NOTES AND COMMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15746, 22 October 1914, Page 4

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

THE MEDITERRANEAN POSITION. The Admiralissimo of the French Fleet, Vice-Admiral Bouo de Lapeyreire, has assumed command of the combined AngloFrench fleet in the Mediterranean. As a consequence, Admiral Sir Berkeley Milne, Bt., who is senior to this officer, has given over the command of: the Mediterranean Fleet and returned home. He took with him tho force of battle-cruisers which has been under his command at Malta, leaving only four armoured cruisers and four light cruisers, with destroyers and Mibmarines. These pass automatically tinder the command of Admiral Ernest Iroubridge, and will, it is announced, be associated with the French forces, under the French admiral, who is greatly his senior. The neutrality of Italy has given the Entente an overwhelming naval preponderance in tho Mediterranean, and the witKclrawal ot Sir Berkeley Milno is tKe result. It, is officially announced that the conduct and disposition of Admiral Milne in. regard to the German vessels, Goeben arid Breslan, has been the subject of the careful examination of tho Board of Admiralty, with the result that their lordships have approved the measures taken by him in all respects. NOBILITY AT THE FRONT. The noblo families of Britain are again playing a prominent part in tho present crisis. The young Earl of Leve:a and Melvillo has been badly wounded. The Earl of Plymouth's son, the Hon. Archer Clive, is also seriously wounded. Neither of these men is yet 25 years old. Two wellknown Highlanders, Lord Lovat and Cameron of Lochiel, arc raising corns to take their placo in the fightirg. Royalty ii( represented by two of our boy Princes. Prince Albert, who was serving on tho Collingwood, but has been invalided, and the Prince of Wales, who is serving in the Grenadiers. Prince Arthur of Connaught, too, is, it is understood, going to the front. Lord Derby's success as a recruiting officer has been splendid; bat scarcely less notable is that oT Lord Mcthuen, who has been addressing meetings throughout Wiltshire almost incessantly since Earl Kitchener called for his first 100,000 men. Tho great difference is that Lord Met'nuen has no large populations like that of Liverpool to appeal to. His work lies among the small towns and villages, Wiltshire being too truly rural to possess any town of anything near firstrato importance. FUNCTIONS OF THE UHLANS. Tho word " Uhlan" denotes a certain type of cavalryman in the German Army. The Uhlan is a lancer. There ire 26 regiments of Uhlans in tho German Army— 19 from Prussia, three from Saxony, two from Bavaria, and two from Wnrtemburg —with a total strength on a peace footing of approximately 25,000. These regiments are ranked as heavy cavalry, and are used principally as independent cavalry, forming the cavalry screen. This was their employment in the Franco-Prussian war, and from the reports coming from Belgium and France it would seem that tho Uhlans aro still being used as the vanguard of the German Army. Tho Uhlan is armed with lance, sabre, carbine, and pistol. He is well mounted, and his equipment is especially designed for the purpose for which he is employed— to fight or run, ride down outposis or scouting parties of the enemy, haraan his flanks.

and screen tho .movements of his own main body. Tho word " Uhlan" itself is of Polish origin, and denotes a lancer. The Uhlans in the German Army wear the czapka, tho peculiar fiat-topped bead-dress which was worn by the • Polish Uhlans, and which to this day is the distingnishing giark in the uniforms of the lancer regiments of Great Britain and other European countries. Tho Uhlans during the Franco-Prussian war made a name for themselves for their quick dasjies and raiding expeditions and the ruthless manner in which they ravaged tho country through which they went. THE ROYAL MARINES. The Royal Marines are the finest fighting material in tho world, with traditions behind them which no other force can equal. " There never was an appeal made to them for honour, courage, or loyalty," Lord St-. Vincent once declared. " that they did not more than realise my highest expectation. If ever real danger should como to England the marines, will be found the country's sheet anchor." It was at this great sailor's special request that tho marines were made a Royal corps in 1802. They wore then infantrymen only, and it was not until tho year before Trafalgar that, at Nelson's suggestion, the artillery branch came into existence. The new arm was subsequently disestablished, but it fulfilled a real need, and had to bo revived, and there are now two divisions —the Red Marines, and the Blue Marines. For 200 years the corps has been foremost in every campaign ashore and afloat, and its battle honours —won in every part of the world— so numerous that they could not be placed on their colours, so their badge, of peculiar distinction, is the globe, surrounded by a laurel wreath, with the motto, " Per inure per terrain." A great number of these officers acd men are afloat in the ships at sea. THE BEAUTIES OF LOUVAIN. Lou vain, which was reduced to ashes by the Germans, was the Oxford of tho Low Countries. Historically and architecturally tho parallel is very exact. Like Oxford, Louvaiu was an old and famous centre of learning. Its university was one o'f separate colleges, and these colleges, scattered about the city, were built on tiie quadrangular plan. Tho collegiate buildings of Louvain, however, were in the 17th century Renaissance style, of which there are 110 examples in Oxford. There was a .famous library attached to the university, containing 40,000 volumes and hundreds of rare manuscripts. But the parallel with Oxford fails in one respect. Oxford has many beautiful buildings, but nono of them have the unique architectural value of the Hotel do Ville or the Church of St. Pierre, or several other churches of the destroyed Belgian city. The Hotel do Ville was one of tho glories of Europe —a perfect example of the late medieval Flemish style. It was the work of the Flemish master-mason, Mathieu do Lavens. who- laboured at it from 1448 to 1463. From the richness and delicacy of its carving it has been compared with a wonderful piece of gossamer work that had been turned by some spell into stone. Opposite the Hotel de Villo was the magnificent old Church of St. Pierre, rioted for its altar paintings, brass-work, and rare stained glass.