Papurau Newydd Cymru
Chwiliwch 15 miliwn o erthyglau papurau newydd Cymru
20 erthygl ar y dudalen hon
► . NOTES ON NEWS. 1
► NOTES ON NEWS. 1 "Grousing:" is a well-known habit of I ours as a people. We are, perhaps, too I As OTHERS SEE CS. much given to belittle I our own performances, and we have indulged this weakness to such an I extreme in connection with our part in the war that auite a number of us are per- suaded that we have never taken any step forward until we are driven to it, and that even then we have taken it grudgingly and only stepped 'half way. The danger of this habit of self-depreciation at a time like this is that other people, Allies and neutrals, may be inclined to reckon us up on our own valuation. It is pleasant, therefore, to read the tribute of capable judges from other countries who have visited 11-; and been afforded opportunities to see for themselves the magnitude of the j efforts which are being put forth. It is particularly pleasant when these observers happen to be those who are making com- mon cause with us in the conflict, as in the case of the members of the French Parlia- ment, who at the close of their visit paid a handsome tribute to the part Great Bri- tain and Ireland are playing in the war, in the provision of men, munitions, and money. Their spokesman said that they themselves had never been under any mis- apprehension with regard to the matter. They will now, however, be able to testify to the French people as those who have been and seen for themselves. Another who has been and seen is a dis- tinguished neutral, Mr. Frederick Palmer, A N- AMERICAN VIEW. an American, and one ot the most brilliant war correspondents of the day. He chaffs us good- naturedly in Collier's Weekly" on our habit of "grousing." and our talk of slackers when we have re- cruited three millions of volunteers. Our "grousing," he says, is heard all over the world, and is "taken by those who don't know these stubborn islanders as proof of their failure out of their own mouth." "To read the excerpts from the English papers as published in America," he goes on, "you would think that all the inhabi- tants of Britain were slackers, strikers, and muddlers. As the late Charles A. Dana said It is not news if a dog bites a man. but it is news if a man bites a dog.' The unusual attracts. attention. If the Welsh miners strike, if a society composed of five hundred of the forty million people in the British Isles declares that it is for -tance it non-resistance—that is news. It isn't news if three million Englishmen (Mr. Palmer means Scotsmen. Irishmen, and A\ elshmen as well!) have enlisted to fight, and are undergoing the merciless drill for ten hours a day." Mr. Palmer has sized up the position very neatly. That blockade of ours, which has been so much abused, seems to be something I A REAL BLOCKADE. more than a sham after I all. Indeed, according to news from the other side of the Atlantic, it appears I to be remarkably effective. This news supplies an effectual answer to the sensa- tional stories of enormously increased ex- ports from America to neutral countries, and thence to Germany. We are now told that American exports to Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Holland have declined from more than seven millions sterling in one week in March last year to less than two millions sterling in the corresponding week of this year. These figures represent goods sent from America. As to the value of the good that actually reached their destina- tion we have no means of knowing, but it is quite certain that nothing like seven million pounds' worth was landed while this year two millions were subjected to examination and rigorous tests. So far from the blockade being a sham, it is quite evident that very little gets through to Germany that can be of use to lie Things said are remembered by the public longer than things done for which SOMETHING DONE. reason Mr. Churchill s re- mark that if the German ships would not come out I they would be dug out  I .1 1=1  like rats out of a note is constantly quoted bv people as though it detracted in some measure from the part he played in having the Fleet at war stations before war broke cut. Yet the thing said was unimportant, a mere piece of rhetoric, while the thing done was the most decisive and the most far-reachinsr in effect of anything yet ac- I complished in the war. There is no need at this time of day to enlarge upon its effects; they are, or ought to be. well known to everybody. At one stroke, and without a gun being fired, a great victory was won, and the German Fleet, second only to our own in the world, was reduced to impotence. Yet we have people com- plaining, as Lord Montagu did the other day, of the "stagnation between the It is ti-tic that Fleets in the North Sea." It is true that there has been no sea fighting of import- ance for; fifteen months, and that the Ger- mans have not been dug out like rats. No- body regrets this more than the Navy, but it is at least certain that all the advan- tages of the position are on our side, while the euemy suffers under all the disadvan- tages. While so many people of the middle and I professional classes are complaining that How Is IT DOE 1" owing to the mcreaseo I cost of living they are un- I able to make ends meet, it would be interesting to know how the thing is managed in many I working-class households where the income has been raised very littie. if at all. above the pre-war standard. Viiere are many such, for though it is constantly atserted that the workers are now earning double or treble what Hhey were earning before the war, it should not be forgotten that this applies only to those who are directly engaged on war work in one form or another. There is still a great army of workers who are working for the same wage or are receiving nothiig more in the way of "extras" than a war bonus of three or four shillings a week. a mere trifle when one considers that the cost of living has risen by something like fifty per cent. How do they manage P We see middle-class people filling columns in the newspapers explaining how they economise, how they have solved, among others, the servant problem, by getting rid of their maids and employing a charwoman four days a week. But what would be really interesting is to know how the thing is done in those work- ing-class households where the income is from twenty-five to forty-five shillings a week, where husbands, wives, and families have to be fed and clothed, and where economy, even before the war, was a stern necessity. It is a pity that the wives of the workers do not write articles for the papers explaining how thev do it. 1;n- happily all their time is tak-n up in doing it.
MEN ESCAPE FROM GERMANY.I
MEN ESCAPE FROM GERMANY. I Private Vincent Howard, of the Scota Guards, has reat'hed his home in Liverpool after escaping from a German prison comp. Howard and two comrades left the camp during a snowstorm at night. They concealed themselves in ditches in the daytime, and walked fifty miles in three nights. One of the men suffered severely from frost-bite, but he managed to struggle on. The three soldiers were challenged by a sentry while they were crossing a railway. Two shots were fired at them, but they escaped. When Howard reached England he was sum- moned to Buckingham Palace by the King, who congratulated him on his daring achieve- ment.
FALL OF TREBIZOND. ]
FALL OF TREBIZOND. ] IMPORTANCE OF THE SUCCESS. I A Russian correspondent of the "Morning Post" declares that from the military point of view the capture of Trebizond constitutes I a feat of arms equal to the famous attack on Erzerum. The army which advanced from Erzerum wa-s not deemed sufficient to accom- plish a speedy capture of the important port, so another army was landed at Rizeh. It is the co-operation of these two armies which stands as unique in the annals of military history. The coastal region in which this army operated is absolutely isolated by the Pontus mountain chain from the Russian army which operated along the valley of Chorok; yet the two armies reached the appointed positions with almost mathe- matical exactitude, all the time fighting against the retreating Turkish forces. The right wing of the army along the coast line had the greatest difficulties to overcome in its advance, the rugged mountain ridge forming natural positions for the retreating Turkish army. These positions were also fortified by German engineers. The Russians had to storm them, sometimes knee-deep in snow, climbing mountains from nine to ten thousand feet high, and dragging with them their artillery. Then, with the melting of the snow, the numerous mountain rivulets became rapids, the icy waters of which the advancing army had to cross as best it could, for no pontoon bridges could possibly be built on account of their rapid course. At the same time it was very important that the centre of the army under General Przevalskv, which swept the Turks from the Chorok Valley, should not lag behind, for in that case the left wing of the army opera- ting on the coast would be exposed to flank jtftaek bv the Turks retreating toward.* Erzin,an. The armv under General Prze- valskv had encountered fresh Turkish divisions, probably sent from the Fifth Turkish Army, with headquarters at Smvrna, and had routed them consecutively at Ashkala and Mamahutan. We can gather from this (says the corre- spondent), amongst ether things, how well the Russian Army is now supplied with am- munition, notwithstanding the fact that it had to be carried first by sea, then by rail, subsequently on oxen, and finally on mules, which naturallv delayed its arrival. We can gather also how big are the reserves which Russia has at her disposal, for in order to make this rapid advance possible a great number of troops had to be engaged in the rear of the armies for the purpose of trans- porting the supplies, whilst others had to maintain the few existing caravan routes which needed constant repair, for the melt- ing of the snow threatened to make them impassable. THE STRATEGIC EFFECT. I The strategical importance ot lTebizond is obvious. In the first place, it is the port where most of the supplies were concen- trated, both for the Fourth (Syrian) Army and the sixth (Bagdad) Army, which cannot now possibly be replenished from Constanti- nople, as the only road, Angara-Sivas-Erzin- gan, is threatened by the Russians. In the second place, the fate of Erzingan, which is another big storing centre, is now absolutely sealed, and the Turks should be compelled to surrender it in a few days. The only road remaining for the retreating Turks is that of Trebizond-Gumiskhaneh-Sivas. This force will, however, be constantly subject to flank attack, both from the right wing and the centre of the Russian armies operating in Armenia. Again, Trebizond affords a splendid port for the Russian Fleet and a base for Russian submarines, by which the whole Turkish coast will be under control, making it abso- lutely impossible for any supplies to be transported by sea from Constantinople. It also gives the Russian Army easy access both to Erzingan and Sivas, thus threaten- ing the railway line Angora-Sivas, which is the chief route from Constantinople by land. Finally, the Fourth and the Fifth Turkish Armies operating in Syria and Mesopotamia are now threatened with being entirely cut off from Constantinople.
CLOSING THE WAR LOAN. I
CLOSING THE WAR LOAN. I The National War Savings Committee are informed by the Treasury that on and after May 1 Four-and-a-Half per Cent. War Loan 6crip vouchers still in the hands of the public will cease to be exchangeable into Four-aud-a-IIalf per Cent. War Loan, so that the account of the loan may at length be closed. Accordingly until April 29 inclu- sive ocrip YOHeher", for as., 10s.. and El can be dealt with as follows, according to the choice of the holder:— If they amount to X5 they may be ex- changed for Four-and-a-Half per Cent. War Loan stock, in which case interest will be paid on them at the rate of ld. for each 5s. for each complete month follow- ing the month of issue up to December 1 last, and in addition a bonus of Is. for each X5 will be paid. The War Loan stock issued in exchange for vouchers will carry a. full dividend pavable on June 1, 1916. They may be used to purchase a 5 per cent. Exchequer bond, the amount being made up to X5 by a cash payment if the vouchers do not amount to £ 5. In this case interest will be allowed on the vouchers at the rate of Id. per JJ1 for each complete month following the month of issue, but no bonus will be paid. They may be used towards the purc hase of a 15s. 6d. War Savings certificate. They may be deposited at their face value in a savings bank. Thev may be cashed at their face value. In the last three cases no interest or bonus will be paid. Persons still holding these vouchers are recommended to take advan- tage of the first alternative on or before April 29, as on and after May 1 this alter- native will no longer be available. No altera- tion has been made in regard to the ex- change of X5 scril.) certificates.
iDOCTOR'S WILL DISPUTED. I
DOCTOR'S WILL DISPUTED. I A case arising out of the will of a Chelsea doctor named Malcolm Ogden Cruicksharik, who, a few months ago, took poison, to- gether with his housekeeper, Charlotte Cordrey, to whom he bequeathed a life inte- rest in half his property, has been heard before Mr. Justice Bargrave Deane in tho Probate Court. Counsel said there was a will of June 16, 1915, and a codicil of July 24, 1915, the day Dr. Cruickshank attempted suicide. The codicil benefited the housekeeper's husband. The plaintiffs were three infants, who asked to have omitted from the will all benefit to the housekeeper. The defendants were the doctor's widow, from whom he was living apart when he made the will and who re- ceived no benefit; the housekeeper and her husband. Counsel said the doctor died as the result of the poison, but Mrs. Cordrey survived. The children's contention was that the housekeeper was not entitled to any benefit, as she had been a party to the doctor's death. That was denied by her. The parties had come to a compromise whereby Mrs. Cordrev was to receive out of the estates .£100 in full satisfaction of any claim she might have against the estate. The pro- perty was worth £ 4,000 or £ 5,000. Cutting out her interest, the children were sub- stantially benefited. The Judge asked whether an action was pending with regard to the codicil. Coun- sel replied that there would be an action, but they had to serve the husband, who was now in France. Plaintiffs were suggesting that when the codicil was made The doctor was not in a sound state of mind. His lordship pronounced for the will.
I GERMAN FINED AT DOVER. I
I GERMAN FINED AT DOVER. I At Dover a music-hall artist named Arthur Lawrence, alias Ralph Klasen, was fined X5 for being a German subject visit- ing a prohibited area and giving false in- formation concerning his birth. The Home Secretary had written stating that the authorities would leave the matter to the local justices. Klasen had sent a petition to the Home Secretary stating that he was the grandson of a British clergyman, and had always understood he was born at Has- tings. He had not been able to get hi3 birth certificate.
THE BRITISH FRONT.
THE BRITISH FRONT. TRENCH RECAPTURED BY THE SHROPSHIRES. On Saturday night the War Office issued the following dispatch froh the British General Headquarters in France: "Last night the King's Shropshire Light Infantry recaptured the trench about the Ypres-Langemarck road which was lost on the night of April 9. Our line there is com- pletely re-established. "To-day there has been artillf^T activity about Mametz, La Boisselle, Serre, Souchez, Givenchy, Wytschaete, and Ypres. Some mining activity about the Hohenzol- lern Redoubt and north of Neuve Chapelle." The following dispatch was issued on Sun- day night: "Last night we made a successful raid against enemy's trenches south-west of Thiepval. Thirteen prisoners were captured, and, in addition, a number of casualties were caused to the enemy by our men bombing their dug-outs. Our casualties were very slight. "Mining activity continues in the Hohen- zollern sector. "To-day there were artillery actions about Hebuterne, Neuville St. Vaast, Souchez, Carency, and about the Y pres- Com in es Canal. "Our artillery dispersed am enemy work- ing party in front of St. Eloi this after- noon. GERMAN AEROPLANE BROUGHT I DOWN. I Monday night's dispatch was as follows: "To-day there has been some mining ac- tivity about the Loos salient and at Neuve Chapelle. "Artillery on both sides has, been active about Neuville St. Vaast, Angres, the Ypres-Comines Canal, and at Hooge. "A hostile aeroplane was brought down by anti-aircraft gunfire near Ploegsteert. Pilot and observer killed. One of our machines is missing"
FIGHTING FOR KUT. I
FIGHTING FOR KUT. I RELIEF FORCE SUFFERS A FURTHER I CHECK. On Sunday evening the Secretary of the War Office issued the following announce- ment General Lake, telegraphing on April 23, reports as follows: "The attack niade this morning on the Sanna-i-Yat position on the left (nortn) bank, failed. The position had been syste- matically bombarded on the 20th and 21st at intervals during each night and again this morning "Owing to floods it was found possible for one brigade only tt) attack orer a very contracted front. "The leading troops of this brigade, con- sisting of a British composite battalion, ad- vanced with great gallantry, and penetrated tho enemy's first and second lines through bog and .submerged trenches, and a few got up into the third line. "The brigade, however, was unable to maintain itself under the enemy's counter- attacks, and other brigades pushed up on the right and left to reinforce were unable to reach their objectives across flooded and boggy ground under heavy machine-gun fire. "Our troops on the right bank also were unable to make much progress." BOMBARDMENT CONTINUED. I The following announcement was made on Monday evening:— "General Sir Percy Lake reports from Mesopotamia that the bombardment of the Sanna i Yat position was maintained throughout the day on April 23."
KINGS MESSAGE TO TSAR. I
KINGS MESSAGE TO TSAR. I CONFIDENCE IN VICTORY OF ALLIED I ARMIES. The following telegrams have passed be- tween the King and the Emperor of Russia Frcm the King to the Emperor of Russia: Easter Day, 1916. To-day, when by a happy coincidence our two nations are celebrating Easter and we are commemorating St. George, I cannot re- frain from sending you my congratulations and expressing my renewed confidence in the victory of our allied armies. I have fol- lowed with delight the recent victorious achievements of your gallant army. The Emperor of Russia's reply: Warmest thanks for your kind Easter greetings and good wishes. I entirely share your confidence in the ultimate success of our combined efforts.
UNSHADED RECTORY LIGHT. I
UNSHADED RECTORY LIGHT. I For showing a light from a window the Rev. Charles James Ward, rector of Barn- ston, Essex, was summoned at Dunmow. The beam of the light was said to be twenty- eight yards. Mr. Henry B. Turner, of Barnston Hall, the parish warden and a special constable, gave evidence. The Rector: Was there enough light from my window to light a cock robin on to a perch?—That is ridiculous. You know you and the other special con- stables are the only two men in Barnston not welcome at the rectory?—I don't know that. When I brought a lamp out you blew it out in a most insolent manner. I might have thrown the lamp at you.—Then we would soon have had some fun. The Rector (aged fifty): If I were twenty years younger I would provide you with all the fun you require. These specials are not fit for the job. They have a special spite against me. I don't care twopence for Mr. Turner. A fine of X3 was imposed.
IABSURDITY OF THE LAW. I
ABSURDITY OF THE LAW. I "One of the absurdities of the law,' as the magistrate described it, was revealed at Westminster Police-court on Monday, when George Williams was charged with stealing jewellery worth E300 from Lady Paris at the Naval and Military Hotel, South Ken- sington, where he was employed as a waiter. Williams pleaded guilty, and Lady Paris asked if the case could not be dealt with summarily, instead of going to the sessions. The magistrate answered that there was a technicality in the way, because the value of the property stolen in a dwelling-house was more than R5. Therefore he could not deal with it. "If the prisoner had stolen £ 10,000 out- side in the street, I could have done 80." he added. "This is one of the absurdities of the law."
IAIRMAN KILLED AT BOURNEMOUTHI
I AIRMAN KILLED AT BOURNEMOUTH At Bournemouth on Monday a sad aviation fatality occurred shortly after eight o'clock in the morning. Lieutenant Edward Wit"ic Reddeck. of the Royal Flying Corps, son of I the late Colonel E. W. Reddeck, of Bourne- mouth, left Beaulieu, in the New Forcet, in an Army biplane, and safely reached the aerodrome near Bournemouth, where he came down to rest. He started his Teturn night in excellent spirits, but after journeying about a mile his machine turned sideways and nose-dived to tho ground near the aerodrome. The machine was completely wrecked, and the young lieutenant lay beneath. He died ) from his injuries half an hour afterwards.
[No title]
Guy Barton Hardy, aged thirty-three, a mechanical engineer of Adelaide, who came to this country in December last to join the Army, was found unoonscious in his room at a Piccadilly hotel, London, W., and died in Charing Cross Hospital. He ob- tained a waxrant officer's rank in the Naval Air Service, but his health had been poor, and he had made arrangements to go back to Australia*
I IN LIGHTER VEIN. I
IN LIGHTER VEIN. I BT I THOMAS JAY. ILLUSTRATED By J. H. UNN. I It is the Central Control Board who have done this thing. They have been sitting up late at nights burning the midnight oil supplied by the local electricity company, and they have invented a non-intoxicating beer. There was a time when the domesti- cated man would sneak out in the evenings and dally with the wine god, play right into the hands of Bacchus, and return home late at night with the apologetic look of a man who has come into contact with a couple of soused herrings. Then there was always that "next morning" feeling, when the victim had a suspicion that somebody had removed his eyes and replaced them by red-hot door-handles, when the pillow had yf,rked its way across the room and was wrestling with the wash-stand, when the poor nerve racked-fellow would address the lonely sparrow on his window-sill in the rnorn-.ii- with no mincing of words, and indicate that for the future he was on the water-cart. All this will be abolished now, for they have invented non-intoxicating beer. The Britisher will realise now the true horrors of war. There is one consola- tion, and one only. It may not be true. Writing in the "Globe-" the other day, a correspondent who signs himself "X" sug- gested that Mr. McKenna made a mistake in not including under amusements the polioe-court. And rightly so. Here it is that you can almost see the welkin ring, which is all very well if you happen to know what a welkin is. Note on the left the magistrate's clerk's desk. Note how the MAGISTERIAL WIT. sides are worn where the clerk holds on to them as he rocks with laughter at the jokes from the Bench. This ex- plains whv the front row of the stalls in the police court is always so full. Note the police- men, how fat I they are, all brought up on good magisterial jokes. Note the worn look of the rafters, caused by the continued "bringing down of the roof" at such masterpieces of British humour as "Who is George Robey?" and "What is a sardine? Only healthy people who can stand a joke should attend the police-court, though first-aid to the amused is now being taught the court officials. Gardening: is now in full swing. It is a favourite hobby—with some people. A gardener's outfit consists of a brace of seeds, a cast-iron back with a hinge in the middle, and a day off. A garden is a very useful thing to have about you. Lots of people take up gardening as a hobby. Some dj it on purpose. The worst part about gardening is that it compels people to get out of bed at a ridiculously early hour before the morning has been taken out of the developer bath. Nothing short of an over-night inebriation would make a sen- sible man wake up and go out into the garden at an hour so early that they have not yet taken the mist off its peg. If you see a man in the train with a corrugated forehead in four instalments, with a bundle of canes in his hand and bits of straw in his hair, that is a gardener. So unless you want to be like that poor fellow, never have a garden. All my life I have striven to be up-to- date, to be in the swim, to keep up with the trend of events, and nights on end have I lain awake, fearful lest I should be left out in the cold; for really it is difficult to keep pace with events. Sleep brings repose, sayeth the poet. Does it? It nearly always results in a man waking up to find himself faced with another strike. The strike is a national institution. If it were not for the strike some of us would forget that we were living in a free oountry. Philosophers try to excuse strikes under the foolish old be- whiskered law of supply and demand. There is precious little supply about it, and per- haps a little too much demand. One of these days the strike will be stopped, and we shall be sorry we spoke. ———— I firmly believe that one of these days we shall be faced with a world strike. Everyone will be on strike, the artisans, the masters- ves, and even the strike leaders and arbitra- tors. My friends suggest that this will never happen, and that I shall go down to my quiet grave with- out being the victim of such a thing. Let us study this strike theory quite apart from the industrial talk of supply, demand, and other pet s u b j e c ts evolve by the late Joh™ Stuart Mill. In my opinion the popularity of the strike is largely due to the fact that it is about the only occupa- tion not involving ON STRIKE. I labour. It gives just that sort of repose some people seem to need. When you are tired of sitting at home you can go out and draw your strike pay, or do a little picket- perhaps later you can offer to ban- dage the head of the policeman who has been hit by a brick hurled by one of the peaceful picketers. Or if such excitement is not desired, there are other things to be done, providing that the strike pay holds out sufficiently long. Should this suddenly give out—well, no sensible striker will desire to strike after that. Then there is a foolish idea abroad that strikes are a sheer waste of time, but this can be easily disproved. Take the case of the tram strike. What happens? By a neat little plot of the Government the lights are turned down. The average man wants t. get home—all average men try to get home sometimes—and finding he cannot get a tram to take him he calls a taxi. You never know, he may get into the dangerous habit of taking taxis instead of the cheaper tram. Once he is in the grip of the taxi he is a lieaten man. The taxi-driver is a man who is supported entirely by involuntary contributions. So it is that what we lose on the trams we make up on the taxi, with the result that a meeting is called, and it is suggested that nothing short of a tax on imported bananas or a General Election will put the matter right. and the men go back to work. History records many early strikes, but they had a quick method. There is the caee of King John, who, while trying to take the Magna Chnrta across the Wash, found himself faced with a strike of seamen, and the trip was called off; while it is laid down that William the Conqueror would never have conquered had it not been for the fact that the other fellow had engaged an army of non-union men, who, just as Williaia was about to conquer, suddenly joined the other people the strike of Barons was another historical^ incident well known to all, and, as I have forgotten it myself, I will not labour the point.
IKNOWN AS "SNEEZE-WOOD.' I
I KNOWN AS "SNEEZE-WOOD.' I Among its many other peculiarities South Africa includes the "sneeze-wood" tree, which takes its name from the fact that one cannot cut it with a saw without sneezing. Even in planing the wood it will sometimes have the same effect. No insect or worm will touch it; it is very bitter to the taste, and its specific gravity is heavier than water. The colour is light brown, the grain I running very close and hard; it is, too, a nice-looking wood, and takes a good polish. For dock work, piers, or jetties it is a most useful timber, keeping sound a long while under water.
TEA TABLE TALK.I
TEA TABLE TALK. I The Duchess of Marlborough lias the heaviest correspondence of any woman in London. But there is no confusion, practi- cally every letter is answered the same day it is received, and the Duchess favours pre- paid envelopes, as stamps take so much time to affix. » Lady Cowdray is a delightful speaker, and is always very frank in expressing her views. She once made some interesting re- marks on business men as lovers. "A man with a great business," she said, "entailing large responsibilities, may not have much time for demonstrating affection. An idle man, with no ambition, has. But the affec- tion of such a man would in time become somewhat tedious, whereas the less mono- tonous affection of the strong, hard-working man of business would remain one of the things to be treasured in a woman's life. After all." she concluded, "love-making is not the onlv interest in life." In her book of reminiscences, "Recollec- tions of an Admiral's Wife," Lady Poore, wife of Admiral Poore, tells a good story of Sir Georsre Reid. M.P. Sir George has always been noted for his clever way with hecklers, and once when he was addressing a nieet i ii-, a meeting, a woman who was extremely angry with something he had said, shouted out, "If you were my husband, I'd give you poison "Madam," replied Sir George quietly, "if you were my wife I'd take it!" » Lady Desborough, who is attached to her Majesty's Court as Extra Lady of the Bed- chamber, for many years has been a notable figure in the Royal retinue, and is always in attendance at the big State functions held at Buckingham Palace. She is the mother of two charming daughters, the elder of whom c.ne out a few years ago, the Hon. Monica Grenfell. Her two gallant sons have both been killed in action. The heir t) the title is now the Hon. Ivor Grenfell, who is in his eighteenth year. Lady Des- borough is a very graceful woman, tall and slender, and in dress she usually" favours black, with old lace and picture hats. Madame Clara Butt (Mrs. Kennerlcy Rumford), the famous contralto singer, is exceedingly generous in giving encores, for which reason it has been said that at Madame Clara Butt's concerts there ia always quality as well as quantity. Born the vear after Queen Victoria came to the throne, and ten years before Miss Ellen Terry. Miss Gencvieve Ward has been acting since she was eighteen. Italian grand opera was her first love, but after some years as an operatic singer she strained her voice so badly during a tour in Cuba that she was forced to abandon this work. With that indomitable courage that has always been characteristic of her, Miss Ward turned to the "regular" stage. The first important part she succeeded in secur- ing was that of Lady Macbeth, but it is for her performance in "Forget-me-Not that she is best remembered. Viscountess Wolseley, the daughter cf the famous Field Marshal, who inherited her father's title, has for several years had a school for gardening upon her estate at Glynde. Many of these girls who have graduated from the school have been trained to lay out and take care of the fancy gardens which are the delight of wealthy people. They are accustomed to hard work, and have transformed the acres at Glynde, which, ten years ago, were corn fields, infested with wire-worm, ravaged by the sun and fierce winds from the west. One of the nurses who is associated with Queen Amelie of Portugal in Red Cross work says that her intimate knowledge often puts the professional staff to shame. This is really not surprising, seeing that Queen Amelie qualified herself as a doctor years £ go, and practised medicine for the benefit of the poor of Lisbon. She still keeps quite up to date, reading all the newest books on hospital work. The Queen of the Netherlands, as Wilhel- mina, Queen of Holland, is commonly called, is one of the most interesting women in the world. She is also the only woman in the world who is a reigning Sovereign, and has been such since her tenth year, in 1890, upon the death of her father, the former King. She was the only child, therefore her education had to be particularly broad and comprehensive. The system adopted was naturally a methodical one and severe. The different professors engaged to instruct the little Queen on special subjects were experts in their chosen fields, and Wilhelmina proved to be not a brilliant student at all, but a steady plodder. The great idea in systematising the course of study of the Queen was that the greatest possible amount of work should be accomplished within the smallest space of time. < A good story of the energetic Grand Duchess Cyril is told in Petrograd. The Grand Duchess supervised the building of a new hospital, and, eays the administrator, "instead of nine or ten workmen dreamily pottering about with bits of wood, smoking and chatting, I found about fifty frenzied creatures all flinging planks in through every aperture!" < Bertha Krupp is known as "Queen Krupp" all around Essen, where she resides. The title is not ill-bestowed, for in that town alone she employs thousands of men. Bolides this, she owns gas-fworks, railways, telegraphs, telephones, bakeries, and general stores. She has also about 1,000 men who are as much a body of trained soldiers as any in Germany, who are well armed and act as her guard. In addition to the senti- nels who march up and down the terrace of her castle, there are pickets throughout the grounds. The Dowager Countess of Ilchester h:16 given Miss Theodora Lockhart, elder daugh- ter of the late W. E. Lockhart, R.A., the post of head gardener for her beautiful gardens in Holland Park. The woman gar- dener has been given the special care of the Alpine gardens. The gardens are celebrated among experts for the rare and lovely plants they contain, and the Japanese gardens were laid out by gardeners specially imported from Japan'for the purpose. Sometimes the Dowager Lady Ilchester used to give balls at Holland House, and in July, 1899, a brilliant ball was held there, at which the Duke and Duchess of Connaught were pre- sent. and Lady Ilchester received her guests on the terrace in the garden, which was quite beautifully lit up, and most of the paths covered with red felt. There was a second band in the garden, and teas and refreshments were servoo in the tea-house at the end of the Dutch Garden. < Prince Knut, the six-year-old eon of the Crown Prince of Denmark, like other small boys, is not very fond of being "tubbed." Once he and his nurse had a quarrel about it, and the little Prince, in a temper, threw a sponge in the woman's face. His mother, the Princess, was sent for, and, after hear- ing the story, decided that the Prince was in the wrong. Prince Knut was ordered to go and fetch the cane, and, as he knew what hiB mother wanted it for, he did not like the errand. He went, however, and after some little time, back he came. "I can't find the cane," he explained, "but here are two stones instead. You can throw them at
KINDS OF SHRAPNEL I
KINDS OF SHRAPNEL I Nearly every country has its own type ot shrapnel shell, which differs in some small degree from any of the others. There is a difference in appearance of the Russian, German, British, and French shrapnel shells. Of course it is very important that the situation of the guns firing these shells should be as closely hidden as possible, and in order to accomplish this only the best types of smokeless powder are used in the shells. That used by the British and Rus- sians is practically the same. The Germans, however, use r different kind arranged in long sticks, which are held in bundles by cords round the ends. The French smokeless powder is also in sticks, each half an inch wide and about one-fiftieth of an inch thick. The number of bullets contained in a three- inch shrapnel shell varies from 210 ta as many as 360.
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, OUR CHILDREN'S CORNER.
OUR CHILDREN'S CORNER. BY UNCLE RALPH. THE PICNIC. Willie happened to have a birthday, and so his mother told him that he could do any kind of thing that he liked in the after- noon. And Willie thought that it would be very nice indeed to have a picnic. So he asked two little girls, called Jessie and Janet, and his dog, who was called Bob, and he arranged all about the things that they would take to eat. When the afternoon came they set out, and they made up their minds that they would eat up all the things that they were carrying before they came back, because they were so heavy to carry and made their arms ache. So they chose a nice place with a few trees round it, and they unpacked all the things that they had brought and got them ready to eat. And they ate and ate and ate, until they really could not eat any more, and still there were lots of cake and things left that they would have to carry home. And Bob the dog ate and ate and ate also until he couldn't eat any more. And they wondered whatever they had better do, because it was much too hot to carry the rest of the cakes back with them. Then, suddenly, they heard a very funny kind of noise. And they looked round, and there just behind them was. a very hungry- looking donkey. And they gave him the rest of the cakes to eat, and he ate them all up, and so thev didn't have anything to carry home with them, which was nice. PHYLLIS AND PHIL. Everybody likes Phyllis and Phil, for they are two of the merriest, most contented little people living. Everything that they are asked to do is done cheerfully and with a good will, whether it be work or play, hard or easy, and no one gets more pleasure out of life than six-vear-old Phil and his year-older sister Phvllis. It is quite a pleasure to see them start off to school hand in hand, both look- ing as bright and fresh as the morning, while Phil carries the satchel of books, as a man should. Even if you were only able to look at the back of them as they run along together you could tell what a lively, cheer- ful little couple they are, for you would never see them dawdling. -No, Phyllis and Phil go to school like the sensible little man and woman they are, and they put their whole heart into their work and find there is plenty of pleasure to be got out of it. But if they can work well they can play just as well too. They are the life and soul of the play-hour, and no game can be flat or dull when they take part in it. In racing and jumping also they come well to the front. You should see the invitations the two of them get to parties and treats of all klncL, For evervoiie says, "We must have little Phyllis and Phil they always enjoy every- thing so much, and are so merry and sweet. it is a joy to see them!" FEEDING THE BIRDS. Two birds upon the apple tree A cosy nest did build With eggs as pretty as could be The cosy nest they filled. Five birdies presently came out, Who feebly cried, "Tweet, tweet!" Hans thought they'd very soon grow stout- All day they seemed to eat! The birdies chirped, "We want our tea!" "My dears," their mother said, "I'm finding worms-just wait for me." Hans thought, "I've got some bread- "I'll feed them"; so he climbed the tree And scattered crumbs from there. The birds all ate them eagerly, He gave them each a share. But suddenly he slipped and fell As he was turning round He knocked against the nest as well, And all came to the ground Hans scrambled up. "Oh, birds," laugncd he. "I'il put you in your nest; Your mother's brought some worms, I see, She feeds you far the best! HOW MANY? When Grandma came into the room she found a sad state of things. Janet and Billy were playing in opposite corners, their backa carefully turned to each other, and Grandma guessed at once that a quarrel had taken place. She pretended not to notice anythiag wrong, however. "Well, children," she said cheerfully, "did the birds enjoy the crumbs you put out for them? "Ever so much," said Janet, kneeling down beside Grandma's chair. "Eleven darling little sparrows came almost at once." "Twelve sparrows, Grandma," corrected Billy. "Eleven!" persisted Janet. "I counted them twice." "There were twelve," repeated Billy. "I couldn't count one that wasn't there, could I, Grandma?" 1, ?'Yoit did!" said Janet. "Didn't!" answered Billy. Dear me, this will never do! said Grandma. "Why didn't you both count again to make sure? "Because someone opened the window and frightened them away." "Ah, that was my fault," said Grandma. "I saw Pussy coming and wanted to warn the birds." "Then you saw them? cried Janet. "I was right, wasn't I, Grandma? "You were both right, and both wrong," said Grandma quietly. "I counted twelve birds, but only eleven of them were sparrows. One was a chaffinch, you see. Janet was right about the sparrows, and Billy about the number of birds, so your quarrel, like most quarrels, was all for nothing." For a moment both Janet and Billy were taken aback, then they couldn't help laugh- ing at this unexpected answer to their puzzle, and after that, of course, they were friends again. THE WERE-WOLF. In a small red cottage amidst the hills of Brittjiny lived Julie and Therese, Emile and Rose-Marie. Every morning, when they had eaten a slice of brown bread, and taken a draught of new milk from a wooden mug, they set off for school. The way seemed very short when Julie told them stories. There was one particular story they often asked for, though it made even Emile ner- vous if dusk overtook them on their way home. It was that of a fearful were-wolf, who stole small people-plump girls for choice-and carried them off to his gloomy lair. The wolf had long since been cap- tured, according to Julie, but Rose-Marie was dreadfully afraid that some day she would meet him. One afternoon they were late in finishing their tasks at school, and their teacher told them to run home quickly. The children trooped off in different direc- tions, racing each other to see who would reach home first. Rose-Marie lingered on the road to tie the string of her wooden sabots, and when she lifted her flushed little face the others were out of sight. How she hurried to catch them up! When she came to the path that led through the forest, there was still no sign of them. As she quickened her pace she stumbled and fell, and when she tried to scramble up she found that her foot was twisted and that she could not stir. Presently she fell asleep. She was awakened by a hot breath on her face, and a warm, hairy body pressing close beside her. It was the dreadful were-wolf. she thought, with a pang of terror. But it was only Trusco, the kind old dog, who had come with her father to find her.
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The death is announced at the age of fifty- one of Mr. W. Van Noorden, born in London of Dutch parents, conductor of the Carl Rcsa Opera Company for sixteen years.