HERE AND THERE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16584, 17 November 1921, Page 6

HERE AND THERE.

WANDERINGS OF A SWORD After being in command for eighteen years of the bodyguard of the fcstoltan of Morocco, Kaid Lieutenant T. H. Balding, formerly in the 13th Hussars, has retired, on pension, at the age of forty-three. He was the last of the Englishmen in the Sultan’s service. Wherever the Sultan travelled Kaid Lieutenant Balding accompanied him at the head of the troops. As to his influence with the men. it is significant that those under his command did not take part in the revolt at Fez in 1912. Every man stood by him. Kaid Lieutenant Balding stuck to the Sultan Mulai Abd El Azziz to the last when he was defeated in 1918. In the rout his kit was stolen, including his sword, a gift from the Sultan which he prized. He found it fifteen days later at Stat-r. 300 miles away, exposed for sale by a. native dealer in old metal. He bought it back for 7s 6d. He sent it to France to be replated and repaired. It duly arrived in France, but immediately disappeared. Later it turned up in the possession of a wounded French officer in hospital at Paris. It was then at last restored to the owner. RADIUM MONOPOLY. A .contract for the monopoly of xli« entire output of radium from Czechoslovakian State mines has been concluded between Mr Sidney Reilly, on behalf of the Imperial and Foreign Corporation of London, and the Czechoslovak Government. As Czecho-Slova-kia is the only country in Europe producing radium, this event is of enormous importance for the future of the commercial and scientific utilisation of that element. THE UNMARRIED WOMAN. Statistics point to the fact that filers are 15.000,000 spinstere in Europe. In Great Britain there are 2,000,000 “ surplus ” women, but the problem is far more acuto in Germany. The surplus of women over men in Europe has increased by 10,000,000 since 1914. Figures for some of the principal countries are:— 1914 Surplus Surplus. now. Germany . . 8-50.000 2,500,000 Austria . . 500,000 1.000,000 Russia . . 700.000 2,250.000 Italy . . 500,000 1,000,000 There were more men than women before the war in the Balkan States. Now women exceed men by 10 per cent. In 1911 there were, roughly speaking, 1100 marriageable women for every 100 Q marriageable men in this country, and from the official figures of the 1911 census it was estimated that there were 700,000 spinsters and widows of marriageable age for whom there were no husbands. JAPAN’S MONSTER GUNS. According to reports which havo reached London the Japanese naval authorities are preparing to “ go the limit ” in their new warships as regards size and fighting power. It is known that the first Japanese 18-inch gun has been produced and tried out, and this tremendous weapon will probably represent the main battery of the Owari class of battleships, which were authorised last year, but have not yet been laid down. The gun took twelve months to build, and has been under trial since April. It weighs 170 tons, and can throw a 34001 b shell up to a range of 45,000 yards. At rather less than half this distance the shell, it is declared, will penetrate the stoutest armour carried by any battleship nowafloat. The Owari is designed to carry eight of these monster weapons, and will therefore hurl twelve tons of steel at each broadside salvo.