THE PRICE TO BE PAID.

Woodville Examiner, Volume XXVIII, Issue 4627, 14 May 1915, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE PRICE TO BE PAID.

Although the Roll of Honour lias unhappily now for many months been a regular feature of the daily newspapers, we can hardly have road unmoved, says the London “Graphic,” the terribly long list of officer deaths issued during the last few days in connection with the battle of Xeuve Chapelle. Even to the most heedless it becomes clear —perhaps for the first time during the warhow high is the price of victory in this devastating conflict, and how great the price yet to be paid ere our task can ho accomplished. Ncuve Chapelle, moreover, was not a decisive engagement. Despite his warm tributes to the gallantry of our men, “Eye-witness” admits that the recent success was “.small” in actual extent’. That is the true point of view. When viewed in the perspective of a few months hence, Neuve Chapelle will be seen to have been a minor engagement in this terrific conflict. In a' word, we must steel ourselves for casualty lists of far more lamentable proportions than those which have saddened us during the past few days. The time is surely approaching when, if the nation does not dispel the unreality with which, in .considerable part, it"continues to view the war, it will receive a harrowing shock. For all its lowered lights, khaki - thronged streets and recruiting posters,_ the general life of London has moved 'little from its normal course. Desperately sad days are coming, and we would do well, one and all of us, to strengthen ourselves against them by some meed of preparation. Directly or indirectly, everybody can do something in the way of “war service.” The fact of being so engaged will at least—when the great struggle is joined and the mourning becomes deeper —give the feeling that, each in his own degree, we are doing our part.

IN DEPENDENT. A thriving hut somewhat miserly farmer was in the habit, of leaving his horse and gig at the door of the Black Bull Inn on market, days in charge of the tlr.st person he could find. I One day Janisie, the “ softie” of the place, had been engaged for this purpose, hut on re-entering his gig the farmer, much to Jamsie’s annoyance and surmise, drove off without the slightest acknowledgement for his time and tron b’.e. Next market day the farmer again engaged .Tamsio for the same purpose. “Na, nn, Mr. Campbell,'' he returned, “ I dunnn need to hand horses ony ruair.” “And how’s that?” inquired the farmer. “Oh, ye see, sir,” ren’icd Jamsie, “what ye fried me last time has made me independent.” QUITE TRITE. It recently happened that Paul Wiseacre was in the company of a number of men who were discussing the wonders of invention and of discovery during the last hundred years. During a lull in the conversation. Wiseacre ventured to intimate that to him gunpowder seemed the most wonderful of all inventions. “Why gunpowder?” asked one of the men. “Because there’s nothing in the world that can hold a candle to it.” "Whereupon the company chased him from the room. Pig-iron is produced in greater quantity by the United States of America than by any other country; Germany and Luxemburg rank second for supply, and the United Kingdom third.