OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS COLUMN

Otago Witness, Issue 3168, 2 December 1914, Page 71

OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS COLUMN

FOR SENIORS AND JUNIORS. (Conducted by Magistee, to whom all communications must be addressed.) [MagUter will l>e glad to receive Nature Notes, marked papers containing educational articles, diagrams, details of experiments, etc., of scholastic interest to teachers and pupils. Correspondents must use CELT one Sims ol the paper, and whether using a pen name or not, must send both HiME and addbhss.] THE SOUTHERN STARS: NOVEMBER. (By J. F. Moeeis, Clyde.) On November 15, about 8 and 6 p.m., the Southern Cross will be situated at the lowest point of its diurnal curve, altitude at Dunedin about 19deg of Arc. In about Ihr 36min of time B. Centauri follows the Cross at the lower meridian, and in another 36 minutes our nearest neighbour (A. Ceritauri) follows on, also at the lower Transit, when the Southern Cross is at its lowest point, it is almost due south. the next six months, if you watch the Cros" at the same hour, you wdll find that it has moved a little further to the eastward. In February, instance, it will be southeast, and so on, until, in May (about the 15th), it will be again duo south, but whereas it is now low down near the Southern Horizon, it will then be high up near the Zenith. When the Cross has reached its lowest position on the Circumpolar curve. Achernar has almost reached the highest point of his Meridian passage. Consequently we may expect to find him very near the Zenith. Achernar crosses the Dunedin Meridian on the 15th, at about 10 p.m., altitude 78deg of Arc. The other bright circumpolar star (Canopus) does not come to the Meridian at his higher transit until about 14hrs 46min on the 15th —say, about a quarter to 3 in the morning of the 16th. While I am on the subject of the circumpolar stars the following from the Marine Department’s Nautical Almanac will be of interest. It is written, of course, for Wellington and its neighbourhood, but I have altered the wording to suit Dunedin and its neighbourhood:—“lt may he helpful to remember that all stars which pass the Meridian to the south of the observer appear to move in the heavens with the hands of a watch—that is to say, right-handed. None of the stars whose declination exceeds 44deg 11m of Arc, and which nass the Meridian to the south of an observer stationed at Dunedin, ever set in the latitude of Dunedin. They appear to describe a circle, round an imaginary S. pole, wth a radius equal to the co-declination of the star. The radius of Achernar, for instance, is about 36deg 20min of Arc. (B) Centauri and Achernar are very nearly on opposite sides of a great circle, from one another, and both these stars are at nearly the same distance from the South Celestial Pole. Therefore, the approximate position of the South Celestial Pole will always bo at a point midway between these two stars. An imaginary line, joining B Centauri and Achernar, would pass exceedingly close to the Lesser Magellanic Cloud In order of Right Ascension Achernar comes first to the Meridian. Canopus follows Achernar in 4hrs 4Smin, (a) Crucis follows Canopus in about six hours (90deg). Beta Centauri follows Alpha Crucis in ihr 36min. and Alpha Centauri follows (B) Centauri in 36m in. There is then an interval of about IGhrs 57min, and the Meridian again transits Achernar. Of course, this is not absolutely correct, being an excess error of £6sec in the sidereal day, taking the sidereal day at 23hrs 56min 4sec (transit to transit). Ic is, however, near enough for our present purpose. In a future article we will show now to tell the time at night by the aid of the above circumpolar star clock. In war time every scout and guide should be able to tell the compass direction he is marching forward towards, without being under the necessity of striking a match to look at his , compass. For the same reason he ought to bo able to tell the time of night approximately. A short study of the circumpolar stars and one other star will enable him to do this easily. He could then scout or guide the night attack without exposing either himself or the troops to the danger of the lighted match or lantern being seen. Some of us will remember that in the Egyptian campaigns our troops were singularly deficient in this respect, and on one memorable occasion the cavalry had to borrow one or more officers of the Naval Brigade to act as guides across the desert for the night ride. This digression, however, by the way. To return to our subject. Turning to the west and south, we notice Scorpio rapidly setting. Antares (the principal star) will come to the Dunedin Meridian about an hour after the Sun on the 15th. As the half-time above the horizon is about eight hours, we ought to be able to sec him setting un to about the 15th. After that wo need not expect to see him until the early mornings of mid-January. Looking now more westward wo see the Archer following the Scorpion towards the setting Sun. The Archer is really a Centaur, that is, a horse’s body and a man’s lower body and head, the latter two parts occupying the arched neck and head of the horse. The Archer has the bow fully strung, an arrow is fixed, and is pointed at the Scorpion. Capricornus, the Sea Goat, follows tho Archer to the westerly rays of the Sun. Then comes tho Water-bearer (Aquarius). Draw now an imaginary lino as nearly north and south as possible. Point the finger to the bright star at tho foot of the Cross, describe a curve with tho finger right up to the Zenith; such a curve would pass very near the smaller of the Magellanic Clouds; and it would also pass quite close to Achernar. Now continue your curve from Achernar up to the Zenith end on to the downward curve in tho north

direction. From the Cross to Achernar is about half-distance to that point in the Heavens in a north and south direction which, on November 16, marks the intersection of the Equinoctial Line and the orbit of the Earth. West of that point wo see the faint constellation of the Fishes (another of the Zodiacal Group, while low down in the north-east towards the horizon wo can make o it the constellation of the Bull, just clear of the horizon about an hour after sundown. The principal star (Aldebaran) is clear of the horizon about 8 p.m. on the 15th. A little to the west of the group we can make out the Seven Sisters (Pleiades) also belonging to the Bull Group. Taurus marks the extreme eastern point of the Ecliptic during November. Looking now due east, we can also make out, a short time after sunset, the famous constellation of the Hunter. Its principal star (Rigel) passes the Dunedin Meridian about one in the morning on the 16th; after November 15 at 8 p.m. The Region of Sirius comes into view above the horizon heralded by Noah’s Dove (Columba). You can easily pick up Sirius. Look for a moment due east and observe Orion the Hunter. Observe the three stars, in a slanting line, forming the sword belt. These three stars are a little below Rigel, and are, moreover, just on the Celestial Equator. Further to the north-cast (N. 68deg. S.E.) you will notice the bright, rudely star Aldebaran (The Eye of the Bull). Now look exactly the same angular distance to the south (S. 68deg. E.) and you will notice a bright star. This is Sirius, the principal star in the Greater Dog. _ The Lesser Dog being on the eastern side of the Galaxy, does not come into view until after 10.20 p.m. on November 15. Look at the Greater and Lesser Magellan Clouds. They are almost on the Meridian. As wo have already stated, the star in front of the Lesser Cloud is the circumpolar Aohernar. Well, now, look at the Bigger Cloud (Nebecula Major). Yon bright star is our Circumpolar, the mighty Cgnopus. Further to the eastward, and more towards the horizon, we find Sirius, the brightest star in the heavens. Below Sirius wo see Rigel, and further north we can see Aldebaran. [These notes should have appeared last week, but I had to hold them over. The series Mr Morris is giving us is good enough to appear in a permanent form for school and other use. —Magistee.] SCHOOL PRIZES AND WAR CERTIFICATES. Readers, young and old, know that we have had some interesting correspondence on this subject. Dr Fulton, from an historical as well as, philanthropic point of view, wished a war certificate to be the prize this year, the money saved being put into the Belgian Relief Fund. Many have adopted his proposal, and letters ho has-re-ceived from Auckland to Invercargill are interesting. All being well next week 1 11 give extracts from some of these letters, not to open up the subject again, but to show divergent views and perhaps suggest ways of helping along funds brought into existence through the war. CAN YOU HELP ME ? Shortly after the war broke out the German Lutheran Church addressed a document to the Protestant churches of England—l am not sure, though, whether it was not sent to the Free Churches onlyjustifying Germany’s action. • The Free Churches, through responsible heads, sent a reply. I shall be very much obliged if some readers will send me a copy or two of each. I tried the Bible Depot and other sources, but have not been able to get them. How long does it take, to make a 13.5 m or 15in gun, and what is the cost? I remember reading a year or two back a magazine article on the making of a gun, and have a hazy recollection that the time taken is six months and the cost of a 13.5 in about £IO,OOO. CORRESPONDENCE AND NOTES. Through the courtesy of a friend I have the loan of the pamphlets “Honour and Dishonour,” a speech the Right Hon. D. Lloyd-George, Chancellor of the Exchequer, delivered at the Queen’s Hall, London, on September 19; “A Call to Arms,” a speech delivered by ■ the Prime Minister at the Guildhall on September 4; and “The War of Civilisation,” delivered by the same gentleman in Edinburgh, on September 18. The Right Hon. Mr Asquith’s speeches were revised, and their publication authorised by himself. These arc all published at a penny by Methune and Co., and are being used in the senior classes of the primary schools, and throughout the secondary schools in a more or Ices degree. Have we any public-spirited printer or bookseller who will reprint and circulate these, not expecting to make anything out of them? Better still, couldn’t the Government print and circulate them broadcast? True patriotism is the outcome of love of country backed up by education and reasoning. The other day we read that as recruiting was not too satisfactory at Homo, a London paper advocated sending bands out to encourage the martial spirit. A patriotic spirit depending upon a band or a showy uniform is poor stuff. When the Boer war broke out one of the first to go to the front was Booth, of Oamaru. On the railway platform a gentleman said to him: “I suppose, Booth, that you have counted the cost?” Booth’s answer was that ho had quietly thought things out, and was prepared to face death, fighting for Ins country. Ho went, and was one of the first New Zealanders falling. We want to think things out; but to think things out we must bo educated and taught, so that,, when our patriotism is appealed to, we shall bo prepared to give the reasons governing our action. In the previous paragraph I have referred to three speeches in pamphlet form; but a far better course of leading would bo to study the “White Books.” The most valuable I know of is “Great Britain and the European crisis,” a paper-bound book of 144 pages by 6in), issued by T. Fisher _ Unwin at a penny ! Unfortunately, this monster pennyworth is not obtainable here, and if wanted must bo ordered from Home. The cost will probably mount up to twopence or threepence. “ The White Book ” issued by Gordon and Gotch at sixpence contains 160 communications in consecutive order, but nothing else. It, however, like the one issued by T. Fisher Unwin, show's that in giving all documents the British Government is hiding _ nothing. “ The German White Book” literally translated and unabridged is published by George Robertson and Co. at sixpence, and should bo read in conjunction with ours. This is prefaced by the London Times review, which describes it as “an amazing farrago,” and by the long German preface for consump-

tion in Germany. Nearly the whole of the communications given—and it appears that only a selection is published, not the whole, as in ours—are between the Imperial Gorman Chancellor and his Ambassadors, and not direct between the different Governments involved. These two books ought to be read by every teacher, who could retail the gist to pupils, and so make our schools educational centres. If, by and bye, we could get English translations of the Russian, Austrian, Italian, French, and Belgian White books too—if they are called "White Books—wo should then be able to make our own analysis of the position. Since writing the above I have procured “Why We arc at War; Great Britain’s Case by Members of the Oxford Faculty of Modern History.” In their introductory note the writers say: “We are not politicians, and we belong to different schools of political thought. We have written this book to set forth the cause of the war, and the principles which we believe to be at stake. Wo have some experience in the handling of historic evidence, and we have endeavoured to treat this subject historically. Our fifth chapter, which to many readers will be the most interesting, is founded upon first-hand evidence,” etc. The book is a clear judicial summing-up, and should be possessed by all who have not the original documents or the time to wade through and analyse them. The price is 2s net. Any profits arising from the sale of the work are to be sent “to the Belgian Relief Fund, as a mark of sympathy and respect for the Belgian nation, and especially for the University of Louvain.” The British Government and many of the publishers are doing a great deal to educate the masses on the cause of the war by issuing leaflets and booklets at prices which leave no room for profit. I opened these notes by referring to speeches scattered broadcast at a cheap rate by Methuen and Co. By the last mail the firm has also sent along, published at a penny each, “Recessional,” “If,” “ For All We Have and Are,” “ Hymn Before Action ” (all by Kipling), “ The King’s Message to His People Oversea,” and “The Reveille ” (Bret Harte). In quantities they come to 2s 6d per - 100. Other books I recommend arc:—Bernbardi’s “Germany and the Next War” first (2s net, paper); then as an answer, but written with a full knowledge of German thought and literature, “ Germany and England,” by J. A. Cramb, M.A., Professor of Modern History, Queen’s College, London, at the time of his death in October of last year. It is really an incomplete series of lectures, but quite com plots enough to be intensely interesting. It is called “ A Reply to Bernharcli.” Tho following two criticisms will show its worth : The Times —“ A book of warning and enlightenment, written with all a man’s strength and sincerity for which we must be profoundly grateful. A thrilling book.” The Spectator—“ Let cur readers buy this little book and see for themselves what the nature of tho inspiration is at the back of the German Imperialism. They will learn in the smallest possible space, what Germany is fighting for, and what Britian is resisting.” I might add that the first edition was published in June, and that when my copy left Home seven editions had been exhausted. “ Germany’s Swelled Head,” by Dr Emil Reich, was first published seven or eight years ago, and very much interested Edward VII. A long letter in The Times, August 17, by the Bishop of Durham, strongly recommends it. 2s 6d net. A book selling in enormous quantities at Home just now is “QuickTraining for War,” by Lieutenant-general Sir Robert Baden-Powell (Is net). There was such a rush for it that a second edition of 25,000 was printed before the first edition had been issued. “Germany’s Great Lie,” by Douglas Sladen, and published at Is net, Is 3d here, is in equal demand; 50,000 were sold in three days, in addition to Canadian and American editions. “ German Sea Power: Its Rise, Progress, and Economic Basis,” 10s 6cl net, is written by Archibald Hurd and Henry Castle, both naval authorities. This is a mass of information not generally accessible, and contains the sea laws which have created such a rapid rise of the German Navy. First published last year, “Pan-Germanism,” by _ Roland G. Usher, Ph.D., Associate Professor of History, Washington University, St. Louis, went through three reprints in August and September as a result of the war. Being by an American it cannot be said to bo biassed in our favour. It is a capital book. 2s net in paper.