Abergavenny Chronicle

NOTES ON NEWS. I There is no doubt that the 300,000 men I for whom Lord Kitchener has asked will Mon.1C MEN WANTED. be forthcoming. Most people are surprised that the figure has been put so low. Perhaps it is so as to make 6ure not to encroach upon the labour which is neces- sary for maintaining and increasing the output of munitions. Though we are not given any official information as to the number of men who have enlisted since the war broke out, we know that it must have reached an enormous figure,-& figure far beyond what anybody would have thought could have been reached under a voluntary system of recruiting. There is, of course, a point beyond which recruiting cannot go if necessary work at home is to be carried out with the greatest possible efficiency. It may be that in placing the number of additional men now required at 300,000, the War Office has calculated that that number can be spared. The raising of the age limit for recruits to forty is a rebuke to the men between twenty and thirty, and without ties, who ought to join but do not. Probably the number of these is not so great as some people seem to think, but there are some, and they have turned a deaf ear to so many appeals that they are not likely to be troubled in conscience by the knowledge that men of forty are joining the Army, notwithstand- ing heavy family and business responsi- bilities. In the House of Commons the other day several speakers urged the registration of To EVERY MAN HIS DUTY. every man in the country with regard to fitness for service in the field or elsewhere. There is, they argued, a duty for every- one, and if the nation is to put all its power and energy into the war, that duty must I he done. Mr. Tennant, the Under- Secretary for War, says he thinks that most men are trying to do their best for the country. Now, there is no doubt most men wish to do so, but it is nevertheless true that a very great many have no notion whatever of what it is best for them to do in the present emergency. There are men who are serving in various ways, in factories and workshops, and in the ranks of special constables or volun- teers but there are others who would be only too glad to be of service who are yet doing nothing. Even some of those who have joined the volunteers may begin to doubt whether they are not wasting their time unless the Government makes haste to assign to them military duties. To register every man with a view to giving him a definite duty to perform would be a big and difficult undertaking, but it may be a necessary one. One of the most important banks in the country has decided to open a savings de- BANKS AND SAVINGS. partment, and to accept deposits from a shilling upwards. It is an ex- periment which will be watched with the greatest interest. Hitherto the great banks have left the small depositor severely alone. He has had to put his shillings in the Post Office, or else into some concern which often enough had no right to be described as a bank at all. The new departure ought to have some effect upon the Post Office Savings Bank, which, if it were only conducted as it ought to be, could out- distance all competitors. The new savings hank appears not to impose any limit as to the amount of deposits made by any "ne person, whereas the Post Office will not receive more than R50 from any de- positor in one year, and limits the aggre- gate amount into the bargain. The re- moval of these and other needless restric- tions would bring the Post Office Savings Bank a large increase of business. Horse-racing in Great Britain is to be stopped for the duration of the war. An HORSE- RACING STOPPED. exception is made in the case of Newmarket owing to special circumstances. There is no denying the fact that the holding of racing meetings in various parts of the country while we are engaged in the greatest and most terrible war in our his- tory has caused a great deal of uneasiness in the public mind, which has not been allayed by the stories, true or not, of officers and men of the Army having to struggle with numbers of pleasure-seeking racing crowds for places in trains. Apart from the question whether the continuance of racing is desirable while the country is at war, there is the fact that race meet- ings make a considerable demand upon the railways, and might possibly cause delay in the movement of troops and material. The prompt acceptance by the Jockey Club of the Government's view that racing ought to stop has given general satisfac- tion. Some time ago the King visited the troops in France, and his presence had a KING AND THE WORKERS. won d erfully inspiring effect upon the brave men who are fighting for us out there. His Maiesty's visit to the Clyde and Tyneside will have a no less heartening effect upon the men who are doing their country's work at home. These men have been accused of shirking work and of preferring drink to duty. In some instances, no doubt, the charge was true, but it never affected more than a very small minority of the men. The heart of the vast majority is as soi-iad as a bell, and the undertaking given by the Clyde men that they will work to the last ounce is one that will be kept to the letter. It has become pretty clear now that the charges against the armament workers were grossly exaggerated and distorted. Many people who believed them and were loud in condemnation would feel con- scious-stricken at their readiness to believe ill of their fellows if they could make a tour of the ship-yards and arma- ment factories and see the truth for themselves. They would find that the workers have been going at full stretch for months, giving up practically all leisure, and living a life which is all working and sleeping, and not too much of the latter. There are heroes in the factories as well as in the trenches.

THE THANKS OF THE LION. I When Admiral Beatty's nagship. the Lion, When Admiral Beat flag-snip. the Li0n, was damaged in the memorable North Sea action in January last, which resulted in the sinking of the German cruiiier Bliicher, the honour of towing the vessel back to port fell on the Indomitable, and that incident has had a happy sequel. As a token of thanks for the assistance rendered on that occasion, the captain and officers of the Lion have presented the officers of the Indomitable with a silver statue, about 18in. high, of a gardian anllel with a lion on each side, and bearing the following inscription: "Presented to the captain and officers of H.M.S. Indomitable to commemorate an ex- cellent 61-in. hawser."

One man had his head blown off and two T,ere serious!y injured in an explosion fol- lowed by a fire, which broke out in a large chemical factory at Ponder's End, where Government contracts are being carried out. While riding a motor-cycle, Henry Her- bert Barlow, 32, a commercial clerk of Amyand-road, St. Margaret's, Twickenham. collided with a vehicle in front of him and a piece of gla.ss from his goggles entering one of; his eyes, he died from meningitis. A W eftttpnst er coroner's jury returned a "r4i\ of "Acoidenlal death." ■V

BATTLE OF GALICIA. I AUSTRO-GERMAN EFFORT NOT YET EXHAUSTED. Although there are signs that the supreme Austro-Gerir.an effort on this front is losing in momentum, it would be premature to assume that the turning-point in the great battle has been reached, and that the enemy will not make even further progress before his advance is finally brought to a standstill. Roughly speaking (says the Petrograd corre- spondent of the "Daily Telegraph" in a message on Friday), he is still pushing for- ward to the north of Jaroslav and on the flank of Przemysl, where he has succeeded in capturing some of our Allies* front trenches near Gussakof, twelve miles south- east of the fortress. Elsewhere on the main front, which, starting at the debouchment of the San into the Vistula, follows the tribu- tary to Przemysl and then passes through Sambor. Drogobitch, Stry, and Dolina, the Russians are holding their own, while on the flasks on the left bank of the Vistula and in Bukovina they continue to drive the enemy before them. It is only now that we can fully realise the stupendous nature of the plan of the Austro-Germans to paralyse the military power of Russia, and so leave themselves free to deal with the Allies in the West. In the opinion of competent military person- ages, the present battle, both in the strength of the forces engaged and in that vital par- ticular, the expenditure of ammunition, ex- ceeds all other features of this war. On the main section, from the Vistula to the Buko- vina alone, the enemy is believed to have deployed a million and a half men, while his total present strength on this; front is esti- mated at double that number. Merely in the Galicia advance he brought with him I 4,000 guns. With these in the course of only a few days he discharged something like 3,000,000 shells. It is a curious fact that in this general engagement the enemy is making practically no use of mounted troops. Some five horsed divisions are operating on the Pruth, but, with the exception of those regiments which have been dismounted and, are serving in the trenches, practically all the nest of his cavalry is being employed in the Baltic pro- vinces. It is authoritatively stated that the Em- peror William is at present in the Jaroslav district, where he is personally directing the operations, and it is expected that he will remain there till the question of Italy's participation in the war is finally decided, when a rearrangement of the Austro-Ger- man armies may be necessary. Other chief leaders of the enemy's forces are Generals Marwitz, Mackensen, Voyersch, and Dankl. Hindenburg is believed to be now on the Western front. ENEMY'S ENORMOUS.' LOSSES. J On some sectors of the line the eitem is' still adding to his numbers, German units > making their appearance for the first time on this front. But his losses of men are so great that no system of reinforcements can permanently keep pace with them. At the beginning of last week, when the fighting was of a comparatively subdued character, the casualties of the Austrians and Germans averaged about 10,000 daily. During the remainder of the three weeks which have elapsed since the struggle began they are understood to have been considerably higher, and in each of the first three days of the present week certainly amounted to many tens of thousands. Seme of the enemy's regiments have been reduced to a single company. Altogether it is computed that between a third aud a fourth of his infantry have already dropped out of the line, including 40,000 prisoners who have fallen into the hands of the Russians during this period. About a score of the enemy's guns have also been captured, and hundreds more have been left behind in earlier posi- tions, either because their teams had been killed or weakened by insufficiency of food, or because it was found impossible to keep up the supply for this vast force of artillery. In authoritative military circles it is stated that the situation as a whole is quite satisfactory for the Russians, and that though the enemy may gain some further territorial advantage, it is exceedingly im- probable that any of the troops now engaged in Galicia will ever be in a condition to return to the Western front. [ THE GERMAN PHALANX. I The "Morning Post" correspondent says that for the first time in this war the Ger- mans have adopted a new tactical forma- tion for attack, which is likened to the Macedonian phalanx. It is composed, how- ever, not of individuals but of divisions and army corps. This phalanx moved along the line of the railway Gorlico-Jaslo- Rzeszoff, and was composed, in addition to those divisions withdrawn, from other sec- tions of the Russian front, of the following first-grade troops, withdrawn from the French Front: First and Second Divisions of the Prussian Guards, the Tenth Active Field Army Corps, the Forty-First Reserve Army Corps, two divisions made up of various selected crack regiments, and several other special formations of the same kind. The total corps entering into this phalanx was ten, of which half, namely, those withdrawn specially for the purpose from the French front, formed the main striking head. The phalanx was superabundantly pro- vided with artillery, including a large num- ber of heavy batteries. The latter also were brought across from the French front. For example, twenty-four battalions of the Prussian Guards Corps had with them no fewer than forty batteries, half of which were of heavy calibre. This ancient battle formation—newly applied in modern war- had naturally a tremendous driving force, but it was absolutely deprived of any possibilities of tactical movement. It was chained to the line of railway, which alone is capable of maintaining the fupplies and munitions required by such a huge concen- tration, and it,s rate of movement in a for- ward direction was only four miles a day. But its momentum was irresistible, and it was this phalanx which forced the crossing of the San River at Lezachow. It was served by a whole flotilla of aeroplanes, of which four were brought down by the Russians. Such solid masses of men naturally offered a terrible mark for the Russian artillery, which played upon the phalanx for days. It is estimated that the losses amongst this portion of the enemy's forces alone were about 150,000 men. At the present moment the phalanx, heavily battered about, is astride the San River, the head having forced a passage and made good its hold on the right bank. whilst the remainder is still on the left bank. Lack of mobility and the increasing difficulty of maintaining the necessary full pressure of supplies, and especially munitions, is already being felt, and Russian military ex r? do not antici- pate that the modern German phalanx of half a million of men, driven solidly for- ward upon a comparatively narrow front, will have any further success. GERMAN ADVANCE CHECKED. In a despatch from Petrograd on Sunday, the correspondent of the Morning Post" says the crisis on the Galicia front has passed, and a number of favourable symp- toms show that the Russians are gradually asserting their superiority over the Ger- manic attacks which several times already has been demonstrated On the Polish front. The German onslaught from Cracow was a more terrible attack than any made towar d Warsaw, but the Russians have met it in much the same way, and the presumption is strong that it will also end in the same way. The effects of the Russian tactical move- ments are now beginning to be felt, at the precise moment when the Germans, strained by three weeks of incessant attack on con- tinually lengthening lines of communica- tion, are finding their difficulties increasing in greater proportion than the facilities of the Russians for dealing with their attacks. There is a comparative lull on the German side, and this is expected to continue until their stock of ammunition can be re- plenished. Several sections of the tem- porarily victorious Germans have been forced to act upon the defensive. The greatest success, won at fearful cost bJ the selected crack corps of the whole GermalWÀrmy, namely, the passage of the San in the neighbourhood of Jaroslau, has failed to produce the expected resists. The Russians, prebsing hard upon the enemy about Przemysl and near the Vistula, have already quite nullified this undoubted' Ger- man success. The picked corps which com- posed the grand phalanx of a dozen corps, after suffering appalling losses, are now compelled to send divisions across the Vis- tula to the northern bank, where the defeat and retirement of the German left from before Opatow threatened very unpleasant consequences if not promptly checked. The Russians are already moving i along the left bank of the San from the Vistula, compelling the victorious phalanx to change its front to the north and to en- deavour to check this dangerous move by a series of counter-attacks, which have not been successful. The phalanx, as the Rus- sians anticipated, proved, like another de- vice of the ancient world, the battering- ram, an admirable weapon for a forward blow but singularly unwieldy and alto- gether helpless on either side of its line of drive. But chiefly it appears that this modem version of ancient war machinery has failed to accomplish what was expected of it owing to the impossibility of main- taining a constant stream of adequate sup- plies for such an enormous mass of men on such a narrow front. It is possible, of course, that the Germans, having obtained further supplies of am- munition and got up to the present front the several hundred guns which were left behind in consequence of the shocking wast- age of horses, may again bring their living ram into action. But the conditions are no longer so favourable, and at the worst the Russians have merely to repeat their proved tactics until the Germans are sufficiently exhausted for a return blow to be fatal. The process takes time, but the need for haste is entirely on the German side. Russia, like her Allies, grows stronger the longer the war lasts.

AN UNKIND UNCLE. Uncle Bob (a "Philistine saw your natU" in print the other da^, fijjy boy. Unappreciated Poet (in gwrftf* incitement): "Did you Uncle. W, hete' Uncle Bob: "In a directory!

DUMB SOLDIER RECOVERS SPEECH. Rifleman Pointer, of the 12th County of London Rifles has created something of a sensation in the fourth Northern General Hospital at Lincoln. The terrific concussion of a shell over his head five weeks ago, as he was tending a wounded comrade, deprived him of both speech and hearing. The French doctors assured him that he would eventuallv get his speech back and also the power of hear- ing in the right ear, though that of the left waii gone for ever. "Since I have been in Lincoln," he said, -1 have been following the advice they gave me in Boulogne, to keep on pronouncing vowels, a.& IUbey told me that nothing but my own efforts would get my speech oadk. I was successful the other night, but it went again next night. I was lying awalce trying all I could, and suddenly found my speech come back, so I kept awake talking to my- self for fear it might go again. "I felt a strong impulse to call to the night sister, but I thought that she might faint, and then it occurred to me that early in the morning the man would be coming round with cups of tea, so I decided 1:0 save myself up for him instead. He icame along about five o'clock, and just as he was set- ting the cup on the table at my bed-head I said in my best London style, 'Shove it down there, old son!' Then there was a seingation if you like. They say I have been talking ever since." <

FIRJNG BY THE MAP. Many people have been puzzled by tha fact that guns cannot be aimed and fired by the map. that is to say, although the exact range and direction of an object is known from the military maps, yet the guns cannot be sure of hitting their target. There is always what is known as the "error of the day" to take into account. This "error of the day" makes all the difference between accurate and inaccurate shooting, and it can only be found out by experience. The direc- tion and force of the wind, the dryness and dampness of the atmosphere, the different kinds of powder that may be used, and a dozen other things all go to making the getting of the exact range a difficult thing Here is where the "spotter" or observation aeroplane comes in. It flies about 3,000 feet above the target, and by a simple system of signals corrects the fire of, I the guiis. The firing of the guns at the Dardanelles was made accurate by such "spotting," though the exact ranges of the various forte were known to within a yard.

FAR BEYOND., I Llicle: 1"-0 heard several times lately, Charles, that you're living beyond ycur station I trupi it is not triie. Nephew: "It is, Uncle, I am sorry to say —three miles!

"I am determined to live just long enough to see the victory of France and the repara- tion of the disaster of half a century ago." In these words the ex-Empress Eugenie re- plied to the congratulations offered her on her attaining her ninetieth birthday re- cently

KING AND WAR WORKERS. APPEAL FOR REMOVAL OF RESTRICTIONS. r • fV Continuing his inspection of the works in the Tyneside district on Thursday, the King visited the Elswick shipyard and ordnance factory of Messrs. Armstrong, Whitworth and Co., Ltd. His Majesty, who was accompanied by Lord Kitchener, made a comprehensive tour, and evinced keen interest in each depart- ment. He was enthusiastically cheered by the workmen, with some of whom he chatted pleasantly for some time. Addressing the members of the North- east Coast Armaments Committee after bis inspection of the Elswick works, the King thanked the workmen through the com- mittee for what they had already done, but urged that more was still required. He hoped that all restrictive rules and regulations would be removed, and that all would work to one common end and pur- pose. Lord Kitchener expressed gratification at the way in which the workmen were per- forming their duties, and emphasised the necessity for greater output. In the afternoon His Majesty inspected and reviewed a large body of troops on Newcastle Town Moor. The King, who was attired in Field- Marshal's uniform, was accompanied by Lord Kitchener and other members of his party, and by the Duke of Northumberland. On parade His Majesty invested Lieut.- Colonel P. B. Cookson, Northumberland Hussars, with the Insignia of a Com- panion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George; and decorated Captain E. James, of the Lincolnshire Regiment, with the Military Cross. He also presented Dis- tinguished Conduct Medals to non-commis- sioned officers and men for gallantry in action. After the review His Majesty visited the first Northern General Hospital at the Arm- strong College. His Majesty visited Barrow on Friday, and thousands of people gave his- Majesty a hearty welcome. Practically all the departments of the works of Messrs. Vickers were inspected, his Majesty showing a keen interest in every- thing he saw. Several workmen were pre- sented to his Majesty, who spoke kindly to each. As the party passed into the gun- mounting shop the men sang "Rule, Britannia!" n His Majesty appeared par- ticularly interested in the department of the great factory where women are employed in ordnance production. Some five hundred are engaged at present, all of them being members of the families of the ifrm's work- men and staff. At every stage of his progress the King was received with ringing cheers, which he graciously acknowledged. At the conclusion of his visit he gave expression to his great admiration for the establishment, his feel- ing of gratitude at the earnestness dis- played by the men, and his intense hope that their efforts would continue in order to ensure the success of the nation's arms. With this visit the King's tour came to an end. His Majesty returned to London.

THE 1, OPHELU" CONDEMNED AS A LAWFUL PRIZE. The German vessel Ophelia, which was claimed by her crew to be a hospital ship, has been condemned as a lawful prize by Sir Samuel Evans, in the Prize Court, on the ground that she was not used as a hospital ship, but as a scout or spy for the enemy. The case for the Crown was that the Ophelia, which was ntted with wireless apparatus, received messages by a secret code from the German military station of Nordeich; that she was not adaptEd for use as a hospital ship; that on October 8 she had acted suspiciously in running away whilst being watched by the British sub- marine D4; and that her wireless code, log book, and other documents, which might have tended to show her character, innocent or otherwise, were missing. It was liointed out by the President that no explanation had been given of why the vessel attempted to get away from the British submarine. Her offioer had stated that her Ipeed was from 8! to 9 knots, but the attempt to prove this had wholly failed, and it was significant that, on the voyages of the vessel between London and Hamburg in 1914, her patent log had registered 13 and 13! knots. If she were a bona fide vessel she would have no reason to run away, as no commander would have any fear of ill-treatment from a British torpedo boat, submarine, or any other vessel. DOCUMENTS DESTROYED. On the day the Ophelia was stopped by a British squadron off the Haaks lightship, wireless messages in code to the vessel from the Nordeich station had been picked up by one of our warships. Before she was boarded Dr. Pfieffer threw overboard several docu- ments. His lordship also commented upon the ex- cessive number of signal lights (600 green and 450 red lights) which the vessel carried, and said that the evidence as to the reason for which they were used was wholly un- satisfactory. Ahout the innocence of hospital ships from engaging in warlike services, there ought to be no question. Their records should be clean. If they were, their preservation would be an additional safeguard against capture. If they were destroyed, the infer- enca was that, if produced, they would be eloquent witnesses of guiltv practices. The President added: "I find that the Ophelia Never rendered any help, succour or ser- vice whatsoever to any single wounded, sick or shipwrecked man. Made no real effort at any time to render any such service. Her construction and equipment, al- though to some extent adaptable, were not wel- adapted for the purposes of a hos- pital ship. She was well equipped for the purpose of acting as a signalling vessel. Considerable signalling appliances had been used. No satisfactory account was given of why. hew, or when they were used. Her officers complied, and were at all times rrady to comply with any orders from the German ships of war or ships on auxiliary services. "She has, therefore, forfeited the protec- tion claimed under the Convention, and is condemned as a lawful prize." The President directed that any appeal, if brought, must be entered within tw. months.

I SPIES AND BLOTTING PAPER.  Every Foreign Office of Europe acts on the principle that an army of spies is con- stantly on the alert to steal its secrets, and infinite precautions are taken to baffle their efforts. Very shortly after the first use of blotting-paper it was discovered that it was quite possible to cause a blotting-paper to give up a jealously-guarded secret by simply holding it in front of a mirror. Long after all the commercial world had forgotten the existence of such a thing the British Foreign Office used a sand-shaker to dry ita important documents. Then specially man? factured black blotting-paper was used, but this was not found to be absolutely spy- proof, end a return to the sand-shaker was contemplated. Then someone suggested the simple expedient of a small absorbent roller. Whea such a roller has been run up and down and across a document onee or twice, the cleverest spy in the world is at liberty to try h hand at deciphering the imprest siona.

Professor Sir Joseph John Thomson, O.M., has been, presented with the Albert Medal of the Royal Society of Arts for 1915, for his researches in physics and chemistry. Mr. A. Shaw, son of Lord Shaw, will be returned unopposed for Kilmarnock Burghs, in succession to the late Lieutenant W. G. C. Gladstone. I J

I CLUB WINDOW. Lord Kitchener deprecateg the presence of women anywhere near the scene of action. A bachelor himself, he prefers unmarried subordinates, and all his officers in the Soudan were single men, end were known as "the Bachelors of the Sword." e e e A good story of Mr. Lloyd George is being told. It concerns the time when the Chan- cellor was a frequent occupant of Welsh pulpits. In one of his addresses he had been descanting on the wisdom of the Creator, and he illustrated his theme as follows: "The Almighty does with you just as a good gardener does with his lfowers. He plants geraniums and heliotropes in the sunshine, because He knows they will grow better there, but He looks out for a shady nook for the fuchsias." On leaving the chapel an old woman grasped him by the hand. "Oh, Mr. George," she said, "your sermon has helped me, for never before have I been able to tell what was the matter with those dratted fuchsias." ;.1. Count Geza Zichy, who lost his right arm when a young man, has written a book re- lating his experiences in trying to make one arm do the work of two, hoping thereby to be helpful to others who may find themselves in the same predicament. Among other feats he succeeded in training his left hand to perform was that of playing the piano almost as well as the average person plays it with two hands. e e Judge Rentoul has & very large fund of legal reminiscences, and he has told a good story about the peculiar acoustic properties of the Old Bailey. On cne occasion he sen- tenced a prisoner to six months' hard labour, and immediately afterwards the echo of bis words came from the back of the court: "Six months' hard labour." The prisoner, who had probably never heard an echo be- fore in his life, evidently thought that he was in for a "double dose," for, turning to a warder at his side, he inquired in anxions tones: "Say, guv'nor, are these yere two sentences to run concurrently?" v Lord Onslow tells a good story of an agri- cultural show at which a bull named after him won first prize. Its owner, a famous stockbreeder, invited the peer to visit his farm, and wired to his bailiff to meet a cer- tain train, concluding his message, "I am bringing the Earl of Onslow with me." The bailiff thought the bull was referred to, and, as Lord Onslow tells, "he met us at the station, not with a carriage, but with a ring and stick!" < < e Sir Charles Wakefield, who has offered £5()() to the first person' who brings down a Zeppelin on the soil of the United Kingdom, is a much-travelled man, and particularly learned in the trade problems of the Far East. He is a great supporter of the boy scouts and also of the imperial cadet move- ment. Sir Charles' hobbies are aviation, motoring, and picture collecting. As an art patron he has shown a sympathetic tendency towards the impressionists. He gives large sums of money to charities. < e Lord Mersey, who has been appointed president of the Lusitania inquiry, has told an amusing story about an old lady who was told by someone some years ago that he had been appointed president of the Pro- bate, Divorce, and Admiralty Division. "Dear me!" she replied. "Is he going to the Admiralty Division? Then I do trust that he will see that we have a strong Navy! < e e Signor Caruso is a very good yentrolo- quist, and he often astonishes his friends by the power he has of "throwing" his voice to a distance. Apropos of this fact he has told the following story against him- self. He was out with some companions in the country when he told them that he would make a voice appear to come from the top of a large apple-tree. Everyone waited expectantly while the singer ap- proached the tree and addressed an imagi- nary person in the branches. He was just about to ventriloquise a suitable reply when he was astounded to hear a quavering little voice begging for mercy. There was a little boy up m the apple tree! Mr. Harry Lauder tells a good war story. During his stay in New York he was stand- ing round one of the bulletin-offices where war news was displayed. "There were a number of Germans hovering about," said Mr. Lauder, "so, like a wise Scot, I read the bulletin and said nothing, but kept my ears open. One German started to criticise the forces which were fighting against the Fatherland. I do not think much of the Russians! exclaimed one down-at-heel Teuton; while another member of the 'Hoch! der Kaiser crew gave vent to his opinioni with many Teutonic suggestions that France was weak, but he admitted that. the British were terrors. I was just going away," says the comedian, "when the voice of; another German delayed me. That's all right, boys,' he exclaimed, but what I am frightened about is these blooming e Sir Edward Carson once had the un- pleasant experience after leading a prosecu- tion on behalf of the Crown of being stoned by a mob whose ire had been aroused by his advocacy in court. The famous K.C., how- ever, soon got his own back. It fell to his lot to have to prosecute the ring-leader of of the gang who had maltreated him, with the result that the offender was sentenced to six months' imprisonment. • • • Mr. "Bert" Hoover, the American chief agent for Belgian relief, has had a life full of adventure. He started as a mining engineer, and at first went mining for two dollars a day. At the age of twenty-six he was the expert of the North China Government. For six weeks during the Boxer rising Mr. Hoover and his wife lived behind a barri- cade of rice bags and sugar barrels. Mr. Hoover worked a machine gun against the enemy, whilst Mrs. Hoover made tea for the besieged colony, and sweetened it with sugar taken from the barricades. • • • Ex-President Roosevelt, who has been clamouring for American intervention in the war, amongst his many other out-door accomplishments, is very skilful in the use of the lassoo. He once rescued a relative from drowning by lassooing him as he struggled in the water, and dragging him to the land. • • • King Victor Emmanuel of Italy is per- haps the most literary monarch in Europe. He knows English, French, and German equally as well as his native language, and has a reading acquaintance with Russian. He spends at least three hours a day in his gtudv busy with current literature of every kQcí • • Mr. T. A. Edison's courtship was charac- teristic of the great inventor. The first Mrs. Edison was, previous to her marriage, a telegraph operator in his employ. One day while standing behind her, watching her at work, Edison, who had long admired the young lady, was surprised when she turned round and said, "Mr. Edison, I can always tell when you arc near me." "How do you account for that?" returned Edison. "I don't know," responded the young lady; "but it is a fact, nevertheless." Edison looking her full in the face, said, "I've been thinking considerably about you of late, and, if you are willing to marry me, I would like to marry you." A month later they were married.

Mr. Lloyd George promised to consider a Buggestion that the tax on men-servants should be largely increased in view of the number of men of serviceable age still em- ployed as chauffeurs, footmen, and the like. At Greenwich Mr. Symmons decided that a German alien could not be allowed to change his name over his shop from "Wendel Jost," to "City Toilet Saloon," and he fined Jost £ 5 or one month's im- prisonment.

OUR CHILDREN'S CORNER. I • -7 J.i„, UNCLE RALPH.; iu .k' My DBAR CHILDRBN, I know you will be eagerly looking for- ward to see the result (f our Proverb Gues- sing Competition No. 2, and I will not keep you waiting longer than I can help. I am very pleased indeed with the entries that have been sent, most of which show great care and special attention with regard to neatness this time. Yes, I knew you could do it if you tried really hard. Now, what do you say to another Country Ramble Competition? We have not had one for some little time, and as I think the idea. will please you I have decided to reserve same splended awards foT the FOUR best papers sent in on or before June 10. Most of you will know exactly what to do, and. now that the longer, lighter evenings are here, I am sure you will find some good opportunities for getting out, and I guess you will be able to find heaps to talk about. There are so many wonders to be seen along the wayside and in the fields. What you have to do is to write me as neatly and as accurately as possible the story of your ramble and the beautiful things you see, remembering as our proverb says that "Well begun is half done," and address your papers to "Uncle Ralph," 8, La Belle Sauvage, London, E.C. I took a stroll myself the other evening, and standing beneath the great chestnut trees, which are now all covered with their pyramid shaped creamy blossoms, I really felt quite small. They just put me in mind of gigantic Christmas-trees, which you children love so well. Then I ran down to- the pool with my camera and waited for the little wagtail to come to the water's edge for a drink. Would he come! Of course not, and when my patience had nearly run out he hopped into view, peeped at me not, he bright black eves, and before l? had time to "snap" him he had disappeared again behind a great stone. Just you look out for him when you take your ramble, and if you should be lucky enough to see him, give him my "kind regards." Now I believe you know exactly what I want you to do, and I fihall look forward to receiving heaps and hedps of entries. Do not forget the closing date, June 10, and let there be no waste of time-tllpt enemy of all true progress-but set to work straight away after you have returned from the fields, and let me have your papers. Good-bye until next week. Much love W,. you all. Ever your affectionate, UNCLB. RALPK. THB CHILDREN'S CORNER UNION. FOUNDED BY UNCLE RALPH. (Open to Boys and Qirli under IS yean) Please enrol me as a Member of the -CCU" My age it yean. Same Jddrui Date When sigzked port to UNCLE RALPH, S. IJ. BaLlI SavyaMK, LOHDOS, B.C. Ifiembers dcilrinc aD lllnmlnated membershlo card. suitable far framing, should tnclote ponsy (tamp with this farm. I ANSWERS TO LETTERS. DICK PALMER So glad to hear you are pleased with your book. You must let me know what you think of the story. I am sure your friends will appreciate your kind- ness. KATE ELY: Very pleased to hear you are Al, and that you enjoyed the con- cert so well. GRACE O. FRENCH: Thank you very much, indeed, for your kind thoughts, Grace. I must see what can be done. CHARLES PASCOE: Very pad to wel- come you as a member. You must get your friends to join also. ANKIJ SANSOM Not quite correct this time. You must try again. LIZZIE PLACKETT: Very glad to hear you are so delighted with your prize. Yes. you must certainly try the other com- petitions. EDIE LASGMA-N Just one mis- take this time. Try again. PROVERB GUESSING COMPETITION No. 2.—SOLUTION. 1. Well begun is half done. 2. Speech is silvern, silence is golden. 3. Believe the best and leave the rest. 4. The deeper the ploughing, the heavier the mowing. LIST OF PRIZE WIERS- First Prize.—Olive Kellow. Second Prize.—Mabel Cutting.- Third Prize.—Charles Pascoe. Fourth Prize.—Florence Bennettc » THE ROCKING CHAIR. Tony was very fond of reading, and his • big brother Jack was very tond of sport. So when Jack was playing in the garden or looking for adventures in the field or by the river, Tony stayed in the schoolroom and read adventures in his book. At such times Tony had the room to himself, for his sisters always did whatever Jack told them to do. So Tony could sit in the chair he liked best, and that was the reeking chair. He had sat in it so often that he knew all about it, and he and the rocking chair were the best of friends. He could rock it in a most wonderful way, swinging back till ho was almost standing on his head, then swinging forward again just in time to keep the chair from toppling over. Now one very wet day Jack and the girls could not go out, but had to stay in the schoolroom beside Tonv. They tried several kind of games and very soon got tired of them. And all the time Tony went on read- ing his book and swinging in the rocking chair. And the more exciting the story became the more wildly Tony rocked, till Jack and the girls could t heJp watching him. Then Jack wanted to rock too, because he felt sure he could do much better than Tony as he was so much older. So he told Tonv to get off as he wanted the chair, and when Tony would not move he shoved him off and sat in it himself. At first Tony cried and fought, but after a little lie smiled to himself and went over to the window seat and waited. Jack pretended that he had a splendid idea for a new game that be wanted to ex- plain to the girls, but he really wished to show them how cleverly he could rock the chair. So he put his hands behind his head and began to rock slowly, looking- all the time as if he were thinking yerv hard. Now either Jack did not know the chair well enough or the chair did not know Jack, for he had hardly begun to rrrek it when it tumbled right back, sending him flying heels over bead on to the floor. There was a great big bump on his head when he rose, and he had to goo off at once and run the cold tap on it. Tony tailed to himself, and then he picked up the chair and began to rock it again. And after that Jack never took the rocking chair from Tony again. New Members-2860, Winnie Anderson; 2861, Edith Langman; 2862, Harry Gitli- land; 2863, Renee Lytham; 2864. Charles Pascoe; 2865, Dicky Pettit.

Saw mill premises and macninery belong- ing to Messrs. Haggis and Sons, near Cale- donian-road, King 6-cro6S, London, suffered several thousand pounds damage by fire. Blood poisoning, set up by a pcratch from a favourite cat, 'caused the death of James BrockweU, eighty-four, of Bickerscliffe- road. Tooting, on whom a coroner's jury re- turned a verdict of "Accidental death."