NOTES.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIX, Issue 250, 21 October 1915, Page 2

NOTES.

The Arahura was gaily bedecked with, bunting on Tuesday (states the Press), in honor of the largest quota, of soldiers yet 6ent forward from Nouson at one time. Over one hundred Nelson men were on board, and they were joined at Picton by 22 from Marlborougji. The scene at the. Picton wharf previously to the steamer's departure wins a lively one, and the contingent was given a very hearty send-off by the crowd of local people present, ♦ Private AY. Marshall, an engineer in the Union-Company's service, Avho was wounded at• (iallipoli, writing to a friend in Wellington, from the convalescent camp, ' Epsom, England, says: "Would it be news to you if I told you that down in Dover there are over forty German submarines which we have captured ? I had it

from a friend who was down and saw them himself last week. The' Navy now has all kinds of ways of getting hold of them, and 1 believe that they can get most of then! as soon as they come out, although these captures are never mentioned m the papers." A pleasing ceremony took place on Tuesday morning at Wellington, when Sir Joseph Ward presented to Sergt. T. E. V, Seddon, M.P., a handsome pair of prismatic Held glasses from the members of the Liberal party in the House. The glases bore the inscription—"To our dear Tom from his Party Mates. October 12, 1915." In making the presentation, Sir Joseph Ward said that-. Sergeant Seddon carried with him the good wishes of every member of the House for his sucess in the noble work in which he was taking part, and he could assure him that not only his friends and fellow members of the House, but the publio of New Zealand would watch his career with tho deepest interest. They would all look" forward to seeing him come back to New Zealand well and strong, and ready once more to take his place in the Parliament of the country. He felt sure that Sergeant Section's action would be a stimulant in inducing many moro young men to join the colors. Some severe strictures on the work of medical officers who reject recruits for no very obvious reasons were, passed by members of the Wellington Volunteer Fire Police at a meeting the other night.- Mr James Doyle said that it appeared to him that the medical men who were entrusted with the duty of acepting or rejecting men offering* were not exercising ordinary commoli sense. He spoke especially of the rejection of his own son, who, though a good athlete, a good shot, and as tough as wire, Avas rejected for a varicose vein in his leg. • A relative of this man, a mere boy of 18 years, about Bst. in weight, had been accepted, and lie ventured to say that the young man would see the boy out half a <lozen times. He would suggest that in future medical men. should take some account of a | man's general physique, especially as it' was a fact that many men wen-c through life with varicose veins and were never cojiscious of them. Several other members of the corps endorsed Mr Doyle's remarks, and mentioned other instances of men having beem, rejected for defects which would not impair their usefulness as sokliers. The Superintendent, of the Fire Brigade said he had in his own corps soino men who had been rejected, and they were among the best men, physically, l^iat he Bad ever had in the brigade, quite fit for the arduous work of fire-fighting. " - ■ J An, entertaining account or tiie manner in which tho British victory in the Mesopotamian Valley was celebrated on Gallipoli by a combined Australasian land Turkish feu de joie is given by the correspondent of the Melbourne Argus. When, the news of the British success had come through, it was arranged that at a o-iven signal a feu de joie should be fired with ball cartridge right round the Australian and New Zealand position, to be followed by three cheers. Every available man was 'put into the firing line, with the magazine of his riile charged. Ihe shooting," says the correspondent, "commenced on the right, and swept from a three miles' arc like an approaching rainstorm. The Turks replied wildly, with, the result that instead of only one there were two burst's of fire to celebrate one side■« victory and the other side's defeat. "When/ it was considered that the enemy had been stirred up sufficiently they' were left to continue wasting ammunition while our own men took "off their caps and cheered as only soldiers can/ It was a vocal roar that could be heard for miles, and there is reason to believe that the Turks expected the troops to hop over the parapets and come at them with the bayonet. The shooting lusted for over an hour, and when the excitement in the enemy's lines had subsided, Red Cross-stretcher-bearers could be seen at work. A feu de joie at a. ceremonal review and on the battlefield are two very different affairs." ! !