ENTRE NOVS.

Free Lance, Volume XV, Issue 817, 25 February 1916, Page 7

ENTRE NOVS.

fT appears that; among those who broke up the "peace" meeting, organised by Rarasay Macdonald and other extreme Labourites of his kidney at the Memorial Hall. London. & few weeks back, were soldiers representing the whole Empire, including an Englishman, a Scotchman, an Irishman, a Canadian, an Australian, and a New -Zealander. The great majority of the "audience" were Canadians and Australians and New "Zealanders. Outside was an aggressive mob, numbering thousands, who were unable to gain admission, but who filled in time by passing resolutions condemning the Government's laxity in allowing the continuance of such meetings, and also vxl singing the National Anthem. The appearance of the "imposing" array of speakers, all of the Labour agitator type, arriving on the platform was the signal for a regular football rush in that direction. Asphyxiating gas, in the form of large "stink bombs," was launched, and then the soldiers and students took the platform by a strong assault. There was a centre party, supported by a right and left flank, according to accepted military tactics. Two of the speakers programmed to address the meeting, Messrs. Lawrence and Mr. Macdonald, were dragged or thrown bodily down the stairs of the platform. The other speakers precipitately retired; and declared the meeting abandoned. Meanwhile, hand-to-hand fights were taking place in all parts of the building, and cheers and counter-cheers were asked for and given on behalf of the Allies. There are a few Labour agitators here in this Dominion who are fond of holding public meetings of a Sunday evening who should take warning from the above lest they be similarly dealt with. * » » * The most enterprising individual of modern times is surely a certain commission agent in England very appropriately named Sly, who has been .arrested at the order of the British 'Government. It seems that he, together with an agent in New York, attempted to bring about a deal in munitions to the value of £2,351,000. Stated that Sly had been negotiating for the sale of 2,000,000.000 cartridges and 2,000,000,000 rifles. On one transaction alone, Sly's share in the profits was stated to be £75,000, and his partner's share £94,000. The balance of Sly's banking .account at the beginning of the year •was 4d, and on the day of his arrest was Is 4d. Tn the meantime £2000 had been paid in, of which £500 was immediately paid out to a man with a foreign name. Sly was taken before the Beak, and l was charged with aiding another in •entering into negotiations for _ dealing in war material without a permit. He got four months, but when the mail left an appeal was pending. *■»'»* "When discussing lately the probable duration of the war, England's Chief Justice cracked rather a good joke. Two Tommies at the front were debating exactly the same subject. "Well," said one of them, "I reckon that this war will last a long time yet. Our company has planted rose bushes all along in front of our trench." "Oh,

you jolly optimists I" remarked the other Tommy. "We've planted acorns 'in front of ours." •* * * * The drill sergeant struck an experienced recruit at Trentham the other day. He was putting some new-chums in'camp through their preliminaries. One big-limbed fellow was shaping pretty awkwardly, "Haven't you ever done any drilling before?" the d 1 sergeant asked him. "Oh, yes,' drawled the awkward one (he was a cocky from the Wairarapa); "I drilled a hundred acres of turnips just before I came into camp here." * * * * Kaiser Nero, according an English contemporary, showed his teeth quite early. At the time of King Edward's marriage, he was a little boy, and he was put between two uncles to keep ihim quiet when the marriage ceremony took place, at St. George's, Windsor. Even then, he needed a good deal of talking to, and whenever his uncle told him to keep quiet he responded by biting them on their bare Highland legs. More worry for the Wobblesom© President. Stated that the upper ten of toney Washington were inclined to give the cold shoulder to Mrs. Norman Gait that was and now the lady of White House. They regarded her as ineligible to their exclusive set, because her former hubby held no official or professional position. He was an-er-common tradesman, and the grande dames of Washington spoke of Won'trow's bride as the tradesman's widow. Now, however, "she is their social superior, and accordingly they must bend the knee to her. How-er-humiliating I * # ■» » One explanation for the ruthless Zeppelin raids on Britain is the notion that they will help to bring about peace. This is further proof that the- Hun mistakes the British character. There is none of the yellow streak in the composition of Britons. * # # « The treatment of the poor, neutral Luxemburghers by their German raiders reminds one of Alexandre Dumas' narrative, "The Prussian Terror," in which he gives an interesting account of the treatment meted out by the marauding Prussians in 1866 to the neutral Frankfortians. The peaceful civic authority of Luxemburg is now supplanted by cruel, domineering Prussian military rule. The Luxemburghers have been converted in a night from a prosperous people to a set of slaves. They are arrested on trivial pretexts, and if not sentenced to death they are banished to Germany to serve long

terms of imprisonment. The country is held by 300,000 German soldiers, and everything has been commandeered by them. Women and children have been shot, and looting is general. An instance is cited of an attack upon a pretty young woman by two German officers. Her brother shot one of the pair, and in turn was shot down himself and his father was hanged. As for the young woman, she was turned over to the troops and died within a few days, a complete physical wreck. The army of the duchy, consisting of 250 officers and men, were imprisoned and then released and put to work in the iron mines. These mines have been seized by the Germans, and the ore is shipped to Krupps as quickly as it can be brought to the surface. It is little wonder that the beautiful and young Grand Duchess Marie of Luxemburg has been driven to renounce her title in favour of a younger sister and seek the shelter of a. convent. * * * * In the course of the scrutiny of the papers of the German Geissler, exdirector of the "Astoria" in Paris, there has just been discovered a little paper which has its interest. It establishes entirely that the Kaiser had no doubt of the success of a triumphal march to Paris. The date of entry even into the capital of France had been uxed: August 15th, 1914. Certainly after the programme laid down by the Emperor (indeed, he had no doubts of anything) the German armies ought to have entered Paris on August 15th, 1914. And on that day at the Hotel Astoria a triumphal reception ought to have been celebrated. To the German Arthur Geissler was entrusted the task of organising this reception and of preparing his hotel for the glad dinner to the Kaiser and his staff. All had been arranged in advance to the most minute particular. Even the menu was prepared. This menu, which has been translated from the Belgian "La Metropole" (January 6th, 1916, by a Free Lance correspondent), has been recovered from the papers of Arthur Geissler. It is composed as follows : — Menu - . 15th August, 1914. Rocker de cairar d'Astrakhan (caviare). Bisque de homards (lobster soup). Consomme double colbert (another soup). Fruite saumonee imperiale (salmon trout). Filet de boeuf renaissance (fillet of beef). Supreme de voiaille Jeannette (real;. Neige au Cliquot (iced?). Caneton bigarade (duck cooked with Seville oranges). Salade Japonaise (Japanese salad). Asperges d'Argenteuil Chantilly (asparagus). Ananas voile a l'orientale (bananas). Paniers de gourmandise, fruits de printemps (fruit). Wines. Nackenheimer Riesling (hock;. Chateau Beaucaillou (Burgundy). Piper Heidsieck, gout Americain, Mumm, grandes marques (champagne). * * * ♦ The soldier "week-enders" in Wellngton on leave from the Featherston camp last Saturday and Sunday had many funny stories to relate, but the best of their collection was that concerning a certain greenhorn recruit. He had been out of camp on leave and returning in the evening he was challenged by the sentry. "Who goes there?" demanded the soldier on guard. "Me," replied the recruit. To better enjoy the joke it might be explained that there are some 7000 men in the Featherston camp. * ■* ■# » Another good one is told of a certain, other soldier in camp at Featherston. He had been spending his leave from camp not wisely but too well and returned "half-seas over," as the saying goes. Presumably, fearing a drought, he had provided himself with a bottle of whisky. Arriving before the guard, he answered the challenge hy giving his name and rank fairly intelligibly. "Who is with you?" queried the guard 1 . "Friend-sh," responded the soldier. "What is the name of your friend? asked the guard. "Whisky," was the

response. "Pass Private Blank!" commanded the sentry. "Halt, friend." ■ ' * *: * * Thus London "Punch" makes fun of i\ew Zealand's War Office: — Very Light Marching Order. From a notice issued to recruits for the New Zealand Expeditionary Force: "You should report wearing a pair of serviceable boots and bring your toilet outfit. No additional clothing is required."

" Will the vaccination mark shoio, Doctor*" " That depends entirely on you, Madam."

The picture postcard, which was once so popular that it amounted to a craze, has been banned by the British War Office. One of the reasons that caused the authorities to take this step reveals how the innocent-looking little picture postcard: may be employed. When J. F. J. Archibald, an American journalist, was stopped at Falmouth on August 30th last was a letter from Captain Von Papen, the German Military Attache m Washington, to the Berlin War Office. Captain Von Papen sent a letter from one of his spies, who said he heard an official of a British Consulate in Philadelphia discussing a new photographic scheme for espionage. The Englishman showed a photograph of a peasant woman with a child on the left arm and another lying on her right arm. When he had by the aid of a chemical removed all the colour which covered the whole picture, clearer markings and shading which were very cleverly drawn in with a pencil became visible. When the colour was thus removed the woman was wearing a dress of a check material, and the Englishman (according to the spy) explained that the squares of the material were a measure of distance, while the positions of the mother and child indicated the dispositions of the German Army. * * * * For instance, the child's right foot was crossed over its left, which would mean "The Germans are crossing " The child had taken hold of the mother's dress, the position of its hand indicating the spot wher the crossing was taking place. That is the story which the German spy told Captain Von Papen, and it is not difficult to suppose that the Germans have adopted the same scheme and that spies are so engaged in London. To put an end to that, or to remove all danger of it, the stopping of picture postcards is a very decisive remedy. «• * » *. A prominent English financial expert states that if some of the military writers who talk so glibly as to the duration of the war were to consult those who supplied the sinews in the shape of £ s. d. they would be more Ikely to get reliable information. "The war," he opined when questioned by a, pressman, "might end quite unexpectedly at any moment, so I'm not going to name a fixed date; but I oan tell you when Germany will not have a mark left or the necessary food for her population." The date mentioned was some time within the next three months.