PUTTING THE CASE CLEARLY.

Feilding Star, Volume XII, Issue 2971, 20 June 1916, Page 2

PUTTING THE CASE CLEARLY.

Conscientious objectors and ".shirk-

ers" were the subject of some criticism by Sir Robert Stout during the course of mi address delivered at Napier recently. "A few on religious grounds object lo war," said the Chief Justice. "1. honour the Society of friends for thoir consistency, for their philanthropy, and for the many services wlneh'they havo rendered to'humanity; but, unfortunately, freedom would' vanish from the world if cruel men or nations were allowed to dominate mankind, and wo must defend our lives and liberty by war. Some tell us that they are loyal, but any that they are not prepared to leave Now Zealand to light for their Motherland or for the Empire. It .i.s not on religious grounds they take up this altitude."

Of every 100U men accepted for tbe United States army (militia), 885 are native-born.

By lit*' San Francisco boat otii Satin day there arrived some 8(55 cases of American eggs for the New Zealand market.

The second mate of the s.s. Mako, .Mr Olson, losf •■. life on Saturday at Tunaroa, Auckland district, through a launch capsizing.

The New Zen hind Government is committed to Ihe Army Council lo equip, train and despatch not less than .'IO.OOO men to the front during 1 !)!.(>.

II is an unwritten, law that the President and Vice-President of the United Slates shall never travel in Die same railway tram.

(treat Britain's hay crop is 8.500,----001) tons a year, while 0.500,000 tons of straw arc also produced. This year's- harvests are reported to have been particularly good.

. Tibet is not allowed to sell, lease, or mortgage any tibotan territory to any foreign Power without the consent of Great Britain.

"The .soldier- is a sorry spectacle without a. letter," says the chaplain. "Thou write hint."—Extract l'r.om a letter written by Staff-Captain Walls to the New Zealand War Cry.

A single man who applied to the Newcastle (England) tribunal for exemption on the ground that ho could not leave las 'business was advised to get married and train his wife to look after it. On his undertaking to do so, liis case was postponed for two months.

The wife of it naval reservist, replying to alii inquiry from an Admiralty official as to the whereabouts of her husband, wrote: "My husband has been away at the crystal palace and got a- for" days furlong ami has now gone to the mind sweepers."

The discovery announced in the London Daily Express seven or eight months ago that granulated sugar is one of tho most, valuable dressings for wounds was tho subject of a long article in the German Army Medical Times in April, stating that this adjunct had proved of "enormous value at the German front."

A teacher in one of our schools (says the Christchurch .Star) recently received tho following note from the mother of one of her pupils: "Dear Miss, —You write me about whipping Sammy. I hereby give you permission, to beef ■him up eny time it is .necessary to learn him lessons. He is juste like his father —you have to learn him with a clubb. Pound noledge into him. 1 wanto him to git it, and don't pay no atenshion lo what his father says; i 11 handle him."

A member of tlio Australian Forces, writing from London to 'his brother in Wellington, mentions that on one occasion lie was with a companion when a very gushing individual on being informed that they wore. Australians, exclaimed: "How good of you to como all this way to light for us and our little country!" The Australian soldier looked hard at the English civilian who evidently had no conception of the British Empire as something greater than Britain. Then he exploded in wrath: "Damn you and your little country," he exclaimed. "We came here to light for the Empire." The civilian departed alia shed.

We ieavo Germany far behind iv the. arrangements that are being made Lor settling soldiers on the land, observes the Daily Chronicle. Bismarck would have eyed with envy Sir Rider Haggard's success in this direction overseas; for, after the Franco-Prus-sian war, he expressed regret that the German. Government had not colonised with soldiers the outpost of their Empire, particularly .sparsely populated East- Prussia, which in peace time had to be worked wilh labour imported every year from Russia. Nor at the present juncture does the German Central. Committee for Soldiers' Homesteads seem to be markedly successful.

The Westminster Gazette sees no need to assume that building for the mercantile marine has been wholly neglected. It has not. A very considerable number of vessels were launched last year, but the output was below that in normal times, owing to the fact that all the available slips and workmen were being used for the Navy. Side by side with diminished building we havo had an enormous tonnage taken for national purposes, and very considerable losses by thy attacks of cruisers and submarines. A big effort, i.s 1o bo mado to finish mercantile ships in process of construction. This demands that the workers shall accept flic same conditions as for other war work.

A young Zealander on submarine duty in England is Mr John William Kinder, son of Mr H. Kinder, of Auckland. After completing his studies at Wanganui College he went into Fraser's foundry, and served his time there. Later he went to Sydney and passed as chief engineer. A desire to obtain some knowledge of oil engines brought him to England, and he was sailing between England and the Argentine on a vessel called the Highland "Pride when war was declared. Immediately he offered his services, and after a short time ashore was attached to a first-class .cruiser. On board this vessel he put in a winter in the Norlh Sea, and then volunteered for submarine duly. Mr Kinder was on F.(! up to tho trip before she was lost with all .hands. Now he is ashore standing by a new .submarine.

LOCAL AND GENERAL.