NEWS IN BRIEF.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 1974, 8 May 1919, Page 4

NEWS IN BRIEF.

In the West Indies the large palmtree caterpillar is considered a great food luxury.

About 30,000 dogs found wandering in London streets last year had to be destroyed.

In the Philippine Islands grows the largest known flower, 3ft. in diameter.

A locomotive gives four separate pull's for every turn of the driving wheels.

The Russian civil war cost £400,000,000 in two months. Whales do not spout water, but vapour from their lungs. Britain produces a fourth of all the coal used in all the world. In London £8,000,000 will be spent on education during 1919-20. America is said to hold £9,000,000 worth of enemy shipping. Over 30,000 overseas soldiers have found brides in the Mother eounlrv.

In London there still are 7,037 men and 0,777 women of enemy nationality.

Eighteen members of the British House of Commons were killed on active service since the war began.

A Brighton hairdresser gave 70,000 free shaves and haircuts to soldiers in local hospitals by way of war work. The war necessitated the use in Government offices in England of 35,000 typewriters, valued at over £1,000,000.

Physicians of other days always insisted that “bleedings” should-be made in odd ‘numbers —one, three, five, etc., and never an even number.

If the cotton industry were suddenly to cease Bril ain would lose a business which produces £.120,000,000 worth of material every year, wldcli she sends to every country in the world.

The British Hag is the lirst standard of a Christian nation to float over Cu list an 1 inoiolo as (hat of a conqueror since the taking of (lie city hy the Turks more than four centuries ago.

Bulgaria’s obligations now reach about £400,000,000, excluding Germany’s claim to £80,000,000 for munitions of war, which Bulgaria may disown, and also a German advance of £45,000,000. 'flic red Hag was formerly the banner of the Church of Militant and of Royalty. It was so until Henry VI. of England took also the title of King of Era lie e. On the occasion of the publication of the constitution of tlie League of Nations, the King of Italy signed a decree of amnesty for political and military prisoners.

There are 4,000 automobiles in Japan. The population is 45,000,000, and the small number of machines is attributed to the fact that the country has no good roads. Of 50.000 Jews who served in the war, live Avon the Y.C., over 100 the D.C.M., and 250 the M.M., apart from many decorations won by officers.

Lenin recently told tho AU-Rus-sia trade union congress that the production of Soviet banknotes exceeded £500,000,000 worth a month. In the British Isles gold is found only in small quantities. There are a few mines in North 'Wales whore it is won from rock of poor quali-

As a carrier of bubonic plague ami other diseases, the vat is charged with the loss of more human lives than all the wars of history. There are 8,470,150 women entitled to (he .Parliamentary vole in Great Britain and Ireland, out of a total electorate of 21,802,322. The number of British missing still to he accounted for by the Germans is 2,900, and by the Turks between 200 and 300.

Empty sardine and salmon Ims which formerly went to Germany are in future to he utilised for the homo tov industry.

The death is announced in England of Mr Albert Brough, who was 7tl. 7fin. in height, and reputed the tallest man in the world. Two Aberdeen Angus bulls at Berth, Scotland, recently realised £2,040 each, which is said to be a world’s record price for this breed. Whale meat apepared on bills of fare in European countries and in America during the war, and in Japan it has been a food for hundreds of veavs.

Altogether 14 attempts have been made on the lives of Lenin and Trot.-ky since the proclamation of the Bolshevik Government. Nine attempts Avere directed against Lenin and live against Trotsky.