NEWS IN BRIEF.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 1963, 10 April 1919, Page 4

NEWS IN BRIEF.

Weight for weight, and with proper burners, fuel oil is supposed to give 50 per cent, more steam than coal. The siren used at Dover during the war to give notice of air raids is to be placed in the local museum us u war suvenir. ' More than 2,000 American soldiers in Prance suffering from shellshock were cured by the news of the signing of the armistice. Sentences of imprisonment passed by the Germans on the inhabitants of Alsace-Lorraine during the war amount to a total of over 3,000 years. . What is claimed to be the world’s biggest hotel, the Pennsylvania, which lias 2,200 rooms with baths, was opened recently in Mew York. A Russian superstition is, when a woman is first to enter a train, had luck is sure to come unless the next two persons to enter are men. At* Tientsin the Wilhemlstrasse. has been re-named Woodrow Wilson Street. The change was made by the Chinese authorities with great ceremony.

A sculptor of some reputation has been arrested in Paris on a charge of being the author of two statues which bore the forged signature of Rodin. The Rhine town of Bonn is the birthplace of Beethoven, and the Ihouse in which he lived, his piano and other relics, are shown by the caretaker.

Fire has completely destroyed the* Roman Catholic Cathedral at Chicoutimi, Quebec, The loss includes an original painting by Rubens, valued at .020,000.

During Iho war more than a million tons of fuel oil were carried from the United Stales to Great Britain by 76.1 cargo ships, specially titled out to convey oil in double bottom* or ballast tanks.

Lobengula's grave has been discovered in a place near the Gwelo River, South Africa. The body of the once mighty chief was found in a sitting position in a walled-up hole, with the head detached.

General Sir David Henderson, who was chief of the R.F.G., has written to the Leeds Corporation proposing to organise (lights from the city at the low fee of 12s (id a trip before demobilisation is complete. For some unexplained reason, spruce trees ‘ have a tendency to twist while growing; one recently

felled in Alaska had made live complete revolutions in its S 3 years of life, as the corkscrew-twisted grain disclosed. In ancient times (he country now known as Portugal was called Lusitania. The present name is derived from Porto Callo, the original -appellation of Oporto, which has ever been the chief commercial city of the country. More than 800 liny electric bulbs light the peace conference room at Versailles. They are tixed on candle ends, clustered in four huge gold and crystal chandeliers suspended from the ceiling and half a dozen wali-eandelebra. It is estimated that Australia Ims cows enough to give each man, woman and child in the island continent three each, while Argentina can do even belter. There are five cattle to each inhabitant in the big South American Republic. it is proposed to close what is believed to be the smallest school in England, that of Rlmlcy. a detached part of the Isle of Slmppcy. There arc only live pupil- on the books, and three of these are children of (he head teacher.

Since the outbreak of war, lifeboats of (he Koval National Lifeboat institution have been launched on over 1,700 occasions anil saved over 5,000 lives. 511-1 of these launches having been to casualties directly due to the war and resulting in 1,038 lives being saved. The’custom of lining the hat had its origin when knights never appeared in public e.scept in full armour, but upon entering an assembly ol: friends the knight removed his helmet, the act signifying “1 am safe in the presence of my friends.’’ The “oldest of European (lags is the Danish. The white cross on a red ground was suggested to King Waldemar of Denmark by a cross which he is believed to have seen in the heavens at a critical point in his fortunes. That was ■more than 700 years ago, and the Danish flag has remained unaltered ever since.

The president of the Swiss eonfederation, who is elected by tlie federal assembly, holds office for one year only, from January ls| to December 31st, and usually the vicepresident succeeds him. His chief duly is to direct Ins country’s foreign policy, for most of the internal administration is in (he hands of the cantons or districts.

It is not generally known that Jlasra, the great port of Mesopotamia, situated on the picturesque Shat-ehArah, some 00 miles from the head of the Persian Gulf, and now, under the British Hag, is the centre of the world's greatest date industry, for here, in normal times, is shipped every year between 50,000 and 75,000 tons of this delicious fruit.

His Jury records surrenders that have been little less glorious than victories. When, for example, Osman Pasha, after holding the vill age of Plevna lor five months with a handful of troops against a quarter of a million of Russia’s parked soldiers, was at last compelled to hoist (he white flfig, he was greeted by Tsar Alexander with his well-earn-ed tribute to his valour: “Sir, I congratulate you on your line defence, it was one of the most splendid feats in the history of the war.'’