MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

Waikato Argus, Volume XXXVI, Issue 5727, 2 October 1914, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

At a meeting of the South Auckland Racing Club in Hamilton last night, a circular letter was received from Sir George Clifford, president of the Racing Conferecne. recommending clubs to proceed with their race meetings as usual, in accordance with the procedure adopted in Great Britain.

As showing the far-reaching effects of the war the Department of Lands and Survey informed the Birkenhead Domain Board that owing to the shortage of paper, as the result of the war, the synopsis of the annual reports of Domain Boards would not be furnished to Domain Boards as usual.

Some time ago Mr VV. T. Home, of Christehurch, wrote to the Prime Minister, suggesting that a supply of wild pigs should be obtained in Southland and Otago for the people at Home, and offering to help in killing and curing the animals without charge (says the Lyttelton I'imes). Mr Massey has replied, thanking Mr Home for hia offer, and stating that if it is pcssible to take advantage of it he will communicate with Mr Home later.

General Godley, Officer Commanding the Force, hopes to assemble the whole of the 6000 troops in Wellington early next week for the purpose of holding field manoeuvres. These will be spread over three days, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and should afford the troops valuable training, teaching them the necessity for co-operation in the field. The area over which the battle is to be fought has not yet been fixed, but the public will be advised well beforehand, so that those who wish to witness the manoeuvres will have an opportunity of doing so. it was recently stated that the British soldiers, when attacking in open order, entrenched themselves as they gained ground. In view of this it is .interesting to note that the members of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force are equipped with the inmplemeot known as a trenching tool. This consists of a hoe or nze-shaped piece of sharp steel, into which a handle is fitted. With this a soldier can rapidly excavate a smaii hole and heap up earth sufficient to give him cover. This idea of individual entrenchment was borrowed from the Japanese who used it with much success during the war with Russia.

Says the Napier Telegraph—Facts have come to our knowledge—and we happen to know that they have come to the knowledge of the Government also-wbich indicate that what is taking place in this country in connection with the despatch of an Expeditionary Force is being wirelessed away to German warships in the Pacific. We have grave reasons for the statement that we could say more on this head did not a proper regard for prudence bold our pen. This being so, we again ask why every alien subject to the Powers with which we are at war is not under strict guard? Once more we put the question why some Germans formerly imprisoned on Soamea Island have been let free "on parole."

Why are distinctions made? Why is the Imperial proclamation, forbidding British subjects to trade with or employ or hhrbour such aliens practically a dead letter in this ccuntry

According to the Olago Daily 'limes, a Dunedin citizen, writing to the secretary of the Navy League (Otago branch) from London, under date August 7th, says: —"One may be pardoned for feeling proud U. be an Englishman in times like these. if it were not for the number of men in khaki you meet wherever you go, no one would imagine anything out of the way was going on. Sir E. Grey is the man of the hour, and intense satisfaction is manifested on all sides at Lord Kitchener's appointment. Everything so lar has gone splendidly, and the Belgians are the heroes of the day. Wilhelm and his mad advisers will be locked up in fortresses before many months are passed, where they are impotent to do any more harm, and where they ought to have been all theße years. The reservists are responding magnificently, and the whole of the people of the country are offering their services, if in any way they can be of help to their country. . . . I had the extreme privilege of witnessing the assemblage of our magnificent fleet at Portsmouth last month, and through the kindness of one of the officers of the St. v'incent (battleship) was invited on board, whete we were during the Royai salute. How opportune that assemblage was is now apparent."

Says the Sydney Sun: ' Bishop Long's remarks on the horrors of peace were vigorous, and so virile a tone in the pulpit commands respect. Thousands of men are being slaughtered in Europe everyday; yet as the Bishop says, the waste of life is no greater than that which is to be discerned in city slums among sweated workers—men, women and children. If the whole world would realise this fact seriously, tragedies of p.iue would soon be mitigated far more effectively than tnose of wai. But though the charitable appreciate the truth dimly, they are content to let the horrible conditions persist. Society does not organise itself into one big Red Cross League to find warm clothes for the shivering baby in the bystreet, though as soon as the dramatic perils of war appear there are several suits of pyjamas for every soldier, and he is overwhelmed with gifts of clothing which he cannot wear. On the whole, the Bishop thinks that a man will be happier dying swiftly on the battlefield than waiting for the slow approach of disease and death in some garret in the slums."

The absolute inactivity of the main body of the German fleet must evidently have come as somewhat of a surprise to Britain. Writing on August 10th, the military correspondent of the Times said: "One of the last copies of the Lokalanzeiger which has been brought to England by fugitives from Germany gives its readers very plainly to understand that the German navy will take the

offensive, and will take it in cooperation with the German army. England is clearly indicated as the objective. We must be prepared for a desperate enterprise on the part of the entire German navy, and for the attempted co-operation of the German army in an attack upon us, not only from the North Sea, but from the Baltic. For such a gambler's throw we are probably well prepared, and the only danger is that the quiescence of the German navy since; war was declared may lead us to conclusions which may not necessarily be true concerning the role allotted to this quite formidable force. From the military—that is to say, from the soldier's—point of view, the time for the German navy to strike is during the next fortnight, and it is the soldier's view, and not the sailor's, which may conceivably prevail in Berlin, It is difficult to believe that this new and young navy, with all its laurels to win, will skulk in harbour for ever, and tamely submit to the complete strangulation of German maritime trade, which is now in progress."

Gopies of the Times of India received in Auckland by the last mail make interesting reading. The reports of the loyalty expressed by all classes are most inspiriting. There was a great meeting at Calcutta, a Bengali demonstration from first to last, not a single European being among the speakers. From Mr Banerjea downwards, the Bengali leaders who have been prominent in the Nationalist movement spoke most loyally, and expressed themselves as being whole-heartedly for the defence of the Empire. The Indian Press, including the native papers, which have said some bitter things in the past about the English, all

write in a very loyal strain, and advocate help in money and men being sent in answer to the Empire's call.