THE TOURIST and TRAVELLER

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1338, 16 December 1915, Page 40

THE TOURIST and TRAVELLER

HERE AND THERE.

Mrs. Brian Shepherd and Miss Manfield, of Somerset, England, who have been on a short visit to Auckland, left for Wellington via the Wanganui River.

Mr. C. M. Todd and Miss Todd, of Adelaide, are at present at Rotorua, en route to Taupo and the Wanganui River.

Mr. J. S. Cockerton, an English visitor, who has been recently staying at Cargen, has now gone on a visit to the Bay of Islands.

Mr. George Knew, who landed by the Remuera, was met by his son, Mr. E. C. Knew, who is farming in the Whangarei district.

Private advice has been received in Ashburton from London that Lieuten-ant-Colonel John Findlay, C. 8., has recovered from his wounds.

Mr. and Mrs. Ledingham, of Melbourne, who visit New Zealand every summer, are at present in Christchurch.

Mrs. Norman Burton, of Wellington, is on a visit to Auckland.

Among recent enlistments was Mr. E. S. Douglas, professional for the Miramar Golf Club, Wellington. Mr. Douglas is the leading professional in the Dominion, being the holder of the professional and open championships.

Mr. Georges Aziz Mabari, a young Egyptian, is at present in Wellington. He is touring the world and is visiting the chief places of interest in New Zealand. He leaves for the South, and will later tour the Hot Lakes Districts, joining the Niagara at Auckland at the end of the month for Vancouver.

Mr. G. E. Tolhurst, who has been in Great Britain for some months, was a passenger by the Ulimaroa, which arrived in Wellington last week.

* * * * Dr. F. Kahlenburg, being desirous of proceeding to the front, has resigned his position as medical officer in charge of the Gisborne Hospital.

Dr. Kenneth Ross, the well-known golf player, at present living at Waitati, will take up his residence in Dunedin shortly.

Mr. W. J. Colley, the English artist and picture restorer, who has done much valuable work in New Zealand, left Wellington last week for America.

Mr. Loring, of San Francisco, arrived in Wellington by the Maitai last week. Mr. Loring has come to New Zealand to join the American Scientific Research Ship Carnegie at Lyttelton.

Professor T. Marsden, of Victoria College, Wellington, has enlisted, and will leave for the front in January.

Mr. Hugo Friedlander, of Ashburton, has received cable advice from his son, Captain A. J. Friedlander, R.A.M.C., to the effect that he is coming out to New Zealand by the hospital ship Maheno. Captain Friedlander participated in the last big battle at Gallipoli, and was invalided to the General Hospital at Alexandria, and from thence to the Convalescent Camp at: Port Said.

Madame Celia Livingstone, who was in New Zealand for a few weeks after eight years’ residence in Paris and London, arrived in Wellington from Christchurch last week, and has returned to the Continent.

Lieutenant Percy A. Elworthy, of Pareora, who went Home some months ago, obtained a commission in the Ist Life Guards. Lieutenant Elworthy has cabled, stating that he had been at the front for a month and was “all well.” Miss Murray-Aynsley, of Christchurch, has been on a trip to Mount Cook and the West Coast. 4: 4= * 4< Mr. W. P. Haselhurst, of the literary staff of the Sydney “Sun,” has been in Wellington and Christchurch on a short holiday. * * * * Captain Daniels, a well-known Australian mining expert, arrived in Wellington from Sydney by the Manuka last week, en route for the West Coast. * * * 4> Dr. Deck, of the Australian Medical Corps, who returned by the Tofua, with the New Zealand wounded, has left again for Egypt to resume his military duties.

Information is asked for by an English paper about 11/80 Trooper A. W. McMinn, 6th Wellington Mounted Rifles, New Zealand Expeditionary Force, reported missing after action on Gallipoli Peninsula on August 9th, 1915. Any information regarding above will be gratefully received by Mrs. McMinn, Heathfield, Campbelltown, Argyll, Scotland.

Five months ago, states a ‘'Daily Express” correspondent, did not find any internal signs of a be iten Ger many, nor did I find any this time. When I returned before I warned people in this country not to underestimate the strength and endurance of the enemy, and what I remarked then —that the spirit of the German people was unbroken, and that there was not the slightest sign of an internal revolution —I can only repeat now. If there is one man in Britain who thinks that Germany will be beaten in a few months on account of shortage of men, war material, or money, that man makes a grave mistake. .

Miss A. F. Ironside, M.A., senior mistress • of the Palmerston North High School, has been granted extended leave of absence, and sailed from Wellington for Australia by the Mokoia. * 4< 4< * Mr. C. N. Orbell, of Levels, probably holds something of a Dominion record in the matter of chairmanship of a local body. He was this week reelected chairman of the Levels County Council for the thirty-first year in succession. $ He $ $ St. Paul’s is second only to Westminster Abbey in the number of its monuments to the mighty dead. The sarcophagus of Wellington consists of a great block of rock resting on a granite base, while at the extreme end of the crypt, where lie the remains of most of the eminent men buried in the Cathedral, stands the funeral-car (cast from captured cannon) on which the Duke’s remains were brought to the Cathedral.

The wireless operator of the steamer Port Kembla relates an interesting incident that occurred during a voyage. “Just as we were leaving an American port,” he said, “I had the receiver to my ears, and was surprised to hear a human voice come from the instrument. Listening intently, I was able to hear the voice call, ‘Hullo, Philadelphia!’ to which the response came, ‘Hullo, Boston!’ followed by a further call from the first station, ‘Stand by for a little music.’ After a slight interval the grating sound of a gramophone preceded the rendering of the song, ‘Sister Susie Sewing Socks for Sailors,’ which I could, hear without difficulty, each note being recorded as though the gramophone were in the wireless room. On the arrival of the Port Kembla at the Bermudas it was ascertained the cause was that some experiments were being carried out by the wireless telephone station at Boston.”

The guests who were staying at the Grand Hotel, Auckland, last week included: Hon. M. Pomare, Wellington;

Mr. A. N. Polson, Wellington; Mr. F. Owen French, Newcastle, N.S.W.; Mr. Maurice J. Guthrie, Christchurch; Mr. W. G. Butcher, Rotorua; Mr. Percy Watts, Hamilton; ’ Mr. G. Gleeson; Mr. E. E. Gahagan, Wellington; Col. V. S. Smythe, Rangiotu; Mr. J. H. Muir, Wellington; Mr. W. J. Prouse, Wellington; Mr. S. J. McCormack, Whangarei; Mr. M. J. Friedlander, Mangatawhiri; Mr. J. N. Ormerod, Christchurch; Mr. G. H. Stubbs, Mangatangi; Mr. and Mrs. Worley, London; Mr. C. Colquhoun, Melbourne; Mr. J. Macfarlane, Hawke’s Bay; Mrs. Crawford, Wellington; Mrs. Tilly, Wellington; Miss Brandon, Wellington; Mr. and Mrs. A. Gillies, Rotorua; Mr. Joseph Clarke, Ocean Island; Mr. B. D. Rothbury, Sydney; Mr. A. C. Baron, Wellington; Mr. O. C. Mills, Melbourne; Mr. Vernon Reed, Bay of Islands; Mrs. A. Myers, Auckland; Mr. L. G. James, Wellington; Mr. A. G. Duncan, Wellington; Mr. M. A. Powrie, Christchurch; Mrs. W. J. Bloomfield, Sydney; Mr., Mrs. and Master Bickford, Sydney; Mr. F.

Ronayne, 1.5.0., Wellington; Mrs. T. Ronayne, Wellington; Miss Ronayne, Wellington; Mr. W. R. Ray, Melbourne; and Mrs. E. M.cMasters, Melbourne. 4: 4= 4: 4< The guests who were staying at the Star Hotel last week were: Miss Jonas, Dunedin; Mr. W. S. Craig, Wellington; Mr. and Mrs. Bly th, Melbourne; Mr. Swarbrick, Hamilton; Mr. Ritch, Wellington; Mr. and Mrs. H. Harden, Wellington; Mr. and Mrs. A. Hughes, Sydney; Mr. Hampson, Rotorua; Mr. and Mrs. H. Fairchild, Melbourne; Mr. R. Somerville, Te Kuiti; Lieut'. Hetet, Te Kuiti; Mr. Knight, Dunedin; Mrs. Knight, Dunedin; Mr. C. Horton, Auckland; Mr. W. Endean, Auckland; Mr. G. Wright, Melbourne; Mr. and Mrs. J. Gallagher, Auckland; Mr. Enslege, Wellington; Mr. Iwakan, Wellington; Mr. and Mrs. Metcalfe, Auckland; Mr. P. Mora, Te Kuiti; Mr. Lamb, Te Kuiti; Mr. G‘. Gore, Wellington; Mr. Kennett, Christchurch; Mr. A. E. Dodd, Thames; Mr. E. R. Reilly, Melbourne; Mr. J. Wachsman, Gisborne; and Mr. P. C. Walsh, Christchurch.

The Amsterdam “Telegraaf” learns from the frontier some details regarding German methods of warfare in the villages of West Flanders. In Essen 500 inhabitants were shut up by the Germans in the great cellars of a brewery in the month' of October. Ten w r ere shot. 15 died of exposure in the cellars. 9 were klMd by shell-fire in the village, and during their flight 13 were killed in a manner as yet unknown.

It is worth while remembering that, ■till the present war. defeat has been t<nknown to modern Germany. Prussia brought Denmark, Austria, and France quickly to their knees, and for the past 40 years Germans have oeen as sanguine with regard to the lofty Destiny of their race as was Napoleon of his own. But once the tide of war has fairly turned, the feeling that It is useless to fight against Destiny will probably lead to un-looked-for all important developments.

The massacre of 3000 Bohemian troops comprising the 24th Bohemian Regiment, by its own officers for refusal to fight the Serbians, was described by Ottokar Bartik, manager of Emmy Destinn. the New York Metropolitan opera singer. (Mr Bartik, who had the information from a relative arriving in America from Bohemia a short time ago, vouches for its authenticity, he says “Only meagre details of the massacre have drift d out. owing to the rigid censorship. The 24th Regiment was the crack military body of Prague. A hot t 3000 of the men. a regiment on a war footing, refused to fight the Serbians. The officers, sure of the backing of the general staff, drew up. the men on parade, flanked, by a machine gun division. At the sign, all the machine guns were turned loose. My informant tells me timre "were twenty-nine survivors.”

“The. people in Silesia,” says a French woman who managed to leave the country after living there for eleven months, do not seem to be short of anything and {prices are scarcely higher than before the war. For a long time they have not had to eat doubtful bread. Just before J left they were eating an excellent

•white bread, and the confectioners were turning out tasty cakes. Several times I heard suggested the formation of a buffer State of Poland. In my presence—perhaps it was only their politeness—they always spoke of the restitution to France of the occupied provinces; but,, on the other hand, the admission of Belgium into the German Empire, ■with the same, rights as Bavaria o.r Saxony, seemed to go without saying. All the same, I ought to add that I have often been surprised to see that, in spite of their persistent show of absolute confidence. they have begun to sell and recite a prayer for peace, called the Pope’s prayer, and the churches are full of the faithful, wih’o implore the God of armies, to put an end to the horrors of the war. “I believe that the German aristocratic military caste is the only class which is resolved not to give w’ay to tire evidence of its own eyes. But its obstinacy is still far from being defeated.”

First-hand experience of the Zeppelin raid on London early in September is given by L.-Cpl. Hill in a letter to his parents in Wellington. “On Tuesday (7th S-piember),” he says. “Zeppelins at tacked London and did damage—killed 10 and wounded 46. Last night (Btb) they came again and did a lot of damage—killed 20 and woundedi 80. I was at ■Sadler’s Green at 11p.m.. and suddenly a huge Zeppelin flew right over me, dropping three bombs en route. Two fell in a field and another on a house,, but I could not get near enough to examine it. As a matter of fact, I felt I wanted to crawl down a drain and hide my head. Subsequently, the Zeppelin passed right over London, and when the searchlight picked him up a great spectacle was afforded. About 40 anti-aircraft gunsi opened on her. and for ten minutes the Zeppelin and the bursting shells filled the whole universe (at least one had eyes for nothing else). Unfortunately none of the shells hit her, but every bomb she dropped played up ‘Old Harry’ below. About a score of fires were started, and considerable damage •was done. On reaching the street where I am lodging I found it in a great state of excitement-

A bomb had dropped, and every window in the neighbourhood was shattered. In my boardinghouse every bit of glass was shattered, and my bed, which faces two bay windows, was just covered with quarter-inch pieces of glass. Rather lucky I was late home, I guess. In all about twenty bombs were dropped,”

The nationalities in the Balkans are the Bulgars and l Serbs, the Rumanians, the Montenegrins, the Albanians, the Bosnians, the Herzogovinians, the Wallachians, the Moldavians, the Transylvanians, the Bessarabians, the Greeks, the Turks and the Italians. Our trouble is now, and ever has been, that we don’t know the facts of the case. When the Turks raided Bulgaria in 1875, the world heard about it through W. E. Gladstone, and it came as a shock to the world to Learn that there were people such as the Bulgarian in existence. The Turks attacked the village of Batak, with Bashi-Bazouks and the poor Bulgarian peasants couldn’t fight. They were all. right on murder and pillage, and arson, but they had no arms, and they had never been drilled, and the Bashi-Bazouks had it all their own way. 'J'here were about seven thousand people in Batak, and the commander of the Turks promised that if they capitulated, they would be honorably dealt with, and not one of thorn should be hurt, so they yielded. Then the BashiBazouks were let loose, and it is alleged, slaughtered five thousand out of the seven thousand inhabitants. Mr Gladstone affirmed that there w'erdi twelve thousand Bulgarians slaughtered during the month of May, the month of Mary, the blessed month of the early summer. And Bulgaria had suffered five centuries of Turkish rule at that tlnm. and they were still Christians, and still had some aspirations after independence. The minute you recite that fact, you realise that the Turks could' not have been as bad as they were made out, or else there would have been no Christian Bulgars left, after rive centuries of Turkish rue. Mr Gladstone lived to realise that the Christians were not the innocent lambs that he made them out to be!

Austri-Hungary has a population of 50 millions to the 34 millions of Italy. Austria, has 1,700,000 trained men between the ages of 21 and 33, can place in the field at the outset of a war at least 48 •divisions of infantry, giving with other arms, 680,000 bayonets, 55,000 sabres, and 1700 guns,exclusive of Landsturm formations. Italy, with 1,000,000 trained men aged 20 to 32, has at most 36 divisions, including 12 of mobile militia, with 555.000 ■rifles and 21,000 sabres. Italy’s constant loss by emigration makes it difficult to reckon the effective strength of her reserves. Out of the Austrian peace strength of nearly 400,000 all ranks, about 70.000 men are quartered on the Italian frontier, and of these no fewer than 20,000 have been added during the last six years. The clever use made of Ersatz reservists by Austria during the frontier troubles of last year shows that it is easy for this Power to expand hen effectives without formal mobilisation. The peace strength of the Italian garrisons facing Austria is about 45,000 men, excluding garrisons south of the Po. The two Austrian army corps on the frontier are the 14th and the 3rd, with headquarters at Ihnsbruck and Graz respective ly. Although all the garrison of the Tyrol must be considered mountain troops, it was not till four years ago that Austria created special troops for Alpine warfare and gave them the system of local recruiting and fixity of garrisons adopted by Italy in 1872 and France in 1888. The exact role of the Austrian frontier garrisons, in case of war, cannot of course be stated, but the probability is that their main duty will be that of covering troops. In peace time they form a fringe along the frontier, while behind them are their reserves massed in groups of brigades at six different garrisons, namely, Trent, the upper Adige. Innsbruck. Klagenfurt, Laibach, and Trieste. The Italian frontier army corps are the'3rd,’ sth, and 6th. with headquarters at Milan. Verona, and Bologna respectively. The chief garrisons are at these towns and at Brescia, Padua and Venice. Alpine troops occupy the frontier, while other Alpini from the Ferncfr frontier are brought across from time to time to learn the ground.

“To-day everybody knows,” says a (Belgian writer, “why the Emperor and German General Staff wished to destroy an entire city in which the army had epent four days, and where complete tranquillity prevailed. German officers themselves have confessed. The idea was to terrorise Brussels, only a few kilometres away; to terrorise the King and the Government of Antwerp, and thus lead the Belgian people to clamour for peace and put pressure on the authorities not to allow Antwerp to resist further. By burning Louvain William fl. hoped to save 100,000 men and win three weeks of precious time.”

As is generally known, the Kiel Canal was designed to enable the German fleet to operate effectively and quickly in either the North Sea or the Baltic. When the locks at the entrances became too small for the newer types of battleships an cruisers the canal lost much of its military importance, and it was decided to widen it and construct greater locks. The work was undertaken in 1009, and was completed fully half a year ahead of schedule time, owing to the army of workmen employed and organisation of the highest order. At one time the entire sixty miles was a continuous workshop. The most difficult and costly part.of the whole scheme was the rebuilding of the locks. Each measures 1150 ft in length, 148 ft in width, and 46ft in depth, being larger in every way than the Panama Canal locks. The Kiel Canal locks can be, if required, converted into dry docks, there being two at each end.

There are hundreds of German hotels and pensions in Italy, and the owners of many of them have been found to be handling war contraband and expelled. Signor Bragaglia vouches for the accuracy of the following sensational, story. ‘‘Some time ago,” he writes, “an elderly German of martial aspect spent some time in Rome at the small Pension 'Hanover. where he occupied a small room on the third floor. Strangely enough this gentleman spent most of his time looking out of a window, and as this window happened to be exactly opposite another

across the street where the War Office building is, the suspicious of an officer were aroused. This officer ascertained that from the pension window one could look into the room occupied by the

general headquarters staff at the War Office. and that with powerful field glasses it was possible to read papers' left on the table near the War Office window. A remedy, was soon found. Curtains were put up on the War Office window and the German left Rome. It has since been found that he was no less a personage than General von Bulow, a brother of the Prince who is now German Ambassador here.”

A remarkable confession of English superiority has been made by a Garman officer in a letter written to a friend in Switzerland. The confession is the more striking because the Germany military caste have always—till'this war. in factunderrated and looked down upon the British Army as a fighting force. Writing from West Flanders on March 17, the officer says—“ Since writing you last, about a month ago. 1 and my men have had the most miserable time since the war began. We are still up against the English, but had to fall back from the village of . which we had partly taken, for fear of being caught in a trap. These •English have a nasty way of making us believe that we have got tire better of them, and just as we are about to begin fortifying our new positions, down they come upon us apparently from nowhere. No wonder our men are beginning to get a bit disheartened, and require constant changing, though we try to keep 'the old stagers at it as long as possible, for they are far more valuable to us than the green stuff which they send up from the recruiting barracks. Fighting these English is like attacking an army of non-commissioned officers, so well are their men trained in comparison with ours, who. of course, have not had years of practice like the English' regular army. Our men are brave enough when under proper leadership. but when it comes to tactics and quick movements, they are more difficult to handle, and no match for these cool-

bloodrd English, where each man knows by instinct born of long training, bow to make the best use of his position.