TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14976, 25 May 1914, Page 6

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

An Epidemic of Spying. A veritable epidemic of spying is reported to be raging in Austria and the south-western provinces of Russia. The city of Kieff, the Odessa correspondent of the "Standard" says, literally counter-spies, and

"agent-provocateurs." Arrests are made wholesale, and without tho least discrimination. Batches of suspects follow each other to the prison or guardhouse, only to be released after lan examination. The railway lines running to the western frontior are crowded with secret agents in all sorts of disguises. The absurd part of it is that most of these disguises are disguises in name only, and are easily seen through, though it is considered a point of I "good form" not to recognise a friend lor acquaintance if one moots him w*hen \ travelling in this way. Another ab- : surdity is said to be tbo way in which tho professional (-pies "play up" to each other. "One set will keen business brisk for their brethren on the other side by getting up little plots for discovery, knowing that the others will repay them later in tho same way. It is oven alleged that in certain districts there are recognised meeting places, where spies and counter-spies meet and exchange ideas,." This t-ysteni is said to bo appreciated greatly by the older men, who are past tho running about which is an essential part of tho duties of an alert agent, for they can make a eort of superannuation by coaching the younger men in the tricks of the trade. Probably in no other country has spying been made a regular business of life, and gone so far towards boin_ elevated to the rank of a recognised ana respectable profession. Tlie suggestion has even been humorously made that a Chair of Espionage should be established in tlie universities. This is a theme which opens up delightful vistas to the imagination. Some day a comic opera may bo written about tho subject.

The Perfect Picture Player. Like poots, picture theatre pianistwould seem to bo born, not made. According to tiio author of a "Guide for Pianists and Conductors of Motion Picture Theatres,'' which has been published recently, tho. art is ono to which many are called by the muso, but few are chosen. The impression given to the reader of this manual, in fact, is that tho intellectual and physical powers of endurance demanded of the pianist who carries through a recital cf Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms, are a trifle compared with those required of the really conscientious "picture player." He is confronted, first of all, with a formidable list of emotions to which fitting music must be supplied, if the thing is to be done thoroughly. "Alarm, abhorrence, ardour, curiosity, dreaming, distrust, despair, fear, faith, happiness, danger, death, doubt, hope, hatred, excitement, grief, pain, foreboding, joy, jealousy, suffering,, sorrow, resignation, ridiculo, laughter, tears, salutation, resentment, reserve, meditation, prayer, surprise, longing, pining, 'wishing, triumph"—

those, we are told, aro only a moderate selection of the various moods, emotions and states of mind which tho expert has to provide for in his repertoire. Such a demand on the player's versatility might tako a Paderewski or a Pachmann slightly aback. Tho "Guide" contains a number of practical tips for tha aspiring picture pianist. In those melodramas which abound in sentiment and pathos he is instructed to "select something quiet, refined, and emotional," and to "put plenty of feeling in it—something to fetch a handkerchief out." In religious subjects ope is recommended "not to play Hungarian music to an English period of tho Covenanters, or American ditties to an Egyptian period of religious storm and stress." Horticultural films should be accompanied by "something of a flowery or fruity nature, luscious and intoxicating." The author supplies a list of appropriato pieces in this section, but that he "has not come across anything in the potato or cabbago lino." In comic scenes the aspirant is advh-ed to avoid shch pathetic ballads as "Scratch my back, my blue-eyed Mabel," or "Father's pants will soon fif Bf-rtio,," which he suggests are only suitable to deranged intellects. Then, again, he should always havo a few tit-bits in stock to check a panic in case of an alarm of firo or. other cmergoncy. Certainly an extraordinary versatility roust be ono of the essentials to tho equipment of the "perfect picture pianist."

Sky-colour. "I hato the blue sky," was amongst tho abnormally perverse asservcrations by tho recitation of which a man might sell his soul to the Evil Ono. The sky's bluencss has always been a fact sworn to even by necromancers, and continually rejoiced in by evory right-minded generation of poets. Herbert gazes "up tho blue depth of that transparent air." Bryant snw abovo him a "cerulean wall' 1 : and Montgomery still more solidly imagines that "blockis of sapphire" may "iSeem to mortal eye Hewn from cerulean quarries of tho • sky." But while everyone could agree that the sky was blue, the reason of its colour waa for long one of the standing enigmas of meteorology. Long ago guess*-work suggested that tho higher air must be composed of innumerable thin bubbles of water, on which tho sky-colours were borne. It was a demonstrator so modern as the lato Professor Tyndajl who first successfully imitated tho heaven's blue, and by a very charming experiment produced a tube of artificial sky which "rivalled, if it did not transcend," the Italian sky's deepest and purest azure. And like many another Gcientifio mystery, this was doclared to bo a mere matter of particles. Infinitesimal specks of lava or meteordust, atoms of salt from tho spray and sea-fret of a storm, fine dust carried up from our earth surface, aro responsible for scattering the blue rays. "Extreme smaHness of size, far below the resolving power of a microscope, is the solo condition for the creation of _kybluc." In tho lower reaches of the at-uic-phoro. whore dust particles are relatively eoar_e, reflected whito light is added to the .scattered rays of blue, and a puler horizon testifies that the light received by the eye has passed through the lower dusty air. While far above our lightest dust cloud, blue is still produced by tho molecules of the air-gases. Observers in high mountain districts soe the sky as a deep indigo, and above a height of about 20.000 feet it is almost black, "It is this deep pure colour," says the author of "The Ago of the Earth," in a recent magazine article, "which is born in tbo atmosphere itself." Then Tennyson's eagle, close to the sun in lonely lands, should have been ring'd with an "indigo" in-st-jod of an "azure world." That "Heaven's blu© gates with sapphire glow," is a fairly satisfactory -tatexnent, 1 jt must bo a very deep.

dark sapphire. But poets, as at rule do not speak as alpine -limbers; -U any rate, we may feel well content *'f they describe our mountains "H}- 6 a _ armed hart, seen afar against the blue." For azure, even in the gleam of winter, remains our most prevailing colour tint. i- I>: was a blue day," wrote Miss Moreland, in '-Through South West-land"; and s_• explains, "all objects near and far were tinged with blue unaer the Ne**Zealand sky.'' Again sho speaks of

"one of iheso wonderful balmy West Coast days of perfect blue—blu 6 0 f _j- v and water, bush and mountain; is there anything in the whole world like it-" And Mr.cnco itself touches it shows that the dust _>f the work-a-day world flies transmuted as thi. heaveniv blac.