THE TOURIST and TRAVELLER

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1334, 18 November 1915, Page 40

THE TOURIST and TRAVELLER

HERE AND THERE. Mr. Hugo Friedlander, of Ashburton, returned to New Zealand by the Riverina after a visit to Sydney, and is at present in Auckland. Mr. Friedlander underwent a very severe operation while in Australia, and his many friends in the sporting and business world will be pleased to hear that he has nearly recovered and expects shortly to be quite well again.

Mr. and Mrs. Stemmons, tourists from San Francisco, who have been on a visit to Rotorua, returned to Australia by the Riverina.

Mr. W. J. Taylor, of Melbourne, left Auckland last week upon his return to Melbourne.

Mr. and Mrs. F. Gribben, of Auckland, left Auckland by the Monowai for Wellington, where they take farewell of their son, who is leaving for the front.

Dr. and Mrs. Delepine, accompanied by Miss Delepine, of Tauranga, left Auckland last week for a short boll day in Sydney.

Mr. Harold Burr, the well-known Gisborne architect, passed through Auckland last week en route to Sydney, on a health recruiting trip. Mr. Burr was accompanied by Mrs. Burr.

Mrs. J. C. N. Grigg, who was in Auckland last week in company with Mr. Grigg, has left by the Riverina en route for England.

Mr. George Hall, of the 'firm of Messrs. Booth, Macdonald and Co., Christchurch, is at present on a visit to Auckland.

Mr. H. J. H. Blow, the well-known Wellngton musician, has been on a visit to Auckland.

Mr. Justice Heydon and Mrs. Heydon, of Sydney, intend visiting New Zealand next month, and will probably spend two months in this country.

Dr. Deck, of Motueka, is leaving shortly to take up medical duties at the Trentham camp.

Mr. and Mrs. R. E. Balcombe Brown, of Wellington, returned by the Ruapehu.

Captain Leopold McLaglen, who has been in New Zealand for some months past, left Auckland for London by the R.M.S. Turakina.

Capta : n J. T. Reid, late of the Union Company’s steamer Karitane, who was a passenger from Sydney by the Moeraki, and who is well known in local shipping circles, has returned to New Zealand to report for orders.

Mr. P. C. Corliss, Commissioner of Stamps, who has been on a holiday trip to the Old Country, was a passenger by the Orontes, wh’ch has arrived at Melbourne, on his return to New Zealand.

Some Germans who were overanxious to communicate with the German prisoners on the latter’s arrival at the Thorndon station from Samoa were arrested by the police and taken to Somes Island.

Europe owes more to Rumanians :n stopping the Turkish invasions than to any other race, and the debt of Christianity and European civilisation to this brave race has never been repaid.

Mr. J. H. Humphreys, secretary of the Proportional Representation Society of Great Britain, and author of the best-known text book on the subject of Proportional Representation, has gone to Dunedin.

Mr. L. W. Potter, clerk of the Bruce County Council, is going into camp at Trentham.

Mr. Marcus Marks, “Hansard” supervisor, has left on a holiday visit to Sydney and Melbourne. Mr. Marks expects to be away from the Dominion for about five weeks.

Captain C. MacArthur, manager at Wellington of the Canterbury Steamship Co., has offered his services to the Imperial Government as a captain of a transport, mine-sweeper, or in any other capacity that will serve the Empire at sea. He has two sons at the front.

Since the war started very little has been heard of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s trans-Antarctic expedition. The expedition is now at its winter quarters somewhere in the Weddel Sea. It is equipped with a wireless receiving apparatus, and on the first day of every month, from the Admiralty station in the Falkland Islands, messages are received.

The guests who were staying at the Grand Hotel last week included: Mrs. Grace Neill, Wellington Mr. J. Prouse, Wellington; Mr. L. G. James, Wellington; Mr. O. Osmond; Mr. Justice Stringer; Mr. G. Kaye, Christchurch; Mr. Chas. A. Lawrence, Wellington; Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Smith, Palmerston North; Mr. C. W. Smith, Rotorua; Mr. W. R. Doughty, Wellington; Mr. H. Garrett, Sydney; Mr. Justice Hosking; Mr. F. Saunders, Wanganui; Mr. P. S. Macassey, Wellngton; Mr. L. E. Johnson, Wellington; Mr. Julius Nowack, Wellington; Mr. C. A. Jeffery, Wellington; Mr. F. M. Prince, Sydney; Mr. James Bishop, Huntly; Mr. A. Kohn, Napier; Mr. Thos. A. Hunter, Dunedin; Dr. and Mrs. McEvedy, Wellington; Miss McEvedy, Wellington; Mr. B. M. Molineaux, Wellington; Mr. A. Baron, Wellington; Mr. and Mrs. H. Nattras and child, Napier; Mr. M. Thomson, Wellington; Mr. Colin Fraser, Melbourne; Mr. G‘. F. Marshall, London; Mr. F. Saunders, Wellington; Mr. Walter Leitch, Blackball; Mr. John Hayes, Greymouth; Mr. M. J. Friedlander, Mangatawhiri; Mr. A. Jarman, Waitu; Mr. Claude Slack, Wellington; Mr. H. C. Armstrong, Sydney; Mr. H. R. Hobday, Melbourne; Mr. M. A. Carr, Wellington; Mr. J. Lavenstein, Sydney;

Mr. P. J. Ryan, Napier; Mr. Vernon Reed, Kawakawa; Mr. Douglas Lysnar, Gisborne; Mr. H. Partridge, Wellington; Mr. Chas. Helps, Sydney; Mr. and Mrs. Shirtcliffe, Wellington; Miss Shirtcliffe, Wellington; Mr. and Mrs. Robertson, Wellington; Mr. H. Moss, Wellington; Mr. H. M. Hayward, Wellington; Mrs. R. N. Guthrie, Wellington; Mr. and Mrs. K. Murchison, Wellington; Mr. J. Murch son, Wellington; Mr. H. Stewart, Sydney; Mr. Valentine H. Mackinney, London; Mr. and Mrs. W. Brown, Wellington; Mr. W. R. Brown, Wellington; Mr. J. S. Jennings, Singapore; Mr. R. A. Hunt, Singapore; Mr. H. Friedlander, Ashburton; and Mr. Frank E. Nelson, Hawke’s Bay.

The guests who were staying at the Star Hotel last week included: Mr. W. H. Honey, Sydney; Mr. C. Plimmer, Wellington; Mr. Van der Velden, Christchurch; Mr. Knight, Dunedin; Mr. Horton, Auckland; Captain McLaglen, England; Mr. and Mrs. Lamzed, West Australia; Mr. Latimer, Palmerston North;; Mr. E. Walkley,

Sydney; Mr. and Mrs. Graham, Capetown; Mr. Endean, Auckland; Mr. and Mrs. Coverdale, Kaiwhia; Mr. G. Morse, Wanganui; Miss Murray, Kawhia; Mr. H. R. H. Balneavis, Wellington; Mr. J. M. McKay, Wellington; Mr. Mostyn Jones, Te Kuiti; Sir Joseph Ward, Wellington; Mr. H. Oakley Browne, Wellington; Mr. G. Finlay, Te Kuiti; Mr. and Mrs. Blyth, Sydney; Mr. W. S. Craig, Wellington; Miss Fairchild, Melbourne; Mr. H. Fairchild, Melbourne; Mr. A. Swarbrick, Hamilton; Mr. R. M. Somerville, Te Kuiti; Mr. D. Ritch, Mongonui; Mr. C. Wright, Melbourne; and Mr. W. M. Hampson, Rotorua.

Amongst the guests staying at the Royal Hotel were: Mr. and Mrs. Paul Burns, U.S. America; Miss Lizzie Wilson, U.S. America; Mr. Harland Garbutt, Christchurch; Mr. E. Delaney, U.S.A.; Mr. Von Dadelszen, Timaru; Mr. E. B. Walker, Wellington; Mr. G. A. Downes, Wellington; Mrs. Guy Collins; Mr. and Mrs. Barrett, Sydney; Mrs. Chase, Kawhia; Mr. E. W. Acland, Morrinsville; Mr. Geo. Hall, Chr’stchurch; Mr. Thos. Buchanan, Waitara; Mr. L. Flower; Awanui; Mr. and Mrs. C. Arnold Jones, Paerata; Mr. F. R. Shepherd, Dunedin; Mr. H. J. H. Blow, Wellington; Dr. Macfar-

lane, Bay of Plenty; Mr. C. E. Armstrong, Hamilton; Mr. and Mrs. E. P. Cowles, Hamilton; Mr. H. D. Thomson, Dunedin; Mr. J. H. Fraser, Dunedin; Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Burr, Gisborne; Mr. and Mrs. W. D. Blair, Dunedin; and Mr. A. Markman, Wellington.

The island of Juan Fernandez, on which Alexander Selkirk, the real Robinson Crusoe, was cast away, is becoming a great fishing ground, and furnishes perhaps the largest, tenderest and juciest lobsters obtainable. Fine cod are also taken in its waters. It has a large Chilean fishing colony, and th’e Japanese, who are organising a fishing industry in northern Chile, are considering the exploitation of that territory. The island belongs to Chile and lies about 400 miles west of Valparaiso. It is 12 miles long by 7 wide, and consists of a great mass of rock, rising to a height of more than 4000 feet. One of the few available harbours is Cumberland Bay. There are wild goats, sheep, and mules on the island, and they thrive on the grass and wild vegetables, which grow in great

luxuriance. There are also wild fruits from the trees planted by Alexander Selkirk, who lived there 200 years ag-o for 44 y 2 years, and who was rescured in 17097” * * * * Despite Prussian tyranny, the inhabitants of Brussels are indefatigable in playing “zwanzes.” or practical jokes, on the German authorities, says an English paper. The latest greatly displeased the Boches. The latter had installed machine-guns on the summit of the Palais de Justice, which commanded the Minimes and Maroll.es districts, where the rougher elements of the population reside. The inhabitants promptly retaliated by placing old metal stove pipes on every available roof, so that at a little distance the neighbourhood seemed to be bristling with artillery. The joke did not appeal to the humour of the Governor-General, who fined each exhibitor of a stove pipe 15 marks. The fine was levied, to quote the unconscious irony, of the official announcement, because the jokers had “distinguished themselves so grievously b'y a method of raillery which could only be disastrous to the excellent relations subsisting between the civil population and the authorities.”

Professor Waters, of Otago University, is going to the front as a captain in the Tunnelling Corps.

Surgeon-Captain F. A. Bett, of Nelson, has been appointed to the hospital ship Maheno, which is to be recommissioned on her return to New Zealand, and leaves again about the end of December.

Mr. R. C. Earle, who is a son of Dr. Earle, of Wanganui, and is at present in England, has enlisted in King Edward’s Horse.

There is a big German press propaganda carried on in America, and it is said that a grant of no less than five million dollars (£1,000,000) has been devoted to this purpose.

Mr. H. Vickerman, Staff Engineer in the Public Works Department, Wellington, has enlisted. His place will be taken by Mr. G. T. Murray, Resident Engineer at Stratford.

Mr. Andrew Fairbairn, the wellknown Christchurch merchant, of the firm of Messrs. Fairbairn, Wright and Co., has enl sted for active military service.

Captain Charles McArthur, Wellington superintendent for the Canterbury Steamship Company, has returned from Sydney. Captain McArthur has just completed an extensive tour of the South Sea Islands and Sydney. He was accompanied by Mrs. McArthur and child.

*t the Commercial Travellers’ Club, Wellington, Mr. Rohm, who has for some time occupied the pos tion of manager of the Le Grove Typewriter Company, was entertained by the members of the club prior to his departure for Australia. whe.'e he has received a lucrative appo ntment. The chair was taken by Mr. Manton, vicepresident of the club, and the toast of the departing member was proposed by Mr. M. A. Carr, who referred particularly to the good work done by Mr. Robin in connect'on with the mock court at the recent carnival.

The death occurred in the Christchurch Hospital recently of Mr. James Little, draughts editor of the “Weekly Press” for upwards of thirty years.

Professor Wall, who occupies the Chair of English at Canterbury College, has registered for military service and passed the medical test.

Mr. E. Martin, of Te Kuiti (brother of Dr. Martin, of Palmerston North), has received information that his youngest brother, Tom, an artilleryman with the second battalion of the New Zealand Artillery force, was among those on the transport which was torpedoed in the Aegean Sea, and swam ashore.

It was well known in Athens, says a traveller, that K:ng Constantine’s wife —the Kaiser’s sister —despised the Greeks —in fact, some years ago, she used to spend most of her time apart from her husband, living in Ber--In, and also in the Kaiser’s palace at Corfu.

The King of Spain is a good sportsman and a fine rider. He is very fond of horses, and h s stud is one of the sights of Madrid. There is a horse for every conceivable function; and each box’s occupant has its name, chosen by the King, painted over it.

Switzerland is flooded with hardworking German agents. Their objects and methods are twofold. They are there not merely to gather information, but to spread it. The scanty facts which they glean may or may not be useful to Germany, but the falsehoods which they sow broadcast are unquestionably mischievous to the Allies.

Lord Kitchener, who has gone out to the East, s described by Harold Begbie as tall, straight, and full of energy. His dark hair is only beginning to grey; his moustache is still nearly as brown as his skin, and he has a look of alacrity and judgment in his eyes which alone gives an appearance of m’-ddle-age to a face frank, full, cheerful and boyish.

Anglers report fairly good catches in the streams round about Temuka and South Canterbury. A ten pounder was landed recently.

An interesting discovery in the shape of a message from France was made at Messrs. G' lberd and Sons’ soap factory at Hamilton. A consignment of resin just arrived from France was being opened up, and on the head being broken out of one cask there appeared, written across the top of the mass of resin, the words: “England expects that every man this day w.ll do his duty.” Underneath, in French, was the name and address of the writer.

Mr. Harold Gregson states that up to the time he left San Francisco the attendance at the Panama-Pacific Exhibition had been fifteen millions, and that it was expected to reach twenty millions by the time the Exposition closes on December 4th next. The Exhibition, said Mr. Gregson, had been a colossal success. The mortgage was burnt two months before he left San Francisco, and everything received since then would be profit. The San Diego Exhibition promoters paid all their debts the first week.

Climbers who used to ridicule the posit ons of certain huts of the German and Austrian Alpine Club, and to remark that they were more like inns than huts, would not laugh now if they could see how the present campaign has shown that all these huts were constructed with a view to the r ultiity in warfare. This explains many having telephones and remarkably large storage accommodation for provisions.

M. Venizelos is stated to be intensely pro-British. It was he who was Instrumental in arranging to secure the services of the British Admiral Tufnel to take charge of their navy, of French officers for the army, and of Italians to take charge of the gendarmerie. The Greek army is well equipped and run on French military lines.

Word has been received from Captain D. J. Watson, late secretary of the Merchant Service Guild, that at the eleventh hour he was transferred to the permanent command of the Austrahan Government cargo steamer Carina, which left Newcastle for Java. At the latter port the Carina will load sugar for Australia. The Carina was formerly the North German Lloyd interned steamer Griefswald, 5461 tons.

Mr. J. C. Hyde, a Leeds accountant, who is serving w.th the Legions of Frontiersmen in British East Africa, writing home, says: “The distr.ct where we are encamped abounds in wild animals of every description, and last Sunday two of our officers shot three lions only a few miles away. I have seen hundreds of zebras, buffaloes, giraffes, wild pig, deer, ostriches, and one lion, but not a rhinoceros.”

The Governor has received instructions from the Secretary of State for the Colonies that in future nobody will be allowed to land in Egypt without a passport, which will be issued by the Governor on the Minister’s recommendation. “This indicates,” said the Hon. G. W. Russell, “that the storm centre is approaching Egypt, and that the Imperial Government are taking extra precautions to prevent the landing of undesirable persons in that country.”

Private Charles Stuart Kelly, of Stratford “Evening Post” staff, claims a record (according to the “Dominion”). He went into the trenches at Gall.poll on May 8 and came out sick at the end of June, without having fired a single shot. It so happened that during the period mentioned Gee was little doing so far as his particular section was concerned, and as the Turks lay close in cover he had not even the satisfaction of saying that he fired at one —a positively unique experience. After being two months on the Peninsula he had the misfortune to contract enteric, and underwent treatment in the hospital at Lemnos, really a collection of tents.

Durban, I think, says Mr J. Montgomerie, of Stratford 1 , who is travelling in South Africa, is the prettiest little town I have seen on m|y journey. AB the are evergreen, and there are no leaves or filth about the streets; even the tram lines have nice green grass growing between. I never saw fruit so cheap in my life. Pineapples were 6d per dozen, bananas 6d per 50, and all fruit is very cheap, all sorts of tropical fruits grow in Natal, also thousands and thousands of acres of sugar cane. The train accommodation in Africa, I think, is far ahead of New Zealand. The meals on the train could not be better, about a dozen different dishes, 3s for meals, and 3d extra for tea, beds 2s 6d.

Russia has at her disposal a valuable asset to the war in the people of thfe Grand l Duchy of Finland. As is known, Finland had her own army up to 1902, when, for political reasons, it was dissolved by order of the Czar. This army operated alongside of Russia’s in 1863 during the insurrection of Poland, and in 1877 during the Russo-Turkish War. It proved to be one of the best fighting forces. When this war began many officers of the former Finland regiments petitioned the Czar and were enlisted: in Russian regiments. Some of them already have been killed in action. Some have received the highest military distinctions. General Sdhulman, commander of Ossowetz, the only fortress which for eight months withstood all German attacks is a Finnish subject. It has now been decided to ask the Finnish Senate for recruits to fight for the common Fatherland. Possibly the Finnish army will be restored to its former numbers. Certainly Finland will demand some guarantees for the restoration of her complete autonomy.

The hotels in America are luurious. The visitor has to pay a high tariff, but he has the satisfaction of knowing that he is getting good value for his money. The rooms are large, beautifully furnished and fitted with every convenience that a visitor could require. 'Each room has attached to it a bathroom, a lavatory,

hot and cold water, and a telephone connected with the central office in the hotel and through that with l the city lanes and the long distance systems. Each room has a writing desk with writing materials, and in the hotel itself are cafes, barber shops, news stands, tobacconists’ and manucurists’ parlour, s The service throughout is excellent. The American generally is a particularly well-groomed man, and in the barber shops the visitor to the country is met with a scene which at first is highly amusing. The victim in the chair is seen at the same moment to be undergoing a shave, having his boots blacked and his hands manicured. A distncit feature of interest is the presence of lady barbers. The barbers take their time, but they are highly skilled. Thein shaves are dlean and smooth. In fact right through America all the services o<f this kind are excellent.

One of the best-informed international bankers in New York, who for months h'as been in constant touch with important financial interests in Germany, was asked recently for his opinion about the condition of financial affairs in Germany, and whether the true situation was realised by the German people. “The German financial position is very, very bad,” he declared,. “worse, in fact, than the American was in the closing years of th'e Civil War. The country is completely off a gold basis, and the German people, notwithstanding their ardent patriotism, and willingness to make great sacrifices, are beginning to realise that the currency of the Imperial Reichsbank is fiat money, and to feel seriously concerned over it. They do not know the true facts, but are getting suspicious, despite the vigorous efforts of the Government to conceal all disagreeable matter pertaining to the country’s finances. Personally, I do not believe that Germany can stand th’e strain very much longer. Financial exhaustion stares her in the fa’ce, and the authorities are fully alive to the seriousness of the situation. They are experiencing increasing difficulty in keeping these secrets from the German people. Internal dissensions and active

agitation for peace negotiations would, I am convinced, quickly follow the publication of the true facts. No one one outside Germany really appreciates the hardships already suffered by the people as the result of the war. The minority, however, are optimistic regards the outcome of the struggle. These are buoyed up solely with the Government’s official statements, which they do not think to question. A free press no longer exists in Germany. This cannot last, however, and m'y personal opinion is that the end of the war will be in sight directly the German people fully realise their position. This, I think, will be much sooner than is generally expected.’ -

In the course of a conversation that the Paris representative of a London paper had with one of the high officials of the Bank of France a few weeks ago, the correspondent learnt some interesting particulars concerning the results of the public request for gold by the Finance Minister. The reserve of gold will be able to sustain French credit ■until the end of the war without serious difficulty, notwithstanding the considerable payments effected abroad for munitions, foodstuffs, machinery, coal and other manufactured goods and raw materials. The reserve of gold at the bank is now nearly £160,000,000, notwithstanding these heavy payments to foreign exporters, and the loan of £20,000,000 in gold to Great Britain. Gold was flowing into the bank from the public very freely, and at the bank it is believed that the figure for the whole of France will considerably exceed the sum •of £4,000,000 for the first three weeks. The town of Nancy alone gave £lOO,OOO in a few days. “It may be difficult,’’ said the writer’s informant, “to induce some people to part with their gold hoards, especially peasants in demote districts, but if the public brings a milliard (40,000,000), that means credit in the form of fiduciary to three times that sum. Hence the £40.000,000 added to the £160,000,000 in gold, means the acceptance of French paper money at its face value to the tune of £600.000,000, without counting the remaining gold in the

country that will surely come in gradually to cover the outgoings. In reard to Russis, the gold reserve at the Imperial Bank is not far short of £160,000,000, and Russia has great stores of wheat ready to sell for gold. The Russians are in no need for money now; thfey want munitions of war. As far as France is concerned, we, who surely know who, keep the French purse, can state that this country can well fight out the war financial!}’ to the end.”

It was predicted by British and French

military critics that the great offensive on the part of the Allies in the west, for the purpose of breaking the German lines and driving the Germans out of France and Belgium, would begin in May last, when the ground, which had become sodden with’, th’e winter rains, would' be sufficiently hard to allow military movements to be carried out on a large scale. But the great offensive has only now begun. There has been fierce fighting from time to time, but it has been at. isolated points along the battle front As has already been explained, these isolated struggles along the western battle front were preparations for the big offensive. They were directpoints, from which the Allies, when they are ready for the task of breaking the German lines in the west in half a dozen places, will be able to command the lateral communications of the Germans near the spots selected for breaking through, and so delay—for hours in some cases, and for days in others—tfie arrival of German reinforcements. The German military strength has passed its zenith, and the German military authorities are no longer able to make good all the losses in the ranks of their armies. Every day the numerical strength of the German armies is being lowered: It is the policy of the Allies to conduct their preliminary operations in such a way that the Germans lose more men than they do. In this way the German lines will become weaker and weaker, and the task of breaking through them will become less formidable.