage. This is one of the best of objects, and a gJr/Jce at the Welsh team in another column will show- that the Welshmen rfteanv real busiuess th is :time, and the encounter wilt be as good and .c a iva 1 international match in pre-war time. "I had an old man-of-war's man for a mate," said an Irish captain at Swansea. He was as strong as a horse, and every time he went aloft he broke the rattling*. m the rigging, and every rope ne caught hold of went- smash. He' straightened out the pump handl and smashed ii; the galley door. He was a graiid siilor, but. he tore ,iie ii'tle ill to pieces Sure, it's, iron-clad r and steel turrets he's been used This is a .-mallish world. A Swansea niaii christened his son after a friend who migrat- ed to South Africa. Many years after the son, wounded in France, was taken to a- Surrey hospital. The man in the next. bed wa.s a South African. The two got into conversa- tion. Do you know X-? asked the Swiamsea man. Why. that's where I came from." replied the South African. "Do you know a iiiaii called 1-- ? asked the, Swan- ea, man, meaning his godfather. The South African knew him well