PERSONAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3215, 27 October 1915, Page 70

PERSONAL NOTES.

Mr Grenville Kleiser, the great authority on oratory, says that when Mr Schwab mot Lord K.tchenor in London last spring he received from him an order for 85 million dollars’ worth of what the contract termed “appurtenances.” Lord Kitchener, stroking his long moustache, said to Mr Schwab, “ The contract calls the delivery of these items in six months. Deliver them in three months and you may add 20 per cent, to the bill ’ —or 16 million dollars more !

Mr Balfour, years ago, when he was offered a post in the Government of the oay, had grave doubts as to whether ho would bo physically capable of carrying out the duties that would be required of him. Consulting a doctor on the subject, the latter advised him that nothing would bo bettor for his constitution than steady collar work such as ho would have to perform if he became a Cabinet Minister. He acted on this recommendation, with the result that his health immediately improved. At the age of 40 he was practically a semiinvalid ; to-day ho is a strong man compared with what ho was then. His Honor Judge Parry recalls in the September Cornhill some anecdotes of Rufus Choate, the famous American advocate. Choate was a groat cross-examiner, but said once that never, excepting in a case absolutely desperate, did ho dare to cross-examine a woman. Of course, on occasion, Choate would meet with his Sam Weller. Defending a prisoner for theft of money from a ship, a witness was called who had turned States evidence, arid whose testimony went to prove that Choate’s client had instigated the theft. “Well,” asked Choate, “what did he say? Tell us how and what ha spoke to you.” “Why,” said the witness, “he told there was a man in Boston named Choate, and he’d got us off if they caught us with the money in our boots !” ■ —General Botha is “one of the most peaceful men who over lived.” This statement is made in a very interesting article concerning the man and his career in the September Windsor, by Stephen Black, who knows South Africa well; “The truest happiness to him is to be found in the midst of his family; he is a fond, tender father and loving, devoted husband. There is nothing in the world more simple and charming than his home life, which flows on with wonderful calm. . . . To those who personally know the big, bravo, strong gentleman it is strange to hear European estimates of him as a man of iron, ambitious enough to bo rewarded with a peerage.” Next to his peacefulness the predominant characteristic of General Botha is an enormous simplicity. “Tact, ability, caution, foresight are all there in plenty, but the astounding simplicity of the man overwhelms everything.” Too old at 40, or at 50 either, has, as a rule, no moaning in connection with the higher commands in the Gorman army. Haoseler and von der Goltz are "79 and 72 years of ago respectively; von Hindenburg and von Mackenscn are 63 and 65; von Kluok is 69, and of the same age are Prince Leopold of Bavaria and the Genera's Von Bulow and Von Hausen. Von Bissing and von Falkonhausen are each 71. Woyrsch, Eichhorn, Emrnich, Moltke arc 67, and the following have the number of years stated after them: —Linsingen, 65; Hceringen, 65; Scholtz, 64; Gallwitz, 63; Below, 62; Einern, 62; Falkenhayn, Chief of General Staff, 54. The Crown Princes of Wurtomberg, Vavaria, and Prussia, commanding armies, are respectively 50, 46, and 33 years of age; The latter would seem to be quite an exception. _ , The new Commapder-in-chief of the Turkish forces in the Dardanelles, in the place of Liman von Sanders, is stated to be the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg. This young man is 33, son of the great traveller Grand Duke who died in June, 1914, and grandson of the venerable Grand Duchess — now 93 —wbo, as a sister of the late Duke of Cambridge, was married in Buckingham Palace, and received, until war broke out, a life grant of £3OOO a year from this country. By virtue of that descent, the Grand’ Duke is also second cousin to our Queen. He speaks English perfectly (says the Star), and before the war he was supposed to bo, like all his family, extremely pro-English. The Mecklenburgs never had much affection for Prussia —indeed, the little State of 1114 square miles had the distinction of being the only one of the German Confederation where the Kaiser’s birthday was persistently ignored. The Grand Duke was reported three years ago to be engaged to the Kaiser’s only daughter, Princess Victoria Louise, but the report was denied from Berlin with some heat. “M. Delcasse, who has just resigned from the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs in France, is not only the strongest and most self-reliant of all modern French politicians, but his reputation has_ boon mainly due to his steadfast opposition to Teutonic ambitions,’ and his equally steadfast advocacy of a close alliance of sentiment and interest with Great Britain,” says the Telegraph. “It was due .mainly to him tht M. Gambon —respected everywhere amongst the English as the ablest .French Ambassador in London —obtained his post at the Court of St. James’s, and it was in close co-opcration with M. Gambon that all tho various disputes which had hitherto envenomed British relations with France were one by one -wiped off the slate, to the great satisfaction of both countries. Then, in June, 1805, ho was forced to retire, because, being a persona ingrata at Berlin owing to the Moroccan affair, his retention of office was deemed to have become an obstacle to the cause of European peace. When war broke out a year ago, there was, of course, no man in France who more rightly came to his own than Thcophilo Delcasse. Since then he has been the life and soul of tho close participation of Great Britain and Franco in tho conduct of the war. ” His resignation is therefore a serious matter.