NEWS OF THE WORLD

Manawatu Times, Volume LV, Issue 7044, 31 December 1932, Page 5

NEWS OF THE WORLD

AN HISTORIC HOUSE BRITISH LEGATION AT THE HAGUE The British Legation at The Hague, Holland, is one of the most historic, as well as one of the finest, houses in that city of fine buildings. Erected on land which still belongs to the Jesuits, it was originally built for the Spanish Ambassador at the time when ihat diplomat was almost the Governor of the Netherlands. To the casual visitor to The Hague the house is quite unfamiliar, for it is situated in one of the narrowest streets of the city, with an entrance that would be imposing if it were possible to sec it as a whole, but of which one can 'only gain a real impression by viewing it from the house opposite. Over this entrance are still to be seen the arms of Alva, the Spanish conqueror of the Netherlands, which have been allowed to remain out of historic interest combined with a Dutch distaste for change. PATTERNS ON PERSON ATTEMPT TO EVADE DUTY How a man who was searched by Customs officers at Newhaven was found to have dutiable goods fastened round his chest and waist was described at Lewes, Sussex, recently, when Maurice Rosenberg and his wife, Ellen Sarah Rosenberg, of Rue de Provence, Paris, pleaded guilty to concealing cotton patterns which were liable to duty. The chief preventive officer at Newhaven, stated that the Rosenborgs arrived on a Sunday morning by boat from Dieppe. They denied having anything dutiable, but when their baggage was searched a number of patterns were found. Rosenberg, on being searched, was found to have patterns in his trousers and in the sleeves of his coat. A further search round his chest and waist revealed more patterns pinned in a manner which suggested that someone had assisted him. An officer staled that the articles were calico patterns of French gowns, and some of them might be worth up ' to 1000 francs (about £ll at par). Rosenberg and his wife were each fined £B. Rosenberg said he wished to impose a further fine on himself by giving £1 to charity. HIKING JACKDAW HIS DOG COMPANION Jack is a very superior jackdaw. He Is not so much tame as domesticated—and he is an enthusiastic hiker. He lives in Hampstead. London, N.W., with a young master and mistress who reared him from the nest, and a large dog is his great chum. “Jack never displays any wild impulses for liberty or for the company of other birds,” his master says. “He seems to like human companionship, and has never known anything else. I got him some months ago when he was a helpless fledgling.” Jack may be seen out “hiking” on Hampstead Heath on fine afternoons. While his dog friend scampers around his master and mistress Jack flics along. DOGGED BY BANDITS AGED WOMAN’S ENCOUNTERS ?T feel doomed to die at a bandit’s hand!” Mrs Mary Ann Smith, a white-haired woman of 73. made this statement recently when describing a man who, she said, entered her sweet shop in Duckett Street, London, E., struck her down, and robbed her of £5 12/-, the shop takings. “My hair turned white in 1885 after an attack by a burglar,” she said, “in which I was struck terrible blows on the head. It seems they cannot leave me alone even in my old age. “I was sitting in my room behind the shop counting my silver when a shadow fell across the doorway and I saw a tall man, with a brown felt hat pulled down over his eyes. Before I could move I received a blow across the back of my neck and remember no more until I found myself lying with my head on the table. The man and the money had gone. “I once caught two rogues in Ratcliff Highway and have been commended four times for the parts I have played in the capture of criminals. I just seem fated to meet them.” EXTRAORDINARY DISEASE DUE TO THYROID DISORDER Extraordinary disease affects a young London girl. It is called narcolepsy and involves sudden fits of deep sleep which occur any time. If roused, she becomes irritable and abusive. Another feature of her illness is that when, she laughs, her legs buckle under her in a strange fashion. The disease, which has attracted the attention of leading London doctors, is believed to be due to a thyroid disorder. TOKYO AIDS CUPID OFFICIAL MATCHMAKING Help for Cupid by taking on the task of official matchmaker is being arranged by the municipality of Tokyo, Japan. According to the plan, 1800 applications of lovelorn men and maidens can be dealt with in a year, and it is 'thought that from these 300 marriages happy “or . at least reasonably so” will result. But the municipality is not going to guarantee satisfaction. Nor will it undertake to patch up quarrels or compensate the disillusioned. The applicant will be required to furnish adequate personal information and to state what kind of a husband or wife is required. The bureau will then investigate the applicant’s qualifications and if he or she appears to be fitted for marriage, an introduction to possible partners will follow. WOMAN IN FLAMES PARALYSED HUSBAND’S PLIGHT A 77-year-old woman was burned to death recently while her partly paralysed husband tried in vain to aid her. His cries attracted an 11-year-old girl, who ran for help, but it was too late. The woman was Mrs Jane Kennedy, who occupied a second-floor room with her husband, Charles Kennedy, aged 78, in a house in Linhope Street, London. The aged woman had just lit a gas ring to make tea, when her dress caught lire. Gwendoline Swain, who lives on the floor below and responded to Mr'Kennedy’s cries for help, said: “I saw Mrs Kennedy standing with flames around her and her hands in the air. Her husband was standing nearby trying to put out the flames. 1 rushed downstairs for help. Another occupant of the house and a neighbour succeeded in putting out the flames, but Mrs Kennedy died from her injuries before she reached Marylebone Hospital. Her husband was not told until later that bis wife was dead.

NOTE IN CAULIFLOWER GREENGROCER’S PROFITS Hidden in a cauliflower, a note was found by an Englishwoman at Cannes, France, when she was preparing the vegetable for dinner. On it was written: “I sold this cauliflower for a cent, and should be interested to know the price at which it was finally sold.” The note gave the name and address of the farmer. The woman had purchased the cauliflower for 37 cents that morning in the market. MURDER IN THE ZOO! FALCON KILLS HUSBAND A Peregrine falcon who tired of her mate caused another tragedy at the zoo in Regent’s Park, London, recently. It happened in the dead of night. The usual screeches of the night birds was suddenly broken by the piercing cry of Mr Peregrine Falcon. His wife of a 12month had suddenly dropped on him and begun to rend him without explanation or argument. The female of the species is bigger and more powerful than the male, and all that greeted the keeper in the morning was a huddled body in a corner almost denuded of feathers. In the eyes of Mrs Peregrine Falcon was a look which seemed to say: “Bring me another husband—if you dare.” THRILL FOR EARL BEATTY TOURS CHICAGO UNDERWORLD A man with his hat set at a. jaunty angle, who had his son with him, walked into a Chicago detective bureau recently and declared: “I am looking for something exciting.” It was Admiral of the Fleet Earl Beatty. The officer in charge replied that he had little to offer to one of the admiral’s war experiences. However, he took Earl Beatty and his son on a tour of the South Side, which is the roughest quarter of Chicago, with a police motor-car squad. En route a report of a shooting was received over the squad’s radio. The admiral’s car sped to the address given and found that a shopkeeper had fired three times at escaping burglars. NEW ELIXIR OF LIFE ITALIAN'S DISCOVERY A new elixir which, it is claimed, will arrest senile decay and “add 10 years to a normal life” contains, among other things, gold, palladium (a hard white metal), platinum, iodine, and brain extracts. The preparation is the result of 20 years of experiments, and was shown for the first time at the London Medical Exhibition—for doctors only—opened recently at the Horticultural New Hall, Westminster. It is the discovery of an Italian physician, and is said to have been used successfully by the Pope’s physician. The elixir must he taken in minute doses—about 15 drops a fortnight. It is said to be of value in cases of arthritis, neurasthenia, neuritis and blood pressure. ORIGIN OF MARGARINE | INVENTED 60 YEARS AGO Margarine was invented only 62 years ago because a besieged city had no butter for its hungry people Mn 1870 Paris was surrounded by the Germans, the population suffering severe hardships. Foodstuffs soon ran short, and butter was scarce. A French chemist, named Mcge Mouries, carried out a scries of experiments with mixtures of oils, fats and milk, and succeeded in producing a fatty food somewhat similar to butter. The French Government awarded the chemist a prize and so the manufacture of margarine was begun.

RIB BROKEN BY HUG INSURANCE COMPANY LIABLE When a pretty girl gets a rib cracked because her “boy friend” squeezes her too strenuously it is an accident. At least the company with which she carried accident insurance says it is. Consequently, it has developed out of a claim filed in Ohio, the girl will have all her doctor’s bills paid and will receive an indemnity for the discomfort which followed the recent occurrence. The value of one rib-cracking hug, however, has not been determined, owing to the fact that all accounts are not yet in. The hug victim must recover before the determination is complete. WORLD’S BEST LINGUIST BIBLE SCHOLAR’S KNOWLEDGE The most agile tongue in the world belongs to Dr C. H. Irwin, who is retiring from the post of editor and general secretary of the Religious Tract Society. He can speak and read more languages than any other living man.' French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Hungarian, Dutch, Russian and German come to him almost as easily as English. In addition to this, he has edited the Gospels in nine different languages, including Finnish, Serbian, Polish, Czech, Hungarian, and modern Greek. These are living languages; but he is thoroughly conversant with dead languages such as Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, Nor are bis linguistic attainments confined to Europe and the Near East. He knows enough of many native African tongues to be able to correct proofs or tx-anslations of the Bible. As general secretary of the Religious Tract Society he has had to correspond during his 35 years’ service with people in most parts of the world, and seldom has he been floored by a letter written even in the most out-of-the-way language. Most of us who know only English have but 5000 or 6000 words at our command. Dr Irwin is a master of at least 4,000,000 words. "GOOD FOR GAOL” ALLEGED FRAUD ON HUNTERS An ingenious scheme for organising a big-game shooting expedition to equatorial Africa is said to have netted about £IO,OOO for two alleged crooks, one of whom was recently arrested in Paris. They are Pierre Sizalon, an elegantly dressed man well known in fashionable hotels, and Joseph Rosse, who is holi-day-making in Switzerland. Together they are said to have organised an expedition and extensively advertised for colonial agents, secretaries, mechanics, electricians, wireless operators, interpreters, barmen, hairdressers, beaters, and big-game hunters to take part in it. They received hundreds of applications, and candidates were asked to make a deposit, which generally they did with alacrity. They were examined by Sizalon, who, after asking about their shooting ability, placed each of them on the scales and passed him out — “Good for lions,” “Good for buffalo,” “Good for antelopes,” and so on. One candidate, a detective, without waitng for Sizalon’s verdict, announced “Good for gaol!” and promptly arrested him.