A BACKGROUND TO THE NEWS

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 5, 1 October 1935, Page 7

A BACKGROUND TO THE NEWS

The Dole Sir Harold Beauchamp, who has returned from a visit to England, states that there are many people there .who prefer to live on the dole instead of working. The term “dole” came into general use in Great Britain during the years that followed'the end of the Great War. In 1910 the return of large numbers of ex-soldiers and sailors from the theatres of war upset tlie conditions of the labour market, and necessarily many of these men remained unemployed for -different lengths of time. In order to meet this difficulty the Government provided for an out-of-work donation to be paid to ex-service workers. ■ This allowance varied from 20/- to 29/- for men, and from 15/- to 25/. for women. It was to this donation that the word “dole” was at first more particularly attached. In 1920 the difficulty and cost of having two separate systems of allowances for unemployment, in operation side by side led to a new Act which repealed all previous legislation and placed all unemployed persons on the same level. The word “dole” had by that time become the common synonym for unemployment insurance benelit, and is still so used. “Bury the Hatchet.”

E. H. T. Holmes, captain of the M.C.C. team, on the eve of its departure for Australia and New Zealand, said, referring to the unpleasant cricket incidents with Australia, “Possibly there’s a hatchet to be buried—let’s bury it if we can.” The term “bury ' the hatchet” means to let by-goncs be by-gones. The “Great Spirit” commanded the North American Indians, when they smoked the calumet or peace-pipe, to bury their hatchets, scalp-ing-knives- and war-clubs, that all thought of hostility might be put out of sight. Benvenuto Cellini.

Exhibited at an antique dealers’ fair in London is a gold and enamel cup attributed to Benvenuto Cellini. Born in 1500 at Florence,'the third son of a maker of musical instruments, Benvenuto Cellini (pronounced Tchel-lee-nee) was intended for the musical profession. He showed, however, such clear evidence of artistic skill, especially in design, that he was apprenticed to a goldsmith. Although always a musician, and eventually one of the Papal Band, his life was given up to work, as a sculptor and a goldsmith. Extremely quarrelsome, hot-tempered, and keenly revengeful, he passed a restless, exciting life, the details of which he has set down in his autobiography. Unfortunately, all the priceless examples of the goldsmith’s art for which Cellini was responsible appear, with one exception, to have perished. No piece of gold work can be attributed to him with absolute certainty, except a great salt-cellar nowin Vienna. There are, however, in existence medals and coins for which he was responsible, groups in bronze and marble, and busts, and some plaques., Cellini was often in prison and frequently had to flee for his life, and then was brought back again, his work being in great demand. He died at Florence in 1571.

Aboukir, Hogue, Crecy. Germany’s first post-war submarine flotilla commemorates a commander who sank the cruisers Aboukir, Hogue and Crecy, and who was later sunkwhile attacking the British Battle Fleet. The submarine was U-9, and the commander Lieutenant Otto Wcddigen. At dawn on September 22,1014, he saw, 16 miles north-west of the Hook of Holland, the three old armoured cruisers Aboukir, Hogue and Crecy, each of 12,000 tons, each with complements of 800 officers and men. He sank the Aboukir with a torpedo fired at about 500 yards range. The other, two ships thought the Aboukir had struck a mine and went to her assistance. . Weddigen sent two torpedoes into the Hogue, and then sent one into the Crecy to such effect that within five minutes of being hit she turned completely upside down and sank. In all, 62 officers and 1400 men were drowned, the saved being 50 officers and 858 men. The discipline and steadiness of the men provoked the admiration of Weddigen, who said: “All the while the mpn stayed by their guns, looking for their invisible foe. They were brave, true to their country’s sea traditions.”

Lieut. Weddigen’s Death. When the U-9 returned to port the crew received an enormous ovation. The Kaiser awarded Lieutenant Weddigen the Iron Cross of first and sec'ond class and the Iron Cross of second class to every member of the crew. Later Weddigen was the first German naval officer in the World War to be cited for the rarely awarded Pour io Merite, the famous order founded by Frederick the Great, and Germany’s greatest war decoration. In the four years of the war fewer than 30 U-boat officers were awarded this decoration. Weddigen was given command of the U-21), one of the newest and bestequipped submarines. On March 26. 3915, he tackled a whole squadron of British battleships single-handed. The Grand Fleet had been divided into two parts for a sham battle. The sea was calm with a slight swell. Suddenly the track of a torpedo was seen, and it missed its objective. One of the British ships, the Dreadnought, sighted two or three feet of periscope sticking out, of the water and proceeding at high speed. Immediately the Dreadnought altered course for the periscope and went full speed ahead. A few minutes later came the shock of a terrific collision. The Dreadnought had been making 19 knots and the U-boat must have been cut in two. Her bow popped out of the water, spun round, and then seemed to stand vertical for a few seconds as the Dreadnought sped past. On it was the sign U-29. Then it sank like a stone.' Not a member of the crew was saved. Article 20.

II is said that many international lawyers hold the view that Article 20 of the League Covenant could abro-

gate the treaty by which the Suez Canal is to be kept open to all nations whether in peace or war. Article 20 reads: “The members of the League severally agree that this Covenant is accepted as abrogating all obligations or understandings inter se which are inconsistent with the terms thereot, and solemnly undertake that they will not hereafter enter into any engagements inconsistent with the terms thereof. In case any member of the League shall before becoming a member of the League have undertaken any obligations inconsistent with the terms of this Covenant, it shall be the duty of such member to take immediate steps to procure its .release from such obligations.”