ABOUT NOTABILITIES.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 49, 26 February 1916, Page 14

ABOUT NOTABILITIES.

Prince Philippe Marie Alphonse dc Bourbon, of the two Sicilies, son.of the Count de Caserta, wae married on January ISth to Princess Marie Louiee oi Orleans, daughter of the Duke tie Veiidome, at the home of the latter in the Neiiily: The ceremony was strictly private.

The Duke of Manchester has a son and heir, who was thirteen laet November, and in whose veins runs the blood of many faces. While descending paternally from the great Norman house of Montagu, hi 6 mother is a. GermanAmerican, his grandmother a Spanish Cuban, and his late great-grandmother a noble Hanoverian.

Dr. J. S. Haldane, brother of Lord Haldane, who was chosen by the Government to investigate the asphyxiating gases used by the Germane, was presented, at the annual meeting of the Institution of Mining Engineers in Leeds, with the Institution's gold medal in recognition of hie scientific attainments. The medal has been presented but ortce 'before.

Kasei Ushijima, on whom the Emperor of Japan has just conferred the decoration of the Order of the Rising Sun. fifth class, all the most successful Japanese in California, has for twenty ycare been known as George Shima. In California he is known as the "Potato King," having risen from poverty to affluence through hie success in handling extensive potato crops.

"Shackleton, Shackleton; the name's familiar. By the way, what has happened to Sir Ernest Shackleton, whom one used to see co often here!" This was a remark made not long ago at a li.ncheon party in a London restaurant, crowded as usual. Thus quickly are public heroes forgotten in these times. And Sir Erneet is already on-hi9 journey across the Antarctic continent. Good luck go with him.

The Qnecn, eaye "Land and Water," h.a.3 set an example in many different waye to the women of the Empire. It is perhaps not generally known that Buckingham Palace waa about the first great house in the Kingdom where true economy was wisely instituted; this wae quite at the beginning of the war. H may be quostioned v whether any woman in the land has made with her own hands more garments for soldiers or sailors than Her Majesty.

'It is the English way to hear both sides, and now for the first time we hear King Constantino's side," says the London "Star." "Our own inclination is to give the King the benefit of every doubt, for he is a rather unusual brand and breed of King —that is to say, ho is trying to keep his people out of war instead of trying in plunge them into it. King Constantine is no knight errant. He is not a Don Quixote. He will side with the stronger. Let us have no illusions about him or, any: other King. He and his like will rush to the help of tin victors."

Bishdp Frodsham, in his book, "k Btehop's Pleasaunce," tell a good story against himself. "One early morning on the quay of a northern port a crowd wae waiting for a tender. There were well-dressed people, wliarfsido labourers, half-sober cane-ciitters, and others, including myself. A pert little child in a high voice asked, "Mummie, how old is God?' The -mother rebuked her child, but a more sympathetic cane-cutter walked eolemnly across the quay, laid hie hand on the child's arm, and said, pointing to mc, 'Missie, you ask that bloke in leggings. He's one of the firm.'"

Sir Walter Raleigh, Professor of English Literature at Oxford, recently \rrived in New York, having been invited to lecture at Harvard and other American universities. An American' colleague, temporarily resident in London," wrote to a friend in the United States to meet Sir Walter on arrival at the pier in New York, but supplied no other description of him except that he was "a very tall man." The friend has just written to London:—"l watched several tall men come down the gang-plank, and when I saw one who I thought might be Raleigh I walked up to him and said, "Excuse mc, sir, are you Sir Walter Raleigh V He happened to be a very typical Westerner, and not the Profeseor of English Literature at Oxford, and he replied "No, sir, I'm Christopher Columbus.'"

Cardinal Gibbons, whose name has again come , into prominence in the premature peace talk in the United States, is one of the few prelates of the Roman Catholic Church who have preached in a Protestant Church. The fact is attested in the Cardinal's own words. In connection with the presence of Roman Catholic Bishops at the Parliament of Religions at Chicago some few yeare ago, the Cardinal wrote to a correspondent as follows: "Following the example of the great Bishop England, I often preached, when on the North Caroline Mission, in courthouses end Protestant' Churches to non-Catholic audiences." Later on, a etory ix to the effect that lie wae actually approached by a deputation from a Protestant Church at a well" known American seaside resort to fill the place of a New York minister who could not fulfil hie engagements. Cardinal Gibbons willingly consented.

Admiral Ernest Troubridge, who was reported to be dangerously wounded in the defence of Niah, in Serbia, is the officer who was in command of one of the cruiser squadrons of the Mediterranean fleet at the outbreak of the war. Ho was relieved and summoned home in order to appear before a court of inquiry at Portsmouth, presided over by Admiral of the Fleet Sir Hedworth Mcux, on a charge of having allowed the German cruisers Breslau and Goeben to escape from the Bay of Messina, where they were blockaded, and to reach in safety Constantinople. He was cleared wlien it was developed that if he had. permitted the German warships to steam out of the Bay of Messina, it was because he had received the most peremptory wireless orders by means of the British admiralty secret code to allow them to pass out of the bay without let or hindrance. It was too late that Admiral Troubridge ascertained that the Wireless orders were of a bogus character, and had originated with a German who, through some treachery, had obtained .possession of the British admiralty secret code. The latter was supposed to be so carefully guarded that Troubridge could have had no idea that the Germans had obtained access thereto, and there Was not time to send home in order to have the instructions ywifW,