LOOKING BACK.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 151, 27 June 1936, Page 13

LOOKING BACK.

NOTABLE EVENTS. COST OF WORLD WAR. NEXT WEEK'S ANNIVERSARIES By M.P.W. A double anniversary of great importance will fall to-morrow. It will be 22 years since the assassination of the Archduke Francis Ferdinand at Sarajevo, the Incident which rung up the curtain on the World War. It will be 17 years since peace with Germany was signed at Versailles by the plenipotentiaries of the five pricipal allied Powers. Within the five years between those two events the greatest war in history had been fought. On the riven' fields of Flanders, in the snows of the Austrian alps, in the arid deserts of Arabia, in the fever infested jungles of Africa— on a score of different fronts in many parts of the world; on land, on sea, in the air the man-power of the warring nations was lavishly expended. The following tables set out an approximate record of the cost of the war in human lives and money:— Prisoners Known and dead. Wounded, missing. G. Britain, Ireland 812,317 1,840,404 04,907 Colonies . 32.044 75.535 — Russia . . 2.702,064 4,050,000 2,500,000 France . . 1,393,388 1,490,000 453,000 Newfoundland . . 1,609 3,028 — S. Africa 0,032 17,843 — Serbia . . 127,535 133,148 100,000 Italy .. . 400.000 047,000 1,350,000 Roumanla 335,700 200,000 116,000 Belgium . 38,172 44,686 10.000 U.S.A. .. 115,600 205,090 4,912 i Canada . 62,817 166,105 8,671 India . . . 73,432 84,715 — Australia 60.450 154,722 — French Colonies 42,560 59.000 3,500 N. Zealand 18,212 45,046 — Greece . . 15.000 40.000 45,000 Portugal . 7,222 13,751 2001 Japan . . 300 907 3 j Totals 0,387,535 10,485,170 4,665,6931 Germany. 2,050,466 4,202,028 772,522 j AustriaHungary 1,200,000 3,620,000 443,000 Bulgaria . 101,224 152,400 10.825 Turkey . 300,000 570,000 103,731 Totals 3,651,690 8,544,423 1,330,078 Grand totals 10,039,225 19,029,598 5,995,771 Total direct cost net... £38,340,254,547 Indirect cost —• Capitalised value of human life 13,807,109,580 Property losses on land 6,164,600,053 Loss of shipping and cargo ~ .. 1,399,170,955 Loss of production . . 9,259,259,250 War relief 205,761,317 Loss to neutrals .... 360.052.305 Total £31,195,008,409 Grand total £60,536,253.010 A Royal Birthday. When the photographs of European kings who marched in the funeral procession of King George V. were published iir New Zealand, the magnificent physique and noble bearing of King Haakon of Norway attracted widespread admiration. As the brother-in-law of the late King of England, King Haakon is a familiar figure in England, where he is one of the most popular of foreign crowned lieada. King Haakon, who will be 64 years old on Friday next, was the second son of King Fredex - ick of Denmark. In 1896 he married his cousin, Princess Maud of England, the third daughter of King

Edward VII. He was elected to the thrown of Norway following the breakaway of that country from Sweden in 1905. The will of the people was clearly shown by the referendum on the question of whether he. should be offered the throne. There were 259,053 votes in his favour, and only 02,204 against him.

The Royal household, of Norway is conducted in almost Spartan simplicity. There is no pomp about the courts although the King entertains extensively and likes to surround himself with scientists, wits and savants. The King is an enthusiastic sportsman. Ski-ing, hunting and aviation are among his favourite pastimes, while he enjoys a swim every morning, summer and winter. He is also a tennis player, a fencer and an accomplished dancer. He is a linguist, speaking English, German and French fluently. In the midst of all these activities, he has found time to earn the honourable title of "the citizen who is best informed on the social problems of Norway." Saving Mte Bank of New Zealand. In the early months of 1894 alarming reports were circulating throughout New Zealand regarding the state of the Bank pf New Zealand. Disquieting rumours 'were given point by the disaster which had recently overtaken a number of the Australian banks. The Colonial Treasurer (the Hon. J. G., afterwards Sir Joseph Ward) was paying a business visit to Australia when the hour of reckoning came, and he returned with a strong conviction that these banks should have been rescued by Government help, with the pledge of the Government credit. The result was one of the most momentous legislative acts in the history of the New Zealand Parliament. This was the Bank of New Zealand Share Guarantee Act, which was introduced and became law within 24 hours ending in the early morning of June 30, 1894. The situation was desperate. The greatest of the colony's financial institutions was suddenly discovered to be threatened with instant and irretrievable disaster. Members of Parliament found themselves called on the spur of the moment to decide between pledging the credit of the country for the enormous sum of £2,000,000 and permitting the failure of the bank, with all the calamitous results certain to follow such a disaster. 111 deciding to guaraP' tee the bank, the Government, accord-

ing to the newspapers of the day —and there has been no occasion to change this opinion since—chose a course which, though bold, was preferable to a reckless supineness. The bill, which was introduced by the Colonial Treasurer, provided for a State guarantee of £2,000,000 fresh capital for the bank, in return for which the colony claimed a measure of control over the bank's affairs—a measure so great that Opposition members in the House criticised the arrangement as something more than the beginning of a State bank. Atlantic Flight. Aviation history was made in 1910 when the British airship R34 crossed the Atlantic to New York, flying 3521 miles from East Fortune, near Edinburgh, in 108 hours J. 2 minutes. The airship sailed shortly after midnight on the morning of July 2, carrying a crew of 30 officers and men, commanded by Major G. H. . Scott. Owing to adverse weather, the final 24 hours of the voyage caused grave anxiety, as there was a shortage of petrol. American ships were warned to stand by. On arrival at the famous Field, Minneola, Long Island, the enormous welcoming crowd was thrilled by the unorthodox landing of the first member of the crew to set foot on American soil. This was the steersman, Major J. E. N. Pritcliard, who jumped from the airship with a parachute. The airship flew back to England pn July 9, and following a more southern route, landed in Norfolk on July 13. In view of later, developments, prophecies made by Brigadier-General E. M. Maitland, official observer for the Air Ministry, are of interest. He said that in five years' time dirigibles would be crossing the Atlantic like the Lusitania. Britain would be able to build dirigibles five times as big as the R34, which was 039 feet long, and allowing for 200 tons of cargo space, instead of the 29 tons of R34. The Glorious Fourth. On July 5 of every year readers of newspapers on this side of the world are accustomed to find reports of many accidents that have taken place on the preceding day in the United States of America., When good Americans celebrate the Glorious Fourth, which is Independence Day, they do so wholeheartedly, and there could be no stronger evidence of enthusiasm and sincerity than to blow oneself up in ensuring an adequate celebration. Independence Day is the greatest day of the American year, and, of course, a statutory holiday. Public meetings arc held, orators who have been saving up their eloquence all the year burst into golden speech, and, carried away by the spirit of the occasion, the nation celebrates as the mood directs. General patriotism finds vent in processions, salvoes of artillery fire, the explosion of crackers and ambitious displays of fireworks. Although accidents are frequent, especially in the larger cities, the reckless discharge of firearms is now kept in check. There is a very good reason for this demonstration of national freedom. On July 4, 1770, the Declaration of Independence was reported to Congress by the chairman. It was read and proclaimed on July 8, but it was not signed by all the delegates until August 2, some" of them having to wait for instructions from their respective colonies.