“Life” Welcomes the Fleet.

Kawhia Settler and Raglan Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 377, 28 August 1908, Page 3

“Life” Welcomes the Fleet.

’The popular Magazine ’‘Life” joins in tbe national chorus of welcome tj the American Fleet. Its cover design is a groat battleship looming through the night and the artist coyly suggests that not only the Fleet, bat “Life” itself, is welcome everywhere. There is, of course, an illustrated article on the Fleet—no paper with any shred of selfrespect is without its Ffceet arti-cle-.and'*Life's”article is made tip of contri butions written by the newspaper special correspond ente who are travelling with the battleships. Other special articles are headed by an ingenious and interesting exposure, by T. .K, Dow, of the fallacy that Australia is a droughty waste, with a fringe of fertility, T. K. Dow, who is an expert agriculturalist and geographer, shows by maps and diagrams that in a margin of 250 miles wide of the Australian continent could be placed all tbo countries of Europe, and that the area left in the middle would l>e a comparatively small one, less than half of Russia, The writer also quotes rainfall figures, and compares the fertile area of Australi i with that of Cnuada, showing an immense adv*ntage in favour of Australia. Dr Fitchett, aa usual, writes informatively and interestingly about the chief doings of the world, and in addition, contributes a fine criticism of Sir Frederick Treve’s new hook -‘The Cradle of the Deep” as well s a thrilling chapter to his ownserins of articles on Australian history. '1 he s.me writer who in July “Life” undertook to expose the creed of Madame Blavatsky and Mrs Annie Bezant, continues the attack and in an intensely luleiestiiig article describee ’he methods hy which alleged spiritualistic message* were delivered. The spe<;it> I at tides are rounded <-ff by a personal sketch of General Gordon, and an account of the Into Stophen Henty s par) in a certain memorable hit of Australian history. Jn the fiction side • Life” 4c ps up its strength, and in view of the Fleet’s visit give? pride of place to a war-ship story that would do credit to the imagination of Ju lea Verne. Ihe Van Dusen detective s-rlr . on’inuow Its course, and the shrewd old profe® u. unravels the mystery of tbe burglary nt t r.ver’e Hank. A couple of tirst-n.te Abort stones are also printed. In the regulation m $ a**tments there is, a« : usual, a vast amount of useful, up to-date ’ informal, n lit- rary, scientific, sporting, b reli'dous, po< deal and general. The picture £ In QOBtcrt, in which great interest is Wi-g shown, draws to a close, and as the is a first class return passage to ® Japan , and there are a number of Lard-cash prizes, it It eapectcd that entries will-be *' large. Altogether "Life” for August au MXpeuu. WQt Uk.