From The Watch Tower

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 492, 23 October 1928, Page 8

From The Watch Tower

By

“THE LOOK-OUT MAN.

LARGESSE A wealthy Sydney mail, Mr. George Bosch, holds that the rich only have their money as a sort of trust, and that instead of accumulating gold, they should expend it upon good works. Many wealthy men, on the other hand, consider that these doctrines are all Bosch. WHEN PLANES CRASH Airplanes fall in all sorts of queer places. The latest habit—and a most regrettable one—seems to favour golf links. It will soon be time for a ruling by St. Andrews as to wbetber fallen planes cluttering tlie fairway should be regarded as permanent hazards. These crashes unfortunately have their tragic side. In New Zealand no whim of circumstance has yet forced a plane down upon a green or fairway, hut in Christchurch a machine crashed into a glasshouse beside an orphanage at Papanui. while at New Plymouth Captain Russell plunged to his dealh in front of the racecourse grandstand, tho Mayor of the town being one of the victims of the catastrophe. J.AUGH THAT OFF Mr. Harold Schmidt seems to be hurt because the City Council laughed when it found his name at the head of a petition. lie should not worry. There were frequent occasions during the recent session when Parliament, a more august assembly, felt impelled to laugh over some mention of the Auckland City Council. And presumably there Is a place where, in solemn conference assembled, the gods chuckle and shake their sides over the doings of the New Zealand Parliament. At any rate, they ought to. “THESE POMPS AND VANITIES ” An insight into the little weakness that has dominated the life of Germany’s ex-Kaiser is given by the Rev. D. C. Herron, of Auckland, who attended an international missionary conference at Jerusalem. The meetings were held in a German hall, built at the order of the Kaiser. Above the chapel were beautiful Christian decorations in relief, depicting the Crusaders, and other orthodox subjects, the complete design being surmounted by statues of the Kaiser and Kaiserln. Unfortunately, the fact that an earthquake Jiad shaken off one of the Kaiser’s feet prevented the effect from being as awe-inspiring as it might have been! * * * THE CROWD RECOILED There are occasions when the cableman in London, though ready to send the harrowing story of a parrot which swallowed a diamond brooch —the bauble being recovered by orthodox measures —neglects to transmit acceptable notes upon celebrities. This certainly happened in the case of Amanullah, the Afghan potentate who found his way into this column yesterday because he insists on equipping his swarthy nobles with breeches, and who now may as well be detained here while a sorrier story is unfolded. The breaches in this case were social, not sartorial. Amanullah, though outwardly so neat and dapper, committed two grave solecisms on arrival in London. The first: He left his wife alone on the carriage platform while he rushed across to greet theL King. The second: He horrified a London multitude by wiping his nose on his dove-grey sleeve as he drove through the streets with King George. And now he is back in Afghanistan, distributing pants and culture among his henchmen!

-if rh at d- * -r * -r “SOULFUL AIM EE" There is a quaint turn about the emphatic “Hell!” Which gave its superb bathos to the ode sung by Glasgow university students to Mrs. Aimee McPherson, the American evangelist. “Oh, Aimee dear, we love you so. Do we? Hell!” The lines of war-time melodies often had the same abrupt termination. There was the song about the Poor Blind Maiden: “Could she see the stars above? Could she. . . .” One remembers hearing a trio of war-blind soldiers sing the careless ditty with an exuberance that showed how little there is between humour and tragedy. As for Mrs. McPherson —a Wellington pressman retains vivid memories of her visit to his city. He was sent to interview the lady, who was boarded out privately. Reaching the house, he was told in discouraging terms that the lady was abed. Not until she appeared herself, over the bannisters, did his prospects brighten. The lady knew the value of publicity, even if her hosts did not, and her interviewer was melted by her beauty and charm. The evangelist received him in her bedroom. Newspaper reporters undoubtedly get into some strange places. Not until “soulful Aimee” figured in the sensational Los Angeles abduction case, months later, did a well-developed sense of propriety begin to trouble him.