Abergavenny Chronicle

I JAM ON CONDITIONS. j At Grimsby Polico-court a fino of X30 and costs was imposed on Messrs. Tickler, jam manufacturers, for a condition on the sale ef jam. It was stated that the firm insisted on the Grimsby Co-operative Society entering into an agreement with them to buy jam from them tit competitive prices for the next five years. The ma.gil4.rates said they were of opinion no intentional or I flagrant breach of the regulations was in- tended, or a heavier penalty would have been imposed.

I JEWISH GENERAL'S COMMAND. 1 I Major-General Sir John Monash, K.C.B., has been given full command of an Aus- tralian army corps and been promoted to the rank of lieu L -,re lie I-al. This is the highest position in the Army ever held by a Jew.

I GUERNSEY'S GOVERNOR. i The King has I appointed Lieut.-General Sir Lauacelot Edward O Kiggell to be Lieu- tenant-Governor of Guernsey, in place of General Sir Reginald Hart, V.C., resigned. Lieut .-General Kiggell was Chief of the j General Staff in France from 1915 until a few months ago.

BOMBING SQUADRONS ATTACK STATIONS AND FACTORIES. DIRECT HITS OBSERVED. Thursday night's report on aviation from Sir I). llaig stat-ed: On the afternoon of the 12th inst. two euccesgive raids were carried out by our squadrons against the Metz-Sablons railway station and sidings. Many heavy bombs were dropped. On the 13th inst. one squadron of our aeroplanes attacked the station at Treves. Another dropped a ton of bombs on the fac- tories and station at Dillingen. At the same time the factories and station at Hagendangen were subjected to attack. At Dillingen direct bits were observed on two furnaces. Successful long-distance photographic reconnaissances were carried out by other machines. In the course of attacks made by the enemy on our bombing machines one hostile aeroplane was destroyed and two others were driven down. One of our machines is missing. Our flying squadrons on the French battle front on tne 12th inst. were chiefly engaged in offensive patrol work, seeking out German machines, and fighting them wherever they were found. They destroyed fifteen enemy aeroplanes, some of which went down in flames, while others broke in the air. One of our machines in this sector is missing. On the British Front a good deal of aerial reconnaissance, photography, and artillery observation was carried out. We lost two machines and destroyed five Ger- man machines. Two other hostile machines were driven down out of control, and a Ger- man observation balloon was brought down in flames. Twenty-two tons of bombs were dropped by us during the day, the principal targets attacked being Don junction, the railways at Courtrai, Armentieres, and Chaulnes, the dump at Bapaume, aud Bruges docks. The weather at night was unsuitable for fly- in tr. RAIDS DURING MAY. The following table shows the number of German towns raided by British airmen during May, together with the military objectives and the number of times each town has been raided: Bonsdorf (station and sidings) 2 Ccblenz (station and barracks) 1 Cologne (station, factories, barracks) 1 Diedenhofen-Thionville (station and sid- ings 14 Esch (station and sidings) 1 Hagendingen (railways and factories) 1 Karlsruhe (station and workshops) 1 Katliaus (stations and bridges) 3 Krcuzwald (electric power station) 4 Landau (barracks, station, sidings, gas- works) 2 Mannheim (chemical factory) 3 Metz (stations and sidings) 2 Mdz, Sablons (stations, sidings, rail- way triangle) ••• ••• lo Saarbrueken (factories, sidings, station) 2 jSeittel (station) 1 FIRST U.S. RAID. An American communique issued in Pari.,t on Thursday night records the first raid by American airmen into German territory that has yet been reported officially. It says:— HLat night our aviators- bombed with good effect the station of Dommary Baron- court, north-west of Metz. All our machines returned safely." 12 GERMAN MACHINES DOWN. Friday night's report on aviation from Sir Douglas Haig stated — IOn June 13 low clouds and poor visibility impeded work in the air, but' our machines took advantage of spells of clearer weather to observe for artillery fire and to carry out numerous patrols and reconnaissances. Nine tons of bombs were dropped by us on Zee- bruorro Mole, Armentieres, and Comines stations, and on targets in the French battle area. Ten hostile aeroplanes were destroyed during the day and two driven down out of control. A German ballcon was brought down in flames). We lost five machines. Heavy mists prevented flying at night. NAVAL AIRMEN BUSY. The Secretary of the Admiralty issued the following on Friday:— During the period June 10 to 12 inclusive, opera-ions by Air Force contingents have to some extent been attended by unfavourable weather. In addition to the usual patrols, however, bombing operations have been car- ried out during the day and night against Zeobrugge, Bruges Docks, and Ostend Docks.. On these objectives in all eighteen tons of bombs have been dropped. Two hits were observed oa the Mole, and bursts on seaplane shed at Zeobrugge; at Bruges fires were caused in Eastern Darse, and hits observed in Brugeoiee Works; bursts were observed at Bassin de la Marine and Gare Maritime at Ostead; clouds at times prevented observa- tions. One enemy aircraft was destroyed, and one of our machines is missing. In home waters, in spite of the handicap of fog, numerous anti-submarine, hostile air- craft, and escort patrols were carried out by seaplanes, airships, and aeroplanes. Sub- marines have been sighted and bombed, and enemy mines located on a number of occa- sions. In Mediterranean waters submarines have also been sighted and attacked, enemy mines located, and Allied and neutral shipping convoyed. During the same period aircraft attached to the British JEgean Squadron ha.ve bombed aerodromes and enemy works at Drama and other places on the Bulgarian- and Turkish coasts. Enemy formations which were met over the Dardanelles wore attacked, and two of their fighter scouts were brought down in flames. i

WHERE POLICEMEN ARE SCARCE. There is one country in the, world, and probably only one, which gets along with a single policeman; that. is Iceland. Iceland is peopled by the descendants of Vikings, in- cluding many famous warriors and heroes, but they are so law-abiding that they have no need of policemen. The solitary officer, in spite of his great responsibility, has :m easy time. He is maintained more for orna- ment and dignity than for use. The Ice- landers think it would not do to have a capital without a policeman, and so they keep one. This police force is large in one sense. Its member is fift. high, hroad- shouldered, and handsomely uniformed.

Major W. A. Bishop, V.C., D.S.O., JH.C" Canada's champion ainran, says a "Cana- dian Daily Ikcord" cable from Toronto, has gone to the Front in command of a "circus" of picked airmen. Face powder manufactured from rice has been ,D prohibited by the French Government. An ofncia1 report stated that 100.000 sol- diers' rations of gocd rioe are wasted daily ou women's powder pulls.

I MOTHER AND BOME. The clever woman is the one who acts like hot water- on tea, bringing the sweetness and the strength out of all with whom she comes in contact. The charming woman is she who cultivates the gentle art of making friends, and tries to make unpleasant paths smooth. The wise woman knows her own business, does it well, and never meddles with that of her friends and relations. The good woman is the one who consistently does her best to live up to the standard she sets as the goal for her neighbours. I GRASS STAINS. To remove grass stains from white wool- lens, use cream of tartar and water, or alcohol. Remove them from thin cotton muslins with a little syrup; keep covering the stain until it fades away. I RED FLANNEL ATTRACTS MOTHS. Red flannel has a strong attraction for moths, so, after taking the usual precau- tions in putting away winter garments, if a square of the flannel is left on the floor of the closet where the moths may be ex- pected, they will oat the flannel in pre- ference to anything else. By carefully watching the trap, if they arc discovered they may be destroyed on the flannel. I CLEANSING THE TEETH. It is very necessary to cleanse the teeth carefully before retiring at night. Use a good alkaline mautll-wash. Rinse this thoroughly through the mouth, forcing it through the teeth by means of the tongue. Hold the liquid in the mouth for two or three minutes. In this way you will put the mouth in an antacid condition and off- set to a great extent injury to the teeth from acids in the mouth. I To STRENGTHEN THE HAIR. Take one teaspoonful of borax, half a ten- spoonful of common salt, half a teaspoonful of lfowers of sulphur, six ounces of rose- water, one ounce of spirits of rosemary, and one ounces of liquid ammonia. Shake the powdered ingredients together in the rose- water, and then add the ammonia and rose- mary. Should the lotion teud to make the hair too dry, add a teaspoonful of glycerine. Shake the bottle before using, and rub the lotion into the scalp with a small sponge. J EAT VEGETABLES. For the prevention of colds, consumption, and catarrh, writes a medical man, eat fruits and vegetables, no meats. This diet diminishes the secretion of mucus, and per- spiration one-half; the same cures eczema, and has a tendency to arrest the progress of cancer and scrofula. ( A SHINY COSTUME. Sponge a shiny costume with ivy water. Pick a bunch of ivy leaves, wash them in cold water to clean them, then put into a pan, covering them well with cold water. Bring this to the boil, and boil until the leaves are tender. Strain off the liquid and let it get cold. Sponge the costume witk it, and the shinincss will quite disappear. I THE VALUE OF REST. Six hours of dreamless sleep may ac- counted of as much value as eight or nine hours of rest interrupted by a succession of dreams, even if the latter are not of a dis- turbing nature. The most reviving sleep is the deepest and most prolonged, while one of the commonest mistakes is that of trying to induce. another half-hour's somnolence in the morning when the brain has already had its full quotum of dreamless rest, the last thirty minutes being of no practical Talue from a health point of view. I To TEST DIAMONDS. In order to determine accurately the nature of diamonds, it is well to breathe ou them; then they lose for a mcibent their lustre, and the eye is then better enabled to examine them and distinguish their faults. The real diamond becomes clear much sooner than the false. I THE EFFECT OF SUNSHINE. It is really astonishing how few people there are who nroperly estimate the hy- gienic -al c of the rays. A valuable lesson on this point may be learned by observing the lower animals, none of which ever neglect an opportunity to bask in the sun. And the nearer man approaches to his primitive conditions the more he is in- clined to follow the example of the animals. It is a natural instinct, which civilisation has partially destroyed in the human race. The effect of sunshine is rt)t merely ther- mal its rays have chemical and electrical functions. It is more than possible that sunshine produces vibrations and changes of particles in the deeper tissues of the body as effective as those of electricity. I To CLEAN STRAW HATS. To clean. straw hats remove the surface dirt by rubbing the crown and brim well with dry bran. Dissolve a pennyworth of oxalic acid in a pini, of water," and then scrub the hat thoroughly with the solu- tion, and dry quickly to prevent warping, j Keep this solution carefully, as it is p«ison. I A CHILD'S SLEEP. A well-known doctor has said that "in- sufficient sleep amounts to overwork." This is very important for mothers t<\ remember when children begin to do lessons at home. It often means a reduction of their hours of sleep—'late sitting up and overtired nerves. Do not forget that want of sleep stunts growth in children. I WHERE LOVE IS ESSENTIAL. "It is curious," remarked an observant, woman, "that some parents, who freely admit that tastes differ and ought to differ in such unimportant matters as dress, thiak no taste but their own is reasonable when it is a question of choosing husbands for their daughters. With all their experience and knowledge of the world, they are apt to overlook the fact that love is the most im- portant thing in marriage, and that a woman may be happier living in a hut with the man of her choice than in a palace with a husband whom she regards with indiffer- ence. They should remember, too, that when thev forbid a certain young man to their daughter, it is quite possible that a day may come when the daughter may ex- claim, "Yes, you took away my lover from mo, but you did not give me another one! I A WASHING HINT. Don't use a glove to wash your face if you wish a. smooth skin. Nothing will roughen your face so t quickly. Use vour hands and you will so have a soft, velvety skin.

For having iylt-ie to ¡' the discipline ei tho A:-p\y, a Russian n:\tr.raiised American n;ri.ued »Jermc.n:t lioyenbluth was 3 nt hoiked tore to two months imprisonment with hard labour, and was ordered to pay a hue of £ 'JJ.

I IN THE POULTRY YARD. I I Br cockcbow. I I THE SUN EVIL: PRESERVING. I Do you protect your birds from the strong rays of the sun? Of all the poultry- keepers I have known, it is safe to say that not more than one out of every ten has given the birds this protection. Some oi them to whom I have mentioned the matter have stared at me in open-mouthed wonder- ment, and have alterwaids told me that they had never thought it necessary for the birds to be sheltered from the sun's rays. What thoughtless creatures they must be! I wonder if, when the sun is shining fiercely, they themselves would dream ot going out without covering their heads. Not only would they wear headgear, but in all probability would walk ou the shaded side of the roads. Then why should the birds not be sheltered from the heat of the sun? Really it is an important point to consider during the summer months, for too much sun is quite as harmful, and perhaps more c-o, than too little. It is always best, when building runs, to bear this fact in mind, for then they can be so ('redd as to anofd pro- ? tection. But where this has not been done it is your duty to provide it. A simple, cheap, and effective protection can be pro- vided by hanging sacking in front of the wire netting. Why is this protection necessary? some of you may ask. Simply because poultry are just as liable to sunstroke ILL RESULTS as you are, ay, especial OF SUN. so young birdj, for their skulls are so very thin. Sufferers from sunstroke lay helplessly on 1 their backs, and are quite unable to regain their feet. Should you have any birds suffer- ing from it at any time, take them at once and place them under the cold water tap. Do it at once, or you may not be successful, for sunstroke often has fatal results. The heat of the sun also makes the runs smell evii, for the droppings of the birds lay about, and the stench arising will be awful in a very short space of time. The drinking water must not be placed in the sun, for there are few things more harmful to the birds than warm water. The colder the water is the better, especially during the summer months. Be careful, therefore, tc afford your birds protection from the fierce- nees of the sun. It behoves all small poultry-keepers this year to preserve a proportion of their eggs for use during the coming PRESERVING winter. (Egg preserving by EGGS. poultry keepers does not constitute hoarding.) A hint on the method of preserving may perhaps be handy to some of my readers at this time of the year. There are several methods, but the beet of all is with water-gloss, which can be purchased from any local chemist's shop. To this add ten times the amount of warm water. To ensure that all the germs in the water are dead it is best to boil it first and then let it reduce itself to warm. The eggs may be dipped into the solution and allowed to dry, and then stored in a cool place, or you can immerse in the mixture and allow them to remain there until you require them for use. This method is very popular just now, and is perhaps preferable to others. When the eggs arc taken out they should be cleaned with n soft cloth before being used. An old-fashioned method of pre- serving eggs is to pickle them in lime water. Take five gallons of water, one gallon of slaked lime, and one quart of salt. Stir j these three ingredients together, and allow time to settle. When this has happened strain off the clear liquid and use it for pre- serving the eggs. A correspondent has written asking my I advioe on the feeding of cockrcls for killing. I presume that he has a COCKERELS number of young surplus FOR cockerels that he is de- KILLINO. sirous of putting on theI market. That being the I case he wants to fatten them quickly. Tablo birds should be fed on a diet whieh make*; them ready for killing in the shortest ) possible time. Cockerels for killing thrive exceedingly well if tITey are kept in runs of moderate size, provided they have plenty of sharp flint grit by them all the time. It L advisable also to keep the males where they cannot see or hear the pullets. All table chickens which are hand-fed should be ready for killing by the time they have I reached the age of twenty weeks, and thoe which have gone ahead well arc ready in two weeks less. Egg-laying competitions are carried out a great deal in Australia. In that country birds which lay two hundred FEOXDITY eggs a year have become IN FOWLS. common, and there seems I little doubt that in the end rtrains producing 250 eggs or more will be ) known. It. has often been said, that in- f creased egg production would result in de- generation of the constitution of the stock < and constant disaster to the breeder. This ¡ subject has recently been investigated in New South Wales by an expert, who finds no evidence of loss of stamina in prolific birds. Several cases are cited, among them that of four hens having records of 267, 270, 270, and 288 eggs. After a competition in which they won a world's record theE>e birds ■were used for breeding, and gave no indica- tion of having suffered constitutionally from the strain of £ reat production Almost all oiie, attention just now is concentrated on the young stock (says j "Farm Life ). Some of the I' CAKE OF early pullets are so forwaid YOUNG that one hardly knows how jJ STOCK. to stop thcm from laying, Orpington pEJ1d" hatched jI in January will sometime* )ay ihfJr rrst egg in June. That is very undesirable, be- I cause as soon as a bullet begins to lay hue ) stops growing. There is the great prcba- bility, too, that after laying a score or two of eggs she will go broody, and moult, j Spare feeding and letting the birds have { a,; much freedom as possible will ero a long ( way towards restraining th> pullets from Ii laying too soon. What iodd they do get. will then go to the making of a good b'g framework. The cockerels that are being kept for next season's breeding pens should I now have as much liberty as possible.. Only a little soft food should be given to them every day, and the moie they are obliged to exercise themselves in the healthy work of picking up their own living the better. If one has a good strain of pure-bred fowls, it generally pays to keep back all the { cockerels that arc at all presentable, as there is always a big demand for them in t the autumn, cspfcially in the case of the I poimlar breeds. I Corporal Roger Hutin, of M. ^Marcel i l-Illt?ll. -9:'?n of 'e .Irce l Hutin, of the "Echo de Pari* has been j seriously wounded in the conree of a. hon: h- ing expedition at the moment when he had 1 just brought down an enemy aeroplane. j The Editxm Gold Medal has been awarded ] to Colonel John J. Carty, chief engineer, { r rf the American Telephone and Telegraph Company, the iuvenfor cf a method cf to,c- i phoning without wires over distances up to I 5,000 miles. i I

—— 0' —— MINES LAID FOR REFATRIATMS SHIPS The Secretary of tho Admiralty makes the following announcement The area within five miles of the position in which the E^ningen Jiegentes was sunk on June 6 has been carefully searched, and no mines found. On various dates between June 2 and June 7. however, nine new German moored mines were swept up in the track used only by the Dutch vessels employed iu the repatriation cf British and German prii-eners, and which, has been guaranteed saf e by both the British and German Governments. These mines were net wjthiu fifty miico of the positlon. in wh the Kcningen Regcntes was sunk. It poems clear {hat the mines were laid to catch the repatriation vex-Is o* their •>ago west, and that the submarine which, laid them i-en- iiicd on the leute is ei d or to sink the ships on their ens-tern journey if. as proved to be the M,(,-t been already sunk with British repatriated pri- soners on boatd while on iheix way to Enstcn. It is remarkable that on this *cc-ssion the number of German prisoners boiRg re- patriated was exceptionally SSPV-.I, namely, sixty-seven, and that of this TUruber noue were on board the Koningen ii-ejcKtee. ————— —————

I MANY REJECTIONS THEN PASSED. The before it the case of Eli Ferris, twenty-five, married, who had been seven tia:5 rejected, but at Whitehall was put in Gr..à 2, and this was confirmed by the assessors at W lm- pole-strc.et. It was now stated that three doctors had examined him, and all had agreed that lie was sufi-'ering from phthisis. Dr. Constable's letter to that effect was shown to the asses- SOTS. His medical examination, when called cp under the Beview of Exceptions Act, was postponed, and he was therefore much sur- prised when graded 2. lie had been ordered: to go into a sanatorium and was waiting for a ld. The Chairman: We shall send lim to our own tuberculosis officer, and the case will be ad journed for that purpose. adjourned for that

I FIGHTING IN EAST AFRICA. War OfTice, Se+urday. Between June 3 and 10 the esemy force in East Africa. withdrew southwards from the Lurio Biver into the diificnlt hill ard bush country about Malema. Our pursuing columns, after a number of minor enconnters with enemy detachmenta. entered Malema unopposed on June 12, the enemy having retreated further south towards the Ligonya River. The length of the main line ftf ocr com- munications in Portuguese territory already exceeds 320 miles of road; the agjrrfgate Jength of the communications of all the wlumns engaged exceeds 1,000 miles.

FATAL RAILWAY ACCIDENT. At Aberdeen on Saturday a railway acci- dent, in which a Bey Scout was killed and several other passengers were slightly in- jured, occurred. The Caledonian express from Glasgow was slowing into the etation, when a North British light-engine dashed, tender first, int-o the last carriage of the express, tearing it away from the bogey, which was derailed. The Boy Scout, named McArravy, nas standing in the corridor and preparing to leave the train.

FRUIT FOR JAN. The Food Controller has issued au Order, which takes effect at once, restricting the growers' price of strawberries, raspberries, and black and red currants. Lord Rhondda. explains tjiat, a-s the fruit crop is con- siderably below the average, the bulk of it has been earmarked for jam for the Navy and Army. Sales of fruit by retail up to 51b. are unrestricted as to prioe.

MEAT IN THE MUD. Forty pounds damages were awarded Mr. Jac kman, a Hornsey Rise butcher, in a slander action brought by him against Mr. and Mrs. Jackson, his previous employers. Mrs. Jackson admitted sweeping I)CCF. chickens, and sausages from a counter into the mud on Christmas Eve.

At the inquest on Leslie Bundle Knight, seventeen, a victim of the "iit Sunday night air raid, it was stated that his metier was afro killed. The care of a dog who wa9 never taVeii off the chain for over seven years wa< in- stanced at the meeting of tiis Natk:Jtod Canine Defence League. The death has taken place of Dr. I\; Vrt Aberdeen-hire for from J8S0 to 1906. and a former ckaii iiian of the Scottish Liberal Party.

By Taking Z Beecham's PiUs, ailments arising from Z t a disordered stomach are relieved in a rem- (? j arkahly short space of time. Beecham's K Pills at like a charm upon the organs of i the digestive system and improvement is X I apparent from the first "dno,-c. If the f ? 'reagent is continued according to lc ? directions the result will be surprising and A gratifying. The stomach will recovcr V tone, the liver and bowels be rendered 2 hea!thi!y active, buiousness, Hatuience  ? and sick-headache will disappear, and the jj renewed sense of energy and vitality J* 1 wdl add immensely to the pleasures of ? !iV)ng and doing. By taking Becch.lm's ç"' Pi?.s -;¡ Ltr?e and ever-nceaStn¡; number ft II 01 men and women fortify themselves J I against the many ilh that constantly tend J '113 co" .?tzilt l tcll(,l f to upset the health through impaired f  digestion. By raking Bccchnm's P'11%  ? ihe blood is kept pure, the complexion I (# fÚe from blemishes, and the general  I) health is maintained at a level fit to meet 1 ihe demands of our strenuous life. Overwhelming evidence exists as to the I good resuhs "hi<h follow the taking of l ?? tF -A  I Bseefsam's 2 I Pills. I l PiUs. Z t 1 Prepared only by 1B I; TIfOA'AS BEBCHAM, St. Hekiir., Laiic. Z l Sofd everywhere C iV? fjuxes, Isbcllsdls-3d sndSz-Od. £ • o$'t.

i -—— ■ ■ 1 —————— NOTES OR NEWS. I On the first anniversary of Lord Hhondda's appointment as Food Con- troller, Mr. Clyncs, his SUCCESS or chief lieutenant, is able RATIONING. to make the highly satis- factory statement that though in the future there may be now and then a shortage of some particulai article of food, we shill never again pass through such a period of triab and irrita- tion as was experienced last winter. That is excellent hearing, and if Mr. Clynee proves a true prophet we may contem- plate with equanimity whatever small food difficulties may be in store for us. Mr. Clynes is naturally very pleased at the gocd results which have* attended the control of food by the State, and he gives to the public a generous share of the credit for the success. There was no other country in the work!, he said, where the people had been no composed under State action. In the matter of rationing we had done ever so much better in half a year than Germany had been able to ac- complish in two and a half years. Mr. Clynes attributes this to the fact that in this country the system had been readily acquiesced in by the people, whereas in Germany it had been forced upon the suf- ferers by a callous bureaucracy. Doubt- less there is something in this, but the main reason for the success of rationing has been the adequacy of the supplies, thanks to the Navy, while the German supplies, rgain thanks to the Navy, have been insufifcient. One of the articles of food shortage of which may be expected is jam. Indeed, L. the shortage may be said THE JAM to exist already. It may SHORTAGE. be, of course, that it is not the supply that has failed, but that the difficulty is one of dis- tribution. However that may be, it is cer- tain that in some districts for weeks it has been nearly impossible to obtain jam. But whatever shortage there may be at pre- sent will evidently become more serious, the prospect for this year's fruit harvest being verv poor. By the Food Controller's order the bulk of the crop has been ear- marked for the Army and Navy, and as the price of the small residue left avail- able for civilians would inevitably have risen, prices have been fixed for the sale of fruit by the grower. The Army is an enormous consumer of jam. "When the war becran in 1914 there was a great de- mand first, and practically the only fruits available then were plum and apple. Who does not remember the complaints about* the everlasting plum and apple? Things have improved since then, and the Army gets variety. The rest of us will not mind going rather short of jam so long as the men at the Front get all they want. It has been stated that the number of Grade 1 men obtained from the older men now liable for military GRADE ONE sorvice has been con- Mo. siderably larger than had been expected. If Sir Donald Maclean is right there is no reason for congratulation in that fact, for it appears to have been brought about by the simple means of lowering the medical standard, and of placing in Grade 1 men who, were they a few years younger and of the same physical standardl would have been in Grade 2. When the new Military Service Bill was before the House of Com- mons there was a distinct umlerstanding. that the standard of fitness should not be reduced, and that Grade 1 men of the older classes would have to pass the same tests as the younger men of the same grade. If the new men are to be put to Grade 1 work in the Army that is the only proper principle of grading. It would seem, however, that there has been no at- tempt to work by it. The doctors are instructed to classify as Grade 1 men who are of average physical standard for their age and have no organic disease. Natur- ally enough a large proportion of men is secured, though it should be obvious that for Army usefulness the physical standard of forty-five is much inferior to that of twentv-five. Sir Donald Maclean, who is chairman of the House of Commons Appeal Tribunal, has announced his intention of refusing any longer to recognise Grade 1. In future his Tribunal will consider them as in Grade 2. Sir Eric Geddes has told a French journalist that the Allied navies continue to sink more German BEATING THE submarines than the SUBMABINE. enemy can build. That is a definite statement and one that will cause great satisfaction. All official statements on this subject for some time have been encouraging, but this is the first time we have had a definite as- surance that we arc destroying more sub- marines than can be built. There are still enough of them to do us serious damage, for Germany had no doubt prepared a good-si/-ed fleet of them before she bega. her campaign of sinking everytliiag, but Sir Eric Geddes's statement means that the total number of the U-boats is de- creasing every week, and it follows that their powers of destruction arc on the de- cline also. The submarine menace, in fact, is iu ii lair way to being finally and deci- sively defeated. The sending of a giant submarine to the American coast was a despairing attempt to scare our cousins over there, and it seems to have failed. There is no blockade of the American coast, and it is quite possible that the one super-submarine that caused the sensation may never get back to Kiel. The War Office has taken possession of €00 acres of land in Buckinghamshire for the purpose of erecting THE WAY OF workshops and stores for THE spare aeroplane parts. WAlt OFFICE. The building of the workshops and stores is 80 urgent a matter that growing crops of wheat have been destroyed, a fact which farmers all over the country who have been urged to break up grass land in order to grow corn as a patriotic duty will not have failed to note. The official explana- tion is that the provision of the work- shops is extremely urgent; and that the site in question is the only one that fills all the requir ements as to locality, acmssi- bility, and general convenienca. The War Office, it is stated on its behalf, would have been only too glad to take private parks, golf courses, or racecourses if they had satisfied the conditions laid down, but thev did not,, and so agricultural land had to be taken, growing corn and all. It was curiously unfortunate that the only possible site in Great Britain for the War Office's purpose should htve been 600 acres of the finest corn-producing land in the country.

I DISMISSED WITH DISGRACE." A court-martial ordered Major Arthur Fincham Oxborrqw (Royal Air Force), lately acting staff paymaster, R.N.R., to be imprisoned for twelve months, with hard labour, and dismissed with disgrace from the service for falsifying accounts.