Australia.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXX, Issue 16, 5 September 1914, Page 3

Australia.

STATEMENT BY FEDERAL DEFENCE MINISTER. Melbourne, September 4.

Mr Milieu, Minister for Defence, states that the public does not realise that in the bloody war that is actually reddening the world the preparedness of Ausralia has kH bloodstains from Australian soil. enemies have a fleet in the Pac® quite capable of doing serious da® age. So far they have succeeded® eluding our own fleet, which is not® difficult proposition in the millio® of islands of the Southern Seas. T® important point is that they won® like to raid our commerce, destroy 0® ships in harbor, and help themsel'*® to coal; but men and guns are at all vulnerable points. | UNION .SACK FOR THE FORCE® ■Sydney, September 4.® Mr John Hunter paid £250 fori Union Jack auctioned at a patrio® matinee. He intends presenting® to the expeditionary force. H CONCERT AT CARDIFF. I (Contributed.) | It is the usual custom at this bij^H of year for the Cardiff school mitteo to hold a concert in aid the prize funds, which concert ated last night and was a . success from start to finish. exceptional feature in with it was as follows;—Mr Howar®| the head teacher, got the youngst®B to vote on the following issues: S.fRTT

the-takings go to the prize fund, to the patriotic war fund, or the Belgian relief fund? llio last issue was

carried by an overwhelming majority, the first issue being absolutely unsupported. ft makes one feel rather proud of their kids when they see them practising such self-denial. r lho concert was of such length and uniform excellence that only the barest mention can be made of the various items. The first part of the programme was rendered entirely by the children and was wonderfully creditable to them and their trainers, Mr i lowarth, Miss Belcher, and Miss Coklwcll. It consisted of piano solos by the Misses 11. Blair, It. Stewart and C. Smith, recitations by Masters J. McFadgen and W. Barker, song by Miss E. Richards, duets by Miss F. Belcher and Master T. Prob!ile and Miss E. Smith and Master D. Crossley, spiral march, action songs, hoop drill and dumb-bell drill (encored) by the school cliildien, and a really funny farce by Masters MeFadgen, T. Prebble and Barker. The second part consisted of a piano and

cornet solo by the Prebble boys, recitations by Messrs 1. Belton and 0. Howarth, songs by Mrs Greenwell, 1. . Mackay, J. Morrison, F. Prebble and C. Cold well, whose song, ‘'The Ab-sent-minded Beggar” helped to swell the takings by over <‘los, duet b\ Messrs Howarth and A. J. Smith, and a farce “The Absconding Photographer,” by Messrs H. Rogers, S. Parley, W. Belcher, 0. Howarth, and F. Crossley.

As chairman of the local branch of the war-fund movement, Mr J. T. Belcher was called upon to make acknowledgment of the kiddies’ selfdenial in giving up their prize-money, which lie did in his usual happy style, the concert terminating with the whole audience singing “Clod Save the King,” and the feeling that we had had the best evening’s fun we

iiad had for a long while. 't hen followed supper and the inevitable dance, during the progress of which the chairman, Mr Crosslcy, on behalf of the people of Cardiff, took the opportunity of wishing Messrs H. Carlov and A. White, the local hoys who. have volunteered for the front, and the latter of whom was present, “Cod speed and a quick return,” the audience supplementing his remarks by singing ‘They are dolly (Rood bellows.” 1 a.m. saw the wind-up of a re-ally happy evening. Messrs «T. Brown and S. Roth',veil looking happier than all the rest at the termination. of their duties of M.G/s.