TIT-BITS.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 4, Issue 69, 13 August 1915, Page 2 (Supplement)

TIT-BITS.

The sound of ttio explosion overtakes the modern bullet at about 2000 yards. * * * Five Greeks who hud refused to serve in the Turkish array have been (sentenced to death by a court-martial sitting at Constantinople. * # * Princess Xenia of Montenegro, sister of the Queen of Italy, lias entered a hospital ship at Naples to prepare herself for nursing the wounded in the war. * * * In the United States census of 1370, a record was obtained of the father of a family who had named his five children Imprimis, Finis, Appendix, Addendum, and Erratum. * * * The largest swimming bath in Croydon, England, has been covered in and is being used as a scheol, because a number of the ordinary .schools are filled with wounded soldiers. * * * The War Office authorities are considering the question of converting Clifton racecourse, near Blackpool, England, into a seaside camp to accommodate about two thousand wounded soldiers. * * * Hale and Health End. two country suburbs of Aldershot, have sent to the army or navy 400 out of their aggregate population of about 1500, or practically every eligible man in the two parishes. * * *. At the funeral servce of an Australian soldier at Birmingham, the Bishop of Wakefield said, '"The way the sons of the Empire have rallied to the old flag -will make for the righteousness of the whole Empire." * * * It is now the custom for some munition workers in the north of England, on the completion of a hard day's work, to hire taxi-cabs to take them to their homes. A party of four or six ride together and share the fare, * * * Although seamen have to doff their caps when undergoing inspection on board ship, Marines do not do so. The Royal Marines do not uncover their heads as a mark of respect except in the presence of Royalty or at Div'iao service. * * * To replace the 74,000 British raiiwny men who have joined the colours, applications for various posts, such as booking clerks, telegraphists, ticket collectors, porters, and carriage cleaners, have been received from more than ".'I,OOO women. "K* "Jf "3^ "I mean to fight, to defend my country, and avenge the death of my father, on the Bodies," protested thir-teen-year-old Julien Bloquelle, who had attempted to follow a French infantry detachment over a distance of ten mi'es. * * * The death at the front of a soldier named Lovelace, of Edmonton, lingland, has been followed by the enlistmen of his brother, Leonard, and three of the dead soldier's friends. Hifl mother, in a letter to a local paper, says: "If this helps recruiting, our boy will not have died in vain." * * * The Northern Baptist Association complains that tlte Government is not adequately meeting bombardment claims, and gives as an instance the Baptist Church lit Hartlepool, partially destroyed by German fire in December last/ The damage was estimated at £2,000. and the compensation is only £750. * * * A bagpipes band, organised by the famous comedian Harry Lauder, lias obtained many hundreds of recruits m Scotland. * * * The new edition of the list of past and present members of Cambridge University now on active service contains just under 9,000 names. * * * The children of St. Catherine's Church Sunday School. Gorseinon, near Llanelly, have given 820 new-laid for the use of the wounded soldiers in the district. * * « There is such a dearth of labour in the cloth cap-making trade that om> manufacturer has offered a bonus of £IOO payable to anyone who can find him 500 girls to take the places of men who have enlisted. * * * An official message from General Botha adds that in live days' actual marching the least distance covered by any of his troops was 190 miles. Some brigades did substantially more, # * * At a recent meeting of the Newcastle, England, Tramway Committer, the manager reported the " unqualified success" of the forty-eight women conductors already on the cars, and said that other routes would be supplied with them. * * * In view of the great difficulties suf fered by ltussian wine merchants by the absolute prohibition of the sale of alcoholic liquors, the Council of Ministers at Petrograd has decided to give them the power to cancel contracts concluded in the past. * * * A deck boy was was called to give evidence at the Falaba inquiry said that he was on the Falaba when she was torpedoed. He had since been to sea again in a Harrison liner, which was :ilso torpedoed. "Are you going to sea again ho was asked, and the hov promptly replied, "Yes." * * * The dirigible torpedo of a New York inventor is propelled electrically, guided by a single insulated wire, and kept at the required distance below the surface by an automatic depth regulator. At the will of the operator a jet ot water on a. beam of hgut can be thrown up from the torpedo to show the exact location reached.

The list of pan and present mom hers of Oxford I niverity who have !ullt'ii at the front now contains close mi '2OO names. * * *

Following on Italy's declaration oi war, Sweden, Denmark, and Norway suit official notification.s to all parties oi their strict neutrality. * * * In an Army Order it, is made clear that men enlisting into the Territor.J Force during »he period of the war are ( n tit led to claim a free discharge at the end of tli" war. * * * Water supply for the troops at th" 1 front is usually marked with flags. i white flag for drinking water, blue for watering plaee.s for annuals, and red for wasihng or bathing places. * * * The Canadian Indian troopers have been badly hit by the war. as the Leipzig mark"t for furs 110 longer exist-, and the demand oi London dealers has fallen to insignificant prop irtions. * * * Mr. Preston M'Giodwin. th„> American Minister to Venezuela, reports that the war ha* enormously ncreased the trade of Ihr.t, and other South American countries with the United SUites. It is new £.">,000.000 |>er annum, and could easl'y ho doubled.