ANZAC DAY AT WELLINGTON.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LII, Issue 95, 25 April 1918, Page 5

ANZAC DAY AT WELLINGTON.

(United Press Association.) .WELLINGTON, This Day. Anzac Day is being celebrated in dull cold weather. At the Catholic churches mass was said'for the repose of the souls of the fallen. At all the schools there were celebrations, and this, afternoon a big memorial service is being held! At the Commercial Travellers' Club patriotic addresses will be delivered by the Prime Minister and other members of the Government.

Authentic news has been received from Bagdad that the. famous 'Oriental library collected there by the Carmelite Fathers has been burned by the Turks. The Carmelite Fathers, it may be erf*; plained, went to Bagdad, in the 17th century. The library consisted ■ of more than 20,000 volumes oil subjects connected with Mesopotamia, consisting in the main of French and English, but also some .-Italian and German works, and including many rare books. The most important part of the collection, was the 2753 Arabic manuscripts, bought i nthe course of last, century at a cost of thousands of pounds- These were the works of Arab scholars written between the seventh *and eleventh centuries.

A munition . worker living in, Lower Edmonton has trained his dog to work the queues. When its mistress requires meat she writes the order on a piece, of paper and ties this to the dog's collar. The dog seems to understand the meaning of these preliminaries, and without more ado it runs off to a Butcher's shop in the main road, about threequarters of a mile away. Whenever a queue is waiting the dog takes its proper place, but is sure to get in front by creeping between legs and growling at anyone who atempts to touch it. The butcher has apUreciated the "dog's sagacity.' He removes the piece of paper from the collar, and places the ordered meat on one sid© until the owner is able to Call for it. Owing to the meat shortage the owner has not thought it advisable to teach the dog to bring the meat home.

An Oxford Don, Arthur George Heath, who was killed; in the war, writes:—"Men should be born without mothers in these days," his chief anxiety being elst his mother should fret in his absence, short or long. On a certain Sunday, he sat down to explain- to lier why his death, should he not return, should not be a mere burden of sorrow to her. He concludes as follows: —"Will you at least try, if I am killed, not to let the things. I have loved cause you pain, but rather to get increased enjoyment from the Sussex Oowns, or from Janie singing folkl songs, T>ecause I have found such joy in them, and' in that way the joy I have found can continue to live? And, again, do noli have all this solemn, funeral music, dead marches, and so on, played over me, as if to proclaim that all has now come to an end, and nothing better remains to those who loved one than a dignified' sorrow. I would rather have the [Dutch Easter carol, where the music gives you the idea of life and joy springing up continually."

Temp. Captain Vernon Castle, . a famous dancer, of the . British Flying Corps, was killed while flying. Captain Castle was descending with an American cadet, whom he had been intructing, and when 40 feet from the ground it Was evident that the machine would collide with another, which was about to land. Captain Castle attempted. the tmmelmann turn, but: the aeroplane failed to respond to the emergency action, and crashed to earth. The aviator's death was instantaneous. His comrade was unhurt. Mr "Castle, -who was bom at Norwich about 30 yearg ago, • went to the United States' ten years since, and obtained such popularity' there as a dancer of tangoes and the like with his wife, an American, that they latterly earned £IOOO a week. _ in the war he came hoimv and joined the Flying Corps. ,