GENERAL WAR NEWS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1870, 29 August 1918, Page 4

GENERAL WAR NEWS.

WAR MUNITIONS VOLUNTEERS. An extension of the Mar Munitions Volunteer scheme is to he undertaken by the Government in view of the urgent need to secure the most economical use of the labour employed on essential war vork. The scheme provides for a review of the present distribution of labour, and for the enrolment of workers as War Munitions Volunteers or War Work Volunteers for transfer to districts where their services are more urgently required. It is pointed out that ‘‘protection’"’ from military services are not already being used to the best advantage, and who refuse to transfer their services to other essential war work where they are more necessary. BLIND, ONE-ARMED, AND SMILING. In the current number of the monthly, magazine brought out by (lie blinded soldiers of (he Hostel, there is this paragraph Drummer Downs was drummer of the Loyal North Lancashires once: he lost his right arm as well as his sight when fighting for his country, and only. the little Huger remains on his left hand. But he goes blithely about with a signet ring on that one remaining linger, and bangs the big drum in St. Dunstan’s Own Ragtime Band, clashes the cymbals and blows a whistle, all at one and the same lime. He manages, too, without letting go of the whistle, to smile the jollies! smile one need.wish to

RED FLAG IN BERLIN. For the Hrst time in history tho red (lag now limits by permission in Berlin —over Hie Embassy of: the Russian Revolutionary Government in Unter deu Linden. Prior to the war the building was the private proper!v of the Tsar. Alien M. Sverhieff, the Tsar’s Ambassador, drove away from it in August. 1914, (be Berlin mob beat him and spat in (he faces of the Ambassador and members of Ins party. HUN CRUELTY TO HUNS. The drastic method for nerve I roil hies adopted iu several German military hospitals is ol such a character that, according to a Munich telegram to the Cologne Yolkszoi lung, revolts against it have occurred, hospital wards being demolished. The hospital at Rosenheim was 1 burned down, presumably owing to incendiarism by a patient so treated. An.electric current is employed, and so great is (he pain that many of the patients tremble and often .-■cream, before the actual application. Under the effect of the current their shouts are often heart - rendering. Patients have often run away from the doctors applying the treatment. THE USE OF CARDBOARD. We are becoming familiar with jam-pots made of cardboard, and so successful has Ibis substitute been that it is doubtful whether we shall revert to tin-plate and earthenware iu (lie days of peace. The use of cardboard has been extended to ol her supplies, and at the present lime there is an output of these containers of 3,000,000 weekly. A further saving of tin-plate is anticipated by the use of a specially prepared cardboard for packing biscuits, and the Imperial Government has just placed an order for 200,000 of these boxes, which, it is expected, will save 100 tons of metal for every 1,000 tons of biscuits packed, THE ONE RIGHTEOUS MAN. “He who ill-treats an unarmed man, a prisoner or anyone suffering bodily pain, or insults and abuses him, is not worthy of the name of man; he is guilty of the great sin which shall never be forgiven in time or place. Sha 11 we not still in the storm, the earthquake, and shame of this cruel time endeavour to keep the standard of elean manhood?” It is strange to find this passage in a German periodical (says a writer in the Westminster Gazette). It is addressed by Maximilian Harden to the French Socialists, who he believes will sympathise with him. The denunciation falls with crushing effect on Harden's own countrymen, who have ill-treated prisoners of war. He reminds his readers of the priest in Reims who at the risk of his life went to the help of the wounded German prisoners in tho cathedral when it had been set on lire by German shells. That, lie declares, is a model for the world to follow. We can be glad that there is one righteous man in Germany who dares to say as much.