NEWS AND NOTES

Evening Post, Volume XCII, Issue 55, 2 September 1916, Page 10

NEWS AND NOTES

Opinion is hardening against a general election in Great Britain and Ireland this year, and tho probabilities aro that Parliament will be asked by the Government to prolong its existence by a further period of- six months,, running from September,. says the Chronicle Parliamentary correspondent.

"We speak "what every Irishman knows when we say that, counted by heads, tho Sinn Fein Party is stronger to-day than it was before the rebellion," says the Irish Times. "The discontent and insane hatred of England, which begat the rebellion, still smoulder in many parts of Ireland. The badges of the Irish Volunteers and of the Irish Republic are still worn freely in the streets of Dublin. There are still many thou. sands of our people whose sympathies are against the Empire. in the present war, and who admit no judgment save that of tho Ireland of their distorted dreams. We do not mention these facts for the sake of inviting political controversy. We mention them only because any plans for the present or .future government of this country must take them into tho fullest and gravest consideration."

Mr. F. S. Stackard, referring at the recent annual mooting of the Alexandra Palace Trustees to the list of subscribersHo a fund for supplying comforts for the interned Austrians and Germans, said that if one visited the Alexandra Palace camp and saw the manner in whicli the Germans and Austrians were looked after one would realise that there was no necessity for such a fund. Mr. Cadbury, Mr. Rowntree, and other individuals, he added, who subscribed to such a fund might have subscribed to one for the benefit of British prisoners in Germany and Austria.

The' Home Secretary made some notable statements to til's House of Commons with regard to aliens still in Groat Britain. "I fully share the view that the presence of _ even a small number of enemy aliens in this country may be a very great danger. I have been deeply impressed by what has happened in the United States and in Canada. If adequate measures were' not taken I am far from thinking there is no possibility of similar occurrences here, and the nation has a rights to know that vigorous measurer are being taken to, guard against these dangers. I rejoice to see, in spite of exaggerations, the spirit of vigilance that there is on the part of the public itself. I would far rather receive one hundred complaints which are unfounded than miss one communication of real value. In future we should not naturalise as British subjects those who at the same time retain their allegiance to a foreign State. I .do not contemplate interned Germans being allowed to resume trading here freely after the war."

The Germans prostituted both science and Teligiou to a demented national ambition, states a New York weekly. The war will be over some day, but it will be no slight matter to make an honest nation of Germany. She may be .hied white, but can she be bled honest?

The Cologne Volkszeikmg, speaking of the stand made by the Canadians at Ypres, says : " Many of them made an obstinate resistance, preferring to be killed rather than surrender. One General and several officers who refused to give in were killed. The General drew his sword, and when a sergeant demanded his surrender he cut him through the face, whereupon an infantryman bayoneted him. Many such groups who resisted desperately and refused all mercy had to be cleared out, with bombs." The General referred to was probably Major-General Mercer, whose body has been recovered and buried,

A characteristic story of Queen Victoria is told in Mrs. Adrian Porter's just published life of her father, the late Sir John Henniker Heaton. To the Duke of Norfolk, as Postmaster-General, fell the duty of conveying to Queen Victoria the news of the introduction of Imperial penny postage. " When does this come rhto force?" enquired Her Majesty.

"We thought of the Prince's birthday," Teplied tho Duke. In an instant the Queen, ever mindful of her supreme authority, had drawn herself up. " And what Prince?" she enquired in her most icy tone. But the Duke was equal to the emergency. "The Prince of Peace, ma'am—on Christmas Day," he replied quickly. .-'.'...

Sir George Paish, commenting on the task of finding this year 1800 millions sterling for the war, said " that at the present moment the British nation was consuming, including what was lent to tbo Allies, something liko 5500,000,000 worth of goods per annum more than it could pay for out of its own resources, and this at a time when nearly 5,000,000 of our male population were engaged in war. At the present time the nation's income, owing to the rise of prices and other causes, was well over £3,000,000,000, and the £1,800,000,000 that had to be found was not all new expenditure. Tho problem of finding the necessary money could be solved if only everyone would work as he had never worked before.

"It is a difficult world," writes " E.S.M.", in the New York Life. "The Catholics, one hears, are ready to eat us up; also the labour unions and the I.W.W.'s. ThirMexicans are not kindly affeetioned toward us; nor the Germans. The Japs think we are rude, and almost everybody thinks we are selfish. There is 0. good deal the matter with us that will not bo cured whether Mr Hughes or Mr. Wilson is elected. Even if we change our doctor we shall not change our diseases."

In its reference to the terrible outbreak of infantile paralysis in NewYork, the Outlook states that those parents, who can take their children away from the locality in which the epidemic exists and into the country should do so; but -there are thousands upon thousands \vlio cannot. Those parents can help to proteot their own children and to protect the community by keeping their children away from public gatherings and by restricting their play.'as far as possiblo to open parks and other places where children are not confined indoors, and -which they can reach -without going in crowded conveyances. They can help, too, by watching their own children and seeing that any one child. that shows signs of illness is at. once isolated and a doctor called in. In any household where there is such a case gargles and sprays should be used to help prevent infection, and compliance in" every point should, bo made with the medical requirements. -

"The* Government now controls the supply and the price of sugar," writes Mr. Will Crooks, M.P., P. 0., in Lloyds, on the cost of living. "It is well known. that the price of sugar was raised, and is still raised, merely to limit consumption. And, after all, sugar, like milk, is a staple necessity of the children of the poor. If the Government can control sugar, when its prico is on the upgrade, why can it not control the commodity altogether? The duty of th* Government is to proiect the voiceless poor, who. cannot protect themselvesrths humbleEt, poomt people, who apt® •struggimg^^os-ij^ap. festra -**nst§S.Sßi'-'',