GENERAL WAR NEWS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1808, 2 April 1918, Page 1

GENERAL WAR NEWS.

THE WIDOW’S GRIEVANCE. During the German South-west campaign, a commando was stationed for a short while by a widow with seven or eight grown-up daughters. Needless to say, all the “Jaapies” who could get camp leave took full advantage of her hospitality. One fine morning, however, an irate lady stormed the O.C.’s tent, and in a furious tone demanded, “Is Jij de commandant?” The O.C. stepped forward, and owned up that he was. “Well,” shouted the widow, excitedly, “I wish you would teach your burghers better manners. They drink my coffee from morning till night, and flirt with my daughters till the small hours,of the morning. I don’t mind that, but now they have had the impudence to milk my cows. I draw the line at that, so just look out.” U.S. WAR WEDDING TRICKS. Clergymen in the neighbourhood of Camp Mills, Long Island, are manifesting an increasing reluctance to perform the marriage ceremony for khaki boys and their fiancees. They declare that numerous instances have come to their knowledge in which scheming young women have each married several soldiers and secured the compulsory allotment of one-half their monthly pay from their several husbands. Most of these “wives” are also alleged to have had themselves named as beneficiaries on their soldierhusband’s insurance policies. Clergymen announce that in future they will perform no marriage ceremonies until convinced that the prospective bride and bridegroom have been acquainted for a reasonable time, SECURITY OF A-SHRAPNEL HELMET. , lt is curious the sense of security one has under a shrapnel helmet. Perhaps that is because its effect is psychological as well as physical, particularly when one remembers the anatomy of the head, and can appreciate the brain’s delicate composition, and the scant protection afforded by the skull against modern projectiles. A soldier once said that with his tin hat cocked over his face, and an enamel plate reposing on his “tummy,” he could' sleep through a bombardment, feeling safe as a knight in armour. Another confessed that he felt unbearably “windy” every time he had to cross a bit of machine-gun swept road with stretchers, until he made a practice of sloping the helmet well to the exposed side of the face, so that it acted as a “blinker.” THE TRAINING OF AIRMEN. An airman carries his life in his hands, writes “Virginia” in the Times. One mistake, one error of judgment, and all is over. For such men it would seem that a sound preliminary training in science and engineering was essential. Doubtless, at that indefinite time —the end of the war—some such training as that given at. Osborne to our future officers in the Royal Navy will be evolved for our airmen. But even now something should be done so that the brave fellows who risk their lives for their country in the air should not run unnecessary risks. There are, fortunately, signs that the authorities are alive to the importance of the matter, as a. preliminary course for pilots in the Air Service, including science and engineering, is announced at the East London College. This is a step in the right but more is wanted.