LATE CABLE NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 12 March 1932, Page 6

LATE CABLE NEWS

WOMAN’S RIGHTS. PASSPORT ON BATTLE FRONT. SHANGHAI, Feb. 26. “I (have washed thousands of Chinese babies,” declares Mrs Diemer, wife oi a Reuters correspondent, who is assisting in succouring refugees. She entered Chapei alone, chatted to the Chinese troops and examined the barbed wire entanglements. A Chinese soldier escorted her back through the narrow streets, she crossed Soochow Creek by jumping from junk to junk, and American soldiers cut a way for her through their wire. The police questioned her, but soon released her. THE PRINCE’S STORY. “MY FRIEND, JIM THOMAS.” LONDON, February 26. Speaking at the Royal Warrantholders’ dinner, at which the Secretary for the Dominions, Mr J. H. Thomas, was also a guest, the Prince of Wales said: “The last time I called Mr Thomas ‘my friend, Jim Thomas,’ I Received a letter from a political opponent,of his saying, ‘lf you call that— I repeat the word—man Thomas your friend, he will get more of a swollen head than lie has already.’ “But,” added the Prince, amid cheers, “I still call him my friend.” EAMONN DE VALERA,

A CHARACTER SKETCH. j LONDON, February 26. | “De Valera’s indifference to his own 1 safety during the rebellion, and his concern for that of his followers, created a legend that ultimately spread throughout Ireland,” says Robert Lynd, in a : character sketch in the “News-Chron-icle.” “Like many volunteers, he was opposed to the 1916 rebellion, but- once it had begun he was bound to partici- j. pate,” Mr Lynd writes. j “It is a fact that he was the last j commandant to surrender, and was once sentenced to death, but reprieved. He escaped from Lincoln Gaol, and repeatedly crossed the Atlantic, despite I British vigilance, feats which made “Dev.” a romantic hero, with something of the enchanting character of a Stuart Prince. “De Valera has been compared with President Wilson for high moral principles. His failures as a practical statesman is owing to his obstinacy and pedantry. In some ways he resembles j Gandhi—in courage, integrity, and j devotion, his doctrinaire argumentiveness, and his failure to appreciate responsibility for the consequences of his policy.” .*•* -a*. — *"w HUMOURS OF WAR. “WHOM ARE WE FIGHTING.?” SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 26 The “Chronical” prints an amusing and characteristic cable from Shanghai, in which Captain Longlance, of the American 31st Infantry, on duty in Shanghai, demands to know: “Why doesn’s the War Secretary tell us who in hell we are fighting out here?”

Captain Longlnnce related that he heard much firing last night, and located wild shooting within a narrow alleyway. “I reached the barbed wire barricade just in time to extricate two badly frightened Chinese. They were caught in the wire that separated my streetfromtheJapane.se street. “I searched them and found nothinS incriminating, so let them free, just as a squad of Japanese marines appeared. “The Japs, demanded that I hand them over, and even wanted to chase them down my street, but T induced them to stay on their own side of the fence. “Now, in a case like that, whom should I have landed on if a fight started? That’s what every American here wants to know. BIBLICAL CHARACTERS. EPSTEIN T 1 -LUSTRAT IONS. LONDON, Feb. 26. Jacob Epstein, the famous sculptor, has again created a stir in the art world with an exhibition of startling water colour drawings, illustrating Old Testament pictures, which are done in Epstein’s most unconventional style. One of them shows a grotesquelyshaped Eve, whoso face is a mere outline, without features. Adam is painted so dark that critics have declared that he is a black man, but Epstein says that it is merely sunburn. The patriarchs arc shown in queer poses in the gayest colours. The Deity is strangely represented. Saul and Jonathan are drawn with, lithe, leaping bodies and weird, inhuman faces- Some of the pictures have striking strength, vitality and originality ; others are crude and mifiitiished. Epstein, in reply to the scathing criticisms, denies that he is poking fun at the Bible and cartooning the patriarchs. He declares that lie has always been greatly influenced by the Bible, and that ho made the drawings in a deeply sincere ami religious spirit. He says that he declines to draw “pretty-pretty” angels. ITe protests that the real artist must be original and must forget the pictures that ho has seen in the family -Hibio. The drawing form part of a series of 200 intended for a special ollitiori of the Old Testament, limited to 500 oopies and priced at 15 guineas,