GENERAL NEWS ITEMS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 1927, 16 January 1919, Page 1

GENERAL NEWS ITEMS.

BERLIN’S ESCAPE. In the course of a recent speech, Lord Weir referred to the work of •The British aircraft designers and manufacturers, and said that Britain stood in the position of holding every' single record in effective performance and aircraft there is to hold. “And,” he added, “when the armistice broke out (la lighter) —we were on the eve ol displaying some new and very interesting novelties calculated to captivate the fancy of the avialion world, and, incidentally to impose those winter fashions even on Berlin (applause)—where, if I mistake not, the taste and kultur of the populace is notoriously crude and deficient.” WHERE THE FLAGS CAME FROM. A British officer, just returned from the newly-liberated portions of France and Belgium, tells a curious tale regarding the Hags with which the people eolcbratcd their redemption. There were (lag-- cvcrywicrc, thousands of (hem—lnion Jacks, Stars and Stripes, Japanese, Belgian, French, and Italian. The ojlicer, struck by (be variety and number of the emblems, remarked to a native (bat the people seemed to have been well prepared for the victorious return of I he Allies and (heir own soldiers, and asked where the Hags bad been bidden. “Hidden?” replied the Frenchman, “They were not hidden. We bought them from the Germans!” Here, indeed, was a curious manifestation of German psychology*, or perhaps trading instinct. Did the Gormans anticipate (heir own retreat, and conic prepared to equip the French and Belgians with the means of celebration? It would apjKiar that thoy did so. and were willing to utilise I tic occasion for earning an holiest penny, the only honest money they had earned for many a day! THE MOST PHOTOGRAPHED MAN. The ex-Kaiser was probably (lie most photographed man in the world, and certainly the hardest to please. A Berlin photographer who obtained many eommissions from him lias recorded that on each occasion lie was commanded to take at least a dozen negatives, which with the resultant prints had to lie submitted for (lie Mar Lord’s personal censorship. Not seldom, the whole hatch had to lie destroyed in his presence, and when a negative passed muster a vast deal of retouching was insisted on. Portraits with the well-known aspect of ferocity pleased him best. Only once did (he photographer know him to choose a photograph in which lie smiled, and that was for sending to his mother. ADVENT OF WOMEN NAVVIES. Commenting upon the remarkable work of converting the waste land of Hog Island into a huge American shipbuilding plant in a few months’ time, Engineering calls attention to a similar piece of work* done on a smaller scale “somewhere on tlio north-east coast” of England. There a piece of ground that lay below high-water level lias been converted into a shipyard of eight berths. The work was started in March, and (he Hrsl ship, it was expected, would he la (inched in November. Female labour is being used very extensively in the construction of the yard. Women feed (he concrete mixer: they lay and ballast the rails; (hey fill the low ground; they exeavale the site of the wet dock, which will accommodate several vessels simultaneously; and, in fact, undertake all kinds of work which have hitherto been deemed quite unsuitable for their sex. A canteen capable of feeding 2,000 workers has been erected. A number of model collages are being built, and also a hostel to accommodate 1,000 men.