Notes and Comments.

Feilding Star, Volume XIII, Issue 3234, 7 May 1917, Page 2

Notes and Comments.

Our Two Hospital Ships. In September last, under direction of Governor Liverpool, a neat little book was published giving an account of tho voyaging of New Zealand's lirst Hospital slap, tho Malicuo. We are now in receipt from Whhcombo and J'ombvs,. of Christehurch, of the second volume of tho series of "Tho Voyages of His Majesty's New Zealand Hospital Ships Marama and Mahc.no, compiled by his Excellency the Earl of Liverpool." This is a much more comprehensive and interesting book than its predecessor, and gives details concerning the preparation, equipment and work of the Marama. The hallcrown volume, which is daintily bound, contains tho names of the ollicers, crews, medical staff, nurses, orderlies, :md soldier patients carried on the two ships from the Old World to New Zealand. Tho hooks arc- also beautifully and profusely illustrated, mostly from photographs, personal and scenic, taken by members of the staffs of the two ships. "Tho Voyages" arc not tho least valuable of the records hearing upon New Zealand's connection with the war.

The Northcliffe Views. Time was when Lord Northclilfe, head of the Harmsworlh family and controller of a powerful group of daily and weekly journals and monthly magazines, including the. London rimes and Daily Mail, was the- British Government's most severe critic. Now ho has -become its ardent supporter, a conversion principally duo to the fact that Lloyd George challenged him to go to the various fronts and see things for himself, and gave him every facility to move around. Another result was the production of a book, "At the War," which is one of tho, hooks of tho day. The profits from it are devoted by Lord Northcliffe to the relief of British prisoners in Germany. 'J lie great, London journalist is very popu--I'ir in America, because hiis characteristics are more American Ihan British, lie puts the G in Go and the V in Vim—he is a hustler. The cablonisin recently sent us- (he gist of an interview which the J/imloner gave to a New York paper, and it will have been noticed by those who read the message that he spolco like one having an inside knowledge of things—and he would also have special facilities for learning tho true inwardness of affairs in Germany.

Straight from the Shoulder. One of Lord NqrthcliflVs media of influencing the mind of the British nation, at Home and overseas, is his monthly magazine, the London. In his April issue, which has just reached Feilding, the editor makes a feature ol the reproduction of a series of German posters used as proclamations in Belgium. Ho puts this strong tag to the series as his summing up, after suggesting to the imagination such awful proclamations being posted up in Britain: "The only way to make sure that no such thing shall happen in this country is to smash the Huns absolutely in the present war. Don't talk negotiations with them. Don't even think of a German-signed treaty. It would be an insult to any respectable nation to ask it to sign a document signed also by a German. Smash the Huns! Sentence them. Then carry out the sentence. They are an outlaw nation, and to confer with them would be a national disgrace!" These are forceful and timely words. They score a bull's-eye at the right time, when Germany is flying more peace-kites and is seeding to work the oracle either from Berlin or Vienna. No matter where the offers come from, the Kaiser is behind them. Smash the Hun—smash the Hun of Huns, the Hohcnzollern!