NO "HYPHENS" WANTED.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 8, Issue 42, 19 February 1916, Page 7

NO "HYPHENS" WANTED.

A German*American named Kurtzmann. has been in the habit of journeying to Paris with the object of purchasing the choicest models of the dressmaking art, and reproducing these in New York. Owing to his American naturaliation, nothing was easier than to carry on this little business. But he was unmasked on his

latest trip to the French capital, his object in this instance being to secure all that was most artistic in th e way of dresses, etc., for the wedding trousseau of President Wilson’s fiance-. All the Paris dressmaking establishments having refused to deal with Kurtzmann, the latter threatened to bring the matter before his, that is to say, the' American Ambassador. Here was a diplomatic move on the part of the American (?) dealer which threatened to have unpleasant consequences. But the French dressmakers held a meeting, the result of which was that Herr, that is to say, Mr. K , found himself checkmated. “We, of the Paris Dressmakers’ Longue,” was the unanimous finding, “ shall esteem it an honour to present the Presidential fiancee with her trousseau, not only as .1 humble wedding gift, but as a mark of our high esteem for the US.A., their President, and his bride-elect.” STACKERS and swindlers. Nobody could reasonably accuse thcFrench Minister of War of slackness ns regards the rounding up of available men for army service. If any of these have so managed to escape their military obligations the feat must border on the miraculous. Not a day passes but a not of police is operating in some quarter of Paris,, gathering in these for whom patriotism and duty are abstract words. Thus it is no uncommon occurrence for males apparently of serviceable age to be stopped and questioned regarding their military situation. All this is as it should be, and no honest man. bo he of any nationality, and providing that his papers are in order, could possibly object to the formality. It has brought in thousands of slackers, these perforce becoming fewer as time goes on. It is therefore all the more scandalous that a trio of doctors are implicated in the charge, not only of robbing the conn try of tho military services of scores of Frenchmen, but of accumulating money in the process. Their modus operandi, as simple as it was remunerative, worked splendidly, the charges for “services rendered” ranging according to tho “ patient ’s’” means. Thus, a jeweller, who had been duly passed by one of them as unfit for service, saw himself mulcted to tho tune of 1,200 francs per month, the odd two hundred francs going to a certain staff secretary as hush money. Being a wealthy man, the ‘‘malade imaginaire” would have been delighted to secure peace of mind and security cf body until the end of the war, had not a loose word uttered hero and there reached the ears of authorities. Tho minimum foe for "unfit for military service” certificate was 3.500 francs. THE KAISER’S HYPOCRISY. In view of the sanctimonious phrases with which the Kaiser’s public utterances ar e interlarded, it is rather amusing to find that he has been publicly admonished by the, authorities of his church. On one occasion the Lutheran Consistory of the Province of East Prussia passed a unanimous vote of censure on tho Kaiser for having given a shooting party on Sunday at Romintcn, one cf his many estates. It was understood at the time that the I Consistory would have refrained from tins action—for which they were severely rebuked by the Emperor—had not some German newspapers printed two articles in parallel columns. One gave an elaborate description of the

Ttominten shooting party, while the other enlarged on an Imperial proclamation against the lax observaco of the Sabbath,