WITHOUT PREJUDICE

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 149, 21 March 1927, Page 10

WITHOUT PREJUDICE

NOTES AT RANDOM

(By

T.D.H.)

'The United States Treasury has millions more than it can spend, and taxes are to be cut by 500 million dollars a vear.—When Uncle Sam rakes in some more of Europe’s war debts he may be able to cut his taxes out altogether. If anybody has a right to use gunpowder it ought to be the Chinese, who invented it. Apropos of recent references to China’s navy, a nautical correspondent sends an account of an incident witnessed by him at Swatow two and a half years ago. “My ship,” he writes, “was lying at one of the buoys m Swatow Harbour, and at the next buoy was moored a fair sample of the Chinese navy, a very old gunboat in a very sad state of disrepair. Her crew were in keeping with their surroundings, a most ragged, villainous-looking lot of cutthroats, the two or three officers being very little better dressed and very little different from the ordinary men. “About 10 a.m. one morning, a big Japanese cruiser of the very latest design entered port and commenced firing a salute. With the- sound of the first gun great signs of activity was observed aboard the Chinese gunboat. Men rushed to the forecastle head and uncovered a verv small gun, and others were stationed around various parts of the ship. We were rather curious as to why about half the crew were gathered around the big iron engine-room door, but got the shock of our lives when the last of the Japanese guns had fired and the Chinese fired the first gun of the answering salute. As the gun went oft tlie officer gave a signal to. the men at the door, who with great vigour swung it open and then banged it shut. As they timed their efforts with the flash of the gun, the resulting sound, was quite a good imitation of a much bigger gun being fired. Unfortunately, after about four shots had been fired the door hinges carried away, and the salute had to be discontinued, for the sound of the gun by itself was useless. The consternation among the Chinese when the door refused to function was really humorous.” The war ended nine years ago, but the London County Council has made up its mind not to forget it.. In the latter part of January this important body, which runs the affairs of most of London, decided that the military rank to which an officer or employee of the council was entitled, on leaving the service, shall be used m all omcial correspondence and reports. This only applies when the rank is that ot captain (or its equivalent) and above. Just the opposite rule prevails m the British Civil service, for, while the Foreign Office, for example, is full ot colonels; majors, and what not, none of these ex-officers use their military titles in business hours. Why, one wonders, .does the London County draw the line at any rank under that of captain, or, its equivalent ? A naval lieutenant is ,r equivalent rank with an Army captain, and presumably, the County Council under -its rule will give these officers the handles to their names, but the Army lieutenant is a wash-out. In these democratic days, why shouldn’t everybody down to privates have their military glory recognised, if they want it. The London County Council rule is not compulsory, for officers .who. don’t want their military titles put on their letters are permitted to be plain Mr. s. One difficulty about the rule is that things have grown topsy-turvey since the armistice, and it is quite conceivable that the London County Council may discover that unpleasantness arises when Captain A calls in Brigadier-Gen-eral B, and, after duly saluting him, inquires why the dickens the General didn’t see that the table was dusted and the wastepaper basket emptied. In America military titles were freely used after the Civil War of sixty years ago, and the rank of colonel is now bestowed on prominent persons in many parts of the country as a matter of pure courtesy. Colonel House, who figured so large in President Wilson s day, and who was universally accorded his title in Europe, is not a colonel of anything that anybody has , ever heard of, not even of the Salvation Army.. People in Texas just reached the conclusion that if Mr. House wasn’t a colonel he was a fine figure of a man and ought to have been one, so colonel they called him, and colonel he has become to everybody. Paris now providing a very complete answer to atheists who doubt whether people have souls, for in Paris the ladies are having their gowns made to their' soul measure. M. Paul Caret, a , rising figure in the dressmaking firmament, is the discoverer of his customers souls. Strolling through his salons when the ladies are busy selecting frocks our of the regular collection he • suddenly halts and raises a pained and' forbidding hand, as some smartly dressed “client” is about to decide between two models. “No!” he crie.s, “Not for madame it is not for her. For another, yesbut madame has personality which must have a different expression in her dress.” . , j „„ He whips out drawing pad, and pencil and closes his eyes for an instant to receive a vision. . “Ah—madame walking on the Champs-Elysees—at dusk. She would look like this.” The. pencil works quicklv, and the drawing is torn from the pad, finished. “Or she is at tea at the Ritz. This will match her aura there.” More pencil strokes, and another sketch is made. It is said that madame never fails to prefer her own soul frock to any other model But what madame’s husband says when the bill arrives is another matter. “Historian” writes: “Since it was Fergus of Ireland who conquered Scotland and founded the Scottish dynasty of kings, it follows that the Duchess of York is of Irish descent. ’ . . . We can t qufte see it, but we will take “Historian’s” word for it. “When we are married I must have three servants.” , , , . “You shall have twenty, dear, but not all at once.” THE MOMENT. Last miracle of all the motes of time But now become my bride, my spirit s bliss, Onlv to die in evanescent prime Like love expiring upon a kiss! Now while I have thee mine, I ha\e the whole This rounded earth has to her children lent, , . . • The moon and sea and their pervasive That is the breath of beauty’s bodiment. Go not! Though thy dim crowding sisters throng The sequence of inexorable days, Daughters of bliss or pain, lament and. . song, : Pausing no more than thou for prayer or praise, Still to my eyes let thy dear beauties be The untroubled, star in waveless memory. —Alice Brown in the •'Atlantic Monthly-”