A VIEW AT CLOSE QUARTERS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2680, 28 January 1916, Page 6

A VIEW AT CLOSE QUARTERS

ENGLISfi JOURNALIST'S EXPLOIT

By Teiesrapt—Press Association—Oopyri«lH London, January 26. Tho Mail" claims for its cor- , respondent one of the most remarkable journalistic achievements ;pf the war. ! He twice visited Constantinople, pene- ; trated Asia. Minor, and was one of four :• reporters present at the banquet King Ferdinand gave the Kaiser at Nish. ■ ■ Nish. he says, is'now a vast arsenal, especially, of big' 'and their, ammui;nitioni; All have been j turned; into hospitals. o no munition train included numerous trucks loaded with Fokker aeroplanes. ' The'correspondent noticed the Kai?ser's almosti diminutive figure beside that, of the massive figure of'the lawkL nosed' Ferdinand, who . has a. curious v duck-like waddle. • The Kaiser's face is ; that of a tired,i broken hkn.' ;'His hair is white, though" liis moustache is suspiciously • dark.. ■; There., is anvabsence of. the quick,- 'nervous wheeling' about "which was -'■■■ noticeable.- ■■ in his • in ,'^l9oß^7'-'iThe>i':'VKai-f' .ser _ perpetually:, _usefl.t 'a^thiugered ••• Turkish; handkerchief witli : .an. embroid- ; ered star and crescent, necessary to assuage.Ms continual cougMng.v He spent : , ■ morei?;timS in.coughing ;tlan. in'eating. ; Generalybn Falkenhayn (Chief of 'the. .; .Germany;§.taff) 'attended the o ';; banquet; 1 i . . 'He of■ movement • and tile, per-* •. ■: sonification"of'vigour, Vivacity, s and > ■ ■■■ virility, bearing well tlie strain of his ! responsibility. He looks younger than his years. \ •

IMPERIAL BOUQUETS FOR NOTA- • BILITIES. ("Times" and Sydney "Sun" Services.) ! (Rea January 27, 0.5 : p.m.) London, January 26. ' Tlio German Press publishes choice 1 axtracts from the Kaiser's conversa- ; lion at Nish. He remarked to M. Radoislavoff (the Bulgarian Premier): "I am extraordinarily pleased', to meet this . . " great man, of whom I'have heard so t much." ■ ' To Prince Cyril: "My hoy, you please imo: Goon-being good and brave," meanwhile stroking Prince Cyril's face. To- General-Sodoroif :/It .is-marvel-lous 'what..you have done to the English ' and the French." " y : A; Bulgar-General ivhowas present at the War Council is reported as saying : "Our enemies' hopes would collapse .if they heard the Kaiser's and the German 1 ■ Generals 1, calm, - clear conversations in ' tliscussing the certainty of. victory." FERDINAND AND AUSTRIA. FULSOME FLATTERY COLDLY ... RECEIVED. - Vienna, January 26. | In thanking 5 the Emperor Francis !, , ' Joseph for the_bestowal of a field, mar- . shal's baton, King Ferdinand of Bulgaria telegraphed: "I am. well nigh overv whelmed at this unmerited proof of Imperial favour. ,: My heart is still at-, ; tached .'with-, child-like fidelity to . the ' .saintly , person of Your Majesty;" - The \ , sycophancy -and extravagance of this telegram. has caused much mirth in Vienna;;- The Emperor sent a conspicut . ,• ousJy cold reply. . ' is.:'-' - : pr- ; .. " V.. NEW ZEALAND IN LONDON WORK-10lt 1 THE HIGH COMMISSIONER..

iy Xelegxepli—Pfesa Association—OoryTieM ' v,«- ' . London, January 28. > A.large and' representative reception was given by New. Zealanders at the ■ Whitehall Rooms to mark their appre- > ciation of the honour of knighthood recently conferred upon Sir Thomas Mackenzie, High Commissioner ' for New Zoaland. Among those present were ' Sir James' Mills, Hon; A.- E. Collins, Sir Peter M'Bride (Agent-General for ; Victoria), Sir John M'Call (Agent-Gen-eral for Tasmania), and Sir NewtonMoore (Agent-General for Western Australia). • Lord Plunket, Who presided, eulogised ! : ;Sir Thomas Mackenzie's services 'to the 'Dominions, and paid a tribute to his wife's kindly attention to the New Zea-, Land wounded. Not only, he said;-had a worthy representative': received an honour due to him, but that honour v : . was a compliment to the Dominion which had sent '60,000 men to tie defence of the Empire. ■ ' . Sir Thomas Mackenzie, in reply, said he deeply;appreciated the tributes paid to him. After the war there would be a great opportunity for enlarging the 1 ~ markets here and' on the Continent. .In conjunction with Sir Thomas Robinson, .he had succeeded in stopping a contract between an important Continental Power ; ; end the American meat packers, which would havcv disastrously handicaped Australia and New Zealand for five years. On the , question of the High Commis- • ■Biouer!s. l ßt'atus^ i he . said he could- hot t agree; with the idea of granting him rank: The .position should be from party. The ■ High | Commissioner should represent his coun- | try, "not a party, although he migjht have, a Minister's ijower regarding cer-tain-subjects requiring to be dealt with on the spot. "We are," .lie said, "on tb&eiro of great changes; we are "at the 1 close:; of one form of Imperial control; and at the dawn of another." The over-seas-peoples had loyally and enthusiastically ranged themselves behind the | Motherland.,to the limit of their powers. Tliev had a distinct promise that they would be consulted as to the peace terms, and it was probable that in the ■ neair.' future they would "be asked to take 'tfg-pfa. proijortionate share in. the control of Imperial affairs.