GIFT AEROPLANES

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2704, 25 February 1916, Page 5

GIFT AEROPLANES

'' \ —~ v A SUBSCRIPTION OF £500. By Telegraph-Press As3ooiation. Auckland, February 24. An Auckland, citizen offers to give' £500 to the Aeroplane Fund if there are four other donations of the same amount. _ The committee reports that encouraging offers have been received.

Writing from Montreal, Mr. Howard Me states that the tour of the Cherniavsbis through Western Canada has 1 bean 'most successful, ,and already 63 recitals had been booked for the United i States, beginning in October next. On Friday, January 7, the Russians had the honour of playing before the Duke "and Duchess of- Connaught at Government House in Ottawa. It is reported that owing to the recent trouble between the matron and board of the Tiinam Hospital all the' ' sisters have resigned. , • In he list of handicaps for the Wanganui Stakes, published on page 7, the name of .Balboa. (9st. 51b.) is i mitted. In a letter 'to a friend in Christchurch a Canterbury officer, now at the front, writes:—"There left Devonport on December 19 the troopship lonic, crowded with British troops, for the : usual 'unknown destination.' Among ' those troops is a special draft of CO Australian and New Zealand officers and 150 of their non-commissioned officers, who are being sent out for special service,, also at. an 'unknown destination.' The usual secrecy prevails, and the usual rumours are afloat, but we are glad to be away, as the delay inseparable from transporting troops had become very trying to those of us at Weymouth who wore passed as (it for general service again. We had been held in readiness for nearly two months, and it is a relief to be now again facing the great uncertainty. Of the CO colonial officers on board .16 arc New Zcalandcrs, the Canterbury men amongst them being Lieutenant-Colonel ■ Peerless, Captain Talbot, Captain Hammond, Lieutenants Blaclcett, M'Callum, and G. G. Harper, all of'tlie Canterbury Mounted Rifles. Wo suspect our destination to be Egypt for the time being, but tliis morning it was very nearly the bottom of the sea. Soon after breakfact the ship gave a great wheel to the right, and across the curve of her wake could be seen, not twenty yards astern, ihe straight streak of a torpedo's wake. In MTe distance a periscope glinted for a few seconds in the sun, but it did not wait for the 4.7iri. on our stern to swing level with it, and she. dived ns our whistle brought every man, rifle.in hand and lifebelt on, to his boat sta-