TOPICS OF THE TIMES

Southland Times, Issue 18935, 23 September 1920, Page 4

TOPICS OF THE TIMES

It seems extremely unfortunate that the political campaign in the United States .should have shorn President Wilson of the credit, even for his "fourteen points,” which are stateri to have been asked for by an American publicity agent in Russia and inspired by George Creel, the head of the United States Publicity Department. The League of Nations Association in Washington a few weeks ago marie this “revelation,” publishing documents dealing with the relations between Russia tmd America, “in the light of the cable dispatches from Mr Edgar Sisson,” says the statement of the League of Free Nations Association, “President Wilson would seem to have written the Fourteen Points speech on the advice of the Publicity Department of the United States Government for pure publicity purposes in Russia and Germany. For the dispatches reveal an eagerness on the part of Sisson in Russia to popularise the war with the Russian common people, and a decision on his part, apparently concurred in at Washington, that this could be accomplished only by such an address as the President delivered on January S, 1918.” In support of this conclusion the statement points to the following cablegram from Mr Sisson, in Petrograd to Mr Creel in Washington, January 3, 1918: “Creel, Compub, Washington, Dist. Columbia, LLS.A. :—lf President Wilson will restate anti-imperialistic war aims and democratic peace requisites of America thousand words or less, short, almost placard paragraphs, short sentences, I can get it fed into Germany in great quantities in German translation and can utilise Russian version potently in army and everywhere. Excerpts from previous statements will not serve. Need is for internal evidence that President is thinking of the Russian and German common folk in their situation of thus moment and that he is talking to them. Can handle German translating and printing here. Obvious, of course, to you that disclosure German trickery against Russia in peace negotiations promises to immensely open up our opportunities for publicity and helpfulness.” The statement avers that five days following receipt of this cablegram in Washington, or on January 8, 1918, President

Wilson delivered his Fourteen Points speech, and that five days after the President’s speech, or on January 13, 1918, Mr Sisson cabled from Fctrogracl to Mr Creel as follows ;

President’s speech placarded on wall Petrograd this morning. One hundred thousand copies will have this display within three days. Three hundred thousand handbills will be distributed here within five days. Proportionate display Moscow by end of week. Y.M.C.A. agreed distribute million Russian and million German copies along line. Other channels into Germany being opened. Izvestia, official Government newspaper, nearly million circulation throughout Russia, printed speech in full Saturday morning, with comment welcoming it as sincere and hopeful. Much of other newspaper comment still cynical, but shifting rapidly ns speech makes its own mighty appeal. German version in hands printer now. What was comment Nova Mfr., New York Bolshevik paper?

A lady in Christchurch gave £7OO anonymously to the "Save the Children” Fund, with the same object as Invercargill’s Week of Pitv fund.

Influenza is not so prevalent in Christchurch at present as it was during May (stales the Press), hut the number of case* of pneumonia is rather high, due in some measure to the amount of measles and whooping cough that is being experienced.

A new newspaper called the l.urnsuen Chronicle has made its appearance in Lumsden. The paper is conducted by Mr de la Pcrrellc, proprietor of the Winton Record and late owner of the Lake County Press, Arrowfown.

A statement of the cost of entertaining the Prince of Wales during his visit to Invercargill has been published. The total expenditure amounts to £1990 4s Bd. Of this amount the Borough has received £1(131 Is 5d in donations and Government subsidy, the latter amount being £B4O 3s 2d, the total amount chargeable to the Borough being £365 3s 3d.

j A Christchurch Press As. 1 - or iat ion 1 eln- ! pram states that Mr Ben J. Fuller, governing ' director of John Fuller, Lid., who was in ; Christchurch yesterday, complete:! the pur- ; chase for his firm of the well known Colosi scum property in Gloucester street. The : price is not disclosed, but it is understood j to he well over .112,000. It )s the intention of the Fuller firm to erect an .elaborate new j vaudeville theatre on the site.

Three charges alleging the offence comi monly known as profiteering are set down ' to tome before the City Police Court at Dunedin (says a Press Association telegram I. The charges recite to a geography book, a kitchen table, and a skein of wool. The informations are on the ground that tlus.e. articles were sold at unn asonably high prices. The charge against, the bookseller will he heard on October 1, and the other ! two on October 4.

j There was a pond attendance at the Victoria Hall last night when the ‘o’” branch of rite W.C.T.U. gave a nowl "Gipsy” entertainment. All the items whirl) made up the programme were well given, and the programme was a judicious blending of musical items, which caused the evening to pass pleasantly. .-At the conclusion of the programme a dainty supper was provided, which was greatly enjoyed by those present. "What is the maximum fine?" asked the Magistrate, Mr G. Cruickshauk, when hearing the case against a ttod-driver for negligent driving, in the Police Court yesterday morning. When informed that it was bid he said: ‘'Thar seems ridiculously low! If a brewer or a publican breaks the licensing law the maximum p'-i.aily is somewhere between £IOO and V.rCO, while lure I am restricted to £lO in a case where a driver nearly kills- a child by negligent driving. It does not seem correct. ’

Chief Detective Mcllveney sta'ed at the Magistrate's Court at (.'hnslchurch on Monday that the amount of thieving thal had been going on about the railway good.-, shed recently was "simply appalling." Air S. Id. McCarthy, S.M., in sentencing a married man to one month's imprisonment lor Inning stolen a motor cycle cover Iroin the railway station, said: —"The position tin: Courtis fared with is thi. both the railway cond.i sited and the waterfront are becoming unsafe for public properly or anyone's properly, and it is necessary, in the iniere-vs of the public, that thefts from these places be dealt with firmly.”

The field casualties, including slight wound?, of the United State.? Army in the ]:; t e war arc staled roughly to have totalled 2l)t),UdO. Ur. Mucker, chief medical adviser of the War llisk Insurance Bureau recent iy slated that the number of men left dependent on the (invenimiiil, eighteen months after hostilities ceased, totalled no less than li-11, filth. 'ihis seems a big number seeing that tile acreage war .service was only 300 days, of which the

majority was spent in training camps. The influenza has no doubt a lot to do with these figures, for n mu.-t In* rctnemhe, cd that no less than 23.031 died in SeptemberOctober, 101-5, in the camps.

A fireman of the s.s, Kaiwarra named David Barry was charged ;ir Bluff yesterday before Messrs 0. R. Georg;? anil G. A. Tipping, Justices of the Peace, with having stolon, on September 21, 6 tins of herring, 3 tins of salmon, 8 tins of condensed mitt:, and one tin of jam, the property of the U.S.S. Co., and also with binding J Vlh of tobacco on which duty had not been paid. Ills reply to (lie first charge was; "I did not steal rfs'iu intentionally, sir.' 1 This vas interpreted to be a plea of not guilty. To the second charge lie pleaded guilty and was remanded to appear on both charges at the Magistrate’s Court at Bluff to-morrow. Barry served with the Australian forces in Gallipoli and Fiance, where he was severely wounded, neecss it at ing the air,out at-ion of one foot and partial amputation of the other.

Remarkable cireunistanees surround the loss and subsequent recovery of a panel of diamond rings valued at £BS, which were reported to the Criminal Invest iga.ion Department a few days ago, as mi-sing from their safe by Messrs II rind A. Schultz, manufacturing jewellers, of Melbourne (says the Melbourne Ago. Mr If. Schultz.'?: story of the mysterious disappearance, of a new apron from the office a few days pre’. iously lead to a search of a ruthole, from which not only the missing apron (in a gnawed condition), but also several brooch pins were recovered. On a detective's suggestion, the flooring boards were raised, and the ground beneath dragged with a piece of hoop iron. Pins and other pieces of jewellery were thus brought to light, and finally the missing parcel of rings. The rats had apparently removed the package from the open safe and dragged il into their hole.

The annual meeting of Woodlands Presbyterian Church was held on Tuesday night, when the Public Hall was crowded by members and friends from all parts of the parish. The Rev. A. C. Wedderspoon expressed the great pleasure he and his wife had experienced in their work. The Session clerk, Mr James Linklater, stated that 3S new members had been received during the year, while thirteen had left, making a net increase of 25. The financial statement, which was given by Mr Thomas Alexander, showed that all the funds were in a prosperous condition, and that £lO5 14s had been contributed to outside objects, Mrs Wedderspoon, speaking for the P.W.M.LL, the Women's Guild, and the Busy Bees, thanked all for their splendid services, and concluded by making an impromptu appeal for a collection to aid the Busy Bees, which was at once liberally given. The choir rendered four anthems, and Misses Queenie Barraclough, Mary Wadsworth and Gladys Phillips sung solos, while a children's choir gave, three pieces, Mis? Ursula Ramsay accompanying. The Rev. J, L. Robertson delivered an appropriate address, full of wit and wisdom, which was heartily enjoyed. At the close efreshments, provided by tho ladies, were handed round.

The inquest on the body of Robert Dudley Worsfold, who died in the Palmerston North Hospital on September G, following a collision with a motor ear, was concluded yesterday. The coroner returned a verdict that Wort-fold died as a result of shock caused by being run over by a motor car driven by T. H. Davidson. The Coroner said he eouici not altogether absolve Davidson from blame, but in view of the fact that further proceedings might be taken he would not comment on the evidence.

The very high cost of petrol in this dominion—at present it is about 4s a gallon—v/as the subject of discussion at a conference of the New Zealand motor trade held at Tirnarn. It was staled that a 'cry large proportion of (ho cost so far as this country is concerned is entailed by the handling of fhe oil in tins and cases, instead of in bulk. Delegates asserted that if the oil were brought (o this country in tank steamers, and stored in suitable tanks at the principal ports and distributing centres, the reduction in freights, handling and distribution charges would amount to Is Cd per gallon at present rales, reducing the price to 2s 6d per gallon. The conference decided to approach the Government for assistance in reforming shipping and distribution methods. As New Zealand is now spending about a million a year on petrol and other motor fuel, the seems well worthy of attention.

A comparison between (he defence proposals of Australia and New Zealand was made by Colonel G. J. bhnith at a gathering held in Wellington in celebration of the New Zealand Division's, entry into the Battle of the Somme. Colonel Smith said Australia was ;pending bis per head of population on defence, as compared with New Zealand's present Ids per head. New Zealand, if she were to spend the same amount in defence as Australia was doing, would require to find annually —■ £120,001) for military and naval aviation, £24,000 for civil aviation. £f)SO,OIK) for naval defence, and £7SO,OOU for the military forces. That showed what Australia thought of the menace in the Pacific, and how was she meeting it. Referring to the same subject, tae Hon. J. G. (’nates, Minister for Public Works, said it was gratifying that the Parliament of New Zealand had decided, by an almost unanimous. vote, that New Zealand must have some system of defence, anil that service must be universal. That having been decided, it was only a question of devising a suitable scheme, ami seeing that the expenditure entailed was not unduly lavish.

Reserved judgment was delivered by the Chief Justice, (Sir Robert Stout) at Wellington on Saturday in the case of Thomas Mason Chambers (appellant I v the Ministei of Stamp Duties (respondent ), a case state ) under section 50 of the Matnp Duties Act, 3DUS, The appellant executed a memorandum of moiieaae to the Tubhc .trustee, )l contained a'covenant that the Woodford House, Lid., would pay the .-tmi of L] 4.(t r>! J which it hail agreed to pay by a separate mortgage and a security m that mortgage. Thus memorandum of mottgngv was therefore a sub-mortgage, The question ttro.-e whether that wa.s to be treated as a memorandum of mortgage m the moaning of the seventh schedule of tin 1 eirntitce Act, I'.Ho, which provided that, for every -100 and part of £IOO of principal moneys secured by the mortgage, os duty is to be paid,. Appellant urged that the mortgage was not a mortgage within the meaning of the. Act, that it was a guarantee, and not a mortgage. His Honour allowed the appeal, with costs £lO 1 Os, holding that the taxation under the Act was only to he apparently on the amount of the money lent, not on the number of imnutrients seeming the same land.

At last! The '‘Swan’’ sell-filling pen has arrived. Vt hat a beauty it is. All the remarkable qualities of this world-famous Hr it L-h pen, phi.- the advantages of a perfect seif-liilim; principle, combine to give the ".Swan'’ and ab.-ohile pre-eminence in the pen world. J lie mb- ha\e a hie of JO years, and a!! ’par’.- are readily obtainable. "Hwan - ’ self-fillers, £5 -. with pot-ki I elips a) lacked, 27/-, at Hynuman’s, Dee .- ta eel.

The /prim: /hew at- TIID.MSGN A JHFv F'i IF'/ to-day is '.veil worm a It is a full display of lire hues; Jut. oi gooes vet I,milt'd in the Jixh.bil ion in any one season. You am cordially invited to make a lour of inspection. Goods will be on view Pad ay ; al.-u on Finlay and Saturday.— (A dvt Choice beverage -choice Ceylon Tea from the ;• emeus Sunbeam Tea Gardens. boon liquor; nice flavour; good quality; in 2UH; tin.-, at 2/9 per lb. Most economical an in the market. At BA-VlEß’d. S.P.Q.B. I Ad vt. I Dainty Fabrics for Summer apparel arc now’ showing in areal- prolusion at. the Stores of Mcssr.- PitiCii & BIBFFID, Lid., ’J tc\ stitil. lire Dies.-- section is out tins. ; on to supply greater quantities thru hiencitu of smart good oualny iabric suitable ior ladies', maid.-’ and girls,’ wear. Lhe-a goods come direct- from the British looms, and arc -upciior in weave, good in totality, and ujti.-iieally Uuied.— I Advt.) Call and secure the Bargains oiTtraig— T. P. 808 IN SO A, 'lay street. — (AUvtJ Vis are specialb'.s in the production of rh aiming and cncciive Millinery. pee lovely disulay of lit coming iiats. Models in < ndlcss variety, 2-j/ti, 2ft.-tj. ho/- to .n/-; hi a i cons’ Black 'i (sios, iO/ d, 2/j/C to J9/(i; large Black Hat- m Tulle, Crepe do Chine ami Sill;, 29/ C, h,j/- to 49/0 ; semi-trims. 12/(1, 1.”;/11, IS/d to 29/(! ; Iteatly-io-vvears, 9-11, 12,0, 17/0 to 2-S/h; Straw Siiapes. o/11, S-'il, 12/0 to 29/0 ; Panamas. 5/11, S/Tl to 2.V0 ; Leghorns, 21/0. 27/0 to 0. Very cfioice ick'ciion in Henderson’s St taws, Ready-to-wcars. 14/0, 19/0 to j-i/ - ; Washing Hats. 4 ■ 11, Or 11, 12/0. A .splendid : elect ion of b lower.-, I riiu, Mounts. A huge shewing of Blouses in Crepe do C-hinc. Silk, Voile 1 , Wincey, Print- ami Flannelette. Xuveltiis in Sill: .len-eys, .V,)/0, 7o /-, 99/(1 to ]-l 7/-. Inspection invh-cd at IB A .1. SMI'J IB Ltd., Progressive Drapers, Tay : ij'e t, 1n v ere argil!, and Main street. Gore.

The smartest dressers are now buying their Costumes rcauy-10-wcar at TJIF ‘TXONGMIC/’ Ladies’ B'utiilUirs, CO Dim street. Myles, siita, and prices to suit ad. (Advt. )

High Grade Made-to-measure suits now hocking at UNDRILL’S, opposite Post 0f- ... ( .v -1 Ad vt J

ITIE-WAR PRICES. The cost ol manufacturing 'T'hmnzo:'' has greatly increased; out the Proprietary has retrained trom raising the original prices —1/b and d/b —which still hold good. t Advt.;

“Hasten now to make assurance doubly sure.’' Wise words at this season, when waiter's dire complaints threaten front every point. An emphatic assurance of immunity from lung complaints, chest troubles, coughs, colds, and influenza is obtained by taking Baxter's Lung Preserver—a sure, sale remedy at uii limes. It has a 11 cu, pleasant taste, and its soothing action never tails to slop the ticide anu give ease to the sore throat. A wise plan is to keep a bottle always handy. Large st»,e a- b —at ad chemists and grocers. — (.Advt.J WHT ELECTRICS ARE ECONOMICAL. One special advantage oi the electric motor lorry is that wtien at a stanca-uli it ceases to me up energy. dhe .oremost electric lurry ol to-day is iiie “UR V\ELE, it is built by Ransome,-, Sum. and dt-ucrica of Ipswich, England, and is expertly bunt in every detail. lIIE i\EV» ZEALAND EXPRESS Go., LTD., Sole Agents.— (Aavtj "Washing Day is revolutionised by Ilf use of “NO RLDBiNO LALypRi HELP and "GOLDEN RULE SUAI-’t' dneyre new and up-to-date laoour-saviug inventions. Imitated but not equalled ! —(Advt.j MASTERS, LID., were the originators of the IU per cent, discount to returned soldiers. Other storekeepers have copied us and we now go one belter. We now invito all discharged soldiers and those waiting discharge to have their military hats reblocked, free oi all cost, by the only hunter in South a AA e still give alO pier cent., reductio o all returned soldiers.— HASTE- AID., Dee street. — (Advt.j