THE DIGGER'S LETTER BOX.

Digger (Invercargill RSA), Issue 34, 5 November 1920, Page 8

THE DIGGER'S LETTER BOX.

GAVIN BRIGHTON,

GAVIN BRIGHTON,

GAVIN BRIGHTON,

J.S., Titiroa. — Qnestion I. Birthplace of Kitchener ? In the year 1850 Kitchener's fatlxer bought a place called Ballygoghlan, in the countieg of Kerry and Limerick, the pnoperty included a little village depopulated by the potato famine. While alterations were being made on the house a ghooting-box, Gunsborough Lodge was rented, near Listowel, and here Horatio Herbert Kitchener -was born on June 24, 1850. Question II. — What religion or church? Kitchener was christened in the church of Aghavallin on September 22, 1850. His biographer records that his fatherbad his oWn ideas about ~''bring up" and this characteristic is reflected in Kitchener as we knew hira. He attended a French school at Geneva when 14 years of ^ge and was subsequently transferred to a Church of England school at Montreux. He also gtudied Hebrew to learn paris of the old Testmament in the original. % Question III. — What year did he commence naval operations? So far as we are aware Kitchener took no parl in naval operations. The question is ambiguous. He returned from France and Switzerlarid in 1866 to prepare for a commission in tae Royal Engineers and was passed into Woolwich in February, 1868. Owing to illness he dropped a term at Woolwich and passed out in December, 1870. This was the time of.the Franco-Prussian war and he offered His services to France and. was appointed to the "Second Army" of tiie Loire, commanded by General Chanzy. He was now a colonel and it may be the answer to your inquiry that this was the start of his military operations. If not write again. Question IV.— Number of years he held the rank of lord? It was on September 4, 1818, that Kitchener received word that Her Majesty the Queen was pleased to e:.pr;ss her dc-ep appre;iation of the victory at Khartum by conferring on him a p,eerage as a reward for his . brilliant services. Kitchener states that ihe Queen offered him a peerage in a riice manner but Kitchener is tog horrible a name to put a "lord" in front of. If there is any further information we shall endeavour to supply it.— Editor "Digger." , (To the Editor.) Sir, — Allow me to congratulate your cartoonist in this week's isaue. His cartoon illustrate3 the truth of the scriptures which saya, "God cause th the tents of the rqbbers to prosper." "The Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men and giveth it to whomsoever. He will setting up over it the basest or lowest or vilesfi of men." But I would ask them to read James 5th. Please, Mr Jacques, do not ascribe that when James 5th eomes to pass

that Mr McSweeney's death through hun-ger-striking has had anything .to do with it. Jacques' note on this, this week, partakes too much of the wowser to my liking.— I am, etc.,

Nightcaps, November 4, 1920. P.S. — Perhaps, Mr Editor, you will allow me to try and brighton Jacques' box. He acknowledges that it is a bit dull. Fear cometh of ignorance; to love anything we must know it and partake oi it. "Perfect love casteth out fear; he that feareth is not made perfect in love." Jacqnes does not seem to know or understand me. I fear not God ! I love Him for what He has done for me. I can appreciate a joke just as well as I can combat guperstition ; of malice I have none, for which Jacques gave me credit.. Did I attack Jacques? I know that after reading the correspondence between Jacques and A, on gpiritualism in which telepathy was mentioned, I asked the question, "Telepathy, what is it and how is it worked?" and lest they should think I was taking advantage of them, I explained it, which seems to have been written in a style incomprehensible to him. If he will read the letter and call th.e two persons A and B respectively, even his "dull brain" may be able to understand. I do not, like the parson and the priest, debar any one from utilising their braing. The joke may be turned back on Jacques, who, like a pig in clover has done some rooting which ig rare- fun for him.

TO THE GROPER. Sir, — Thank you for your contribution this week, else I would not have seen it. Say! are you one of the "we" in the first paragraph, who I take it as speaking for the churches. To me that article from the "Argus" is a howl as of one in despair. This week's "Ota-go Witness," see article on inside cover was contributed too. Took form as of a cheap advertisement. It gtated Sir Arthur • Cbnan Doyle's puxpose and his reason for visiting Australia. He is just as much in earnest in his purpose as the chm-ches. Why this howling? The chupches are afraid. Why? Because they cannob meet it. Why? Because of disobedience, therefore they grope about at noon-day as if it were midnight. How? Instead of uphold. ing the truth of the Bible they liave been robbing the people by teaching that which is not in or implied in the Bible. our Lord said, "And I, ifl be lifted up from the earth, will draw all unto myself." Hag the church been faithful to this? If so, then this passage just quoted ig a lie. But it is not a lie, for it is truth, as many can bear witness to the fact, that tnose that trusted in the name of Jesug have been drawn to Him. Yea, though they did not understand, Instead of {elling the people the purpose for which He had come, what have they done? Our Lord said, "I came that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly." They, the churches, made the scriptureg unintelligible by their va-rious shibboleths, that it is, as Paul said it would 'as speaking ior the churches), says, "We be, hard, * difficult or trying at times. This article from the "Argus" (I take it cannot welcome Sir Arthur Conan Doyie as an advocate of spiritualism. He represents a force which we. believe to be purely evil." If it is purely evil why not meet it and prove it in his belief. He is reported to have .said, "spiritualism is a helpmate to christianity. " If church teachings are correct, this is trjie, it is a helpmate to church teachings, but church teachings are not christianity. And the churches do not want to share the spoil, therefore this howl. — I am, etc.,

Nightcaps, November 4, 1920.