WITHOUT PREJUDICE

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 233, 28 June 1922, Page 4

WITHOUT PREJUDICE

NOTES AT RANDOM

(By

T.D.H.)

There is no mistake about New Zealand being the Britain of the South this winter.

Several correspondents are inquiring what is going to be done about composing reading matter to adorn the bills under the municipal milk scheme.

The German militarists seem to have come to the conclusion that they can help the Kaiser best this time by killing their own countrymen. Electricity travels 11,600,000 miles a - minute—but you might not guess it“ from the tramcars. It is three years ago to-day since the Peace Treaty was signed in Versailles,’ and Air. Afassey, with the rest, put his name down with the pen now preserved in the Parliamentary Library. An- . other anniversary that falls to-day is . that of the assassination of the Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand at Serajevo, in 1914, the event which precipitated the' whole war and led to the Treaty signing at Versailles exactly five years ’ later. Apropos of the war, I see the ex-i Kaiser is- setting out in earnest now' to rehabilitate his r<y?utation. A’ cable message the other day announced his determination to sue some German journals for libel for publishing an old story about the death of .Lieutenant Hahnke, of the German royal _yacht, in the Norwegian fiords. Now comes news in the mail that his late Majesty is bringing an action for defamation against Sternheim, the author of a satirical pamphlet entitled “Libussa.” Libussa. is the name of a horse which was in possession of the ex-Kaiser. The animal is*represented in the pamphlet as narrating its experiences. It is depicted as being at first a warm admirer of the ex-Kaiser, but this admiration changed to bitter disappointment when the Kaiser declined, at the time of the German collapse, to ride on its back to a, hero’s death in battle. Dr. Bumpus has just been reading Sir James Barrie’s rectorial address at St. Andrew’s University on “Cour- i age.” It is a fine subject, and the Doctor is pleased to think we have so ’ much of it. Only the .other day a reverend gentleman reminded us that a soldier’s courage was the cheapest and commonest quality of human nature, and has another gentleman hot • on his trail for saying so.. As long as the words are not used' in a derogatory sense the Doctor quite agrees with the stateme-«i, fon, during the war, did we not find how that same courage burned in everybody’s heart, and none the less brightly in the bosoms of many who were prevented from displaying their heroism in the trenches because of their flat feet, their ingrowing toenails, housemaid’s knees, weak hearts, and so on. The Doctor says that far more estimable than mere physical courage is political and moral courage. Ireland lias moral courage developed to a high degree, for it is only a* .remarkably strong and earnest conviction that he is in the right that enables a m/n to get behind a hedge with a blunderbus and ■ shoot in the back old gentlemen with whose opinions on the political situation or the state of the stock market, or the binomial theorem he happens to disagree. In New Zea- . land the leaders of the United Progressive Liberal and Labour Party have provided us with an inspiriting example of political courage.. Air. Statham, for a principle—a principle, an intangible something, if no u without weight or substance, at least not to be seen or heard—has sacrificed the Assistant Prime Alinistership, or th® heir apparency to it, and reverted to the position of a plain private member. Mr. Wilford, on his side, without' a quiver or an unpleasant word, has said good-bye to his companion—and this, too, in full realisation, of the expense that will be involved in changing the headings on all the party notepaper. It is an inspiring example to the younger generation. The Doctor says he does not know which is the finer, Air. Wilford’s attitude or. Air. Statham’s, but on reflection he is inclined to give the palm to Air. Statham, as iii a just estimate you havS to allow for Mr. Wilford haying had so much more practice in saying goodbye to political colleagues. Jinuny (after discussion with his governess on ‘ tho subject of the Last Judgment): “Will everyone have to come out of their graves when the Last Trump sounds ” “Of coursej Jimmy.” “Shall you, Miss Brown?’ “Most certainly I . shall.” Jimmy (after deep reflection): Well, I sha’n’t.” New light is thrown on the’.failure of the Afount Everest expedition to reach their goal. A correspondent writes saying that he thought the statement in The Dominion, of June 20 unsatisfying as an explanation. In the cable message published on that date it was stated: Air. Afallory adds that with a windless day they might have had the summit within reach. This seemed to my correspondent’s mind a somewhat thin excuse, and he turned to other journals to see what they had to say about it. According to the Nelson paper he found that what Air. Mallory fiad really said was: Mallory adds that with a windlass they might have had the summit witiiin reach. “Vffiat a pity,” says my correspondent, “that the climbers forgot this little addition to their outfit. And what does that experienced traveller, Afajor Fitzurse say to such gross neglect of ordinary precaution to bo-provided with an article which Mr. Sain. Turner or anv other experienced alpine climber would have carried with him?” Alajor Fitzurse informs me that the message indicates tlyrt tho climbers evidently regret their somewhat brusque refusal of the Fitzurse Patent Mountain Windlass, of which the Major took the precaution to secure the patent rights in India, in order to be in a position to assist the expedition. By means of this simple, yet ingenious, contrivance one half of the party could with ease have pulled the other half to the summit by the simple process of themselves descending. No mechanical motive power whatever is required for the Fitzurse windlass, as this would be a fatal defect in view of the difficulties of transport in such a country, of which, I may add. the Alajor knows almost every inch. Had it not been for his appliance tho Alajor says he must himself inevitably have failed in scaling Afount Everest in his Himalayan expedition in ’65. A middle-aged couple were talking angrily in » tramcar. Finally, noticing that some of the other passengers were Becoming interested nt the altercation, the man observed, in .a weary, dreary voice: “Why quarrel in public? What have we got a home for?” SONC. When you look at me I know Why the tender apple trees Yield their drifting rose and snow At the glancing of a breeze! ' Sparrows singing in the rain Know what lies behind my laughter AVhen you pass and pass again And no look follow’s after! —Mollie Cullen.