Notes

New Zealand Tablet, 8 July 1915, Page 34

Notes

That * Strale ’ Prayer The German prayer invoking punishment upon England is treated as a subject for general joke by the British public, and of course even more so by the ‘Tommies.’ The drollest application of the- ‘ strafe ’ petition which we have seen is that chronicled by the Editor of the Varsity. 1 I have just received,’ he says, ‘-from a member of the London Scottish the following note; We are at a depot now, a very dull life! Reveille at 5 a.nr. ; : Swedish exercises till noon. Gott strafe Sweden! !”’ . . , ~ . . ■.

An Offer ) From -Spain .'■H-y-jcsv-} -;- ...1.;.. -,V . ... .;< •„ , '■ ' ; •. c; Last week’s cables, per - Times and Sydney Sun , services, contained the following: A Rome message says it ns reported that an invitation from Spanish, bishops to transfer the Holy See to Spain is being excitedly dis; cussed.’ Careful readers were aware that the statement as to the excitement attaching to the discussion might very safely be-discounted, but there was nothing intrinsically improbable in the substance of the message. The following paragraph from late American papers seems to throw some light oh the facts, and serves to make clear, the Pope’s intentions: " A despatch to the Morning Post from Madrid says: ‘ Senor Dato, the Premier, has stated that in view of the new situation created for the Pope by hostilities between Italy and Austria he had offered the Pontiff the hospitality of Spain, placing at his disposal the Palace of the Escurial as accommodation for his Holiness, the Cardinals, and the necessary Vatican officials. The Pope in reply expressed his deep sense of the kindness of the Premier’s suggestion, but declined the offer, stating that he had no intention of leaving Rome at present.’

Exaggerated War Babies Some time ago statements appeared in many English papers to the effect that in one district alone, the scene"of a large military camp, no less than 20,000 illegitimate births were, expected. Similar unpleasant reports were circulated regarding other camp localities in England. Further inquiry goes to show that the facts, ■ like the premature announcement of Mark Twain’s death, have been much exaggerated. The Charity Organisation Society ’ report that inquiries in forty-five centres are unanimous in describing the likelihood of a very high illegitimate birth-rate in places where troops have been stationed as a ‘ great exaggeration.’ Thus in one locality where it was said 1000 births were expected, inquiry brought fo light one case only. The society say they wish to point out that the inquiries show that ‘ the soldier is responding to the high ideal formed of him, and that those who have spread what turn out to be grotesquely exaggerated rumors to the detriment of his character have neither served him nor his country.’