CURRENT TOPICS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CV, Issue 12535, 24 June 1901, Page 6

CURRENT TOPICS.

No one has yet attempted to explain why the War Office is the worst managed department of the State. The public seem to regard

THE WAR OFFICE AGAIN.

its blunders as inevitable, and to obtain what consolation they can. from the amusing paragraphs it provides for the newspaper press.; But a story told in a recent number of the “Daily Chronicle” is really beyond a joke. It appears that in September, 1896, the editor of the “London American ” was surprised to find that his telegraphic address, “ Kamsin,” was being used for the delivery of cypher messages for which he had not the slightest cine. The first came from the West Indies, and upon enquiry at the Post Office, the editor was informed -that- “Kamsin” had been for some years the telegraphic address of the secretary to the Cornmander-in-Chief, but was relinquished, and subsequently assigned to “The London American.” The editor at once informed the military authorities, and begged- them to take whatever steps might be necessary i-to prevent him being embarrassed by their correspondence. But apparently the War Office took no notice. Telegrams obviously intended for that department, some in code and others in plain words, continued to pour in upon -the editor, and though he protested to the Post Office, the officials there insisted that he should ' accept -whatever wa.s sent to ' his registered address. This went on for nearly three years, and then the officials seemed- to realise their responsibility, and for a time tbs editor was troubled no more. But the other day, haying almost forgotten his former annoyance, he was startled by receiving the following message:—“Pretoria Residency, 3.5.01, 9.50 a.m.—To Kamsin, London, —R. 443. Your 7332' goolto oamuncillo jockeying. Daydreams.—Kitchener.” This time the newspaper man, taught by his previous experience, wasted no time over the Post Office, but sent the message direct to the military authorities in Pali Mall. It is not recorded that -these gentlemen. arrested the editor for intercepting a despatch, but a proceeding of that sort would have been only in keeping with their general mismanagement of a great department of the,State.

A NEW UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE.

If the Paris correspondent of the “ Pall Mall Gazette ” is to be trusted the search for a universal language, which has been carried on

with more or less enthusiasm since the original confusion of tongues, is at last on a fair way towards success. According -to this gentleman the Touring Club of France; the most powerful cyclists” association in the world, and a body which possesses an enormous membership, has decided to assist by all the means in its power in the general adoption of Esperanto. This is not a fresh -extract of meat, or an antidote fon influenza, but a new universal language wnich, its friends claim, has a far more brilliant ’future before it than the already almost forgotten Vblapuk. Under the auspices of 'the Marquis de Beaufront, an enthusiast on the subject, a series of free lectures on Esperanto are to bo given at the headquarters - of the Touring Club, Place de la Bourse. As it is needless (to point- out, if the innumerable army of cyclists can be interested in Esperanto a great step will have been accomplished towards the definite launching of a new universal language, while it is generally agreed that should such a language ever succeed in making real headway, the consequences would be incalculable. Esperanto is not a creation of yesterday. It was invented fifteen years ago by a Russian, Dr Zamenhoff. For the basis of bis language, Dr Zamenhoff has borrowed the most familiar roots of the principal tongues, Latin and Germanic. Examples of his radicals are “am” enjoying the idea of love, “land” that of country, “daur” that of duration, “ attend ” that of waiting, “ goj ” that of joy. His spelling and pronunciation are phonetic. The simplicity and precision of Esperanto are extreme All its mysteries are embodied in sixteen rules. The addition of a 1 termination convert® a root into, a noun, adjective, verb, or adverb as desired. For example, “am” gives “amo,” love; “ama,” loving; “ami,” to love; “ame,” lovingly. In distinguishing the tenses of the verbs “ i ” stands for the infinitive, “as” for the present, “is” for the .past, and “os ” for the future. Tolstoi gives Esperanto an enthusiastic testimonial. He declares Jhat, haying received a grammar, a dictionary, and a newspaper printed in the new language, he was able to read the articles with comparative ease after two hours’ study. A language that could be acquired in that time would not alarm the most dilatory student.

LIQUID AIR EXPLOSIVE.

Since the possibilities of liquid air were first conceived, numerous experi-

ments have been carried on in England and on the Continent, with the view ol finding new uses lor the medium, which, in its raw state, can be obtained' absolutely free of cost. Amongst other peculiar properties, it has been found that liquid air, in conjunction with carbonaceous substances, forms ’ an explosive compound, and at a recent meeting of the British Institution of Mining Engineers, Mr A. Larsen gave on account of some trials that had been made. Explosive cartridges having liquid air as one of their constituents, have been used in the boring of a tunnel, though not with sufficient success to satisfy the operators. The cartridges were filled with equal parts of paraffin wax and charcoal, and dipped! into liquid air . until completely soaked. They had to be carried in liquid air to the place where they were to he used, and not removed until immediately before being placed in the blast holes. The life of a' cartridge was very short, it having to be fired within fifteen minutes of being taken from the liquid air, in order to avoid a missfiro. This is the drawback to the cartridges, as liquid air is not an easy thing to transport, and in any case, the extra weight and bulk of the receptacle in which the cartridges have to be kept would prove bi serious, disadvantage. From the fact, however, that experiments are being conducted in three different centres, there is reason to hope that the difficulties in the way of the use of liquid air as an explosive will eventually be surmounted. According ( tq Mr Larsen, it is possible to produce with liquid ok an explosive compound of greater energy than blasting gelatine. This property makes it practically impossible, under present conditions, to nse liquid air as a motive power

in motor-cars or submarine boats, since when heated its expansive energy becomes so great that no metal could resist it.

GENERAL GHAITEE.

A contributor to the London “Daily News” gives an interesting character sketch of General Chaffee,

the commander of the American Army in China, who has lately managed to attract a good deal of attention to himself by bis very frank criticism of the way in which the Allies Lave conducted their campaign in tho Far East. Tbs* General is a soldier first and last and all the time, and his manlier is often so blunt as to give very grave offence. It was reported a little time ago that be bad sent a letter to Count von Waldcroee, the German Field-Marshal, which was so impolitic (hat the Count returned it to its hotheaded author. The incident wa,s smoothed over almost as soon as it occurred, but it is said that the Field-Marshal can never pardon tho affront he received from theeturdv American. General Chaffee enlisted as a private in the Regular branch of the cavalry service, during the first year of the Civil War. He rose steadily, and the close of the rebellion found him a first lieutenant, with the brevet rank of captain. After the war he remained on active service against the American Indians, and was breveted major in 1868 for good work against the Commancbes in Texas. In 1890 he was given the rank of hentenautcolouel, for gallant services on the Red River, and during the- Spanish-Ameri-can war gained fresh laurels in Cuba. In 1909 he was made a major-general, and with this rank he went to China. The General bears a reputation through-out America for bluntness and want of polish. He is frequently spoken of as “ the hardest fighter and the hardest swearer in the United States Army,” and there is little doubt that he deserves the second part of the description as well as he does the first.' He has made himself particularly objectionable to newspaper correspondents,- and cousequenctly they have not much, that is good to say of the bluff old soldier. - His gruff ness became so marked on the march from Tientsin to Pekin that even the most seasoned correspondents hesitated to approach him, and when they did they usua.lly got a round of abuse, and nothing more, for their pains. But, notwithstanding this, they all admit that ho is a brave and capable soldier, and that he is respected as ■ well as feared by the men he is appointed to lead. Probably, in their hearts, they think more of the hardswearing American than they do of some of the more polished commanders.