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Hokitika Guardian, 3 February 1926, Page 2

An important work, entitled “Allenby of Armageddon,” has just been issued. It is the story of Lord Allenb.v’s conquest of Palestine, during the period of the Great War. A reviewer remarks that “Allenby of Armageddon” comes to hand very appropriately when the conqueror of Palestine is visiting the Dominion. Lord Allenby was one of the outstanding figures of the war. Controversy might rage concerning the qualifications and achievements of other leaders, hut it has perforce left Allenby alone. He undertook nothing, speaking broadly, that lie did not achieve. Energy, foresight, and thoroughness were always his characteristics. He seems to have had. moreover, a rare faculty of choosing the right men to carry out his plans. He inspired both confidence and affection, the first by reason of his own obvious efficiency, the second because of an over-present sympathy and understanding. Intellectually well equipped, professionally well trained, he

had all the qualities and qualifications that made a great soldier. The crowning achievement of his career came in Palestine, hut one has the feeling that it would have come wherever fate and the political leaders had given him the opportunity, .Mr Savage’s hook, remarks the reviewer, is not a biography, and is not even a study. A great deal of it is rather poor journalism, the subject lost in a maze of words. But Mr Savage (the author) was in Egypt and Palestine with Lord Allsnby, was privileged to watch the development of the campaign from headquarters, and is able to describe it. therefore, with clear understanding and fairly full knowledge. The .'account is lively, and often vivid. The operations are sketcheel in due order, and with a proper sense of proportion, and the 1 interest in the narrative never lings.

Kvehywhkßk it is recognised that the greatest element of danger in modern traffic is in the inexperienced motor driver, who is as careless of his own and the public’s safety as he is reckless in driving at excessive speed. These happy-go-lucky adventurers are not tint only class of motorists who use Iho roads in town and country to the common danger, says the London “Times.” The icxpert amateurs of the road who know and rely on their own powers of prompt decision ami skilful steering and braking, are far too apt (o act as though, to use the common saying, they had bought the road. They are inclined to forget that all drivers are not so efficient as themselves. and may he drunk or lose their heads, and that the King’s Highway is open to slow-witted and slow-fooled pedestrians, bicyclists, children, dogs, horses, chickens, and other animals, anv one »f which mav suddenly and

unexpectedly precipitate a crisis as the result of which the most careful and skilful of drivers, when travelling at high speed, may he unable to avoid an accident. There is, in fact, no doubt that so far as the human side of the problem is concerned, motoring accidents are largely due to the combi nation of high speed with lack of skill and care. The “Times” makes the suggestion that instead of setting traps for speeding on straight, mid thorefore comparatively safe roads, they should concentrate their atten-

tion on dangerous corners and crossroads. It also commends the French phut of leaving a narrow set-lion o' the road at the entrano? to villages in it purposely loose and rough condition whic.lt automatically obliges motorists to reduce their speed, and. with Ibt same object in view, the slight diversion of one braoelt or other of all subsidiary roatls at points where 1 Ivy cross main thoroughfares, so that the two sections of the lesser road should not lie exactly in the same .straight line.