SIDELIGHTS ON THE WAR.

Waipawa Mail, Volume XXXVII, Issue 7922, 23 August 1917, Page 4

SIDELIGHTS ON THE WAR.

FROM VARIOUS SOURCES.

Penny Farthing Bank Notes. An official announcement issued at Dresden states that in the Kingdom of Saxony the lack of small change is so pressing that 1,000,000 bank notes of the value of ten pfennige (lid) have been issued. Called to the Colors. Anton Lang, the Christus of Oberammergau’s “Passion Play,” finally has been called to the colors, according to a despatch to the Berlin ‘ ‘ Tageblatt’ from Augsburg, Bavaria. Herr Lang hitherto has seen no service, although it has been reported repeatedly that he has been killed in the war. An Austrian Messiah. A “Messiah of Peace” has arisen among the.people of Austria. At Linz, says the Vienna “Zeit,” he mounted the statue of the Trinity and declaimed violently against the war. “lam the Messiah,” he said, “and I will deliver mankind from the nightmare of the war; but I must first die as a martyr.” The Austrian papers state that during the past month or two there have been several cases of this kind. Gold in Plenty. The gorgeous gold-lace frocktunics of the drum-majors of the five Guards’ bands which recently paid a visit to France entranced everyone over there, from generals to midinettes. Each of these coats costs the State £l2O, and there is about as much gold lace on one coat (says the “Daily Sketch”) as on all the uniforms of our Staff officers. An American who saw a Guards’ drum-major in full war-paint remarked: “Gee, I don’t see why this old country wants any financial aid from U.S. Look at your durned gold reserve.” War Economy. I was down at a famous training camp this week, and I found that so much use had been made of every strip of land beside the walks and parade grounds that they hope to grow enough potatoes to feed the whole camp, says a correspondent of the London “Sunday Chronicle.” Against Submarines. Mr Santos Dumont, the first aeronaut to encircle the Eiffel Tower with a dirigible balloon, has invented a seaplane fitted with a submarinedetecting device, together with special projectiles for destroying such craft. Trials having proved satisfactory', America has offered to build a large number for the Allies.

A New Gas Device. I have just heard of the latest gas device of the inventive Hun, says a correspondent of the. Lon don “Daily Chronicle.” An invisible gas is first of all emitted which produces such nausea that the victims are compelled to take off their ordinary gas helmets in order to vomit. At this stage the usual poison gas attack is delivered by the enemy with an obviously more effective result. Petrol Waste in the Army. The reckless waste of petrol in the Army still continues (says the “Daily Express”). On one occasion recently three motor cyclists spent two hours looking for mustard and cress for

their officers’ tea. They eventually bought three-pennyworth. On another occasion a motor lorry with a corporal and three men was sent to fetch 351 b. of tea. The petrol for this Gilbertian trip cost 38s 6d.

Impervious Uniforms. Dr. Le Roy, director of the municipal laboratory of Rouen, has recently presented to the scientific section of the French Institute (Academic des Sciences) a formula for the impervious uniform. Dissolved mutton fat is the main ingredient. The shape of the uniform remains unchanged, and the drying process is a quick one. The web remains permeable to the outside air and to breathing, which is, of course, of the greatest hygienic importance! The price of the procedure is an insignificant one.

“In Memoriam.” There were some touching and beautiful phrases in the long “In Memoriam” list published on the anniversary of the Battle of Jutland, says the London “Observer.” One notice to the memory of the officers and men of the Queen Mary was described as “inserted by some of those whose safety is secured to them by such sacrifices, und who have paid no part of the great debt with personal losses.” The tribute to the company of the Defence spoke of “the imperishable record of their gallant condor! and fearless deaths.” An individual notice of the commander of this ship was inserted “in proud and perfect memory ’’; and in the majority of cases the words used were “in proud and loving memory” or “in proud and grateful memory.” To one announcement was appended Rupert Brooke’s'line, “He leaves a white, unbroken glory,” and to another Laurence Binyon’s “At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.”

Was It a Premonition? Some new stories of Lord Kitchener are told by a Yorkshire lady who, under the name of “A Woman of No Importance,” has just published a racy volume of “Memories: Discreet and Indiscreet.” She says that Lord Kitchener always kept a couple of cars standing outside the War Office day and night—in readiness to be jumped into at a moment’s notice. The day before his last fateful journey, as he was walking into his office, he saw one of his chauffeurs standing uear. He stopped and spoke to the man, saying: “You are married, are you not?” The reply being in the affirmative, Lord Kitchener replied: '“Then I will not t&ke you with me to-morrow. I will take Broome instead.” So Broome and his car went with their master —and will be seen no more till the sea gives up her dead.

Yet Another Allied Flag. By the very fact of America joining us in the great cause, another flag, hitherto furled, is to float on the Western front, muarks a correspondent of

the “ Sunday Times. ” Nor do I refer to the Star-Spangled Banner, which is already in full view of the German trenches, but of the red and white flag of Poland. The American Poles, of whom four millions inhabit the United States, have formed the White Eagle Legion, and will shortly be fighting side by side with the Allies in France. The number enrolled at present is sixty thousand, all of whom have received the Entente’s guarantee of post-war autonomy for their country. So much for Germany’s declarations as regards that Teutonically oppressed nation. A Kind German. We hear so many tales of German barbarity that it is refreshing to find an instance of a “ Boche ’ ’ trooper of whom something good may be said. A man back in London with a ‘ ‘ Blighty ’ ’ wound tells a “Westminster Gazette” correspondent of a remarkable experience that he had. He had been “put to sleep” by the bursting of a shell on the Somme, and on coming to himself he wandered, blindly, into the German lines. A German soldier asked him for a drink, and he handed over his water-bottle, still not realising where he was. It was the German who discovered that he had no business to be there, and who, in return for the drink, took him by the shoulder, turned him round and muttered, “You English. English over there. Two minutes. Go—quick! ” He went. To Hunt the U Boats. The special correspondent of the Paris “Journal” writes: —“I have been able to see in port one of the vessels constructed by our American Allies to hunt submarines. Thirty metres in length, these vessels are propelled by petrol, and can attain the great speed of 30 knots an hour. They can be replenished with petrol on the high seas by the aid of tubes connecting them with the reservoir ship. Their armament gives them an offensive power of extreme rapidity and of considerable range. Listening instruments of the most up-to-date description have been installed, which enable those on board to detect the approach of a submarine. Finally, without being unable to navigate under water, they are capable of being submerged for a considerable length of time. Within a very few months from now several hundreds of these vessels will be on active service.