HERE AND THERE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16331, 21 January 1921, Page 6

HERE AND THERE.

OUR PRINCE AND ENGLAND. It may now be taken as certain (says the London correspondent of the “ Manchester Guardian ”) that_ the rumours about the Prince of Wales 3 marriage have no foundation in fact. There is no arrangement in immediate prospect. and nothing is expected by [lis intimates. The Prince is known to have come back with a strong desire to know more about England ; indeed, as one of his friends put it. the result of his wonderful experience in the dominions and colonies has been to make him think. What does he know of England who only the Test of the Empire knows? It is forgotten how little of the country the Prince lias seen. Before the war his education had barely finished, and his public: career had not begun. The war took five years of his life, and his Imperial travels a good part of another two. He has seen little of England and Scotland, except London and the Home (kr.uities. and a few country houses .and a very few visits to big towns. He is anxious now, I am told, to see the big industrial towns of this country, to compare them -with the place* in tho do7ninions and in America that he has seen, and to understand something of the real modern life of England.

. DETECTIVES AS AVIATORS. A small number of the leading detectives of Scotland Yard are to be initiated into the mysteries of flyingand one or two aeroplanes are to f»o placed at their disposal to assist hi the capture of fugitives from justice. Ln addition.} effejetive arrangement,:* have now been completed tor attaching a detective to each aerodrome in the country, so That “ wanted ” persons who seek to escape from the country by means of the flying machine will find iu very difficult. Only a day or two ago a man wanted for extensive frauds stopped at Croydon (Eng.) aerodrome just as ho \ias on the point of embarking ior Paris, having chartered a special machine to do the journey “ regardless of cost.”

RACIAL DISCRIMINATION “ There is no country in the world more guilty of racial discrimination than .Japan, who is now agitating for racial equality,” said Rev L. T. Steele, of Ckayama, Japan. who passed through Brisbane recently aboard the steamer Aki Marti (says the Brisbane " Daily Mail ”). Air Steele characterised Japan as “the Germany of tho East,” by which remark he meant to refer to Germany as she existed prior to and during the war. He continued that it lvad to be remembered that the military were supreme in Japan, and the nation was entirely ruled by the military party. The military dictated all policies, and no opponent had u, chance against them. There was growing, however, a democratic spirit in Japan which was creating an antimilitary feeling. Discussing the possibility of war between America and Japan, the Rev Steele said ho believed tlie men at the head of Japanese* affairs did not desire any conflict, but if Japan were placed in such a position by America as to load to the nation considering itself insulted, the peoplo would force whatever Government was in power to declare war. Japan was undoubtedly the most conceited nation on earth. .Japanese children wero taught from birth that Japan was the one country on earth, and that it was a country of gqjls. The inference was thus created that all other nations were inferior. Mr Steele said ho never heard any direct reference in Japan condemning; the White Australia principle. which was practically similar to tlie California anti-alien land laws question. WIRELESS FLIGHT. Whilst in the middle of the Great' Australian Bight, bound from Fremantle to Adelaide, a passenger on loard the s.s. Earcola decided to send n reply paid wireless message to tlie Railway Department m Adelaide, to reserve a berth on the mail train. Special arrangements are in force- whereby wireless messages ran be telephoned from shqre wireless stations direct to the addressee As soon as the message wa-s_ received at the Adelaide radio station it was telephoned to the Railway Department in .Adelaide. The reply was telephoned from tho Railway Department in Adelaide to the ra/iio station and then transmitted to "the Karoola The reply was delivered to tlie passenger _ nine minutes after ha had handed _in bis. message. Tho achievement is a record in Australasian wireless circles so far as the general public are concerned.

COMMERCIAL WIRELESS. Tlie French Government has ins* signed with the General Wireless Telegraphy Company of Paris a contract under which this company is authorised to establish ’wireless telcgra-ph set vices for commercial traffic between Franco and all other countries of the world. The State will receive a share in tho net profits after. the shareholders have received a fair interest, upon the capital of the company. The company has commenced the construction of tt\ o large radio-telegraphic centres which' will he installed in the neighbourhood of Paris—one to ho allocated to transoceanic communications and tho other to communications with European countries. Pending the completion of these stations the services will l»e temporal ilv effected by means of the stations at Lynns and Bordeaux, with the assistance of The French Administration of Posts and Telegraphs, and according *2 fhe agreements and traffic regulations which the company has entered into. When the company’s stations commence operations the Government stations of Lyons and Bordentix will cease to do any commercial service.

USES OF SEA WATER. It is reported from Christiania that a promineut Norwegian scientist. Professor Holland Hansen, has delivered a. lecture upon the possibilities of tho utilisation of sea water for obtaining He declared the Norwegian salt works at Bergen would !>o able to produce yearly 000 tons or salt and 100 tons of metallic. magnesium, besides gypsum and ether things The raw materiaU used vere sea water and electric power. Metallic magnesium was '£> per .-cm, lighter than aluminium, and an allay with SO per cent of magnesium had excellent qualities, and wns most profitable for use for all motors, especially for those of aeroplanes, automobiles and electric traanoars. The. lightuofcs of the metal rendered possible the aviug of a large, amount of power. for exaniT le. there would a saving of 50 per cent in the case of tramcar*. and the alloy would be as good a? tho best cast iron and steel. At present the world's production of magnesium was only 400 tons.