WITHOUT PREJUDICE

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 15, 12 October 1927, Page 10

WITHOUT PREJUDICE

NOTES AT RANDOM

(By

T.D.H.)

Women are to be called for compulsory military service in Russia’s next war.—The Bolsheviks may show their politeness, too, by making it “ladies first,”

Mr. Lang’s little move, after his defeat in New South Wales, in giving a Civil servant a thumping rise in salary from £l7OO to £3OOO a year, and dating it back from July, 1925, does not stand alone in Australian politics, by any means. Tn Queensland thirty years ago a Premier defeated at the polls, as Mr.. Lang has been, at once preserved his valuable services for the public by '-ppqintiug h'ipiself Chief Justice of the State — and he made quite a good Chief Justice, too.

According to the news this morning, Falcon Island in the Tongan Group has got itself on the map again. Up to 1886 this island was a reef awash at high water. In that year the volcano in business below pushed up sufficient scoria and pumice to form a new island fifty feet high. The Pacific Ocean set to work on this little lot, and by 1898 it was washed out of sight again. Two years later H.M.S. Porpoise chancing along, found a solid black core of rock standing six feet above the water. The commanding officer of FI.M.S. Laburnum now reports that Falcon Island today is over a mile long,, and has a crater 305 feet high. This shows us what perseverance can do.

Tonga had some violent eruptions between" 1815 and 1857, and during that period several of its permanent islands were badly smashed about. A brand new island also rose up out of the sea, and in honour of the missionaries was promntlv christened “Wesley.” This new addition to the fold proved a backslider, for it went under water again soon after christening day, and has not since been heard of.

The Mediterranean has seen a few additions to the scenery in the shape of new islands at different times, but most of those occurring within historic times have faded out again. One. that appeared between Sicily and Africa in ly’l got enough names to supply an Archipelago. The French christened it De Julie. The English called it Graham’s island. The Italians knew it as Isola Ferdinandea, and various other nations also took a hand in labelling it to please themselves. Just about the time an international geographical congress was required to decide which was the correct name and which were the aliases, the island vanished from view.

Submarine eruptions are of frequent occurrence in the New Hebrides, but so far they have not produced new islands, despite their quite considerable activity. When the volcano on the Island of Ambrim in that group was in eruption nt 1912 with devastating effect, a subsidiary performance took place some distance out at sea, a jet of water being thrown up to an estimated height of 10,000 feet. Many lives were lost on this eruption on Ambrim, and where the mission and hospital stood before the eruption there is now deep water. The volcano on the island of Tanna has shaken things up to such an extent that a harbour called bv Captain Cook Port Resolution, and in which he anchored his ships, is now so shallow that only row boats can use

The dveiug of light-coloured cavalry horses as a camouflage against aerial observation has been urged by a special board of American army officers recently created at the cavalry school at Fort Rilev, Kansas, to conduct experiments on defensive measures to be used by units of a cavalry division against lowflving aviation attacks. Tn former years Tight-coloured animals have been considered undesirable in campaign, but ffits is the first time the use of djes has been considered as a solution. It the horse survives to see the next war flie dazzle paint artists may be. let loose to make a nightmare out of him, so to speak.

Talking of Kansas, reminds us that State recently had a prize offered by a local mayor for the first non-stop flivver journev from Kansas to Hollywood. When the mail left it was staging a contest to see if driver and car can keep going for 168 hours. A route through a string of towns had been selected, and it was laid down that the driver must not get out of “high,” and must subsist almost entirely on black coffee. \ special device w r as to be installed to keep him from going to sleep en route. This endurance contest is regarded as having, much greater practical value than the recent Los Angeles one of sitting on top of a flagpole for seven, seventeen, or seventy days, or something like that.

Here is an unkind story from Dundee about a resident of a rival neighbouring C 1 An Aberdonian in London in need of a new suit asked a friend if he could recommend a good tailor. “Oh, yes, replied his friend, “Isaac Ikestem is a good man, but vou will have to offer him half whatever he quotes and you will get a bargain.” The Aberdonian went to Isaac. “How much for a good suit?” he asked. “Four pounds, said Isaac. “That’s ower much,’ replied the Aberdonian. “I’ll gie ye two pounds “Two pounds—that is not enough, said Isaac, “but seeing you are a new customer, I vill let you have it for three pounds.” “Thirty shillings, or the deal’s off,” said the Aberdonian XeU, now, that 'is too little, but as I don t van to lose a customer I vill say ho pounds, vat you say to that. gie ve a pound, but nae mair,” replied the Aberdonian. “Oh, come, now, replied Isaac, “you are too hard, let us sav thirty, shillings: I don t vant to lose vour pizness.” Fifteen shillin s or naething,” replied the Aberdonian. “Veil this is awful,” said Isaac, >ou are the hardest customer I have ever had I vill give you the suit for nodings.” “In that case,” the Aberdonian, “I’ll take twa. “I wonder why the artist called this picture ‘Home’?” . T “Because there’s no place like it, 1 should say.” SURSUM CORDA. Lift up your hearts, you whom the bright winds urge To foot the red stains of the springtime sand, . , To swim the green-lipped wave, and with swift hand Scatter the white plumes of the leaping ,You S know that from all weariness the Is in theffive of earth. You understand How flesh beconies immortal when the white band Of planets in the lonely air emerge. Lift up vour hearts before the swift life moulders. Yon know that in the end all thoughts decay. , Hut when the mortal flame no longer smoulders, . . You that have given the utmost spirit May P fiing the gauntlet down to all be- ' holders. , r . Your hearts have been eternal lor « day. Theodore Morrison, in the "AtlaJrtfe Monthly-"