NEWS IN BRIEF

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 183, 30 April 1940, Page 9

NEWS IN BRIEF

Marching Songs Several units of the Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force have already produced marching songs written and set to music by some of the soldiers themselves. Perhaps tlie most recent of these come from the Maori Battalion and the 27th (Machine-Gun) Battalion. Both have received high paise from officers who served in the last war and have a critical ear for marching songs. It is also stated that since the war started dozens of songs for the soldiers use have been submitted by civilians. Mud Flat Reclamation. An excellent growth of grass has been obtained over 325 acres of former thud flats at Glorit, on the Kaipara Harbour, which were cultivated and sown in pasture this autumn by tlie Public Works Department. The land was dewatered in 1936. There are about 300 acres under tlie scheme to be put iu pasture, but tlie salinity of much of this portion is as yet too high for such operations. Deer Among Cows. On the farm of Mr. G. Waite, Pukekura, recently, a large 10-pointer stag was found among tlie herd when the time of the morning milking arrived. The deer caused considerable confusion among the. cows and was eventually shot. It is many years since a deer was seen in the Pukekura district, and no explanation has been given as to how the stag reached Mr. Waite’s farm.

Changes in Temperature. Passengers on a liner which reached Auckland from North America recently experienced a marked change in temperatures during the last week of their voyage. When in the tropics the weather was exceptionally hot. the water iu the ship’s swimming bath rising in temperature to 86 degrees. As tlie New Zealand coast was approached temperatures dropped rapidly till on arrival at. Auckland the passengers shivered in what, to them, seemed.wintry conditions. Actually the temperature was in the vicinity of 55 degrees.

Anxiety to Serve. Reference was made by Captain H. P. Conyers-Brown, area officer at Whangarei, speaking at. a returned soldiers’ reunion at Whangarei, to the willingness of men who served in the Great War to serve again. "It’s no use you chaps coming to me and telling me that you were about 11 years of age when you went to the last war,” he said. “This is a youngster's war, at present. I. think that your turn will come before we are finished. I know that you feel as 1 do. that we would rather be going ourselves than be farewelling others.” Fears in Holland.

The state of tension existing in Holland and tlie fear of invasion is illustrated in a letter from a Dutch acquaintance received recently b.y Mr. R. E. Champtaloup, Auckland. Writing from a district in Holland close to the frontier, the Dutch correspondent says: “For you the European war is far away,’ but. nobody knows what is going to happen soon. At the time you will find a German stamp on my next letter you will know we too will be part of Germany. We want to be neutral and to stick to that. If you don’t hear from me any more just write to the International Red Cross at Geneva, Switzerland, to inform you if I am still alive or not.”

Mascot on Parade. The white Samoyede Noodles, which has been granted semi-official status as mascot of'c Company, 21st (Auckland) Battalion, marched with the second echelon troops through Auckland streets on Saturday morning. Wearing his jacket, which bears his name and a sergeant’s stripes, Noodles trotted happily at his master’s heels, and was applauded by many in the crowd which saw the march. Later, when the troops were entraining for camp after an afternoon’s leave. Noodles was carried across bis master’s shoulders. The dog has received ofiicial permission to accompany the echelon overseas.

Rat Causes Diversion. Debate at the annual meeting of the Auckland Returned Soldiers’ Association was twice interrupted by the activities of a large rat. The remarks of the president, Mr. J. W. Kendall, were drowned in the hubbub when the rat first ran across the floor hotly pursued b.v an ex-digger, whose well-directed kicks forced the intruder to seek temporary sanctuary under the very feet of the closely-packed audience. Five minutes later, when the meeting had resumed its orderly tenor, the rat made a reappearance near the rear of the hall, neatly avoiding half-a-dozen assailants, scampering nimbly up a vertical metal pipe and taking refuge on a cornice high above the heads of the ex-servicemen.