NEWS AND NOTES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1844, 25 June 1918, Page 1

NEWS AND NOTES.

I hear (says a London gossip)' that Princess Mary is now very busily engaged in perfecting her knowledge of Italian, and that Queen Mary is also refurbishing the Italian she learnt in her girlhood days in Florence. This has revived the rumour that the Prince of Wales is to become engaged to the Princess Yolanda of Italy. As a matter of fact, all the Italian royal family speak English perfectly.

Several South German newspapers raise a cry of alarm over the increase of bigamy in Germany during 1917. They say the many acquittals and the lenient sentences imposed indicate that the authorities are condoning the offence. Among the excuses pleaded by the men accused are loss of memory because of shell shock. Some have gone so far as to declare boldly that plural marriages are good for the nation’s future. A corporal told a Munich court that he got married every time he obtained leave from the trenches, and he believed he had five wives.' Eleven cases were tried in Berlin, seven in Cologne, and five in Munich last December. The deceived woman usually are not willing to prosecute.

The effect of war conditions upon American industry is shown by an extract from a circular received from New York last week by Auckland business houses. , “Many of our factories,” say the authors of the circular, “are overloaded with work, and the indents taken will require from three to twelve months to fill, and further business is being continually placed with them based on delivery when it is possible. Other factories arc working to a considerable extent on Government business, and dates of delivery are mere guesswork. Again, some manufacturers are running entirely on Government work, and will accept no indents. The Government is now contemplating as well the concentration of work at different factories, which may mean the closing of a number of establishments, and the operation of the others on a larger scale. This is due to the labour question and economy, and the more rapid supplying of goods for war necessities. Manufacturers are no longer willing to guarantee deliveries. They may promise to furnish the goods at specified times,, but there is no guarantee, and the tilling of the order is generally several months behind expectations.”

Hero is a thrilling story extracted from a. private letter received in Hawora of an incident in the light put-up‘by a British artillery company during (be German attack on the West front. After describing the suddenness of tiie attack and onslaught, the writer says: “The major was wounded, and avus carried away by one of the men just before the Huns swept down. But. two of the guns were detached from the main position, and these Ellis (a personal friend of fellow-officer of the narrator) commanded. He went on firing into the midst of the oncoming Huns until his range was 250 yards, and men had to crouch to, avoid the splinters of their own shells. However, he held them up, and then a few infantry were rallied to the sound of the guns, and a great stand was made —Ellis walking up and down behind the two guns, with the Huns sniping from about 400 yards, shouting to his gunners the range, telling them this was the day of their lives, that up till to-day they had been useless blots on the earth, and now they were doing a job of work. For hours this went on, till the last shell was fired and the Hun was so thoroughly frightened that he allowed Ellis to take away his sights and destroy his guns,”