NEWS IN BRIEF.

Levin Daily Chronicle, 1 November 1917, Page 4

NEWS IN BRIEF.

—■— "BATTLE FOR U-BOAT BASE." An official narrative supplied to late German papers by the Berlin fcreneral Staff on the recent fighting in Flanders describes it as "tho i first battle for the Flanders U-boat |j£go M PUTTING IT IN A NUTSHELL. The officer was lecturing the new recruits on the preventive measures for gas attacks, and the necessity for the smart adjustment of gas helmets. "Remember," he said, "there are only two classes when the gas alarm is sounded —the quick and the dead!" LORD NAPIER AS A PRIVATE. After being fined £2 at Ayr as an absentee, Lord Napier, of Ettrick, arrived at Berwick Barracks and entered the army a» an ordinary soldier. He is 40 years old. As an escort did not arrive at Ayr, the sheriff said Lord Napier would be trusted to go by himself to Berwick. He did so, arriving late in the evening, and was allowed to spend the night in an hotel before joining up. I HUN OFFICER'S DISGUISE. The authorities have arrested at the village of Garokis, in Laconia, an individual dressed as a peasant and possessing a considerable sum of monely, who turns out to be a German marine officer, who has been the organiser of a submarine supply depot on the Kahdamyh coast. He was aided by two deputies of the former Greek regime. BULLET-PROOF. One of the most distinguished Russians at present in London is Captain Oshinansky, one of the brilliant band of officers trained under General Korniloff. Captain Oshniansky defied all medical etiquette by refusing to be killed when he was shot through the heart at the battle of Kolomea. He is working hard at as member of the Russian Government Committee in London. STANDARD BOOTS. After standard,ships we are now likely to have standard boots at an early date. During the last three years close on fifty million pairs of boots have been turned out for the army alone, and now the supplies are running so very low —all the surplus stock at the beginning of the war having been exhausted —thqt the Government is considering the question of supplying only boots of a uniform pattern to the general public as well. TOYMAKER'S GIFT TO THE ■ . QUEEN. ■ - - The Queen has accepted the gift of three toy crocodiles from Norwich toy-makers. Toymalcing has been zealously taken up in the city with a view to capturing a trade which the Germans and, Austrians formerly claimed so much their own. Her Majesty, in a' lettei* acknowledging the gift, expresses her appreciation of the specimens of Norwich toy-makers' work, considering the toys to be well, executed. In 75 years, an oak contains a ton of timber, in 150 years eight tons, but the poplar increases three times faster than the oak. So in 13 years .while the oak increased four and a-half inches in girth, the larch increased 33in. Comparatively few Londoners are aware that one of the most remarkable hospitals in the world is that of the Royal Veterinary College at Camden Townj where over five thousand animals aire treated every year at u cost of over £6,000 per annum. Owing to the steady hoarding of small change by the citizens of Dusseldorf; Germany, and to avoid the necessity of introducing municipal paper money, the tramway conductors have been forbidden to give change to patrons, and everyone who cannot pay his fare in small coin will be put off the car. Brazil, according to the last cen- • sus, has a population of 24,600,000. of whom more than 18,000,000 are listed as illiterate. The figures show that only eight persons are found to the square mile. Brazil's territorial extent is equalled only by four other countries —the British Empire, Russia, China, and the United States. The moment that a young crocodile breaks its shell it is to all intents and purposes as active as it is at any time during its life. It will make straight ; for the water, even if it be out of sight and a good . distance off, and it will pursue its prey with eagerness, and agility during the first hour of its free existence. . i