THOMAS WAS ALL RIGHT.

Feilding Star, Volume XIII, Issue 3337, 5 September 1917, Page 2

THOMAS WAS ALL RIGHT.

What happened to Thomas? In a recent communication from Catpain Malcolm Ross regarding the Messmes fight the following item appeared: "The importance of Messines as the southern corner post of the _ Wytschaete salient was fully recognised by the enemy,- and in consequence fully a month before the attack a perm fluent responsible commander — one Thomas—was appointed for the outtr and inner defences. LooJ-ing back at some of our bombardments one wonders what happened to Captain lhomas." The answer i a supplied in a letter just received by M. ft. O. Viewer, of Karori, from his gflP, Lieut, A Lewer, who refers to the capture of German prisoners in the Messines battle. In "no boasting spirit, and iust as if stating a commonplace tact., he adds the following interesting note "I personally, captured the defender "of'Messines, "a Hun by £he name .of Captain Thomas, ,,

The Wellington bankruptcy statistics for tne month of August show that only one petition was filed. Mr J. Obden Armour, of Chicago (head of the big meat firm), subscribed £100,0.00 to the American Red Cross for the W&V:

"Macadam and telegraph P°p— that is all they, are,"—Mr. S. Hurst Seager, of ChmtchiU'ch, on many of New Zealand's roads.

Illustrating the spirit of sacrifice which obtained in Great Britain, Sir Joseph Ward, speaking at the lost and Telegraph gathering, said that at one of the great hospitals at Chelsea they met a V\A.D. nurse who told them that in three weeks her father, her husband, and five of her brothers had been killed. She was the widow of a man of great wealth, but she was devoting all her time to the service of the wounded without pay or reward other than the appreciation of the men she tended.

Good Presbyterians, according to an American paper • President Wilson, Vice-Presjdeijt Marshal}/ and Secretary of State Lansing, and (some other members of the U.S. Cabinet are Presbyterian leaders, Mr, headed the commission from Great Britain, is a member of the Presbyterian Church, and set-is Sir Douglas Haig. General Joffre. Marshal of France, is a member of the French Presbyterian Church, and General Pershatisr. in command of TJ.S.A.'s troops in France, Is also a" member of the Presbyterian Church. ' :

The Am (or more correctly Aroe) Islands, which are reported to have suffered a seveye earthquake, are about 100 miles south of Papua (New Guinea). They arc the headquarters of the Celebes Trading Company's pearling grounds, which produce the best pearf shells in the world. The group consists of about twenty islets, separated by channels called sungKis. They are composed chiefly of coral, and tho highest point in the group is only about 300 ft above sea-level. Earthquakes are frequently experienced. The chief town. Dobo, has a population of about 5000 of mixed Asiatic races, and the Arone.se native poplation numbers about 40,000.

Considerable difficulty in obtaining adequate supplies of coal lias been experioneed by the Colonial Sugar Comnanv throughout the past year (states 'the Auckland Herald). Normally the aim \voujd bo to keep a reserve stock of aOOO tons, hut shortage of shipping interfering with imported supplies from Newcastle. 3"d tho temporary cessation of 'work some months ago at coal mines in the Dominion, made it impossible to maintain that margin. The. company has now, however, inado nn-finpfcmcii.ts with West Coast and local ronl companies, -whereby it is expected that there will be ample stocks in kopo flip works at Chelsea, going, thus sustaining the output, of sugar.