NEWS AND NOTES.

Evening Post, Volume XCIII, Issue 48, 24 February 1917, Page 10

NEWS AND NOTES.

Sir William Eaberston, speaking in support of the Westtumater Branch of the British Bed Cross Society, made the following points :—"There is no reason why you sliould not be cheerful if you have a. clear conscience. You will feel that if. you havo done your duty. *"Pay frequent visits to the wounded in hospital, and always wear a happy face. patients like to discuss you and say what they think about you. Platitudes are no good j they do not help wounded soldiers."

The Sofia journal, Kambana (Bell), a German organ, although nominally the mouthpiece of the "Broad Socialists," writes as follows of the Rumanians:—"Destruction! Destruction down to the root! That vile nation deserves not vengeance, but destruction. Not because of its sins in tho past and present, but for the' sake of the future welfare of humanity, for the sake of the normal development of history, this nation must disappear from off the face of the earth, as a cancerous growth from tho body. It is necessary that once more the sword of Atfdla and Tamerlane be drawn in order to purge the valley of the Danube of these descendants of Homan rubbish who have become beaste. Destruction! Christ Himself has said that the tares in the field must be torn! up in good time 'or they will choke and destroy the good ears of corn."

The heat of pulpit oratory is- often responsible for lapses into unconscious humour. During the delivery "of a ser mon on "Faith," an American University President made tho following dramatic utterance: "You have blind faith in the physician. He gives'you medicine and tells you to take it. 'Yours not to reason why; yours bnt to do and die.'" Almost equal to this is the story of the minister who solemnly assured his congregation that "many persons have one eye on heaven while with the other they are listening to the gossip of earth."

la the Berliner Tageblatt, Theodor Wolff discusses tho possibilities of peace, and says:—"Tho moment is probably near when a business peace will be possible—a peace which the Affies and the Central Powers can discuss, in view of Iho securities they possess. Of course, those who agree to consider such a proposal must not be allowed- to return home with empty hands. The status quo ante bollum is impossible, since the independence of Poland has often proclaimed, bnt it is remarkable that the number of Germans who wish to annex Belgium has shrank recently to almost nothing, while many pan-Germans are ready today to listen to the word 'pacificism' without protest"

.'Tho terms "Premier" and "Prime Minister" came to us by accident, just as iho Cabinet itself was a "constitutional freak." The title of Premier under the form of "Premier Minister" appeared in 1686, and was applied to Lord Sunder-' land. Prime Minister, from previous connection'with tho sole Ministers-of foreign despots, was first used opprobriously in the following century, and bestowed with insulting inference on Walpole, though, indignantly disowned by him, as later by Lord North. But the word Premier takes us back to the. golden ago of Greece. Describing the dominant influence of Pericles on Athenian politics, Thucydides says that "what was nominally a democracy became in reality rule by a Premier" (literally "a foremost man").

. According to South German papers, among the numerous industries which are moribund owing to war and consequent cessation of exports are those of toys and musical instruments. Practically the entire trade, as far as exports are concerned, is dead. Some idea of the extent of the pre-war toy trade may be had from the fact that in 1913 no less a quantity than 56,500 tons were exported, representing a value of close on £6,000,000. ' In musical instruments more than half the value was represented by pianos. The value of pianos exported in 1913 was nearly. £2,500,000. Ilie Schwabische Merkur states that the piano and " American" organ trade is languishing. Mouth-organs and concertinas, save for the troops, are no longer manufactured. In 1913 they represented a weight of 4700 tons, eiported to all parts of the world.

Prosperity for the producers does not mean prosperity for all. The Chronicle's Copenhagen correspondent describes Copenhagen'as a very lively city, "a 'fact not to be wondered at when ajl the circumstances are taken into account. The fashionable restaurants ait! crowded each night. The great theatre is packed from roof to floor. In the afternoon it is impossible to walk with comfort along the imam shopping streets, so thick are the crowds. Another side of the picture is that housing accommodation is extremely difficult to obtain. I was there on quarter day; when many respectable working families were dispossessed, and 171 families, who had amongst them 600 children,, were in the streets without shelter. Schgols were being closed by the authorities in order to give temporary accommodation. .Furniture was being stored, in one of the prisons, the municipality taking over the work of transporting tho goods through the streets." ■

"I have lived for six months in two rooms at Fulham Palace," declared the Bishop of London at a trust board meeting in London, and he added that he was prepared to live where, how, and on what scale the diocese should decide. He would never, however, consent\ to the suggested arrangement if Fulham. Palace were to cease to be in the hands of the Church, or to be secularised after 1300 years. "That would have to be an absolute part of the bargain. It would also Jiave to be a' part of the bargain that the £1000 a year which I give to charitable objects, and which I have promised, must be kept up, because otherwise I should be disappointing those to' whom I have given my personal word."

" With joyful pride we contemplate this latest deed of our navy," wrote the Koelnische Volkzeitung 'when the Lusilania was torpedoed, and a medal was struck'to commemorate the deed. Later, when Germany realised the horror with which the crime was regarded all the •world over, strenuous efforts were made •to suppress the medal. Several, however, -were smuggled out of the country, and replicas are now being sold in London ■with the double object of assisting the •funds of the Red Cross and keeping alive in the public memory in British and in neutral countries the recollection of the -crime, '

IA. Scandinavian writer to a- London .paper describes the Danes as to the mass of the people having the friendliest feelings towards Britain. The official ■attitude :is one of unbending neutrality, and a great trade with Germany continues, as well as a great trade with ourselves. The normal trade between Denmark and Germany is very extensive, a state of affairs which is sometimes ignored by those who shout about tho supplies of neuti-als to our enemies. The Danes are vigilant to prevent illicit leakages and punish remorselessly smugglers or would-be smugglers, people whose Danish nationality may often be suspect. What the Danes are chiefly concerned about is tho preservation of Denmark. In a very real sense the country is between the devil aad^thn