NEWS BY MAIL.

Hokitika Guardian, 29 February 1924, Page 1

NEWS BY MAIL.

SPLENDOUR AND SQUALOR. LONDON, Jan. 8. "Al.y Russian Life ” hy Princess Aimtole Marie Bariatinsky, gives a Mouderlul picture of Russian splendour under the last Czar and of Russian misery and squalor under the Bolsheviks. 'lhe Princess’s husband was among the personal friends of Nicholas H. and distiguished himself as a soldier, winning tin- respect and admiration ol his British comrades in arms. One curious incident which Princess Bariatinsky records concerns a gala performance at the imperial theatre of Krusneo-Selo. at which William U. and the late Kai-erin of Germany were present: “Pile piece was hardly appropriate to the occasion. Worse -till,! Mil" -Magnet, a French dancer, gave m impromptu turn. a risky pas de leux, iu very -liort skirts. The Kais--I'in rose lii.-tn her .seat, made a sign to ter lady-in-wailing, and left (lie tin-a-rc. The Emtiress was oldiged (o fol"W. and the curtain was rung down.” Her picture of the revolution is mart-breaking. At the most critical '"rind she win at Kiel! and witnessed he appalling cruelties of the Bolslieiks: “I saw for myxell the gheastly

heaps of (lead texecuted by the Bolsheviks: "I sou for myself the ghastly Among them I recognised the- bode of an old general, by name Ridzevky. SO years of age. If was said that he had tried to hide himself, hut had been discovered and dragged through tho streets hy his leet, his head being üb--olutely battered in.” PROHIBITION COMEDY. NEW YORK, Jan. 3. The most exultant man in the United Slates to-day is Mr. Phillip Grossman. a public-house keeper and politician id ( hieago, who has just- received from President Coolidge a pardon which terminates a gaol sentence that lie has never served. Nine months ago Grossman was -given a year’s imprisonment for violating the Prohibition laws. According to tho X:*w York World he continued his 1-usinoss without interruption. Convicts in the gaol that he never entered regularly forwarded hint his correspondence.

Thi- leoml'orl-ahle arrangement- wits rendered possible b\ influential friends of the popular publican. Last summer they made a pilgrimage to Washilitgon and presented Air. Harding a powerful idea for his release. .Afr. Harding rc-I'n-etl.

Rul at Christmas time Grossman's l riends made a fresh pilgrimage, this lime lo .Mr Coolidge, whose heart they moved by depicting the “prisoner” as

• i gentleman guilty ol’ an error which ' >• repented deeply. and for which ho ’ l l paid a heavy price in mental anguish ami loss of business. Mr Coolidgc yielded to ilieir importunities, nml (;r.i-<iiiaii’s pardon. which "a' sent i" 1 in- gaol, is now in the hands of Grossman himself. The ” states that Grossman, '■y thus dentontratiug his superiority '■i tlie laws, hits greatly enhanced his political influence in Chicago. WOM AN I NDKli'l A Lilli. LONDON. Dee. -JB. lion v.uuicii are entering more and more into prulessmus which might he regarded a: t!:_ special creserves c; | men. is allot; it by the. t! ;iu£.. rCCllojl it Ihe Cost OHico, London. Director;. ho' C.l-L in it can be louiid -j women cowkcepeiv, women farriers, a number of women dentists, and a woman undertaker. Among notable activities recorded this year are insulin manufacture, wireless broadcasting stations, automatic coil winder-making, mud treatment. ticket,-issuing machinery, and motor spirit service stations. London lots a turtle importer and an “Orchil and cud-bear" maker. Orchil and cudbear are both dyes made Irom lichens. No fetter than 1150,1 KK) changes have been made in this year's Directory. They have been caused principally by changes in business and resiliential addresses, ami in professional and trade descriptions - .