INTERESTING NEWS

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 290, 11 September 1915, Page 3

INTERESTING NEWS

A MICROBE WAR. The Paris Journal, in a loading article, recalls tlie fact that German troops have recently been inoculated against cholera, and that the Italians discovered large supplies of typhus in an Austrian vilage. It hints at the likelihood of the enemy waging a microbe war against the Allies, and exhorts the Government to encourage French scientists to devote their energies to combating all possible developments of Gorman warfare.

BULGARIA LACES RIFLES,

The Yovoie Vremia reproduces from the Serbian semi-oliieial organ Politika an article which is, according to the Novoc Vremia, much commented on in Russian diplomatic , circles. Politika says that Bulgaria cannot at the present moment participate in war, as she lacks bread and rifles. She sold great quantities of corn from the last harvest to Germany and 200,000 out of 300,000 rifles to Turkey.

CHIEF RABBJ AT THE FRONT,

Aittr a for..night's tour of the war oouu, hi' Hurtz, cue Chief Rabbi, has returned to London. It may not be generally known that 12.00 J Jewish soid.ers ar e in the rank and file, while th e Jewisla officers number 900, and the object of the Chief Rabbi was to v-sit and address where possible those who are already at the front. “This was not my first experience of war,” ■said Dr. Hertz, relaxing- his rule against granting interviews, in conversation with a reßresntative of the “Daily Chronicle.” “Fifteen years ago I went to my brethren in South Africa. But conditions in France are vastly different. I travelled practically the whole leiigith of the British front, It was necessary in order to fulfil my purpose, for the Jewish soldiers are scattered throughout the different units and although I did not enter the first trendhes, I was frequently in the reserv e line. I also was at Ypres, amongst other places. One of the r remarkable devotional gatherings I have ever held,” he pursued, “took pl~.ce at a spot a little moire than a mile away from a position which the enemy was’ bombarding. Men were present who had come upwards of 40 miles. We could see the shells failing and with every now and then the thud of an explosion to interrupt us, I talked to them of th e struggle for-life in which the British Empire was engaged, and of the calamity to the whole human race which would ensue were it to be beaten. At all the sendees held in t’he war zone the intensest devotional and religious manner characterises the men. Indeed, the spirit of th e soldiers is wonderful, and the most cheerful fellows I have met are those who had just been ten days in the trenches. The morale is excellent, and everyone is inspirt°d wiTi dMev. mimt’on to do whatever may be his duty.”

A PROMPT TASMANIA!!.

The circumstances in which some of the Antipodean contingent came over to the front make cheerful reading (says London Opinion. Take young Russen, a Tasmanian lad. lie did not like to leave his father in bad health, so he stuck to the Russen biscuit factory till the “ governor”—a wellknown figure in Launceston: —died. He went to his father’s funeral on a Sunday. But his hands were still not free. He was engaged to be married. The girl, however, was willing; so, the day after the funeral, young Russen had a quiet wedding. The next day was Wednesday, and that day Russen started for the front.

A SUSPICIOUS DOCUMENT.

A humorous true story comes from Brussels, via La Mcfropole. A squad of Prussian soldiers recently invaded a well-known chemist A shop, in the city, their officer explaining that the chemist, was suspected of possessing compromising documents. After -

vain' search suspicion fell on the proprietor’s son, who was ill in bod. He was searched, and the officer was soon bearing off in triumph a paper, with printed English characters on it, when ho had found steking to the young man’s chest. A translator was speedily requisitioned, and it was then revealed that the “document” was none other than one of AJlcock’s ramDus plasters!

A FEARLESS FRENCH GIRL.

N6t many people—except Army contractors and munition makers —have made money out of th e war. Mile. Marie Leccmbes is one of the exceptions. When, hostilities began she and her mother lived in the village of St. Agnans, about a mile and a quartet* from Apremont, which has figured prominently in the recent figlhting. Mme. Leccmbes was killed by a German shell, and then the Huns took possession of the village. But the French chased them out again. Since then, some seven months ago, St. Agnans ha s been contiuously bombarded by th e Germans, and for safety’s sake, tihe inhabitants were clrdered to evacuate the place. But Marie pleaded with the French commanding officer to be allowed to remain in the village wher.s she had been born and brought up, and her request was granted. She has since made a living by celling milk and farm produce, cigarettes, and newspapers to the Frencih. troops, and she has dene s o well that she now makes her rounds in a little donkey cart. She began business with and now is reported to have saved something like £3O. “Are you not afraid of the shells?” Marie was asked the ether day.“No,” replied the birave gifil. “It’ s only the first shot that counts. When the Germans, bombard the place we take rehige U the cellars, and whit until thy’re finished.”

“MADNESS” OF THE KAISER.

AMERICAN DOCTOR’S ANALYSIS OF HIS ECCENTRICITIES.

“When a madman directs the conduct of war it can end only in defeat.’’ In thjese words Dr McLane Hamilton concludes an article in the “North American Review” on “The Kaiser’s Psychosis,” in which he considers the possible madness of the Kaiser. He pronounces no positive decision, but he adduces some striking reasons for believing that tho Kaiser is tainted with insanity, to which there was some hereditary predisposition. “His Childhood and youth were characterised by peculiarities of conduct that may safely be said to be psychopathic, while his early manhood was puctuated with frequent instances of decidedly insane .behaviour, which have since become raor.e conspicuous and continuous.” With regard to the Kaiser’s belief ilton observes that though this is not in the Almighty as his ally, Dr Hainan uncommon symptom in some ear’y forms of deent'ia, it is in part a familiar Teutonic idea. Frederick William IV. had some such idea but he was unquestionably insane. “All of u$ who see much of mental disease recognise the tendency of certain ‘desequilihres’ to ally themsetves with God. He enters into their delusions, and their impulsive and other murderous acts often spring from such alleged direc-

tion.” Dr Hamilton an ory m'oefamation i'wu"d fn the T ' , - V '> c! last Octoh-r. m which the Kai.-n----■Mmimod that. th>> mrmvc.ulO’-S ringing of n h-oi tho Sw/ia,t.os r a,rsky Mr'Ti'vn■‘ofi" had a signal to hi 7 ' l “*o n—n n- ! th Pirs’a. and res +r r~! P~'I gnd her saints.” In giving evidence at Wellingtor Senior-Sergeant Dinnie informed Die court that he had never hoard of tlu finger-prints of two persons being alike. “Finger-prints,” he said, “are an infallible method of identification. ’ ’ As the result of a meeting of laundry workers, an industrial union of th< employees of that industry in Wellington has been forftied, with the objec of obtaining an agreement for the reg ulat.ion of working conditions. Officer: have been elected and draft, rules approved, and in due course applicatio: will be made for registration under thIndustrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act.

The Government is making inquiry regarding a suggestion put forward byMr. A. Harris (Waitemata) that with a view to providing land for returned soldiers, the Lands Department should plough, subsoil, and plant with shelter and fruit trees, say, 1,000 acres of tho Swanson kauri gum reserve. The reservo in question is stated to be eminently suited for fruit-culture and poultry-keeping, being on the railway line and adjacent to Auckland, and Mr. Harris suggests that if it were partially improved it would bo readily taken up by returned soldiers.

A SAFETY CERTAIN

On the safety curtains at several I theatres in Edinburgh the other week there appeared the following announcement: —"This is the safety curtain of this theatre. The men of Britain are the safety curtain that shields our country from ruin and our women and children from death. Are you part of that khaki safety curtain? If not, support those who are fighting your battles and join the new battalion of the 4th Royal Scots, Queen's Edinburgh.”