NEWS IN BRIEF.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1799, 9 March 1918, Page 4

NEWS IN BRIEF.

Three hundred and sixty thousand men are entitled to the 1914 Star. About 15 of Hainbault. Forest, Essex, England, are to he cultivated. A complete tea and coffee service, made of shell cases, is being exhibited in London. Stamp duties on the letters patent creating Sir John French a viscount amounted to £2OO. Warsaw supplanted Cracow a* capital of Poland in 1813, Cracow, however, remaining the coronation city. Cigar manufacturers in Germany are now required to deliver 75 per cent, of their output to the military . . % authorities. It was stated at the general meeting of A. and-F; Pears, Ltd., that the price of a tablet of soap in Germany was 5s 6d. v An American officer and his fiancee were recently married by means of the telephone. The clergyman stood by the bride’s sfide. The average number of letters censored each day in the Loudon Postal Censorship Department is 375,517, weighing about four tons. Tosti, the famous composer of “Good-bye,” “Ask Me No More,” “For Ever and For Ever,” and the “Venetian Boat Song,” left £lO2. A carrot' with a valuable gold signet ring round the middle of it has been unearthed in a garden. The owner lost the ring some months ago. Close on 10,000 workshop's in Great Britain are engaged in the production of munitions, of which

5,000 are controlled and 150 are national factories.

Nearly £l(t0,000,000 has already been received in excess profits duty, the exact figure being £98,384,000, as against £37,737,000 at this time last year.

The Great Western Railway system extends 0ver,3,008 iniles, thus taking first place in the United Kingdom. The Notth-Weslern comes second with 1,969 miles. ■ The jumping characteristic in certain animals is interesting. 'Salmon frequently jump 15ft., Avhile lions and tigers jump about 20ft. Avhen springing upon their prey. “Seven years” was passed upon a man in the United States avlio spoke disrespectfully of President Wilson, and threatened to desei;t to the Germans if compelled to fight in France.

That the number of letters despatched to the troops in France is now ten million per Aveek, and that the French Post Office despatched fifteen million per Aveek, making a yearly total of 1,250 million letters. A Boer family of six sons, after reading General Smuts’ recent speech upon Imperial ideals in London, resolved to enlist. They travelled 300 miles to CapetoAvn, and four out of the six were immediately accepted for overseas service.

The supply of school books in, Germany soon will be exhausted. Publishers of school books have been notified that they may use what stock of paper they have on hand, but they will not be alloAved any more paper for books.