CURRENT TOPICS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12245, 18 February 1918, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS.

HERR HAASE AGAIN. The conclusion of the very remark, able speech which Herr Haase, the Minority Socialist leader, made in the Reichstag recently has now come to hand, and it throws, further light on the determination of the German Government to prevent a free discussion of their war aims. Herr Haase said that dozens and dozens of his friends, and finite a number of members of the Reichstag, had been prohibited from speaking to their constituents for the duration of the war, and that the Government were collecting material lo undertake fresh prosecutions. The paity truce, he declared, was nothing but police despotism and military dictatorship to the point of persecution. These gentlemen,'’ ho said, pointing to the Government, “still seem to think that they can kill opinion by the military cudgel and police sabre. The 1 an-Germans arp in power now, and if Scheidemann says to-day that he and his liiends'havo succeeded in overthrowing Pan-Germans hero in Germany they are shutting their eyes to the truth. The generals in command, all those who control and apply the m they not all Pan-O-mnns and members of the Vatorlandspurtci? Plow can one shut one’s eyes and deceive oneself and others?” Herr Haase concluded by saying that the working man wanted peace. But he appalently believes that the present rulers of Germany do not, and that as long as the.y are in power there is very little hope, of peace. extraordinary families. The, remarkable case of the North Country 7 family of Calvert, of which, as reported in the papers, eight brothers and sisters have, reached an average of eighty-five years, has had many parallels in recent years. Tlw. late Lady Mabella Knox was one of nine brothers and sisters, whose, aggregate ages totalled 769 years. Five of them survived to 99, 98, 93, 93, and 89 years, respectively. Of another family, all members of the Society of Friends, we read not long ago that three were still living at th e ages of 101, 91 and 87, while five who were dead had counted 418 years among them—an average of 87 years. If the. members of this family hrd lived consecutively instead of together, the first-born would have been born ns long ago as the year l‘2 1 20. When Mr Henry 7 Wye, sexton at St Mary’s Church, Leicester, died not long ago, at 87, it was said that two of l># brothers had predeceased him at the ages of 87 and 85 respectively, while he had two surviving brothers of 97 and 93, and two sisters of 83 and SO. Joshua Jackson, of Blackburn, who survived to sec his 87th birthday, was one of eight brothers and sisters, not one of whom failed to pass the eightieth milestone. And cjuite recently there was living at Milverton, West Somerset, five brothers and sisters, the eldest of whom—Mrs Shattocks—was 92, and tiie youngest—Mrs James King—just ten years younger.