People and Their Doings.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20509, 10 January 1935, Page 8

People and Their Doings .

Amusing Aspects of the Christmas Empire Broadcast Frankly Stated : London Columnist Praises New Zealand Health Stamps : Some General Godley Stories.

STORIES concerning Sir Alexander Godley when he was Commander-in-Chief of the British Army of Occupation are given by Mr R. 11. Bruce Lockhart in his book, “ Retreat From Glory.” One the author says is apocryphal and the other is true; and with this Sir Alexander agrees. But . . he disowns the anecdote which Mr Lockhart claims to be true, and says that the true version is the one which the author describes at apocryphal. The whole story is contained in these few sentences. “ Our position at Cologne was in some respects ridiculous and undignified. The British zone was completely encircled by French and Belgian troops and nothing could come in or go out except with the permission of the French Customs authorities. A typical story, which went the round of the Officers’ Club was an alleged conversation between General Degoutte, the French Commander in the Ruhr, and General Godley, the, British Commander-in-Chief. In reply to a complaint of the Englishman, General Degoutte was reported to have said: ‘ You English like sitting on an island. Well, we’ve put you on one.’ The story was, of course, an invention, but an officer of General Godlev’s staff gave me chapter and verse for an incident, reported in the British Press at the time, in which the British general was turned out of his sleeping-car, while the Belgian authorities examined his papers.” As Sir Alexander told the Mayor, who lent him the book during his stay in Invercargill Mr Lockhart’s “ invention ” was the correct version, while the “ chapter and verse ” was not correct. <6? 32? TMJOSE who listened in to the Christmas Empire broadcast had their doubts as to the genuineness of the broadcast aroused by the voice of a laughing jackass, singing, it seemed, at midnight in Australia. Later )

they may have wondered whether the Sydney speaker was taking a chance when he said: “ There must have been 100.0*10 people here either sunbaking or surfing today.” The “ Bulletin ” has told the truth about this “ canned ’* broadcast when it says that it rained in Sydney most of the day. and at midnight it was cold, with a bitter wind. In a paragraph headed “ The New Geography” it adds:—“The Christmas Empire broadcast gave Australian listeners just that touch of fun which ought 10 close every perfect day. Overseas it must have been arresting to all those who were following proceedings with a time chart. Children frolicked in the Melbourne Botanical Gardens in the midnight ‘ sunthine ’ —their laughter was heard clearly. Queensland's contribution to the voices of the night was a cattle mob in full movement at 12.15 a m., with dogs barking and horses’ hooves sounding on the dusty plain like a bit of batten beating on a fruit-case. There was even a drover who said ‘ Gid<lapl* to make his horse go. A Sydney bridge tollkeeper, a Tasmanian fisherman and a Westralian fettler spoke with the same diction and intonation and type of humour. Triplets, perhaps.*’ 9 9 9 \\TILL England be prompted by New Zealand’s example to adopt the health stamp idea? “ Practically every country—including the British Dominions except our own is finding it advantageous to make use of postage stamps for putposes not strictly confined to the postal service,” says a columnist in the 44 Daily Mail.” London. " For instance, I have just received from a friend in New Zealand this year’s 4 health ’ stamp The design, in red, shows St George equipped with a lance riding forth to fight disease. This is a j delightfully simple method of raising funds

for approved objects, for no one would begj udge a penny towards something worth while, although if not collected in this way one. might not trouble to contribute at all. So far as the Post Office is concerned, it is simply a matter of accountancy. “ Anyhow. New Zealand has apparently found the idea very satisfactory, for this is the sixth year it has issued 4 health ’ stamps. 44 Other countries—Germany, Holland, Switzerland. Russia, to mention but a few -issue special stamps on behalf of charities and other benevolent objects with veiy successful results. This is another idea for our go-ahead Postmaster-General, Sir Kingsley Wood.” 9 9 9 SIXTY YEARS AGO (from the "Star" of January 10, 1875). London, December 28.—The emigrant ship Cospatrick. bound for Auckland, was burned off the Cape on November 19. The mate and two of the crew were saved, but the remainder of the crew and the emigrants. four hundred and sixty souls in all, are supposed to have perished. The origin of the fire is unknown, but in an hour after the flames broke out the vessel was completely gutted. Hundreds cast themselves overboard, only to perish by drowning. Captain Elmsler and Dr Cadsa stayed by the ship to the last moment, and then jumped overboard and were drowned. Two boats, filled with thirty persons each, under the first and second mates, put off from the ship. Of one, no tidings have been received, but the other, after being afloat ten days, was rescued by the ship British Sceptre. It contained only three survivors out of thirty, viz., Messrs M’Donald. Lewis and Cotter, and they had subsisted on the bodies of their dead comrades. The others had died raving mad.