A BACKGROUND TO THE NEWS

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 210, 2 June 1936, Page 7

A BACKGROUND TO THE NEWS

The Atlantic Crossing

During the 25 hours from noon on Friday until noon on Saturday, allowing for the hour's change in time, the Queen Mary steamed 7GG nautical miles. As the shi]? steams across the Atlantic the clock i.s altered each day to allow for the difference in time. New York time is live hours behind London time. To make up for this difference in a ship of the speed of the Queen Mary the clock would be put back 1-J hours each midnight going west (from England to America), thus making up the five hours in four nights, and giving a 251-hoiir day. Going east (from America to England), the clock is put forward, giving a 22:i-liour day. Arctic Ocean. Sir Hubert Wilkins intends soon to begin building a new sub-ice vessel which he will endeavour to navigate beneath the ice across the Arctic Ocean. The Arctic Ocean is usually defined as the area of water witbin the Arctic Circle. It lies to the north of Europe, Asia and North America, and communicates with the Atlantic by means of the wide sea between Norway and Greenland; Denmark Strait, between Greenland and Iceland; and Davis Strait, between Greenland and British North America. The only communication which it has with the Pacific is by means of Bering Strait. A relatively mild climate is found a long way inside the Arctic Circle owing to the influence of the Gulf Stream off the coast of Norway, and, on the other hand, Arctic conditions are caused to exist far into the Atlantic by means of the Arctic currents which flow through Davis Strait and along the east coast of Greenland. The region immediately at and around the North Pole is covered with rough pack-ice, but Peary found the depth of water at the North Pole itself to be more than 9000 feet. The whole ocean, in fact, is covered with immense ice-fields, which vary in depth from five to 30 feet. Whitsuntide.

The House of Commons adjourned last Friday for the Whitsuntide recess. Whitsuntide (Anglo-Saxon hwita Sunnandaeg, White Sunday) is the name given to the season during which, in the English Church calendar, the festival is held commemorating the gift of the Holy Ghost to the Disciples. Observed in the Christian Church from very early times, it is the Christian Pentecost, as Easter is the Christian Passover, and is regarded as celebrating the ingathering of the first fruits of the spiritual harvest. The name Whit Sunday, first used in Britain about the time of the Norman Conquest, is usually derived from the white garments or chrisoms worn on this day by the newly baptised. The first Book of Common Prayer was directed to be used on the Whit Sunday of 1549. The conferring of the gift of the Holy Ghost is described in the second chapter of Acts: “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, (hey were all with one accord in one place. Ahd suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Whit Sunday is the seventh Sunday after Easter. Coldstream Guards.

For the proclamation announcing the date of the King’s coronation, Grenadier and Coldstream Guards were drawn up outside St. James’s Palace, London. The Coldstream Guards, a British regiment of Foot Guards, are said to be the oldest in the British Army. In IGSO Cromwell took certain companies from units of his new model army and made them into a new regiment, which was placed under George Monk. Called Monk's regiment, it remained in Scotland until 1659, but about the end of that year Monk led it toward England. During the winter the regiment spent three weeks, waiting on events, at Coldstream on the Tweed, and this gave it its present name. The men soon moved to London, and in IG6I Charles II took them into his service as the Second Foot Guards. In 167 S the Coldstreams went on foreign service for the first time. They fought under William 111 and Marlborough in the Netherlands, and won glory at Fontenoy, served in America and Spain, and lost heavily at Waterloo. They .served in the Crimea, South Africa and the Great War. Grenadier Guards.

The Grenadier Guards, a regiment raised by Colonel Russell in 1660. became the bodyguard of Charles 11. The premier, though not the oldest, regiment of Foot Guards, the Grenadier Guards have had a distinguished history. They fought under William of Orange, and were engaged in the great victories of Marlborough, who was : at cue time their colonel. They greatly increased their reputation at Fontenoy. and two of their battalions were with Sir John Moore in the retreat from Corunna. Two battalions of the Grenadiers lost more than 1000 men at Quatre Bras and Waterloo. After the latter battle the Prince Regent bestowed upon them the title of the First or Grenadier Regiment of Foot Guards. They also served in the Crimea. Egypt. South Africa and the Great War. In the latter war they lost 11.915 officers and men. Seven V.C.’s were "Ou by the regiment. With the Scots Guards and the Coldstream Guards, the Grenadiers have the privilege of guarding the Royal Palaces and the Bank ol England, and of marching through the City of London with fixed bayonets. French Navy.

The French Minister of Marine says that France, in the last 12 years, had rebuilt her navy to suit her requirements. Her licet consists of 13 battleships. 60 cruisers. 77 destroyers, 139 submarines and one aircraft-carrier. Key Industries.

Mr. Neville Chamberlain stated that the duties on key industries were to be continued for 10 years. Key in dustry is a name given to a manufacture or industry regarded as essential for the safety find prosperity of a nation, such as coalmining, or the iron and steel industry. The term came in to use in the United Kingdom when it was realised that, as a result of the Great War, certain industries were in peril bcause the supplies on which the? depended were in foreign hands. Much discussion arose as to what exactly was a key industry. Generally speaking, a key industry in Great Britain is one which is indispensable to other industries. ~