South Wales Weekly Post

c § CAMBRIAN I I:N WÖR," 9 | 211, HIGH ST., S | S^W^kJKTSXIuflL. J B POSTERS, HANDRILLS, S I.ND BALE BULL?. J 'It:1IfW 1VV_IIf_

There are two articles in the current month's number of the "Nineteenth Len- turv" magazine which deserve more than passing attention. One has for its text a variant of President Wilsons phrase, iiameln "N o Peace Without Victory," written by Mr. Charles K Mullet*, formerly Financial Secreta.ry to the War Office, and the other, "The Great IN aval Blockade," by Mr. John Ley-land. Mr. Mallet first diagnoses the present situation:—" The third autumn of the war has closed under conditions which, from the military standpoint, show no decision in our favour yet. \V e stand as a natiun higher, perhaps, than w* ever stood before. \Ve know that we cannot be con- quered. Eii oh month t.hat passes justifies more deeply our pride in our New Armies, in the old lenown of our l'ltd, in the untiling" -energies of our workmen, in the unquench- able spirit of our people. But, on the- other liand, our task is unachieved. The little nations whom we set out to dtliver are still tram tiled under fCrOt. Great tracts of Russia,, France, Rumania- lie at the invader s mercy, and we need no long memories to remind us of what that mercy means. From the Meuse to the Tigris, Germany still rules su- preme. Four kings allied with us have- been driven from their dominions. He is mercilessly frank in reducing to thtir right proportions our apparent successes. In spite of the pressure of our blockade and of our victories {continues Mr. Ma-tiet) "in spite of her own failures in the Trentino and a-t Verdun, Germany has stiii found the means to keep her conquest. to snatch fresh spoils on land and sea. The Austrian Empire still holds together, holds most ot terbia, Mcnt?ne?ro an J Albnia, too. And hile we wait for th- exhaustion of our enemies, and grumble with good reason at the mud upon the Sonime,« .and wonder whether any reg.1 necessity compels Ud to ac- espt defeat or ineffective action in the East, the toll of millions rises daily, the strain on our Allies, ourselves and the wholeneu- tral world grows worse; and Germany, taking full advantage <f the situation, h.te produced and will Jo her utmost to ventil- ate and advertis? her own proposals for .1 premature and dangerous peace." The peace proposals of Germany are sum. tnarily dismissed as insincere, and of their essence necessatilv unsatisfactory to the En- tente Powers. "Most Englishmen," he re- marks, who Jove peace- only less obstin- j ately than freedom, are quite unable to per- stiade themselves that German peace pro- posals at this iu-nettlle are anything but vain. To, most of us it is frankly incredible that the German Staff, who are masters of half Europe, with their Armies unbroken and five conquered capitals at their feet, j ld be prepared asvyet to y*ield even the --Vmald be pre; .par?,d A wle l? rr lLl ?.4 rz:i ?s k minimum thatv tM A111/; pimrlilBk." Can j von, Hii-idenb-urg and von Mackensen b in 1 tn? mood to accept a '?ttJcment fonnded on arbitra,Hon as all to war? Is there any real evidence that the German Chaj?ceHor is better <rMe than he waR in 1914 to control the indolent aggressive policy of tie war machine from whom his orders come? Is the Emperor who set Europe ablaze pre- pared to abandon his dream of ambition, to confess to his subjects that he has no com-j pensation to offer them for the lives and fortunes squandered at his oill" Can de-, maaids like that of the,German Navy League for the annexation of the coast of Flinders be regarded as of no account? And Mr. Mallet amplifies the reasons why po peace terms likely to satisfy us and our Allies were ever meant to be offered Are the Junker influences and the commer- cial leaders, who plunged so lightly into the great gamble, convinced as yet that they are losers and must pay? No one questions that the Gernwn people &.re weary of priva- tion and that peace talk is as popular in German circles as the conviction of their own success. But can anyone who seriously considers the strength of the German Govern- ment, or the tenacity* of the German char- acter, doubt that the peace which all alike are contemplating is a, peace based on the result", of'war? It is not only Herr von Bethrnann Hollweg, a, master of equivoca- tion when he chooses, who speaks plainly enough of the basis of the war-map. It is not only the organ of the industrial mag- nates of the Rhine that regards 'the mili- tary situation as the foundation of any set- tlement to come. There is not a shred of proof that any man in power in Germany has vet adopted or dire acknowledge any other view. And, indeed, Germany is not, lingular "iii thinking that the first essential of success- ful negotiation is and always must be victory in the field." Germany made the war for two main ob- jects "First to secure her hold upon the Balkans and on the Ottoman lands beyond, which the events of 1912-13 had seemed to imperil, and secondly to break that Franco- Russiam alliance, which she regarded as a menace to her plans. For yeaire she had een. building up her influence in Turkey and in the lesser Balkan States, while our Foreign Office, starting with great advant- ages, had allowed itself in each case to be steadily displaced. It is becoming daily clearer that Germany s Eastern ambitions formed her chief motive in declaring war, and constitute at this moment her chief hope of deriving profit from it." Furthermore," Austria, Bulgaria, Turkey, "were to be welded securely into the frame- work of the system which takes its orders 4 from Berlin. Their great economic and mili- tary resources were to be placed at Prussia's disiposal and organised as Prussia, might dic- tate. Russia and France were to be taught by a few swift victories tliat., tliey bad no power to interfere with this or I1¡J1Y other German scheme. When beaten. Rus- sia was to be forced to give up Poland as a .buffer State to guard the E-t and very pcf; sihlv to compensate Austria, for large cecnces- siolig to the Fatherland upon the West. Ftallce was to hefofced to give up her Col- onies, and prob:.bly som? of the rich indus- trial districts which Germany occupies to- day. But the main object was always mas- ipry in the East, with the pre it tK>ssibilrties of empire which it offered, and the vast field for development Mid for' commercial profit which it assnrrd." We have to defeat these plans, not in t-he, West cr on the Russian frontier only, but in the East as well, a task that involves a greater effort than any we have vet made. "We cannot afford" (observes Mr. Mallet) "to leave too much to our Allies, We. must not sacrifice West to East or East to West. W, e have got to find the means. whatever the difficulties, to B-c-i strongly and deriVvely where we act- at all. Th- IN'e,%t, mus+ have "1-r; man and gun that it can I"Q,? effectively; that io an, axiom. But the East need not be starved on that account. After, all, whether we like it. or not. we havp interests in the East with which no other European *w-tiops can compare.. We, h:-i-ve a. great iiiiii. tary Empire in Asia, which has shown itself ArQlukdie.!y loyal Hut which has as yet put. I forth no effort at aD comparable to its re- { serves of power, and which indeed, of late, 1 has been responsible for little but the grave miscarriage of an inadequate design. We have in Egypt another great dominion packed for months together NN, i fh British troops. But we have I-peel) content t l ierel, ?. been content there, is so often elsewhere, to stand on the defensive, while the German armies career over Europe." And there are forceful arguments against a craven peace. "It is strange that any man. whether English or American, who value's freedom, should fail to see the dan- ger of a peace which would leave the Ger- man armies still unbroken and the prestige of the military chiefs supreme. If there be any people in these islands who detest mili- tarism and al! its ways, who believe that nationality and liberty are not catchwords, but live and sacred things, who hold de- mocracy to b, an'ideal of government which with all its faults offer better security than any other for the free and peaceful progress of mankind, these are the people whom one would expect to fight to the last point of en- durance against any compromise with the German military caste. An indecisive peace means for this country a future of military effort, financial stmin and economic war, a lasting bitternees of distrust and apprehen- sion. a certainty of the renewal of the struggle, which no Englishman can view without dismay. Mr. Mallet concludes his incisive and con- vincing artidt, with th observations:— IVIlu can doubt that a-far-sighted auto- cracy, whose military ascendancy remained unshaken by. this war, might one day find a moment. when the Allies arrayed against it j were less ,perfectly agreed, to revive its un- satisfied dream of ambition? Who can be- lieve that the German Staff, if they' emerged unbeaten, would allow the German Govern- ineiit to give 511 i-y guarantee worth having for peaceful rai'bitratiun ]it tht! future? The 1 ruling caste in Germany is a- caste which enthrones, and idealises war; and no tempor- ary check, however costly, ,w;ll ma-ke strong men relinquish their ideals. If we wish to make Germany contribute hereafter tb the peaceful, development of .Europe, we must prove to her that war may mean detent we must find the mennoó to destroy for ever the credit of the men'who have" led her lightly into it; we must enable the masses-of the German people to take out .of" iheir hands the government of the State. No one can persuade himself that that will prove an easy task. Bllt it is the only course which our duty in the present and our security for the future will allow. And If from too little faith or vision-we faltered now, when the possibility of achieving our purpose seems dimly to be coming into sight, and consented to an inconclusive, compromise with the most dangerous forces that the modern world has seen, we should he guilty of treason to our-I selves ?nd our children, to every friend of ¡[iL fty in Europe, and to every hope of an  j enduring peace."

Mr. Leyland deals solely with the great naval bloèkaqe, which he predicts will be re- !f,t;d in.the^light pi the lamp of his.tor;v. as pt&e' j^ramottnt factor ia the issue of^fche I \ár. He first defines the functions 6f the fleet. The great blockade of the ports and coasts of the enemy, which the Navy has coast,s of the eiiem y ,,w maintained froin the beginning, will ■ probably be regarded in the light of the 1 Atop of history, as the paramount factor in. the issue of the war. Many-sided in its com- plexity, touching numerous varied and di- verse interests, and exerting its power rather by influence thm by action, the char- acter and features of the blockade are gene- rally imperfectly understood by the people. Men's minds are confused between the two "broad yet closely related aspects of the opera- tion—the holding fast of the enemy's fleet, while our own fleet lies in readiness to en- gage it if it comes forth, and the exertion of that noisieless pressure upon the vitals of the enemy which Admiral Mahnn described aw the 'most striking and .awful mark of the working of sea power,' The object in the first sphere of its opera- tions is to control the activities of enemy's fleet. In the second, its purpose is to cut off the exports of the enemy, and still more the import of his coinniod-i- ties and supplies. From whatever I point of view we look at the block- ade wie cannot regard it as other tha.n as of supreme importance. In imposing com- pression, upon the enemy whereb-v his power of tesist.ance may be reduced to the extreme the fleet is engaged in operations which are not only of vital consequence to ourselves, but which, by their very nature and charac- ter, raise questions of the utmost gravity for the neutrals, as blockades and the conduct of them have done many times during seve- ral centuries of our naval history. Our bel- ligerent policy and actions have often in the past brought us into difficulties with non- belligerents. We have been described by our enemies as the tyrants of the sea and the oppressors of nations, and Napoleon, I like the Germans in these times, endeavoured to wring from us, through the Action of neu- trals, a so-called freedom of the seas,' by which would have been implied the abdica- tion of a supreme function of the fleet." Mr. Leyland approaches the subject of the blockade, not from the legal, but the prac- tical standpoint. He oh¡;erves Whén nations are fighting for existence they will inevitably do their utmost to cut off supplies from one c-ipothe.r, both by sea and land, and no neutral has a right' to carry aid to either belligerent if the other can prevent it. The Germans are now endeavouring to deprive lis of our supplies by torpedoing neutral shipping without any pretence of blockade. Blockade by sea, in the narrow sense, is certainly not the only means by which a belligerent can destroy his enemy's commerce in non-contrahnnd. History would show us that there are in naval power opportunities and necessities of much wider soqpe. By the logical Rule of 1756 we claimed the right to. cut off any commerce hy which, the neutrals sought to deliver the £ he!my from the pressure of our hostilities. We are. using a like procedure now. The real test is that of destination, and no cir- cujitous route- and no. filtering through a' cpmmon stock' can proteet commoditics which are intended for the support of an enemy, unless that enemy is able to protect them himself." The lessons he extracts from his inquiry are duly set out. "The first, is that the naval blockade is the n erv centre and source El? 1 Y Cclltj,e an d source of ,ill our operations in the war. If there were no blockade there would be no British Army on the Continent nor any stream of supplies going continuously to our Allies. The enemy's fleet would be free. our islands lie across his pathway to the ocean, and our hold ota his fleet makes us masters of our purposes throughout the world. Gr.eat is the strain thrown upon the Navy, which, bv absorbing the best elements of th& mercantile marine, now numbers some 4,000 battleships, battle-cruisers, light cruisers, destroyers, submarines, patrol vessels, auxil- aries, and craft of a hundred kinds. Its ac- tivities .extend from the White Sea rightl round the continents to the Pacific, and wherever we. fight—in France, in. the }> .Ikaris, at tb-I Dardanelles., in Egypt, in East or West Africa., or in the Persian Gulf, or on the Tigrih-tile Na vy is the support. ai}d sure shield of all that is done,, and the essen- tial rneaaas by which everything is' done. I All this depends upon the efficiency of the blockade. Everything is contingent upon the defeat or the holding fast of the enemy s fleet. Articles of this description are valuable in that they afford much needed enlighten- ment to the general public and are helpful to sound thinking on matters of vital im- portance to the nation. ————— Only three more days remain for subscrib- ing to the great War Loan. So far, Swansea has done splendidly. This fact is recog nised throughout Wrales, and much wider, materially uplifting the status of the town. Our companies and individual men of means have, as a class, responded right loyally to the call, and--a most encouraging sign of the spirit of the times—the working men have been trooping forward in their hun- dreds to add their contributions. When the account are finally drawn up the number of su bscribers will be as important from the moral standpoint as the financial aggregate reaJised. For this is a war, not between Armies only, but also between nations, and evidence of popular sanction and deterrfiina- tion has an immeasurable value. The results obtained in Swansea and dis- trict are largely due to the sound guidance given and the stimulating influence exercised by Mr. Arthur Eden, the chairman of the War Sav ings' Committee, and Mr. F. Ash- mole, the borough treasjier. The twain hd been long in harness when the national ne- cessities called or fresh efforts. Unfortu- nately, Mr. Eden was at the opening of the campaign physically prostrated and confined to his bedroom so that the platform work was deprived of ) is forceful co-opera- tion. Nevertheless, his counsels were always available, and the touch of his hand may be seen especially in the many schemes whereby the employers have encouraged their em- ployes to becoiie lenders to the State, inci- dentally to the great advantage of them- selves and their families. Mr. Aelimole ha, been most untiring in his labour of love in spreading knowledge regarding the loan and t nlistlng subscribers. The harvest is disclosed in the steadv up- xv:a d a d N-.iiice of l? l ie advance of the "financial barometer." which by noon of Tuesday denoted that the fourth million pounds sterling mark had been reached. We hope, for national and local reasons, that before the next three days are out a substantial addition will be made to this aggregate. A writer apportioning the Amounts that might reasonabjy be expected from ewh unit of the Empire, fixed Swan- sea's share of the "Win the War Loan" at iio,000,000. Swansea has already exceeded thai estimate by 25 per cent. The expert underrated both its financial resources and patriotism. He is out of his reckoning, like a good many more, so far as Swansea is con- cerned. For three millions will look small compared with the grand total when the final counting is done after Friday's busi- ness is over. There is no. town or district in the king- dom.whutt ??. pd more ?ensn? ? to the whiccia..Jll d&tL han this. It yielded between ?9,OOJ and 10,000 willing boys and men tb the colours before compulsion came, and its contributions to every war fund—British, I* rench or Belgian—have been on a uni- formly generous scale. Its Bed T>oss hospi- tals have won the gratitude of all the wound- ed soldiers housed therein. Swansea, in short, has played a noble part in the great war. Now every man and woman with a sove- reign to spare or able to show that he or she can in a-year or two pay back a loan advanced with only a remote chance of loss is being a.sked to lend cash or credit to the uttermost limits to the State upon most ad vantageous terms. The worst that can happen is the loss of a few pounds;, the bast that an early termination of the war will result in such an appreciation of War Stock that everf investor will be a gainer to a substantial degree. But to be frank, the prospects of a gamble in which the depositor has a heavy odds on chance of winning should not count. The matter mti.-4t be placed on a higher plane. The boys in the trenches of Northern France and Flaaidei-s. on the Tigris, at the Salonika front, and in the Fleet, which enables us to sleep in security at nights and count confident]y upon the wherewithal fo1r1 our daily bread, did not give their services ;r a commercir.l spirit. Tbev had only a shi-ling ¡ a day in view when they threw up the com- forts of home and remunerative occupa- tions. broke away from the tie?-, of family a.nd friends, and foreswore pleasures Mrd recreations to incur the hardships and the perils of war undier the most terrifying con- ditions. What possible sacrifice asked for from people invited to invest in a war loan prac- tically certain to yield profitable returns is comparable with that of the lads in the fighting line? The money is needed to feed, clothe, munition and supply with shells and guns the men who on land and sea are very minute and hour imperilling their lives to secure the ultimate victory. And. besides, the greater the success of the loan, the greater the heartening effect upon our Allies and the disheartening of our enemies. The dominating influence of British gold in every great war require!? another convincing demonstration.

Mr. Prothero and Sir Sydney Olivier, as spokesmen for the. Board of Agriculture, have fully recognised that the introduction of such an unaccustomed procedure as the control of food supplies by the Government in this country is likely to lea.d to much confusion I in the mind of the public, and they have ex- plained within tb? last few days tlw respec- tiv?> functions of the Food Controller and the Bo?'d of Aerioulture in Engiand and WaJes, Scotland and Ireland, ?hus-froviding a key to the solution of puzzles which have lately vexed those whom they most practically concern. In the HiTus- of Commons Mr. Prothero ha;, p'>int«d out that The Board of Agriculture neither in England nor in Scotland or Ireland fixed prices. It was dyne by the Food Controller. The digtinc tion bttweeii niy function ¡¡;nd that of the ,"Food Controller is this: When the produce is once raised he deals with it: with dis- tribution, handling, and prices I have noth- ling to do. As to the price fixed for pota- toes that has met with my approval, and with the approval, let :ne add. of the Irish Board and the, Seotih Board, because these I prices are United Kingdom prices. I want" (h? added)" to make it clear that there is no price at nH fixed either ror th. eari ?'arletirs of 1917 or for the sacond early varieties, but for the mam crod of 1917 there is a minimum nric which work. out at 26 a ton. As to the prices for cereals, the Go-I vernment has contracted with the farmer to grow all the )ats and oil the wheat he can it a fixed contract price. Thip price is 38s. 6d. in the case of c\}t.ol. and 60s. in the case of wheat." Supplementing this statement, Sir. Sydney Olivier writes iiA a com- munication correcting an erroneous statement j printed by a London 'Toning newspaper ) The Food ControUe" acts in consultation with the President of the Board <?f Agricul- ture. when he deals wi?b any prices for pro- duce not yet ?r?wn. H? and he "?one deals with the pricing, distribution and handlings of prcduce when it is grown."

r The frost has moved the Neath Rural District Council to re-light street lamps. 1) About LIXO has been taken in gold over the counter of the Swansea Savings 4Bank since the War Loan appeal. Aston Villa Football Club has subscribed £ 3,000 to the Victory War Loan. The con- tribution of the Weish Rugby Union has yet to be annommced. I r The proposed drastic "hidden plagiue" legislation, coupled with the effective mili- tary regulations, should wipe out a very ugly stain from Swansea docks. a >oo There have been more troubles over the Heathfield steps since the frost than per- haps any other part of the borough. The authorities, however, have now made them quite safe by a liberaly sprinkling of ashes. ♦ »» » ♦ The description provided by a certain ir- responsible Swansea locksman of the man- ner of his descent down frost-bound Con- stitution Hill while on ?uty as a special con- stable on a recent evening, is expansive and expressive. I 4- Private Charles Killa, of Manselton, has lost the use of his right hand as the result of wounds received at the front. He has not only learnt to write with his left hand, but,!i.i this manner has learnt shorthand, and writes it well, too. $* Acrobatics," remarked the stout Swan- sea man as he sat down painfully, no longer interest me, for my personal evolutions dur- ing the pa.st fortnight have been of a de- scrLtiùll that cannot be excelled by any performerlat any time and anywhere." <Sx»xXxj><S> Mr. Percy B. Harris M.P., who will be j the chief speaker at the mass meeting of Volunteers at the Central Hall, Swansea, next Saturday, is the originator of the movement. Only he can speak as to the colossal d ifKcul ti es, encountered. <><5«S-v>4X> .Ilot-ti-cr of Seven (SwaJtsea) writes giv- ing a very timely hiiit toparents. She com- ments on the painful death recently of a little child who fell into boiling water and suggests that if people would only be per- suaded to first put cold water i th- bath; before pouring-iu the fet water it would pre- vent any accideiit. I Tfeje Cardiff papers (writes "QJd Sportj stiil cling to the il;uMon of all4 invincible"* record, which the Cardiff Club do not pos- s-ss, for they were beaten in the la'st'gime of the season by Moseley, and the Mail this week makes reference to Selwyn Biggs I as having played in the invincible season," which, of course, he did not. A stroll through the Sandfield.* district discloses (writes a correspondent.) the fact that it is the working people v;ho cUar the footpaths of snow in front of their houses. Until a few days ago Walter road and the- Uplands were positively disgraceful, and- even now there are a few slippery inches left for the public to fall down upon. Nothing like var-tinio \v< I kers. The Nothjng like wdIceri'. The, story is told of a Gower woman going tb, a (village friend of hers. who kept poultry to purchase a of The latter asked, "Have you ijot a broody hen?" "I have not," she answered, "but our old hen has brQken he?lc?, and ?e mi?'ht as well spend h?r time ha¡:ng out wmc# eggs as ti gou" E-ome' ev?gs as si t abo-t (1011-ig An old Welshwomd? .in a. country di?- ti-ict near Swansea, when she received hei- first Treasury note instead of coin, placed it away on the mantelshelf, and afterwards, wanting a spill, half burnt it before she renlis-d what it Then she called out in Wel-h Fire! Fire My m niey is burning!" A local wag who trkl this: story as a funny one was asked what there was to 1-auah at in the poor old woman's j loss. "Whv." -qid b46, in reply, "the way she 'm:Hle light' of it, of course." An interesting suggestion came before the- Swansea t inunoer (Ii Commerce v.omnuttee, who Have been considering trade alter t'he l war, with a view oi utvmia wita ,11. I labour troubles. It was that a, fund should be established, to be contributed to by both employers and employed, to be. use-pending i on proceedings. It the men were locKed out the employes wouid by iLis i means not suiter, as th y would e i,i re- ceipt of compensating wages, and if the men struck on their o 'u accoi d the employer Gti their o i i the enip l over woald be compensated from the same tund. Regarding that favourite-West Wales delicacy, laver bread, an old Welsh die- j s. bread sustenance: tJ-ara gwyn, wnue preaa nara- ca-nrhyg, rye bre^cl bara haidd, barley bread ba-ra-can. white bread bara peilliaiid, fine flour bread; bara cri a bara croyw, unleavened bread: ba.ra surdos a lefeinjiyd. leavened bread bara ceirch, oat bi-ead bara plymryd. muffin's; bara gosod. shew bread bara plane a greideU, house- hold cake broad, baked on a griddle bara'r hwch, sow bread bara miod, panc-akea, fritters: bara lawr, lavc-r bread, bla-ck butter,, a sort- of food made in Glamorgan- shire, and in several parts of. Pembroke- shire. and is. there called llafan. <XS>-$»«3X4>0 Some place-names near Swam>ea have greatly exercised the brains of students of nomenclature. The curious name Gily- bebyll. for instance, appeals to have no re- lation to pebbles or Babels, but has quite a romantic and nomadic derivation. It come down froin the time when people went regu- larly into summer habitations and means a "Retreat for Tents." In the present day To your tents. 0 Israel," would not in- n a n with any enthusi- spire the Pontardawe -.iiaii with ;iiii enthusi- asm. Another place near Swansea, Cwnl- rhyd-y-ceirw (which is often dishonoured by being pronounced ewrw"), takes one back to the days of feudalism and the Royal sport, for it means the "Ford of Stags." The neq.r"st St. to th?p?ace now is a public- house. i old It L- pleasurable to record (writer Old <$x £ > <$> ai')preciati4Dn of Townsman," Swansea), the appreciation of Swansea folk of the t'fforts of Mr. John Jones, manager of the liaily Post,' and hon. secretaryof the fund, and the I friends associated 'vith him in the organising of the several whist drives held of late. For these functions have provided, not only .,iniiel) iieelie.,d fund's for highly patriotic movements, but have also opened up means for the renewal of old friendships and the revival of forgotten i", uaiiitances jnevit- able in the life of a great town such os Swansea now is. Further, -iteN%- frieo&-b:tl).p have been created, and what could be more desirable in. these days of a people passing' through a national crisis." I Stop Press :—" There were no exports of ale, stout, and spirits from Swansea last "month." :)1a¡joüt', Sf\'l;¡a. Tribunal.qjili- tar; repreeeniahi^c) designate,, hknself àU old fossil, but says he is open to cor- rection.—-We should say so! ..Afr. E. Powell Jones. Glannior Coal Co., Ltd.. is proceeding to France with Messre. j C. Cleeves and Arthur Andrew? in con- nection with motor transport work. .*¡. "Am I going tp see the 'Tanks' next week?" said the cross-looking person; "no sir, I am not; I've had enough experience of tanks in my back kitchen this week to last me for the vear. Good day to von:" Two Greeks, two Spaniards, a Chilian, and a Mexican figured amc.ngst the prison- ers in the dock at Swansea Police Court one day th is week. An interpreter in court looked highly apprehensive until they had left. ,¡ In a West Wales munition factory the workmen and women are liable to be searched at any time for matches, but the management have instructed the pohce not to-search foremen and members • of the clerical staff. The children attending one of the schools at the top end of Swansea were sent homo on Thursday morning as soon as they reached the building. The cheers and shouting of the little ones at having a "day off" could be heard a long distance away. "Yes," said the landlady, at whose house the Swansea. soldier was b-i I letted, "I had eight recruits to put up a few weeks ago. I gave them liver for dinner, and baked a. nice currant roll, and what do you think they did with the roll?—put it in the flower-pot A gentleman who has travelled a good deal over the country, and came into the Swansea Police Court recently, remarked: I "What a-splendid building it is!" He thought there was not a better one than it to be found anywhere in the provinces.— Touch wood! ♦ irS" Mr. Lloyd George must remember that he is in office as the champion hustler. He has got to hustle not only Hindenburg and the Kaiser, but all the nobility and gentry installed in Whitehall and the hotels and clubs between the Griffin and the Albert Memorial.—("Truth.") < ♦ < < ♦ The severity of the weather was well brought home—apart from the cold feet about 4t the rear of business—'by the dying about at the rear of the \"D?)iIy Post" offices cn Wedne?ay a?ernoon of a number of seagulls. Pos- sibly they "nosed' the food parcels for our boys in German hands! 4'" He was blue with the cold as it was, so that .when the overflow from a burst cis- tern flopped over the Oxford-street wall and went down the back of his neck, loud were the groans of sympathy from the shivering 'pasen-by. And h?' rtJs abaut ?-? buu<d? refusine ?xea?ption to plumb?.s— wen?eTe!?'????  ?.?<<?t?t.?. j "Pack up y&m' troubfes?in your o!d kit bag, and smile, .?rulf, ?nule." quoted l,h1 sotdier contCfnplan?g the ou"traus sack, j gorged to overlfowuig, which corshtuted his kit beg. Yes; that's an very well; I've g'hIY troubles, but v' here —; am It-rind io6m? for them in th?'bl?nk. dash sack?' A' Carmartheushire Welshman turned up'! late at the local tribunal to support his ap- peal for exemption. He s-nd he had been obliged to walk ten miles along Aiiow- covered: roads (,w ilig tb the distance from.; his home to the railway station. He was t6Id that a man who could do that was well fitted to be 'a; soldier. Anybody, says "Truth." who refuses to cut. down His consumption of the staple foods, to the suggested limits simply be- catiee he is not. yet compelled to do so, or because he sees that somebody else has re- fused to do so, is playing an unpatriotic part. His obstinacy means an aggravation of his- country's difficulties. The O'vslermouth Castle grounds present quite a Swiss-like appearance just at .pre- sent. The long slope, with just- the ight kind of "dip" for a-thrill, is an ideal spot for. t(>bogcanin.r, ti). to a very late- hour everv evening every conceiva ble kind i of vehicle from a ladder upwards, is being used by a h;. ppy crowd in the enjoyment óf, a sport which is extremely rare in this part; of the country. A newly-joined recruit of tho Monmouth- res was trudiing along tire snowy road | to his headquarters, vyhon a civilian acco?ed him. The civilian was a ais- .-harg?ri mc-mhc;' ol th? ?r Monmout't- 8hire. andfcmght at Ypres when the '.M? tlion did M'?iot'?usty. A-few m:l1l1t' conTe?at-i?n dMch?cd th?t both-m€'n c?m? from St. Thorns. Swansea. The long arm of coincidence at it again. A. E. Fairs, the 17-vear-old ;son of Capt. Fair*, Rb y ddings terrace. Swansea, was OIl of tbil t-hii*t-Oen successful candidates out ot cue thoxusaiKl conu»etitors for a King s Prize j Cadets Kip at th$Royal Military College. I Sandhurst, Such a splendid a-chiwvement reflects much credit both upon young Fairs I and also upon the Municipal Secondary School, where he was coached for the exam. j -« —• I, Ther:f\. a woman at. Pemdawdd who defies school managers, attendance onicpr?-, the Glamorgan County Council, and even the ma?trates, and will not send her 'jul- dmi to schoc!. One of her children put in thirteen attendances out of a possible 206 "incp last Augu"t.h gives conscientious re?onf. and pleads a. wa.r excuse. ? a last resource the guardians of the children s education are about to get the chjidre? forcibly taken from her and placed iu an forcibiv t,a k-eii fron, her and Pte. HuXti'Me. ot the R.W.F.. writing from "Somewhere in Suffolk," says:—"On behalf of the Swansea boys with the ?i7th R.W.F., I desire to convey, through yon. our very best, thanks t.o Sir J. T. D. ilew- elyn for the splendid football which he has sent us. We deeply apprecia-te the kind- ness of that good and much-respected k sportsman, a Ad need hardly ay t hat good use will be made of the ball. Please ac- cept our thanks yourselves for your kind interest in this matter. Greetings from the] boys to goCfd eld Swansea." I CEftMANY'S NEW FLAC. CE_!tMAN:S .NE.W FLAC. The jolly Tars ot Engiana are scouring the i sea In search of buccaneer Huns from outcast Gerniany, And when they come across them wonjt there be much the matter. When British guns are brought to bear and shells begin to batter. 'Tis then the murderous Huns will find they're in a sea cf troubles. And to the bottom they'll be sent, to mark the spot some bubbles; A well-earned tate for ,;¡JI who fly the skull and cross-bones flag. Henceforth the flag of Germany, the hated. vile black rag. Thus have a mighty nation fa liefl, borne down by* weight of crimes, The ou(;ast ct'th? pel1t. t.lie L'f future tittios. • t' future tiHW. G.SJ. Duuvant. C.SJ. Swansea "specials'" overcoats have arrived i 9 '"Mr. Martin Harvey ;s vistting the Grand Theatre, Swansea, in April. It 8 t to I' ft Mi-. 5bhn Williaans, M:) mAs-,ou* ogwi on Tuesday after being i.iid up for five weeks. <=- j The Prince of Wales Dry Dock Com pa av-  is heip?ng <tion? the War Loan in a number t 0<$x$>< of ays. i,?- Ii i st entb u- I Who was the Swansea lad' whist enthu- •aast who carwe home with her partner's cardMstpadofhprown? 8 Three hundred and forty-one tons of fish were imported into Swansea last mouth. And kippers are 4d. and 5d. a pair I All eyes were bent towards the Drill Hall, Richardson-street, Swansea, oh Wednesday I morning. It was the specials day. morning. It was the day. The very self-same man Av?o a.na.thema- tIded the slushy thaw of Monday, duly sat down with suddenness and violence on Tuesday morning.  -<f?-??-?<? jSvvartsea bi?cl?miths really thought they j j were in for an 'y "rpell?' on Monday, ) but on Tuesday morning they found that j Master John had upset all calculations. ow A Gowerton Boniface sent his son (fight- ( ing in Mesopotamia) a cake for his birthday on Christmas Day. It arrived safely at its ) destination at 9 o'clock on the birthdav morning. "Dentistry f;:1 paying job," said a Port ■ j T^ albot man on Monday, when a woman who i¡ summoned her husband for persistent cruelty j stated that her husband bad ea,rned :CIO a week as a dentist. • ♦-4 -4> 4. ♦ Mr. Joseph Harris. auctioneer, George- street, Swansea, received last week a greet- ings card posted at Shoeburyness on Dec. 23rd. Side by side with this postmark is one of London, dated Feb. 5th. .tEl.. k-xars-eino-,i Pits (Nos. 1, 2 and 3; were idle on Monday owing to the scarcity of trucks. Thiii!npl,?i,g su &Oon a fter the visit' of the Medical S?rn. made a local wag ask: Were the trucks passed in Class A?" .» j "Can the money be invested in the chil- dren s names?" asked a workman at a Swansea Patriotic War Savings meeting. "Bring yom- money along, John," ajd the esteemed mann?er, aad you can invest tt in anybody's name." i j'"She was quarrelling with another man, said a conptsMe at Port Talbot Police CQurt on Monday, m giving evidence agamst a Cymm?r WOTIIUn. Ycu mean quarrp!t!ng I with a man, added the chairman. T!!?h ill' OO-I' w' Ule poUlt. One oi the leading local workmen at' a I West Wales War iJoon meeiing made an ] confession. He said that until six! mopoenij ths ago he never paid income-tax. i'! | didn't run air the income-tax people, he | said* and tbey jdidji't b ;thf-r Iti how, *rhen they di^b'other him they struck | Oil! "We hafve a card of an Irish Lance-Jack j in our crush, remarked a Swansea boy; home on well-earned leave. "One day the "captain sent him- in c-harga of a squad of men to explore a German trench whibh we had- just captured. On his return the C&'P-I tain asked Mike for his report. This waB 'it: "Sure, sor, there a dead Germaii ■to be seen alive anywhere. <5 Fiore-,tfi-ch boasts at least a few repre- j Se-.rtat;vos in all branches of H.M. Forces. not, excLudivg the far-famed "Tanks." Sergeant. Stanley Thomas, sfc-u of Mr. 'and Mi\a. John Thomas, che^kweigher at Glas- brook s Coihery, Garrgoeh, n?w -home on j leave, has seen fifteen months' service at' the front, the greater pmtfO)! of bic, service be.in? with the T?nkx. His experiences in this connection have been extremely excit- ing and exacting tiiir'? the German jj cln I Ing. iSpeaking to the captain oi an American trader at the Last Djck, Swansea a rites Sup-ercargo "l. he told me thit in more and other cities the Germans, who are i still f-ithfu] to the Fat he.'b .n sp^tl their church in the ul-iiorm of their former regime: ts in which they served before com- ing to America. So entirely dis.justed are these-men: at the manner in which Germany has waged this war against humanity that nowadays a German nnifcjrm is scarcely to be seen anywhere. The weather has played havoc with the leathered creation this winter,- as recent .visitors to Gower can testify. Green plover ^otherwise the erest.od lapwing) have been drin-cii southward in large illrolxrs. Scores have been fceind dead 111 the lowlands of bird is belovecl of poets and naturalists., and its' eggs, used to be beloved of epicures. In the days when one could hvy the Jay of the barndoor fowl at 9d. a dozen. eggs of the gre-en plover used to fetch 12s. to 30s a dozen.' j Relating h? pxporipnce? ?t the tront | I Oyfna.ht states that one-pitc.h-daik nighf! j Vs hen on his w&y t& .i neighbouring villas I to keep an appointment, hc w???udden?- pm!ed up ba. ?lmdmg na?h. following Whl,h a "tern',owe domanded: "Who i-^ this stranger? What right has this man to be about here? Another spy! Ifilit isions of being shot, at dawn were crossing his mind when the challenger dispelled his fears by breaking into Welsh. It was simply an old friend from Swansea who recognised Dyfnallt and thought he would give him the fright of his life. $ x!<. It was in the fitness of things that young Lieutenant Wolfe. unhappily posted as "missing," should serve with the Naval Division, for he was the grandson of th? Rev. E", J Wolfe, whose ministrations as seamen's chaplain remain- a tradition on 'Swansea, docks; also his maternal grandfather was Captain Frederick Or gatii. commod-ore cap- tain of Ba.th'? nect. in the dayswhen the 1 gaii&nt oid round the Horn wind-jam n1fx brought wealth and pr;:e;:Jt- \0 the port of I Swansea. ■ I A "tory told of t,he blp Duke of Nor- folk ?ce closing his pounds to the public th rough lwple wulkin? on h? J?wt! ami prying through the windows into his private apartment*. W hen he threw the ?round? open .tjB;.u? Le Wa waiki))? on tbe hw¡i. Taken to be ;m intruder, a merubcr of the public jumped over the liurdks. and catcliing Kis Gnw-c by the' scruff of the ne;ck. bundled him off the-lav. r, saying it was him and the likes ot him trespassing tha t cawed the owner to close his grounds. 1 I Hundred s of dead birds are to be seen in Gower just now—victims of cold and star- i vat ion. They lie thickly about the hed=-e- rows. A, farmer down there, s'lowing a visitor along a path, pointed out so mo of them to him, and, feeling some doubt as to the cause, said: "I wonder what is the matter with them?" 'Matter with them?"! was 'the reply; dead, that's what's the nialter with tho.-e birds." And some alleged "sport*" who have been snar- nig birds 'half-perished might its well wait until tlii- t-re actually dead. Llanelly Conservative 'Ciub has v130 mem- bcrs serving the Empire. Splendid: Lacly Howard has been clectod to a va- cancy on the Council at LluneUy—a..very "appomtment. • > t Messrs. Weaver and Co.. Swansea, weigh in wit.h. £20.000 for the Victory War Loan. More grist for the lllIl: A- mute tragedy.—Late Saturday night; I,t ]Ùmp of frozen snow, a broken bottle, a j jsa tained pavement, and an cdom cf beer?  .4> The death of Mr. "Sammy"' Taylor re" f moves yèt' another w?IJ-kno?'n nn<i highly- esteemed pei-soi-Lality from the commercial life of Swansea. ♦ ♦ ¡ The Sandfields donkey who last Saturday did his rounds with feet encased in old stockings, hardiy looked as though he appre. i ciated the thoughtfuJneys of his lord and- j master. ■ As no less t-lian four of Swansea' s picture houses are showing the "Tank" piduret this week. it is safe to'say that the mannef of presentation and the .most appropriate music will capture the bigger crowds' for tho week. There should be no deterioration in ra-b. bits or lavegbrea4.Yet, the former were. 2s. 3d. each, and 3d. per pound was asketl for the latter on Saturday. This time last year rabbits were at the most I-s. 3d., whilst laverbi-ea-d was 100 per cent, cheaper. The late Mr. Burn, caretaker at Pare j Wern Hospjtal, Sketty, is credited with being the in vtmtor of the tricycle, and that he and' a friend m?de the orst joury on these machuiM from St. Thomas to.- the I Mumb^ les, ba' ittea fi-om St. 'rhornas t!o*.the !.?JuntbIes, and'excited much curiosity. j The. Swanes man who in St. Hcteo't- road halted and. leaking ?tthe;sky, remark* ed on Sunday afternoon that there -was "something more to come down," was quite nght. ,And lt. was in the middle of the j back of the neck that he, ot the snow off the root overhead. Docksmcn who know and appreciate the [sterling attributes and attainments of Mr. Samuel Stephen* (they, call him Sam") anâ Mr. Stanley Cook (iarown to them as Stfiii 'I) would, wish that these gentlemen would take a still more active part in Swansea's public life. The London "Daily Mail" returiis -.Col. Wright's (Swansea) subscription to the Wal Loan as £ 1,000. It is, of course, £ 10,00u and personal, an apart from the contribu- ? tions of the vast oommucial enterprises in the concerns of which the gallant colonel enjoys an' active and virile' _gallant colonel life,. There is one tfting to account for the hap- piness of the British man o' war's man" (said Chief Instructor Asnbnry at the Grand Theatre, Swansea, on Saturday night). "H( has no rent to pay or )ates to meet, and he certainly isn't tronbled with the ineeaaae-taj collector." Which, of course, explains a The "tf employers of controlleci e&f4bli»h« fbeftte do not iasue proceedizigs-alLaimat other employers who take an employe from their works. without asking and obtainitig a leaving certificate from the employe, theyr are condoning the oenc e ud making the Act- a farce. —(Mr. J. Vaughan Edwards art Swansea Munitions Tribunal on Thurs- day.) Apropos of recgnt tales 4?f the ftb, we have to hand a leOter from a well-known Swansea boy" over there," 'where the real snow and ice i. in which he describee the method of progression adopted by a- work- ing party shod in "waders," which con- sisted of crawling 4os practically two miles on the ice becaueo it was L- impossible to stand lip" -• When are you tfoing to hold your next When are you hold yoar next whist drive?" was the query frequently put to members of the commiltee by patrons at the last "Daily Post" drive, which proved such an enjoyable and successful fupction. The" Daily Post "are always open to assist such good objects as the Swansea Boys' Comforts Fund," and the "next" may not be .very far off. It was about this time in the year 1914 that Swansea footbfU enthusiasts PitØ the time of their lives. Leicester visit the A.11 Whites at St. Helen's, and Queen's Park Rangers were the guests of the Swans at "Soccer" at the Vetch Field on one and the same day. And many of the gallant, lads who cheered. OM their favourites are now playing the bigger game against the Huns either in frozen France, or arid Asis.. Such was. the retiring disposition of the late Mr. Willie, Sliiith, solicitor, of Swansea, who was laid to rest- oil Saturday last, that only his intimate-friends were aware that at Rugby lie won his. school swimming championsMp, and that later at Cambridge he won the ten-mile cross-country cham- pionship. In these latter years few knew the highways and byeways of Gowerland better than he, for he was a tireless pedestrian. ■ < According, to "West-ender, certain Swansea shopkeepers, he says, entertain lofty "ideas of trading, for he relates how 1 during the recent nip," after witnessing two ladies fall on a dangerous spot en the pavement, he sent a. smart boy into an ad- jacent grocer's shop for a pennyworth of salt to sprinkle on the danger zone. The lad, however, returned with the information that fhe tradesman "had no salt for sale." Very interesting! < $    x  < $ x  The death of the Duke of Norfolk recalls I to the writer-the late earl's -visit to- Swan- sea some year? back. He was the represen- tative of the Royal Fami!y on the occasion of the funeral of the late Admir-a! Lyons at. Kilvrough, and his arrival -at Swansea was characteristically tinc)stebtaticius. But for the brief entry N-orfoll-C in the hotel book t here was nothing--about th?' tin-distinguished locking, soberly dressed visitor to suggest anybody out of the ordinary, I fu view of a recent appeal to the Swansea Council we reproduce the following from a Cardiff paper without cotnmeut 'Greatly da.ring', a correspondent writes to a down- line paper suggesting that in* these distress- ful times working men and others might really he permitted to do tb-ir gardening bit 4;11 If this co.rresponderit- came up to our district he w(juld.-lilld,th:Jt Sunday eardenuig is quite a :Javo'uaitc occupy tion (we have seen even a Presbyteriaui eider at it), and long before the-wa- Oije of the niosi equit.a-ble, if not generous of the many schemes in connection with the Victory W^r -Loan is that tabu- lated by tin C'-vnifelin Steel and .Tiitplate (. t npany, who have formulated a system of lending their employes sums at 3 per cent. per annum and accept lepayment by de- duction from their wages over a period of at-out 12 months. Being issued at JB95 for £100, the loan giveSiiSStotum. of ever 5J per cent, oil the po«.t price—the effect -i this being that the investor will be pay!n? in- t?rc'M Mt the rate of J per cent., wh')e his ?<rip wiH be earning 5J. Very ?Gncrcu?jy the Mr;;) h'a' arraligr-d that if any man wi?he? to withdra w bis money nt any time hf t) \Vittldraw lii? a, ,a;;i v ti-.ue ever interest, it n)i to u?..