Notes

New Zealand Tablet, 4 February 1915, Page 34

Notes

Neutrality Up to Date

!>- Apparently there are two brands of ‘ neutrality ’ in America at the present time—President Wilson’s, and the other. President Wilson’s neutrality expresses' itself at this juncture in best wishes for the. Kaiser’s welfare. The more popular brand expresses itself thus: * We are now so neutral that we don’t care which country beats Germany !’ * This,’ says the London Mail, ‘is the new definition of “neutrality” in the war, now popular in tjie United States.’

The Archbishop of Tuam’s Tribute to Mr. Redmond

On the occasion of the great meeting at Tuam on Sunday, December 6—to which reference is made elsewhere in this issuethe Archbishop of Tuam, who . was unable to be present, as it was a political gathering, sent a letter in which he paid the following tribute to Mr. J. Redmond, who was the principal speaker:—‘At the same time I feel quite free to say that I shall be exceedingly glad if a splendid welcome is extended to Mr. John Redmond in our ancient ecclesiastical capital. ■ In my opinion, he is the safest and wisest guide Ireland could have, and he was never more needed than at the present moment. In difficult and trying circumstances he has shown himself to be a- man of conspicuous courage, of prudence, and of true statesmanlike capacity. He deserves whatever compliment can be paid him in the West. You have my cordial good wishes for the success of the meeting/ -

Some War Stories

We do not vouch for the truth of the following stories, but whether or not they are true at least they are new, and well told. A certain Wesleyan circuit steward, obviously a journalist, too, tells in the London Methodist Times how he and other middle-aged men and many nearer three score and ten years are throwing off their comfortable lethargy and undergoing physical exercises night after night and Saturday after Saturday. He tells how they turned out for a route march 250 strong one Saturday, and ‘came back highly* pleased with ourselves and with a certain note of fellowship with our brave fellows out there in Flanders. But at dinner on Sunday my wife pointed out to me that it mas not really necessary to do the goose step when carrying the, collection plate up the aisled

‘ Yeoman,’ a London correspondent of the Dunedin Even Star , tells of a Scottie who remarked in the midst of an awful shelling from the enemy : ‘ Aye, mon, I’d rather see it on the pictures.’ ‘ That Jock,’ remarks ‘ Yeoman,’ ‘was a thundering good judge.’ One of the most delightful stories, if a trifle irreverent (continues this correspondent), is the following: During a service in a big barn the chaplain called out the hymn ‘ No. 67, “Art thou weary, art thou languid.” One of the Tommies, who was nearly dead with fatigue, happened to be No. 67, and in his sleepy state did not realise his surroundings, so he looked up on hearing his number and supposed question and answered “Not arf, I ain’t.” ’