INTERESTING ITEMS.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 214, 26 May 1915, Page 3

INTERESTING ITEMS.

PRISONERS' TREATMENT IN RUSSIA.. Russia may well be proud of the crowning victory of Przemysl, but it ■has even greater reason to be proud of the noble appeal mad e to the peasants by the Government of the Siberian province of Akmolinsk to be kind to the prisoners of war quartered upon them at so much per day for each man. Ruthene, Czech, Polish, Roumanian, Bosnian, Italian and Hungarian subjects of Austria are distributed in Cossack settlements and peasants’ villages. In general, says the tion, “these nationalities,' near to usby blood and faith, are well diposed towards Russia.” The truly Christian appeal is made; “The Russian people have too noble a soul for them to be cruel to those in misfortune. Peasants! Receive not the prisoners sent to you as your enemies! In the majority they are peaceful and hard - workers, nad' only by the force of necessity have they taken part in the battles against the Russian nation. Bear- yourselves towards them with dignity! Be just, and’ have consideration fdr the sorrows of others." There is to be no forced labour, but the prsioners are permitted' to work by voluntary agreement. “Thanks be to God,” says the proclamation, “this year everything is in abundance -in the province—plenty of bread and vegetables, and everything at low prices.”

“THE GREAT MOMENT.” ~ / ___ The following letter, written by- a young Territorial officer to his parents, will give some:idea of what leaving for the front means in this war. He says: “After long weeks of hoping, fearing and expecting to go the great moment has arrived—suddenly, swiftly, and unexpectedly]—and by the time you are reading this we shall be either on the way to or in France.

“Suddenly, at about 6.45 in the evening, came the order to stand by/ formoving next day. Every man and officer was hurriedly called together. Clothing, equipment, necessaries, boots, blankets, ground sheets, etc., were issued wholesalh, and many of us were working all night getting the battalion equipped. So> off we go—tvhere to? At what hour? • We do not know. Nobody, from the colbnel downwards, knows. “Officers have now to wear packs like the men. Swords and belts wr leave behind’. I carry in mj r pack overcoat, change of underclothing, thro? pairs sockSj. medicines, sleeping; helmet, etc. In my haversack, towel, razor, soap, tooth brush, books, knife, fork, spoon and handkerchiefs. On the top of my pack a tin plate. Attached ro my pack arc a waterproof coat and scarf. In my waterproof sheet is my goat skin cuirass. Of course, I have a water-ftottle. Also I carry - compass, glasses/ wire cutters and map ease. My equipment altogether weighs . 42Mb;. ‘ *Tn my valise, of course,, there Is more-stuff, such as spare uniform, underclothing. The great thing, however, is that I am independenfcof -my' valise it gets lost.”

a touching stoky. j M. Bazin- tells- the' following:' touching story::— A beardless! young soldier - of the north was lying stretched in a french, suffering' from a frightful stfrapnol wound' in the • stomach. Ib•’ spite' of * his terrible : plight, he made no murmur or complaint, and'one could scarcely recognise in His-big; open, uplifted' eyes-the expression of sadness which' h'e always / wore; For since he left home lie had no word of His own people; or of his invaded country. His comrades assisted Hiin- as they could, putw ater to his lips unbuttoned’his tunic, and to stop the- flow of blood. 1 Then, opening his eyes, which' he had closed for a moment, with the air of one who suffered no ■ longer; he addressed one • of-*' his comrades, a big, rough-looking .'Eofidlcf, who • was." bending over him:— “Yon won’t tell my mother of- this hideous wound of mine? ’A’bullet'would have been better?” Then ! he distributed several small ar-ticles-which he had taken from his pocket—a knife, his ipurse- a-corkscrew and 1 a steel —a last bequeathal which was-soon finished. Fitialljf he opened his pocket book, and, commencing to write,- although he saw with difficulty, he traced some characters with his pencil and expired. When the pockdt book was examined, this is what the soldier was -v fOund to have written bye,:.father; good-bye, mother ;r; goodbye,; little sisters. I die for my-coun-try;-. Vive la France-.” '

A BARONET REBUKE©. | Mr Muir, at the Old Bailey,-vannounr. : ed that the prosecution proposed to offer no evidence in the case* of Sir James Herbert Renais, Bart., aged 44, and Henry Mather, aged 4$ broker, who weje tried last session on a charge of obtaining credit'by means of fraud. On that occasion ttees Jury disagreed. A formal verdict of not guilty was returned and the defendants were discharged. The Recorder?. Sir Foryest Fulton, addressing Sir J, H. Renais, said he ought to consider himself very fortunate in the 'result of the ■case. “It would have been- my duty,” lithe Recorder continued*' “to try this .base hut for the fact -of r having had ! j the privilege of intimate friendship ’with your father, Sir -.Joseph Renais, >. when Lord Mayor of London, and of ; your mother, Lady Rtmalk; I thought it I unbecoming that I should; try the case, and my learned colleague, the Comi raon Serjeant, was- good enough to take it. You hav***-brought disgrace upon your family and" the title you inherited from, your - " father; what has brought you into your position is obviously drinlL. If 5 may, as a very old friend of your rather, give you one piece of parting advice, I would ask you—for y ou are* still a young man — to pause now. It is not yet too late. The lesson you-have had may possibljr bring you to your senses, and I earnest!:/ hope you will not bring any further disgrace upon what was an bonoumd nainer There is only -cab thing y ou can-do. You can, if you have sufficient will-power left in you, abstain from drink'-in the future. If you do, you may still continue a useful member 'of society.”

I HULL’S WOMEN-POLICE.- ; A large corps> of-'voluntary women police has Just been- formed- at Hull to protect young-girls;- The: new corps has 58’’ members*, nVany of whom are ladies of prominent social position; in the city. The policewomen l are::-already-going on duty, and parade - the -’principal thoroughfares'’in-'pkifig front seven to eleven o’clock : nightly, and J change their beats every two Their duties, it is explained, are to warn innocent girls of danger, as distinct from rescue work] The women-: are supplied with flash Tamps and badges and whistles. The movement; is receiving the support of the local police authorities.

BLIND GUtL f STGIFT TO ABMIRAL' * JELLICOF,. If Kathleen Tb-rr wai; a happy girl when she sent the scarf -she hadT knittec herself to Sir John Jelllcoe, hcreup of happiness; must’ have b een • full’ - " on receiving the delightful -sympathetic letter of thanks wMeh tJ lb Admiral sent her. Kathleen is : a* Tittle blind girl'living at York,’ and bird ’kr fitted or woollen scarf, which sird-. sent to Sir Juhh Jell:coe. She accompanied 1 it wit lb a letter in BfHillej in witch ’si le said she would be “the happiest Ibctle girl” in England” if he would'ac ;cept the gift’, adding that "all the otl ier girls thankyou and all the > bra-ve s ailors and ’ soldiers for defending'us. I’' 1 ’' ’ Adnliral JeHiCde i secretary-sent 'the following reply:—

Iron ■ Duke.'Grand Fleet, i ! February,- 1915. ‘‘ Dear KsHU&ea , —Admiral- ■ Sir - John Jellicoe has < told ;me to answer your nice letter to Ml ii, and to -thank' j r ou very much HreTefti i for the - beautiful scarf which 4 you have sent’ him. The Admiral IMh-ks - it very cldver of you to knit sO ’Spfem lidly whfen-you cannot see what you ar o doing, and : he thinks it very ki-ad of you to -do' -, it‘all'for him.” GERhEftH -VICTORIES AT " THE ’ PICTURES.’ A g&Tsfclera,-an who has been to a biograpb mhow in Germany, says .-t'hfe Copenhagen corerspontfent of. the -Lor* don Standard, describes- the last ■ paart of .thee performance, aw follows:—, _• “Ai ‘picture of tha* Raiser standing with- field-glasses in tao trenches (deli*riom* enthusiasm.) The picture had to be shown over and’ever again. Ou the screen a hand writes- the latest •• war news-: - f An English* battleship, believed to- be the Warrior, was this morning-, near Dover, torpedoed. ’ by - a - German submarine and s»?afe. The catusimj-ph'e-fested only some* few minutes* anil • all efforts to save lives were hopele/.s. ’ j ‘‘The next picture: Prince Henry, the .-Kaiser-V .brother, standing.-Invtbe-uniform of an* admiral -on the - bridge*. The audience sings the “Wacht am* .Rhein.’ The..band -appears again on*, the screen and writes the .Mlo'wing - telegram : ‘At -thee battle off’Soi ssons ■. oup 1 soldiers have taken 2 1,000 English prisoners. They threw down,, tfigty guns .and cried for bread.:* *

‘‘Next picture: The Crowaaßriu*?* • on horseback. ■ A rather subdued'; bses follows;- tfir ercupon writes: ‘A Giorman s-pnadiws. has this' morning? reached' Ifgl’jtwdd: ma niters have'mad e v a 1 ;ow«i —-- (iiaine , 'n‘6t' p£rmittfed'- lijyeeaa .fij}.* Tho audierfce gets" up and] ate?* 4 l s oiHsohlancfy Dehtschliiid’ übe-r.- a Ues. * “Next' tffliegrauir ‘Eifag?; Q&m -ge of Erig-'-and" h&s£bVdtf • out? sfioottm* partridges and fths'c.6r;'tfractfed\ancod 3.; Ti:» King has-l&eif] liid 1 upjb'itSgtjs understood that in the course off-a- ftr w day* he will'' agS&b be- - tb> t*k® part i« deer-hunting'" abh'ilt- W-insUtan . ’ wildt i ..he is show'n iarhunting costume?. “Next pwtdref- TKe*-<3Jsa*-Sr t evening dress,- Oritthe'serrecu-tlkyl&aa a writes: The Czar-of Tftissov mn#r:s f a l s9 step at -the dauee das t irlgiit u4t}' i, ft WinterPalace in Pdt-rosirradl IZSiVic wine the advice of : >peeia'r spend ’thte?n*ihton- in- w railU climate to recuperate! ’ “The next"pictures- W-Ta Albert in military rraifdvm.-. Dbepa 3 ' lienee, one could almost- Ifearr a- ppin drop on the fldor. ... ‘ ‘ Tlxfetr my--playgoerrlikw [ } ia d cnougls and left' thfe<-sko*vc' ’ ’