NEWS AND NOTES

Greymouth Evening Star, 22 February 1917, Page 2

NEWS AND NOTES

Two stylishly-dressed munition girls complained to the Willesde.il Magistrate, London, that their landlady .. was detaining' their clothes and other belongings. In a list of their property tlie, girls included three bottles of whisky, or other spirits, a costume valued at ten guineas, boots worth £2 2s a pair, and other equally costly articles of wearing apparel.

The following' is an extract from German orders found" by the French at Douaumont. It applies to German soldiers suspected of malingering-: "Energetic and merciless action must be taken.' Make use of arms- or take legal measures against all those against whom faults should have been brought. Specially characteristic cases shall be made public as a lesson to all those guilty of cowardice, and will be dealt with without mercy. Guards in close proximity to_ the firing line exercise ;i sharp surveillance behind the front. Patrols of gendarmes, horseand cyclists are to be sent to all fronts to visit the camps, shelters, or canteens where frequent appeals are inade. I again call the attention of generals commanding army corps to the importance of these measures. (Signed) Von' Ochow, Infantry General."

_. Several large liote|j( and clubs iii London have been taken by tlie British Government for war purposes, but the first private house to be commandeered is that of the Duke of Buccleuch, Montagu House', Whitehall. No portion of t'|ie house is to be reserved for the duke's personal use, and the treasures of this historic mansion have been removed to one of the family's country No other private residence in London occupies such an interesting- site. As" early as 1240 Hubert dei Burgh built a large here, which sabsequentlyvbecame the property of the Black Friars, of tlier Archbishop of ; andrrfinally of Henry, VIII. The present house, was Begun by' the fifth duke in. 1858., The*cost of the building amounted to,\£loo,ooQ, Montagu House' is' noted-for its.gfeat rooms,. its Vahdycks, aiftl, its incomparnble miniatures. Pictures of Uubens, Rembrandt, and other masters *; adorn the walls-. But the collection of miniatures is unique and unrivalled even in Eoyal palaces. >