WITHOUT PREJUDICE

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 173, 10 April 1923, Page 6

WITHOUT PREJUDICE

NOTES AT RANDOM

(By

T. D. H.)

The astronomers report that the Einstein theory of relativity is not settled yet—No doubt it is in suspense until someone is found who understands it.

Germany is disgusted because "the degenerate sons oi the once chivalrous French” seek for smuggled millions ot marks even in ladies’ petticoats.- But hasn’t "chercriez la femme always been the French motto?

They are praying in Russia for Lenin’s recovery for lear Trotsky will be worse. —No one seems to have been executed as yet for indulging in this forbidden religious exercise.

It was only to be'expected that superstitious folk would declare. Lord Carnarvon’s death due to his impiety in disturbing the remains of Tutankhamen. So far, of course, tho actual remains of that monarch, if they are really in the tomb, have not yet been touched, and it is singular wneu ydu come to think of it that tens of thousands of other mummies, royal and plebian, should have been dragged out of their tombs; unwrapped in many cases, anatomically examined in others, und sometimes in bygone times ground, to powder by the drayload for manure, without anyone being noticeably tho worse for it. As the poet says, men have died from time to time and worms have eaten them —but not from disturbing mummies. Not even the archmagicians of Old Egypt, the high priests of the College of Amen-ra, wero able to raise enough magic to protect their own remains, for in 1891 a whole profession of the mummies of 152 of them was unearthed at Thebes and taken down to Cairo Aluseum on barges and thence distributed about the world without any epidemic of fatalitje* among the sacrilegious mummy-hunt-ers —

Dr. Bumpus tells me he entirely agrees with Sir Rider Haggard that the talk about the death of Lord Carnarvon and magic is dangerous nonsense. "Could anyone believe,” asks Sir Ridel’ Haggard, “that , the Almighty would permit the spirit of the dead Pharaoh, who was only a man. with a crown on his head, to murder people?” No words, the Doctor says, could more completely dispose of the present superstitious talk. The privilege of going about murdering people is one that the AlmigUvy has reserved exclusively for living persons, and of late years indulgence in. the practice has been restricted entirely to individuals who do not wear, crowns on their heads.

“C.P.,” who wrote, the other day championing th© stoats, asks me to print this paragraph about rats from the “Overseas Daily Alail” of February 24; —“A AVirksworth veterinary attendant, Corbett Bartlett, reported to tho Bousall, Derbyshire, police that after leaving his motor-cycle in Via Gellia at night he stepped on a rat. It screamed, and a swarm of other rats attacked him and bit him about the legs.” "C.P.” considers it due mainly to the stoats and weasels that mice and rats are not the pest in the country in Now Zealand that they are in Now South Wales. As stoats do not come into towns the rats and mice still have harbourage there, but ouo certainly does not hear stories nowadays of plagues of rats that were such an affliction in the early days.

In my ptiragrtoih about stoats 1 said that 1 have never read of a specific instance- of a pack of tliem attacking -a man. Yesterday I received a copy ot the “Yellow Alagazine" for November 17 last, with an article about stoats entitled "The Pack Hunters,” and written by All’. H. Alortimer Batten. In this was described an attack on a rabbit by seven stoats on a moor in Scotland. The writer, in the course of his article says: “On the way tho driver of the car told his friend some interesting anecdotes about stoats. ‘This particular moor is part of the deer forest of Atholl,’ he said, ana consequently the vermin is not kept down as on the grouse moors. I see stoats almost every time 1 pass. There are scores of them, aud when pack loins pack thev will attack anything N-even man. the shepherd who lives in that cottage where tho light is was set upon one day by a whole host of them which were going for his dog. The man and the dog together killed numbers, but they stank so after the encounter that the woman wouldn t let them enter the house, and old Alec had to change his clothes on the doorSU '\\ : ound stripes, chevrons, and silver war discharge badges are now abolished from uniform, says a Defence Department order. Will there be many tears shed, I wonder I No doubt it is thought that war veterans are well enough distinguished, by their war medals, and precise indications as to whether they held cushy jobs or not is no longer of sufficient interest for all to be called upon to wear their hearts upon their sleeves. After all, tho basis upon which chevrons were distributed for each year of war service suffered from the imperfections common to all human ordinances, in a certain river in England bristling with destroyers, light cruisers, minesweepers, and submarines, there lay two vessels which never went to sea. One, out in tho stream, and reached only by boat, was part and parcel of a shore training establishment. Tiiose nt her received no chevrons. Ine other, tied fast against a quay, aua always accessible by walking across a n-angway. was depot ship for the destroyers, and as such on the active service list. ' Those m her adorned themselves with a new chevron every twelve months, and they looked as well as anybody else’s chevrons, too, despite the ironic chorus at. the naval sing-song: “Count your chevrons, count them one

bv one, , Then vou’ll know what dear ola Dido e done.

It is difficult to keep track of a man among London s seven millions. Th© latest mail records the discovery that Mr. George Augustus Jennings, who stood as an approved Parliamentary candidate for North Paddington, hud previously been sent to gaol on four different charges and fined on a fifth. It was m 1921 that he was released after serving Ins last sentence, and in the following year he solicits the suffrages of North Paddington without, apparently a hint of his record coming to the ears either of his adopted party or of his opnonents. 6444 people voted for this shady gentleman, one of whose convictions was "for obtaining half a crown by fraud.”

The vicar of a small country parish received a visit from a strapping young fellow of thirty. “I want to become a Warder, s’r,” said the caller. ‘May I send rour name as one who is willing to give me a reference? ‘ Certainly, Jack,” said the vicar, who had known the man since he was a lad. “Thank you, sir, and if I’m successful I’ll come and pay you another visit.” “That’s more than I. shall do to you.” said the vicar with 3 laugh. ‘’You never know yer luck, sir.” was the rente. WISHES OF AN ELDERLY MAN. I wish I loved the Human Race; I wish I loved its silly face; I wish I liked the way it walks; I wish I liked the way it talks; ' ( And when I’m introduced to one, I wish I thought, what jolly fun! —(Sir Walter Raleigh (1861-1922).