Notes and Comments.

Feilding Star, Volume XII, Issue 2886, 4 March 1916, Page 2

Notes and Comments.

Knocking at Fame's Door

There is an unrecognised and unhoiiourod genius in a Wellington suburb. . but he i.s not hiding Ins Imhf under any bushel. A critic had apparently been touching this Newton 11. on'the raw, for this i.s how le retorted, under the lull blare ol Ins own name, in a city journal: "I consider that my method is the greatest advance in the treatment of the ambiguous case of spherical trhiugjes that has been made since John Napier published his four remarkable 'Analogies' and his 'Rules for Circular Parts,' and that is over 300 years ago." We tako our hat oil' to the sfraightout conceit oil' the retolrt | courteous.

The Real Danger Revives. We have only to remember the Emden to realise what a raider at, large is capable of doing amongst Britain's shipping on tho ocean highways. Hence the satisfaction in realising Hint the Moowc, which had already done great damage, was laid by the heels. livr capture is another fine tribute to the ability of the British navyJu finding'a needle lost in a hay stack. For tlie South Atlantic is a lirettv considerable stretch of water. And the captures, like the feat of the Russians at Erzcroum, has its slrong moral-effect aspect. One raider encourages more privateers to come into the game of hide-and-seek. For instance, in the middle of last month a New York message stated that Captain Maguire. of the schooner Edgai Murdoch", which had arrived at Mobile, in the Gulf of.-Mexico, reported that 11 German steamers laid up in ports in the, Canary Islands wen secretly arming as commerce raiders, and were preparing for a dash I'm the open sea. He said he saw coal loaded into their bunkers. The cap lure of the Moewe will settle that little game, and those would-be bird.* of -freedom will now stay a while longer in their Canary cages.

A Derby on a Simon. Lord Derby, who has been the keenest personal'force in Great Rritain on lhe recruiting of men under the Kitchener Call, hit out strenuously at Sir John Simon iv his latest speech to tbe Lords. He regretted that Sir .John's influence had been -with the Little Kuglanders who would whittle away Britain's strength in the war. It was this anything but simple Simon —he drew fat legal fees whilst a member of the Cabinet- -who resigned from the .Ministry after making a speech in the House iv which be showed astonishing ignorance even for a legal luminary. Sard he: "There are some of us who regard the principle of voluntary enlistment a.s a real berifasie of the British people, your birthright. The real' issue is whether we are to begin an immense change, in the fundamental structure of our society." And yet again and again in its history Britain has had to use compulsion in order lo get its liuliling forces. The nress gang was a bad old legal institution lor long enough. Trades unionism is nothing but conundsion. The British Law Society and Medical Association—what arc they but combines that compel obedience!-'

Lord Derby's Scheme. Little wonder Lord Derby is raising his voice in. high places against the manner in which some interested parties arc breaking down the whole fabric of- his well-worked-out .recruiting scheme. Let us rehearse the historic scheme: Men who enlisted under it were divided into -16 groups— the unmarried men in the first 23 .groups according to ago, and the married also iv 23 groups, according to age* and beginning when tho unmarried groups are exhausted, 'these men were to be called out iv successive groups as required, a fortnight's notice being, given to each before he joins. Tho 31st of this mouth has been the date lixed for the calling up of the first group. Appeals may be made to be put iv a later group. Men thus allowed on leave nill draw no military pay. It is the wholesale allowance of these appeals that Lord Derby. Eart Kitchener, and Mr Lloyd George arc now protesting against. The figures relating to the single men show that the total number of single men of military age is 2,179.231. Attested, enlisted, and rejected, I/1.-jO.----000; residue; 1.029,2j11. Deduct unattested starred men, 378,07.1. Residue of unstarred single men, Gol,----100. This, Lord Derby submitted, whom he presented ibis findings, was far from being «■ negligible, quantity; and, accordingly, the pledge given to the married men must be redeemed. Concerning this pledge Lord Derby. speaking later in the House of Lords, said: "I venture to ask your lordships to support me in saying that it will be absolutely impossible for any action., to be taken which will necessitate the calling up of married men until the country is absolutely convinced that the single man ha.s come forward to such au extent as to leave only a negligible quantity unaccounted for.. We must of all things keep faith with the pledge that the Prime Minister gave to the married men." And now the single shirkers are dodging the issue by getting exemptions to stay in a safe job at home, whilst other men go out and risk their own lives and the care of their families.