RANDOM NOTES

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 65, 9 December 1938, Page 10

RANDOM NOTES

Sidelights On Current Events (By Kickshaws). Well, well, judging by our latest thunderbolt, there will be no further need to waste money advertising New Zealand overseas. « * » Musical reciprocity between Auckland and Wellington, it is stated, goes back to 1912. Nevertheless, the two centres have been making a song about their harbours for longer than that.

It is stated that if one walked round all the rooms in the new premises of the Air Ministry in London the distance would be 30 miles. By Jove, its lucky the fellahs have aeroplanes.

“Would you be kind enough to explain through your column the phenomenon which causes the wave of sea water to back up the Yellow River at a certain time each year? A picture of this was shown in 'The Dominion’ a few. days ago,” writes “G.H.C.” [The mechanism of tidal bores is very complicated. It depends on the fact that the tidal wave raised by the moon’s attraction is converted into energy when the wave approaches shallower waters. In most rivers the shallow bed and shelving banks spread this energy and fritter the wave crests into a gradual rise and fall. At certain seasons on some larger rivers, where there is less frictional obstruction, the volume passing any point remains constant, and when the river becomes restricted the water level is raised into a bore. The River Severn, England, has a similar bore, as do many other fivers.)

Judging by his recent utterance, it would seem that the ex-Kaiser does not like Hitler. There may be some who will applaud his good judgment, but the Kaiser was, and always has been, somewhat ebullient in his likes and dislikes. Nevertheless, it must take courage of a sincere type to “fling off” at a fellow who holds in bis hands most of the income derived from £20,000,000 invested in property in Germany and Austria. ’There was a time when the Kaiser, without the “ex,” boiled over in no uncertain terms about King Edward VII. King Edward, before and after his accession, was the Kaiser’s bogey-man. The Kaiser, during an interview with the Czar of Russia, agreed that King Edward was the greatest mischiefmaker, and the most insincere and dangerous wire-puller in the world. Maybe the Kaiser’s opinion of King Edward was due partly to the fact that King Edward VII also disliked the Kaiser, and the Kaiser knew it. King Edward had not liked him as a forward boy. Still less did be fancy him when he grew into a youth inclined to exaggeration and boasting, and the restless overload sovereign fairly upset his nerves. It seems a little ironical that the ex-Kaiser dislikes Hitler for exactly his own failings.

Now and again the ex-Kaiser indirectly gave a slant as to what he thought of himself. Indeed, he made a remarkable speech at the fortress town of Konigsberg, with which, maybe, God disagreed, judging by the retribution that fell upon the Kaiser in 1918. In summing up his conception of his own position as head of the German Empire, the Kaiser said: "I regard myself as an instrument of the Lord, and without heeding the opinions of the day I go my way, devoted solely to the prosperity and peaceful develoiiment of the Fatherland.” Nevertheless, the ex-Kaiser, in an interview in 1932, stated that he had nothing to repent. He bad done his duty. He would take the .same action if he lived his life again. During the World War the Kaiser gave a further slant as to what he thinks of himself. When his car stopped near the front line, a bombing raid took place. The Kaiser leaped out of the car and bolted for a nearby dug-out. It was almost undignified. There were only two front line soldiers present at this spectacle. Next day a sealed envelope arrived at their headquarters. The two men were transferred to a section of the front line where the lighting was heaviest. They bad seen the Kaiser run.

The incident at tlie front was not the only occasion on which the Kaiser was to'run. At 9 a.m. on November 9, 1918, the Emperor, who was nt Spa, declined to abdicate. He demanded a report on the state of the army, as he wanted to know if it would be possible to march on Berlin. By 4 p.m. it was known that columns of rioters had left Verviers for Spa to assassinate the Kaiser. The Kaiser consulted Hindenburg, who said he could not rely on the troops. Tlie Einjieror boarded his train at 10 p.m. At the hist moment he declared that lie preferred to lie killed at the head of his troops on the march to Berlin. However, lie slept on the project and the train steamed toward the Dutch frontier next morning with the Kaiser in full flight. After he had chopped wood for a while at his Dutch retreat citizens of St. Thomas. Virgin Islands, asked him to spend the rest of Ills life among them. Nevertheless, the Kaiser looks like ending liis days in his Dutch castle. His recent utterance, however, may do more to re-establish him with people in the British Empire than anything he did whenjie was* Kaiser.

The warning 25 years ago that a comet might run into us in 1926 has not been fulfilled. though only last year we had a near shave. The end ‘of the world may come about in one of four ways according to scientific experts. There may be a collision between two large stars which would semi one of them buzzing about in our Milar svstem and destroy the sun. M'e might be run into by a large comet. The sun might explode and shrivel us up. Tlie moon might crash into the earth. Eventually, of course, if none of these things happen the energy of our solar system will run down and we shall fade out. Some experts consider that an explosion in the sun is the most probable, end. The chances of being lilt b v a large meteor are very small, as space is very great. theless. giant comets have struck tlie earth before now. Explosions of suns, However, are not infrequent. Snell phenomena have been observed elsi 1 - where. The explosion takes about -4 hours. The sun will probably then start to contract and om-e more give rise to a new culture. Meanwhile we are engrossed in onr own problems. ♦ * *

"I have in my possession a coin. a farthing of tlie reign of Charles 11. It bears the inscription. Carolus A Carol® and the King's head, and the Olivers® the figure of Britannia holding in left hand the trident, and in the right the triton’s born." writes "DC.” ‘‘The year is 1672. and tlie metal copper. Can you give me any idea what is the numismatic value of this coin I Mr. A. Sutherland, honorary secretary New Zealand Numismatic Society, kindly advises that:—-'An up-to-date London list shows the value of this coin as ranging from 2/- to 5/6, according to condition. J