WAR SIDELIGHTS.

Mataura Ensign, 14 February 1916, Page 3

WAR SIDELIGHTS.

"The best New Year's message «'«' Y\ o ale killing two Oerinans to every Ally that t'all.s ' (writes a press correspondent from the British Headquarters in Krance).

So .said one in command. "The "ealth ol the men i.s amazing. Better in tin's battalion than it i.s in peace tune," s,.:id r. doctor.

There are men who h:'.ve been in J ranee lor months apd never seen ;i Cernian. One of ihe ">0 .sailors who recently visited the British front was vouchsafed the i.-xiraordiuary spectacle ol m Cermait leaving li.'s trench, and running a,s hard as be could yo alongside the parapet. He tnado two such ventures, covering in all at least '21)0 yards. ()n<; theory ol' this odd' osoapaiTo was that the man had made a het. The other was that he was mad. The wa.'.s ol the Oerman sniper were dise.osed to th'em. One 'man walked erect past a hreach in the parapet. Just as he reached the next jiap. where he was wise enough to .stoop, live bullets came in quick is\ieeess.siou- tlou -'.gainst the hack ol' tJie irenc/h. 'I lie niarksnian seems to liave e.stimated with Teutonic aeouraey-they measure: distap.ee by time in (.'erinany—the pace of a seaman's walk.

•Injures issued lately of the work at the Boyal -Mint in for the |iast throe years show a remarkable increase in tin' silver issued diliine- the last, two years. Over £1.'5.000.(MJ0 of silver was issued for tilt; British Isles, as compared with about (J 1 .o(KI.OOt) for MM.'), and a" average issue of about £ 1.01)0.000 for the 10 years before I !>l-l.

Tho explanation of the increase [ n that the war has necessitated an expenditure of hundreds of thousands of |X)iinds a. week to troops, ;1 proj)ortion of which is paid in silver. A much larger quantity of silver w also u.-ed. it was traded last in the ■ ra.viuotit of wa<i;es because ol' the [>rejudice of many workers against paper money. Thus a man earning .'los a week will receive a. L'l note and the remainder jn silver.

At the I'voyal West. Sussex Hospital. Chichester, recently, a wounded soldier, seekiii!/ to make friends with a boy just bronchi, in. from a, motor accident., asked him his name, and 011 learning it exclaimed that it was the same name that he had noticed on the first lie ate at the Dardanelles. 'Plus addres s also proved that the boy was the actual contributor of the e.ei.r, which had been .sent with his school's collection to the Chichester depot. Tiie London 'Daily .Mirror.' describing ihe inllueivce on the people exercised by Sir Kdward (J rev (British I'Vu'eijiti .Minister). explained how. When he walked into the Carl t (ui at lunch hour one day, the rattle of cutlery erased, small talk was silenced, and all eyes were turned towards him. "Two years a<ro," the 'Mirror' added. "K : r Kdward Crev and Mr Asquith together would not. have made h.alf so j much sensation as Oaby l)esly s in a new ir,i\vii," 1 111 tlie new year the d'ovcrnment's expenditure, ns.-.iiinint; that the war lasts throughout the vear. will probablv be not lo>«'tlian .Co.(MX).000 per dav. 01 say 1-1.500.000.000 fo r ihe calendar year. If we had been at, peace tin l (Jovernineut's expenditure would probably have been- '2)o millions, So that the war costs ol the new vear mav be put roundly at 1000 millions. Probably 000 millions <>!' this tviil bo lent, to our Allies and colonies (making a record addition to our over-sea investnietit.s), lee.vin.u; I 10!) millions as our own war costs in l'llti. —Sir Leo ChiuKKa. Monev. Al.!'.

Indirectly 7."0 vflimn; women holoiirr■ine- to Melbourne nn> playing a pan oY more, than ord'nary imm ki tin* Lit'cat- war drama. They ai\< tho women who make nirtri',Jye»> for Australian H)l<licr.s. ii'ml ;nv in the service of the rolimiiil .A iiiinu nit ion Company at tlu> cartridge factory. Nicholson' Ktr,v(. I'ootseray. Their work.sho;> res*,.,, f»i- m hollow behind the rae-.A-course. I'Yom t-imo to hears of schemes introduced by ma^nafo.s ji, tlie imhsuin'al world of America, and elsewhere to conven, workshop* ;l ll.( Mirroumlmy:* into mi mot ;ikiu io I topia. This anepars to ho the i'-yyeru-ment principle ;,< the »''ootsoi-:i,v'a 1111110nitiotv work.-... The mimao-ement h ; , s a well.equipped diningroom, where the women e ;i n enjoy the contents o| the luncheon hax'k'et in opinion _ and e'oatilincs. A oharmii,n- ! .Vor_wo<iian woman is at. the head of allairs. : ,ik] with her staff solves fen there iree each mea! hour, This olailv oonco.-s-on sends- tho eMiendifure 'u'y, for each day CI!, ,& ,. 0i( and 2o (|liano! niilh a.'o pi.ovrded. A ban- of M|.-:n-(iU,\\n at. the establish iii.mu la-W about onu day and a-half.