PERSONAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3415, 29 August 1919, Page 61

PERSONAL NOTES.

The Curators of the University of Edinburgh have resolved unanimouslv to appoint Norman Kemp Smith, M.A., D.Phil., M'Cosh Professor of Philosophy, Princeton University, U.S.A., to the Chair of Logic and Metaphysics. The popular King of the Belgians, one of the true heroes of the war, spent a year in the United States studying economic conditions in the West, under the guidance of James J. Hill. This was in 189 a, when, of course, he was heir apparent to the Belgian throne. During that visit he was for a short time a reporter on a .New York newspaper. The John Philip, Dandaleith Farm, Morayshire, has been selected as a judge of Aberdeen Angus cattle at the Argentine show to me held at Buenos Aires in tho autumn. Mr Philip is tenant of one of the finest farms on the "run of the Spey," and owns a very select and valuable herd of "blackskins." He has an expert knowledge of the favourite breed, ana may be depended on to acquit himself well in the Argentine. / The heroism of a young Scottish collier has been recognised by the award by tho King of the Edward Medal to John M'Cabe, Main street, Longriggend, Lanarkshire. He is 17 years of age, and was at work in the Stanrigg Colliery when the disaster occurred there last July. He refused to go up in the cage vntil he had walked'back a quarter of a mile along the underground workings to warn his colleagues of the inflowing of the moss into the pit. —lf ever anyone could lay claim to bearing a charmed life, that man is surely. Sir ifi-ederiok Sykes, Controller-general oi Civil Flying. In the recent crash of the machine in which Sir Frederick was flying, tho pilot was killed instantly, and yet the general escaped with only a bad shaking, and was able to motor back to London. Sir Frederick has been flying for eight years: he was among the first of army officers to net Ins discharge. After serving with the Expeditionary Force in France for a year he took command of the Air Service at Gallipoli. —lf there \ has been extravagance and grraft in connection with war , expenditure, Lord Inverforth, as.' Surveyor-general of Supply of the War'' Office, was responsible for some extraordinarily interesting "economies in the matter of army clothing. He found that by cutting down the material in the .Scotsmen's kilt he was able to make a saving of £23,000 a year! Nor did the nether garments of the more conventionally clothed Tommy escape his Lordship's intention. By reducing the length of the Teg of the woollen drawers served to the troops an annual saving of upwards of £BO,OOO was effected. Lord Polwarth, who is now nearly 81 years of age. is resigning the Lord-lieu-tenancy of Selkirkshire. Left a widower five years ago, his Lordship created somewhat of a sensation by marrying again, some 12 months later. Miss Katherine Baiilie, a relative ot Lord Haddington. His Lordship, who possesses extensive property on the Borders, makes his home at Harden,- near Hawick, the ancestral estate of the Polwarth Scotts." It was Lord Polwarth's ancestor whom Murry of Elibank caught cattle-stealing. Scott of Harden had the choice of being hanged or marrying Murray's daughter, "Muckle Moo'ed Meg," so he chose the latter alternative. The Earl of Diicie, the father .of the House of .Lords, and the oldest member of that assembly (with the exception of Lord Halsbury, who is S 6 in September), celebrated his ninety-second birthday in. July Lord Ducie has been a member of the House of Lords for 66 years, having succeeded his father in 1853, when M.P. for Stroud. Although the Earl of Coventry succeeded to his earldom exactly 10 years previously, he did not, of course, take his sea* in Parliament until the attainment of his majority some years later. It is of interest to recall that there is not a single Parliamentarian in either House stilly living who was a member when Lord Ducie first took his seat in 1853. Eamonn de Valera, born in the United States and never naturalised as a British subject, son of a Spanish father and an Irish mother, did not meet with a great deal of success in the United States in his attempt to boom the Sinn Fein cause hi a dual capacity, as an escaped convict under English law and as " president" of an alleged or hypothetical Irish Republic. In both capacities he won popularity with a segment. The plan of De Valera was to issue 5 ? 000,000dol of Irish .Republican bonds, on which the interest will not begin to run till six months after British troops have evacuated Ireland. Half of this amount was to be placed ■in Ireland. The rest he hoped to see taken by men of Irish stock in America and elsewhere. As.a business Eroposition the. buying of such bonds is ardly to be recommended to the prudent. It is not intended for them. It is intended for enthusiasts, and he would be a rash prophet who would predict failure to sell the bonds. —.."The giving to\ Admiral Beatty and Field Marshal Haig of the Order of Merit brings the list of military members up to seven. The civil members number 13, consisting of five statesmen (Lord Morle'y, Lord Bryce, Lord Haldane, Mr Balfour, and Mr Lloyd George), four scientists (Lord Rayleigh, Professor Henry Jackson, Sir Joseph Thomson, and Sir Archibald Geikie), tWo authors (Mr Thomas Hardy and Sir George Trevelyan), and one musician (Sir Edward Elgaf). The expectation is that Lord Grey's name will soon be added. There is no woman. Is none judged to be worthy?"