WAR MISCELLANY

Evening Post, Volume XCIII, Issue 20, 23 January 1917, Page 3

WAR MISCELLANY

AN IMPORTANT DEPARTURE

ROYAL MAIL DRIVER.

(FIOB OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) 1

LONDON, Ist December.

AN OFFICER IN THE RANKS.

Failing owing to an old injury to obtain permission from the Medical Board to go to the front, Jolin Hamilton Sinclair resigned, his commission in the Camoixmians and enlisted as a private in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. He has just v fallen fighting in the ranks after eighteen months of active service. Private Sinclair, who is a member of a well-known family, and 1 has relatives at Lisburn, County Antrim, was one of the ■first volunteers for service in South Africa, where he obtained a commission, rose to the rank of captain, arid was mentioned in despatches. After his recovery from a severe accident he went to Canada, and when the war began he joined the first Canadian contingent, travelling at his own expense 3000 miles to enlist. He was given a commission; in the Cameronians shortly after his arrival in England. BILLETS IN BELGRAVIA. No man can call his club his own in these days of war necessities, and it appears that he will not always be able to call his home his own if the Government happens to take a fancy to it, or its position. Residents occupying twentyfive large houses in Belgravia have just had brief notice to quit, because the authorities want the entire block for the accommodation of troops, mainly men over on leave, compensation is to be paid for actual loss, and any damage done will be made good, but no consideration is promised for inconvenience entailed. This is the first invasion on anything like an extensive scale of private British homes on account of the war, and it has come as a shock to. the actual victims, the more so because of the abruptness with which the notice of eviction has been served on them, the vagueness of its terms, and the very hazy promise of compensation. However, the general feeling among the tenants is one of readiness to accept the situation, fchongh insistent, of course that they should be indemnified for actual loss. The houses are five stories high, with a great portice over tho area, and are in various stages of decoration and repair. But others less placid maintain there are plenty of empty houses in the neighbourhood suitable for the Government's purpose; such are loath to be disturbed, especially at this season of the year. A NOVEL ROAD TO THRIFT. Tho call for economy need not put'an end to the happy custom of sending a Christmas card to one's friends. The National _58»k. Savings Cbmrnjtieev.js. about to issue a card which, may be sent (not necessarily in substitution for, but in addition to the usual one) both as a symbol of Christmas goodwill and as a reminder of the need for thrift. The card, the cost of which will be a penny, is intended, like the ordinary war savings card purchasable at the. post offices; for the affixing of sixpenny stamps, and will be exchangeable for a War Savings Certificate when full. It conveys a friendly greeting for Christmas and New Year, is well produced on the simplest lines, and its business, purpose does not at air interfere with its appearance. ■ The sender may put one or more stamps on the card before despatching it, as an encouragement to the recipient to go on until the perfection of 15s 6d. . It will be seen that the card is a present possessing tho unusual property oE graduating its cost to the will or the power of the purchaser; also that for those who give it and for those who receive it, thrift and generosity have met together in complete reconciliation. Last week 840 new war savings associations were affiliated to the national committee, bringing the aggregate for England and Wales to 13,987. Twentyseven new iocai committees were set up, •making, a total of 7bi>. A MUNIFICENT GIFT. A movement which dosorvos wide publicity has recently been inaugurated in

Scotland. This is an attempt to supply j limbless soldiers, with artificial legs and arms of homo manufacture, instead of importing them from the United States. The work is being carried on at the Princess Louise Scottish Hospital for Limbless Sailors and Soldiers, which is situated at Erskino House, on the banks of the Clyde, ten miles from Glasgow. The house 'belonged formerly to Lord Blantyre, but it was bought by Mr. Thomson Aikman, who presented it to the trustees of the hospital last April. It has been completely equipped and has accommodation for about 200 patients, with workshops and training schools immediately adjoining. Recently Mr. John Reid 1, of Glasgow, acquired some 350 acres of surrounding land to add to the hospital grounds, and the citizens of Glasgow have raised about £150,000 for equipment and endowment. WHAT THEY THINK AT THE FRONT. Not long ago a comprehensive selection of films depicting happenings at the front was screened in London. There quickly arose considerable controversy that many of the pictures were unfit for public display, as being too harrowing for the ten-der-hearted, who fainted and screamed and caused commotion generally. Very well. Some of those films were cut out, leaving quite a mediocre, though instructive selection, and the controversy ended". It is rather enlightening to know how the incision ia regarded at the front, and this is what an officer writes:—"l was interested in what you told mo about the cutting out of most of the gratifying picture in the Somme firm —that is, the prisoners behind barbed wire. Ido wish the authorities had a little.more of the ancient Roman in their sloppy constitutions. Humility may be all right in •peace time, but the nation that goes to war humbly is apt to come out humbly. I assure you there is very little humility shown by the Britieh soldier out here, wherever he may come. from. He does not act like a cad towards the helpless prisoner, but. he makes no hypocritical bones about Ms gratification a.t seeing them march down from the trenches. The prisoners certainly feel their position keenly—at any rate for the first little while—and an appreciation. of the fact that they are 'licked' gives us a great deai of human and perfectly legitimate joy. The average British man is a better man than the average German; and we both know it, and when we line up— silentiy—by the side of the road to see a. batch of prisoners come down —silently— we both show that we know it. When Tommy gives Fritz a smoke it is with pity that is akin to contempt, not love. Contempt is the only international attitude of mind that the Hun really understands. I speak of Germans in the mass, of course, there are great men in Germany no doubt, but if they were many they could remain so very much in the background as they do. The prisoner pictures are the very last that should be cut out of the Somme film. The moral effect of having your superiority demonstrated to you in tangible form would almost justify an exhibition of prisoners in Hyde Park. I don't think our good citizens would spit upon them as the Germans spat upon our unfortunate prisoners that were led, like performing bears, through the length and breadth of Germany. However, no one could think seriously of such an exhibition. I have never gloated offensively over seing our prisoners, but I felt the better for having seen them." , AN INCREASING HOARD. The Public Trustee, acting under the orders of the Government, is th© custodian of enemy interest in this country in a very real sense. He holds dividends earned on enemy shares amounting to about £3,000,000, which have been accumulating tinder his eyes since November, 1914. In many cases these ■■enemy shareholders are still earning money because the continued working of the company concerned is regarded as necessary to this country. Other cash _ which the Trustc* has in his books against enemy names includes £4,500,000, the proceeds of sales of property vested in him for sale by order of the Court. What will ultimately happen to this £7,500,000 the Government has not yet determined. Over and above all this great hoard there is £10,000,000 worth of property under one category and some £120,000,000 under another, making well over £130,000,000 not yet disposed of. These enemy securities as a rule are being held, entered in the books of the Public Trustee against the various enemy names. The Government has not yet seriously tackled the fact that the enemy, even if he has not control of this or that concern, has still a huge financial interest in our industry and commerce, seeing the £140,000,000 is standing against enemy names. COCOA FOR SWEDEN. A cargo of cocoa worth £16,490, which was seized m a Danish ship on its way from Lisbon to Sweden, will now be free to conthmo its voyage. Sir Samuel Evaus, in the Prize Court yesterday, gave judgment in favour of the Forerra.de Chokladfabrikena, of Gothenburg, which claimed the cocoa. Sir Frederick Smith, Attorney-General, had asked for the condemnation of the goods, and' referred to the immense imports of cocoa into Scandinavia as suspicious. At previous hearings attention was called to the fact that Sweden has increased her cocoa imports ten-fold since the war, and _ that the German Government has established a Cocoa War Company, with a capital of £500,000 at Hamburg. It was suggested, that this cocoa was really intended for Germany. Mr. Roche, K.C., on behalf of the Swedish firm, said it had been urged on behalf of the Crown that the claimants having purchased large quantities of cocoa in England were anxious to gel large cargoes from Portugal, and by these means secure a large amount in excess of the proper requirements of Scandinavia. As a matter of fact, in this case the claimants obtained only half the quantity requirpd. Sir Samuel Evans, while giving judgment for the Swedish firm, said.that there was a reasanable_ cause for seizure, and the matter required investigation. In these circumstances' the case was not one in .which he could grant costs, damages, or expenses for the detention of the cargo. Neutral merchants are warned that in future Prize Court cases concerning seizures of cocoa cargoes tho onus will be -upon them of proving up to the hilt that they were not destined 1 for the enemy.