THE PATRIOTIC FUND

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2236, 24 August 1914, Page 6

THE PATRIOTIC FUND

SOME BIG CHEQUES SWELL A STEADILY GROWING TOTAL The/following additional subscriptions to the Patriotic Fund have been received by the Prime Minister-—

TT & s. d. Haiwa resdente 1002 19 6 Ellershe Town Board 10 0 0 Government Departments 58 12 6 Vaikopire and Tβ Uri's contributions (Orniondville) „. i3Q go Public Service Commissioners 30 0 0 Through Defence Department 50 0 0 Pukekohe residents (first instalment) , 500 0 0 Manawatu Automobile As-'' sociation 137 4 q Wellington Racing Club... 1000 0 0 Greyraouth citizens (first instalment) • 2000 0 0 Dannevirke Patriotic Fund 500 0 0 Tokomaru Bay Fund' 184 4 7 Taihape District (second ' instalment) , 89 8 0 Stratford Defence Fund. gifts of horses, etc. Citizens and Settlors, Wav- > erloy (first instalment) 600 0 0 Champion Co., Ltd., Wei- • lington, offer percentage of weekly wages from company and its employees. Employees Sargood, Son, and Ewen, Wellington, a horse. N.Z. Insurance Co. Board, ' Auckland, provision for staff enlisted ' 1000 0 0 Westport Coal Co 1000 0 0 Hawko's Bay County Coun- ■ cil fund (second instal- : ment) 394 10 0 Eaglan Patriotic Fundi Committee ..".■............ 125 12 0 Woodville District Jockey' Club ;. 105 0 0 Through Petone Borough Council '•• 52 10 0 Ohingaiti District 112 7 6 Through Napiar Borough ■ ' Council ■.'. 4000 0 0 Government Departments 1 10 Mr. S. ■ Wakem, secretary of the Syrian Benevolent Society, has collected the sum of £71 15s. from his countrj'men in these'parts,, and the amount has been forwarded to tho Prime Minister as a, donation to the Patriotip Fund. . • ' The following copy of a letter has. been received by Miss Gear from, the staff officer, N.Z.V.O.:—Dear Madam,— On behalf of\the ifew Zealand Army, I desire to thank you very sincerely for your generous donation of £60 towards the purchase of two horse 3 for the Expeditionary Force. Your cheque • for this purpose has been'handed'to me.by Lieut.-Colouel Johnston, E.A.—Yours faithfully, (Signed) H. W. Reid! Captain N.Z.V.C., Staff Officer.' , ". ,Tho Foilding hranch of the Farmers' Union at a meeting held last week promised the following gifte:—

£ 6. d. M. A. Conway (chairman) ... 20:0 0 F. Y. Lethbridgo'. '~ GO 0 0 E. Turnbull ... 20 0 0 O'Halloran ,2 2 0. W.F.Jac0b............ 20 0 0 A. Green, sen. ...:.......... 4 4 0 ; Edward Gorton Estate \ 50 0 0 W. E. L. Banks , ;.. 10 0:0. D;"L. : Younger ....■..../...,..... 10 10 ■ 0; ■A. F. Fitzherbert 25 0 0 W. H. Jacob, jun. ...,. 6 5 0 ~A. Green, jun.,. troop horse. ■ ' ' O. M'Elroy, troop horse; : . A..F. Fitzherbert, troop horse. H. E. Hocken, 5 tons hay.. J. Bruce) artillery horse. E. Twigg, artillery horse. G. Pearce, 10 tons hay. ■ . H. Smith, 5 tons hay. W. H. Brewster, .6 sacks'oats , . l Hugh Burrell, 1 ton chaff, i L. M'Leau/5 tons potatoes: . ,

ST. JOHN'S CHURCH GIVES £393. Tbe collection taken up in St, John'ii Presbyterian Church yesterday in ■ aid of the Patriotic Fund realised £373. In. addition to the above the Ladies' Association collected £20 in aid of .the Countess of Liverpool's Fund. JVery large congregations attended both morning and evening services, and stirring . fcjrmons were preached by the Rev. Dr. fitibb. The subject in the morning was* "New Zealand's Debt to the Motherland," and in- the- evening "For the Empire." , /

IN OTHER CENTRES,

ROSS AND GLENDINING, £3000. , 'By Telegraph.—Press Association.) .' ' . Dunedln, August 23!

Messrs. Ross and Glendining, Ltd., have handed" tho "Daily Times" Company a cheque for £3000 as a corftribution to the Patriotic Fund, to be distributed aa follows:—Dunedin, £1000; Christchurch, Wellington, and Auckland, each £500; Invercargill and Napier, each £100; Nelson, Greymouth, Blenheim , , Wangamii, New Plymouth, and Gisborno, each £50, r

Cora, August. 22,

Contributions in cash and promises to the Gore Citizens' Defence Committee amount to some £1200.. In addition horses and fodder estimated to be worth between £600 and £700. The value of the list of goods sivpplied by tho ladies' branch of the Gore Citizens' Defence Committee totals £230. In addition the ladies presented Major M'Kenzie, of Gore, who commands the 7th Regimental Squadron, with a horse.

Hawera, August 22,

A! large and representative meeting of the dairy factory companies of Taranaki, held in Hawera on Saturday afternoon, passed a resolution recommending all dairy factories in New Zealand to make a monthly contribution to the Empire Defonco Fund on the basis of half per cent, of the value of dairy produce shipped whilst -the war continued, such contributions to be on the basis of one shilling per pound for butter and. sixpence 'per pound for cheese, the contributions to be forwarded to tho National Dairy Association. Wanganul, August 22. Wanganui's contribution to the war fund is now well over £4000. In addition many horses, motor-wagons, and cars, also much produce, have been given. ... Tho Auckland Women's League for Biblc-in-Schools distributed 900 Now Testaments to tho Epsom mobilisation camp last Sunday. The volunteers were lined up in columns, and the ladies wero Ciscortod down the , ranks, asking each man to take tho little Book with him on the forthcoming campaign. Tho Testaments were readily accepted. "THE DOMINION" LISTS. The following are tho donations to 'The Dominion's War Fund list to date:— WAR FUND. Previously acknowledged ... 1398 4 0 Mrs. Gear 20 0 0 Total 1418 4 6. RELIEF FUND. Contributions to tho fund for the relief of local cases of distress as a result ol tho war will be kept entirely separate from the War Fund, and wiil be used solely for the purpose desienated. .• . £ s. d. Previously acknowledged ... 300 0 0 H. L. Heymanson u 0 0 Total ) !!u , , , 305 Q Q_

PATRIOTIC CONCERT. PROCEEDS TOTAL £83. A most successful patriotic- concert was given m the Town Hall -last night m aid of the Mayor's Pajaiotic Fund, llie Hall was crowded, a. record was set up m regard to the- collection, w'hilo tee quality of the items on the programme was of the best. During an interval in tho concert His Worship tiie Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) delivered a short patriotic address. The outstanding item of the programme was tho recital by Mr. Alexander Watson of Kip™R s Hie Absent-minded Beggar." lJefore delivering tho piece Mr. Watson humorously exhorted the people that if moved by the words of the recitation to empty their pockets, not.to throw the contents on tho stage. Ho asked tins for. two reasons; Sonie of the money might be lost, whilo they Tan tho risk of injuring the most popular man in Wellington. He referred to the Mayor. They would have an opportunity of responding to the recitation subsequent to its delivery, when hats would be Landed round amongst the audience. Tho handing round of the hats after the recital realised no less a sum that £85 125., which with the door contributions brought the total proceeds of tho concert up to £83. "The remainder of the items.on the programme; which were mostly all encored, were as under:—Organ solo, Handel's "Largo," Mr. Bernard Page; Songs, "Abide With Me" (Liddle), and "Liko as the Hart" (Francis Allitsen), Miss Zfflma Hugo; "Thus Saith the Lord" and "But Who May -Abide" ("The Messiah"), and "Ave Maria" (Mr. Bernard Pago), Mr. Hamilton Hodges; 'cello solos, "Gantabile" (Cui), and "Le Cygne" (Saint-Saens), Mr. Frank Jolmstono.

ON MOTOR DUTY The following motorists will be on duty to-day:—Messrs. Walter Johnstone, Guy Fulton, C. J. Lockwood, F.' Clark. ' • • .

■\ ; .MINES

ANCHORED AND FLOATING A TERRIBLE WEAPON

There.are three distinct kinds of mines that may be used in naval war. These are: (1) Such as are anchored at sea or, in. harbours, and are exploded by means of an eleetrio button pressed from the shore; (2) such as are anchored at sea, which explode if brought into contact with a passing vessel; and (3) such as are allowed to float about at, tho mercy of the wind and tide, and which also explode by contact. Of the first type there is little to be said , . As, they are under 'control, they are liable k> do no' accidental damage. If they are fired, the act is deliberately done. Those falling under the second and third categories are much more dangerous. Even, though anchored they may break loose and become a meuace to passing vessels, while those that are quite unanchored may be a terrible source of danger alike to friend and foe. Tho_ Qhinese Government complained after the Russo-Japanese War that between oUO and 600 of its nationals lost I their lives tliTougli/unanchore'd contact mines, China being .a neutral in 'the conflict. British vessels, too, had to , feel their way warily through a sea of mines jyhile,.in .Japanese.waters at the time, •: and 'it. is'-surprising'that there were not jnore fatalities. • Afford a Cheap Defeno'e.

At The Hague it was pointed out by ■Count Castiglia, the Italian naval delegate, that mines provide a cheap form of defence for States with weak navies, and were of value for the purpose of coast defence, even in the hands of States with strong navies.' Another delegate. Admiral Siegfll, of the German navy, said that mine-'aying ought not to be restricted to the territorial, waters of the belligerents, because tooy mijrht have to be,laid perhaps twenty railes from a blockaded coast to defend :t. He also pointed out that a squadron flying from a pursuing fleet might have to drop unanefcored mines in order to check pursuit, and to make tiiero harmless an hour affer deposit, as had »ieen siicsested, would deprive them of all value for that purpose., Lord Loreburn pronounces emphatical'y. against mines. The Hague Convention.

n Attempts were made at the last Peace Convention, at The Hague, to place some restrictions on tho use of mines. Very littlo headway, however, was made, delegates holding very divided views. Mr. P. E. Smith, K.C., who has just been appointed dflssoniinator-in-chief of war news in London, gives a graphic account of the' discussion by delegates at .The Hague on the subject of contact mines. It , ' would seem that already in 1906, the year before The Hague Conference met, the Institute-of International . Law adopted rules prohibiting tho placing of anchored or floating mines in the high seas, and prohibiting belligerents from placing mines, in their own waters, or those of the enemy, which were liable on displacement to be a danger to navigation outside such waters. This latter rule was to' apply to neutrals who might place in their waters any nieclwiiical contrivances for the safeguarding of their own neutrality; and neutrals were to be forbidden to place such in the passage of straits leading to the open sea. In all oases notification to neutral commerce was to be obligatory, and theStato violating these rules was to be responsible-for the damage dono. Divergent Views. - At The Hague Conference held next year tfherb was much divergence of opinion. Great Britain was anxious for total prohibition of automatic submarine contact mines, whiare unanohored, or which do not beoomo harmless on breaking from their _ _mooriiigs; for the total prohibition of the emplovment , of such mines for the purpose of commercial blockades; and for the restriction of the right of laying mines in the territorial watorsof tho belligerents (with an extension of 10 miles instead of 8 miles', as usual), subject to proper warnings to neutrals in tho case.of the defenco of military ports having at least one graving dock, and provided with the equipment necessary for the constniction and repair of ships of war, is maintained in time of peace. There was, however, an unwillingness on the part of the States with small navies to give up the right to uso unanehored mines, though it was agreed that they ought to be so constructed as to become harmless after a short time. There was also an objection on the part of Germany to the restriction of the right of laying mines in territorial waters. Finally, after much discussion, a convention was drawn up, and was signed, subject to. many reservations; Great Britain,.in particular, declaring that'it could not ho taken as conclusive, or as more than a first step towards the provision of adequate guarantees for the protection of the undoubted rights of neutral shipping. Tho convention was ratified on behalf of Great Britain in November, 1909, with the reservation of the right to treat as unlawful acts not prohibited by it. The" convention by its -preamble is admittedly merely orovisional;* "until such time as It may be found possible to formulate rules oil ■the subject which shall insure to the interests involved all the guarantees desirable." Dotails of Convention.' The layiug of uiianchored automatic contaot mines is forbidden unless they fito 60 constructed aa to become harm-

ess one hour at most after those who laid them have lost control over them. ?£'/* Vn l fair t0 state,'wae ob. lected to by Germany, which was, however willing to forbid the use of unanchored mines altogether for five =s-"* 7 s, n r_£' ity. It was also forbidden to lav of their mines "as soon as possible " bo ae to bring it; into conforSy with these requirements. .Great Britain, at tempted without success to procure thV insertion or a time limit.

Result In Practice. Strenuous efforts were made to have the_ area limited within which mines might bo laid, but no agreement could be arrived at, except that: "The laying of automatio contact, mines off the coasts and porta ■of the enemy with the eole object.of intercepting commercial shipping is forbidden. 1. This Germany objected to on the ground that it meant nothing, as the belligerent who lays the {nines would invariably declare that ho had some other object in view'. There IB,\ therefore, practically nothing in the contention to prohibit blockade by mines. Ou behalf of Great Britain Sir taiest Satow pointed out that the convention imposed no restriction as to the placing <jf anchored mines, "which consequently may be laid wherever the belligerent chooses; in his own, waters for eelf-defence, in the waters of the enemy as-a means of attack, or, lastly, on the high seas 'so that neutral navigation will-inevitably.-run great risks in tfme of naval war, and may be exposed to many a disaster." The only substantial result of the conference' was the prohibition of the use of floating mines or anchored mines,, which may break loose unless they are so constructed as to become harmless within a very short time, and tfis will only be substantial if States do not fairh?«k on'the loopholes above referred W

GERMANY'S NATIONAL

AMBITIONS

'A BID FOR WORLD-POWER.

Two quotations' which throw a goocl deal of light upon the German national outlook in the period preceding the outbreak of the present conflict are given below:—One is from a Berlin newspaper.'the "Post." Some months before the Austrian murder the paper devoted all its front page to an article demanding "immediate war." "Are we really," it asked, "to wait quietly, until Austria is .completely shaken' to pieces, until Italy must bow before the over.whelming influence of the sea Powers; and we, in isolation, are confronted b'v the arrogance of France, Russia, and England? Is the German, nation of 70,000,000 really to renounce tho roll of leader in Europe, which is its due? In the lives'of nations there are complications and-dangers which can only be disposed of by the sword. . . . Our nation to-day belongs to this . category. ... At the moment the conditions are favourable. France is not ready to light.; England is involved in internal and colonial difficulties. Russia shrinks from war, : because she fears'a revolution. Shall we wait until our opponents are ready, or shall we use the favourable moment, to force a decision ? When a conflict of interest'slidws itself we should not give way, 'but let it come to war, and commence it with a determined offensive, whether it be for a new Morocco, for the position of General voa Liman, or the Asia.Minor question.' The pretext is a matter of indifference, for the point is not that, but our whole future which is at stake." ; ■'.'•>.

The other quotation is from the opinions of the Crown Prince of Germany, as recently extracted from his writings i in. a book compiled by Dr. Liman; a well-known German journalist.. "We live to-day," said the Crown Prince, "in an age which, with peculiar satisfaction, points to the proud height of its' culture, and only too readily boasts of its 'international citizenship; that delights in dreams of .an everlasting world-peace. 'This conception of life ia un-German, and does'not suit us. The German who loves his people, who believes in the greatness and future of his homeland, and will not have its authority lowered; must, not shut his eyes in such dreams,«must not let himself be lulled to sleep by the Peace Song of ths Utopians." J. ■; V. \,. * NATURALISATION ■

RUSH OF APPLICANTS.

LEGAL. POSITION STATED. Since the outbreak of war there haft been quite a rush of Germans in Australasia for naturalisation''- papers,. and the question has been raised; whether an enemy's subject can, during hostilities, expatriate .himself,' I ', and assume British nationality under /the Nation- ; alisation Act. There seems to'be no direct case bearing on the .point,-, hut a converse case, recalled by an Australian newspaper, came : up 'before the House of Lords after the South; African war. One Lynch, jwho at oneiime was a member of th©'] House of Commoris,' born in Australia of Irish parentage, and thorefore a British ■ subject, -was charged with' high treason, ho having . led an Irish regiment whicli fought for tho Boors. He was sentenced to death, but appealed, and it was urged on' his be'half that he had become a naturalised burgher of the South African Be-, public during the currency of the war. Lord-Chief Justice ;'Alverstoue, 'in his judgment, stated that an alleged' na« uionalisation would' no defence. Reliance had been placed on lie section of the Act which- provided that "any British subject, who has at any time before, or may at any time after, tho passing of the Act, when in any foreign State, and under any possibility, voluntarily become naturalised in such State, shall from and after the time iof his so having ■ become naturalised in such foreign . State be deemed to have ceased to bo a British subject, and be regarded as an alien." The Lord Chief Justice said that this did not empower a British subject to become naturalised in enemy country in time or war—an act which was in itself an act , of ta-eason could not confer any rights, and whatever might be the effect-of a declaration of war, it at anyrate, prevented British subjects from making arrangements' with tho King's, enemies when such- arrangements would constitute crimes against ttie country to which they owed allegiance. | Mr. Justice Wills pointed out thatif tho contention, put forward on, the prisoner's behalf were uphold, then the

whole army micht desert to the enemy on condition of its being naturalised, and thus escape any liability for the penalties of treason. •

The Best Map of. the Seat of War can now be obtained showing all Towns of importance, Railways, Steamer lines, and distances. Size, 2G x 22 inches. Price Is. 3d.' posted. Map Department, Box "S7, G.P.0., Wclli:iKton.-Advt.'

Experiments conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Entomology provo that the newly-hatched caterpillars of the gypsy moth may be blown under favourable ci nditions, a distance of, six miles or more. Thus the wind is an important factor in tho spread of this destrue--tivo pest.

Tho Defence Department lias ordered 'Fluenzol'-' for tbe ExoeditionarEEotcea.*