RANDOM NOTES

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 5, 1 October 1935, Page 8

RANDOM NOTES

Sidelights on Current

Events

(By Kickshaws.) It is denied that Britain intends to invoke the escalator clause iu the Treaty of London. Just al the moment she is far too busy watching her steps. It is declared that every effort is being made at Geneva to avoid any appearance of haste. Conditions in the League must be getting back again to normal. In order to raise the level of sport France contemplates the wholesale erection of stadiums. The only result will be to raise the level of spectators. ♦ * "I noticed with delight your recent paragraph about snuff,” says "QMark.” “Yes, I don't mind , admitting that I take snuff and have done so for years, although I am still a young man. I hope this will encourage some of my fellow-snuffers to come forward with their confessions.” « * • Those who place a superstitious faith iu the figure “13” will no doubt be watching the actions of the League Council's Committee of Thirteen with no little interest. It seems curious that a combination of circumstances should have again produced this number on the eve of one of the tensest situations that have ever occurred iu international history. Thirteen men, therefore, are to confer upon the fate of individuals who total in the aggregate many millions. Under the circumstances it is timely to consider the virtues and otherwise of fateful thirteen. The Japanese, of course, will declare that the number augurs well. They have no illusions on the subject of “13.” In Japan the number “4” is regarded as unlucky, but no such virtue is given to the numbe- “13.” So far as can be seen arguments for and against the superstition are about equally balanced. Apart from ] tinting out that the Springboks were beaten on the 13th of the month three years ago, the figure 13 has not played any great part in the fashioning of New Zealand.

The superstition that 13 is a particularly fateful figure may perhaps have arisen from the number of persons present at the Last Supper. If that be the case the superstition confines itself to Christians only. Certainly Bismarck would have seen something fateful iu the fact that 13 men were to decide the fate of the world. He hated the number and would have nothing to do with it, or take any action on any day that bore that date. Mr. Churchill is of the same opinion as Bismarck. Even in Royal circles there is a careful avoidance of 13 guests at table. The exKaiser admitted to as great a dislike of the number ”13” as did Bismarck. Indeed be refused to start the Great War iu 1913 ou account of the “13” that appeared iu the date, despite the fact .that Austria urged him Jo do so. One might perhaps note, not irrelevantly, that 1914 was not particularly lucky either for the Kaiser. Just what would have happened to the Kaiser if he had started the war a year earlier will never be known.

Those who contend that the figure 13 is unlucky can point to all manner of significant happenings that occurred to those who claimed that the number is their lucky one. President Wilson, they cau point out, deliberately flouted the 13 superstition. He was no believer in it. For that reason he arrived at Brest ou Friday, December 13. He put twice 13 clauses in his famous Covenant and completed it ou February 13. He sat down that Christmas to 13 al a table to prove his contention. Some contend that the number wreaked a terrible revenge upon President Wilson. His final breakdown occurred on a date that was twice thirteen. The United States Senate, moreover, nullified all Wilson's work at the Peace Conference by reservations they made on August 13,1919. It will be seen, therefore, that the onset of the last war and its ending were all controlled by the mysterious influences of the figure “13.” Did it crop up in this manner just out of sheer persistent coincidence t

If the beginning and the end of the Great War were luhuenceu by the Significant figure "13,” the war useit gu>e seme remarkable exampies of the significance to be attached to the hguie. The urst submarine sunk tn tue war was (,13. in tue British service El 3 was lost ou the Danish coast, KIJ sank by accident ou tue Clyue. Gi3 was reputed to be a Jorian, u hen tue L class was produced there was, curiously enough, no Ll 3. .Moreover, me first and only army corps to be wiped out was the Russian 13tu corps at Tannenberg. It will be seen, therefote, that in these few instances, taken at . andom from the last war, the ilgure "13” appeared in a curious manner. Once agaiu it seems to be appearing. The significance of the figure did not end at the end of the war. A strange coincidence occurred with the number in 1923. A cartoon of Air. Bonar Law was numbered 13 ut a caricaturist’s exhibition. Shortly after the exhibition this cartoon had to be removed owing to the death of Air. Bonar Law. The fact that many streets, steamship berths aud the like substitute 12a for 13 indicates that the 13 superstition is still widespread.

So far we have given the black side of the superstition concerning 13. There is, however, proof that, this figure is no different to any other figure. Thirteen featured prominently in the Derby in 1932. The name of the winning horse, April the Fifth, contained 13 letters, as did the names of the owner aud the jockey. The race, moreover, was run in the 13th week of a play under the management of the owner. Incidentally a ticket number 1313 recently won a prize of £3OOO in a lottery in Chile. Lord Roberts was a member of a party of 13 which dined together on New Year's Eve, 1853. All the members of the fateful party subsequently went through the Indian Alutiny, and in ISG4 the same 13 members sat round the table at another dinner party. As if to prove that there is nothing in this “13" business or any other superstition, a prosperous business has been carried on for nearly a century in London at 13 Friday Street. Aloreover, nothing untoward occurred to 13 brides who got married on Friday, Alay 13, at 13 minutes past eight, wearing bright green dresses aud hats to match—except, of course, that (hey got married.

“Kickshaws” wishes to thank all those readers who have so kindly sent along their solution of the cribbage problem that appeared in this column last Friday. When the letters have been read and referred to the cribbage expert concerned, suitable excerpts will be published. Cribbage appears to be New Zealand’s national game.