PERSONAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3339, 13 March 1918, Page 55

PERSONAL NOTES.

Prince Albert of Monaco promulgated on New Year's Day a decree restoring the Constitution of the principality, which had been suspended since the beginning of the war. The Constitution is enlarged and ex : tended in a much moro liberal sense, the Prince in this way limiting his own powers. Wu Ting-Fang, the head of the Chinese Foreign Office, is said to be endowed with a sense of humour. Ho told a lady one day of a Chinaman who committed suicide by eating gold leaf. "But I don't see how that killed him—how did it?" inquired the woman. "I suppose," said Wu seriously, " that it was the consciousness of inward gilt 1" The City of London College is about 'to erect a memorial to commemorate Sir Edward. Clarke's long and distinguiahed career. Sir FJdward spent his early years, he has himself told us, in "learning his father's business," but his ambition was fired by reading Brougham's "Lives of Statesmen." His father was a working watchmaker; and he enjoys the recollection of a debate in a working men's club, in which his own contribution drew from a stranger the remark: "What a very intelligent speech for a working man!" Sutton Place, Guildford, which the Duke of Sutherland is reported to have purchased with the intention of taking up his residence there (says a writer in the Westminster Gazette), is one of the most interesting houses in Surrey. It was built bv Sir Richard Weston between 1523 and 1525, of brick and terra-cotta, and in an almost perfect design of late Tudor architecture. A firo in 1560 and an attack of vandalism 130 years have still left its main features intact. The restoration of the long gallery is due to Mr Frederic Harrison, who lived at Sutton before the present tenant went there. Lord George Wellesley, who is a major in the Royal Flying Corps, has been sent

to the United States to assist Uncle Sam in training his thousands of embryo flying men. He is stationed at Camp Bowie, Texas, where ho ia to command one of the three aviation fields. With him is Captain Vernon Castle, of terpsichoreun and aviation fame who is also in the R.F.C., and has made hundreds of flights behind the German lines. A' third member of the party is Captain Castle's mascot monkey Jeff, who has been up with him on many occasions.

One Englishman, at least, is a direct sufferer by the Austro-German invasion of Northern Italy. This is the Duke of Polignano; better known in Lincolnshire as Mr Edwin Cole, who was onco a familiar figure in Boston, sitting regularly as a justice of the peace at the North Holland Sessions, Nearly 20 years ago Mr Colo purchased an estate at Porto Liguano, on a promontory- in the Adriatic, to the north of Venice, and with it the ducal title. - The estate fell into enemy possession when the Italians yielded the lino of the Tagliamento River, just beyond which it is situated. Mr Edwin Cole formerly resided at Swineshead, near Boston, where he is still a propertyowner; but he has moved his English home to Huntingdon. The death of Lord Portsmouth was sudden and unexpected. He was always to be met in tho most unexpected quarters, for he had a habit of roaming about Bohemia at night. .For a time, his red beard was a familiar sight in the eighteenpenny circle of the Holborn Empire, and he was fond of smoking a cigar in the Oxford. Once I camo upon him eating oysters on a stool in the Chandos Tavern. He would chat with anybody, and in the Chandos asked a young man for a match. The young man -was a butler who knew him well. "Allow me, my lord," ho said, striking the match ceremoniously. "You'vo a better memory for faces than I have,' replied Lord Portsmouth, with a smile. Tho December Cornhill contains the life story of Enrico Toti, a remarkable Italian, who, despite the loss of ono of his legs in an accident when he was about 20 years of age, was impelled by an adventurous spirit to embark on all sorts of enterprises-—e.g., a bicycle journey through Africa—which few men with two legs would think of undertaking. When Italy entered the war he was so persistent in his appeals to be allowed to join the army that he was atlas't accepted as a volunteer, and not only took part in the fighting, but rendered important services. In the battle which resulted in the capture of Hill 85, east of Monfalcone, he was twice wounded, but continued to advance till he received his death blow from a third bullet, lie died kissing his helmet, after hurling his crutch at thq enemy. Sir John Collie, who recently relinquished the presidency of the Second Medical Board on Neurasthenia and Shell-shock Cases to become Director of Neurasthenic Institutions under the Ministry of Pensions, has led an extremely busy life. -Lhe son of a Scottish advocate, he was Dorn at Aberdeen 57 years ago.. His interests are numerous, but his-specialty, if he has one, is malingering, and in 1913. at the International Congress of Medicine in London, he read a remarkable paper on the psychology of the fraudulent mmd. lhe author of' several standard publications, he is, or has been, connected with many institutions in London and the provinces. —Mr Ernest Young, who went to biam to organise the educational system, related at the Aldwych Club recently some curious beliefs held by the children there. He explained that he had experienced considerable difficulty in teaching them the rudiments of science. They believed that the earth was flat because the priest had told them so. It was also the impression ot these children that a big crab went down into the sea and made the tide flow, and when the crab came up for fresh air the tide ebbed. When the gods became angry rolling thunder was heard, and when the angels got snorty and struck fire out of bricks, summer lightning flashes were seen. When many angels got into the same bath at the same time water ran over the side and it rained. Directly Mr Young entered a school the children prostrated themselves before him, and the only way they could be induced to abandon this practice was to tell them that English children did not do that. They would do anything English children were said to do. They were awful liars, but when told that the English boy was truthful they gave up the habit. One of tho most remarkable officers of the British army now fighting in France is Brigadier-general Adrien Carton de Wiart Since the war began he has been wounded eight times, has lost an eye and an arm, and has gained in succession the DS O the V.C., and several Belgian decorations. General Carton de Wiart was born in Brussels 34- years ago, and is the son of the late Maitre Leon Carton de Wiart, who filled a high legal position in connection with the Anglo-Egyptian Government, and a nephew of the J3eh?ian Minister of Justice. He fought in the Boer war at the age of 17, and was thrice wounded while serving with Brabant s and the Inroerial Light Horse, so that altogether he has been wounded 11 times. When the nresent war broke out he went to East Africa, where he was severely wounded. The Anglo-Belgian general, m spite of the loss of an arm and an eye, has proved himself a brilliant and fearless cavalry leader. _ Admiral William S. Benson, Uncle Sam's Chief of Naval Operations, 18 a type of the absolutely reliable American, good-looking, and with an air of complete efficiencv. His poet correspoiVs to the one held in" England by the First Sea Lord. Sixty-two years of age,, ho has since he was 17, been at work oh one task—to. have the American navy ready for war. His present resoonsibilities began in 1915. ±hey did not include then, as they do now, com-, plete personal control of Americas naval intelligence service, aeronautical developments mining operations, and all tactical matters, and preparations of plans for use in war. Admiral Benson is not given to epigrams. He seldom talks about himself. If his rules of official life could be reduced to a single sentence, they might be covered best bv tho phrases, " Always prepared" and " There is no excellence without great labour." He has won his spurs by nothing but sheer hard work.