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[No title]
The importance of Italy as an Ally does not consist only of the military and naval power possessed by her—which is consider- able. There are other considerations which render her intervention intensely galling to Berlin and Vienna. So long as Italy re- mained neutral two great avenues were open through which the Austro-Gerrrians could draw supplies. All non»cantraband goods destined for Germany and Austria that could reach Genoa or Venice had the right of transit without interference ever the rail- ways of Italy and Switzerland. And the neutrality of a State as such does not pre- vent its subjects, if they can, from dealing with belligerents in finished munitions of war or in the raw material of which the latter are composed. Consequently the two Italian ports, served by railways reaching Austria direct and Germany through Swit- zerland, have since the outbreak of war been the principal centres in which have operated contrabandists of German origin, or the class of cosmopolitans eager to make money which every great war spurs into activity. Now every Italian port becomes hermeti- cally closed to all kinds of supplies destined for Austro-Germany, a.nd to exports from these countries by which revenue could be raised and works and factories kept going. If you look at a map of Europe, the reason for the extreme aggravation of the difficul- ties of the German-Turkish Allies due to Italian action will be made clear. Austria's only exits to the sea, are on a short strip of ¡ coast in the Adriatic Sea which includes the ports of Trieste and Fiume. She is certain to lose ?Meste as the result of the war, and possibly Fiume also. The former is Italian in all things save its Government. It has a Sine harbour, permitting of vessels of the greatest draught to draw up to the quays. Trieste resembles Swansea, only the scale is larger, as the buildings are on a level won from the sea or the lower slopes of lofty hills, which rise so sharply that the trains out of the city have to follow a zigzag course to reach the plateau above. From the latter Trieste, with its harbour, is revealed in a panorama of singular beauty as seen in the brilliant sunshine, which for the greater part of the year is nearly constant in these re- gions. The close blockade maintained by the j Allied fleets has reduced Trieste and F i iinie, to the same state of stagnation as Ham burg. Now that Great Britain—as the riposte to the theatrical and ineffective submarine blockade of the Germans—has undertaken to stop, as far as practical, every cargo, whatever its mature, designed for Germany passing through the North Sea, a:1d the vigilance of •'v^istfc^ by .tho • physical fact that tir.-e pmk'if^a.1 ntraee, into the. North Sea is through the narrow bottle-neck of the Dover Straits, and that the other, north of 'Scotland, if considerably wider, is not beyond effective control it follows that the closing of the Italian ports reduces Germany and Austria to a state of siege qualified only to a limited degree by the facilities offered by Holland, Denmark and Scandinavia, more or less strictly bound by pledges not to re-transfer to Germany goods they are enabled to import, ostensibly for their own consumption. It will be seen that by the joining of the Entente Powers by Italy, the Austro-German Empires have been so ring-fenced around, that henceforward their trade with the rest of the world 'must be limited and surrepti- tious. And in a war of exhaustion the economic is apt to be as effective a weapon as the explosive. On the other hand, Italy is a Power only & degree or two removed front those in the first rank. She begins the. war with 800,000 men in the fighting line, having ample reserves behind, and in a space of weeks will have two millions of more or less trained soldiers available. A German military critic con- cedes that, when fully developed, Italy's military strength will be represented by three and a half millions of men. Her artil- lery is in the highest degree efficient-th-a majority of the guns are from Krupp's works at Essen, supplemented bv those of home manufacture, including a* 75 Mm. quick- firer, claimed to be an improvement on the French weapon of that calibre, which is the wonder of the war, and giant howitzers of 15 inch cilibrc--sbe has an aeroplane fleet of proved excellence, and a navy capable single-handed of coping with the Austrian, a.nd retrieving the laurels lost at the battle of Lissa. The Italian Army has for leader General Cardona, believed to be one of the greatest of living strategists—the war test is how- ever, very destructive of military reputa- tions-and is, after ten months of prepara- tion, well equipped with adequate reserves of guns, rifles and shells. In the year of King Edward's death-recalled because the party sa.w the Royal funeral but were al- ways a day or two too late to see the cirfcma films sent from London abroad for exhibi- tioti-thc, writer, with some Swansea friends, passed through Belgium, Germany and Switr,rerland8to Lugano, which on one side is Swiss and on We other Italian. They saw soldiers in each of the countries passed through, and the unanimous opinion formed, with a sense of surprise, was that, phy- sically, and, in other respects, the finest were the Italian steen at the head of the Lakes of Lugano, Como, and Milan. True, these were mainly Berseglieri, or Italian Ai,-t soldiers, probably th'e pack of the men brought to the colours. Still, the unanimity of the verdict was noteworthy and more so as a subsequent view cf the German troops at Berlin, Hamburg and Dresden did not modify the opinion that, so far as appear- ance went, none excelled or even equalled those seen in Italy. The layman's opinion of a miMtary force ie not worth much.. For, beside the physique of the men in uniform, there are other factors to be taken into account. Still physriqufe is an element of efficiency, and granted this to be satisfactory—to a super- lative degree—the morale or spirit is- thr only other factor to be considered. In re- spect of this the Italians hav'e abundant sources of inspiration. That of Ga-rribnldi is modern, but there are others stretching back to the time that Roman warriors dom- inated the whole world. Bravery, the capacity to meet death unflincbi, found to be a' quality denied to no white race or few that are coloured. And we may be sure that the Italians will not be deficient in this. Man for man they are likely to be superior to the non-German Austrian soldiers, who fight since they must, and the equals of the Germans obsessed by the idea that they are God's chosen people, destined to occupy and master the earth. JI "t But treating' one racial unit as equal to iuother the emergence of Italy as an Ally of the Entente Powers is pregnant with consequences. The report tht Bavarian and Vassian troops are being rushed to stiffen ,:e Austrian Army in the Trentino and Dal- _E:1til, are to be considered with an eye to the fact that evfery man withdrawn from Galicia or the West to confront the Italians represents a weakening of the striking powel" of the enemy on these fronts. For tiie sol- diers massed on the Italian frontier are not Irawn from the clouds; they are mei who would be fig-hting against the Russians in T?,licia or the Anglo-French in the West, if not occupied with the Italians. An in- olerable strain is being imposed on the German war-machine. We must wait and see ,hie effect of the interposition of one power- ful Ally, involving perhaps that of other .ountries.
[No title]
If one could share the confidence in Petro- grad that the Russian centre in Galicia can be relied upon to withstand the Austro-Ger- man attack-and there is apparent justifica- tion for it in what seems a petering out of t the enemy offensive similar to that exper- ienced on other fronts, where the intensity of the initial attack has not been maintained A-the outlook would be bftie* than merely cheerful. For in France and Flanders we have the measure of the German armies, and every day sees an improvement in the con- ditions for launching the general offensive at the selected hour. The onslaught on the Dardanelles is making substantial pro- gress. It is a formidable undertaking, but the Allies^ a.t all costs, must win thror-'h. The intervention of Italy throws substan- tial weight into the balance when the for- tunes of the combatants are swaying. Austro-German critics may—their opinions being a parcel of their fortunes—make light of the ranging of Italy on the the Entente Powers. But an agency that can put SCO,COO men at once in the fighting line, with ample reserves, and in a matter of weeks will have two million trained sbl- diers available is not a negligible quantity. When every possible unit is bedng rushed into Galicia to overwhelm the Russians, and the German line in the West has been at- tenuated to the irreducible minimum, the necessity of facing the Italians in adequate force presents a problem not easily solved. And the Servian Army, like a giant re- freshed, is once more on the move-riow in the main constituted of war veterans who, added to inherent bra-very, have the ex- perience of three ca.mipaigns to draw upon. In proportion to their numbers the Serbians nJOW have a striking power unexceflled in the East. In the language of the prize-ring, they have a hard punch in each hand. In Austria this fact is thoroughly appreciated. The next expected to move is Roumania, the strongest of the Balkan Powers, because its army has not been depleted by war. Free- dom to act is ensured by the solmnn assur- ance of Bulgaria, offered by it to the Entente Powers, that it will be neutral to the end. Greece is hrdy in .adion because the Kh?g is seriously ill, and the Qu-een—the Ka iser's sister—is German. But the opposition to Veraezelos in the general election about to take place has practically fled the field. And King Constantine. when hi_ s health is restored, will have to yield to rational senti- ment--or risk the loss of his throne. All the new factors are adverse to Austro- Germany. Italy, content to hold the moun- tain passes leading from the Trentino, may direct her offensive in the direction of Trieste. Quite as likely is an Italian army co-oueratirig with a part of the I'ta'i^n fleet in the attack of the Anias on the Dardan- sUes a.nd Constantinople..For once t.??? TuTkish capital is captured, a?? easier way to the helrt of Austria mav be foiirrrj t'han thi'OR?'h the monnbÙ1s bordering t;he Adri- j a,tic Sea. For the moment inipr(?s+, ?<-ri? be focussed on the fighting in the retgion of the San River. If all trees well for us —on right and left fianik the Russians are doino: splendidly—the general prospect will be distinct; v good for the Entente Powers and their Allies.
[No title]
In tthe strikin,g speech on the present na- tional and Imperial situation which he de- livered in the Guildhall of the City of Lon- don a few days a.go Mr. Bonar Law dealt with, and .drew a moral from, the then pending Tecrea.nk*ation of the Ministry so as to secure an adiruuiatratiarv reptfWrtatfVe of aTI poeti- cal parties. The leader of the erstwhile Opposition referred to what then were ru. mours, so far as the general public were con- cerned, and have since been described by the Prime Minister as "steps to reconstruct the Government on a broader personal and political basis." Mr. Bonar Law pointed out that "such combinations wouTd be useless, perhaps worse than useless, except a means to an eaid, as a. means to a combina- tion of the nation—a nation from top to bottom organised for the purpose of ei- din o, this war" in the only way in which it can be ended-—the defeat and complete destruction of the vast war machine built up by the G'ermans to spread death and worse than death throughout Europe. It is for the nation to follow the patriotic example set by the" Opposition, and to allow no personal ambition or prejudice to inter- fere with the vital task of developing this country's military resources -to such a strength as will finally turn the scales of war against the common enemy of humanity. It must be remembered that in no way did the Opposition seek, or precis for, the drastic re- organisation of the Government to which Mr. Asquith has set his hand, and in which he invited the co-operation of the Unionist leaders. A series of untoward events, chief among which was dissension at the Admir- alty, combined to place the Ministry in a difficult position. The characteristic im- petuosity of the First Lord of the Admiralty led him to endeavour to assume control of the technical side of our naval administra. tion, and to interfere with matters tjiat should be left in the hands of the First Sea Lord and thie other naval experts on the Board. As the result, a situation was creat- ed in which our greatest naval authority, Lord Fisher—who had returned from well- earned retirement to place his unrivalled services at the disposition of his country- found his position untenable. The Govern- ment realised that the nation could not be expected to allow Lord Fisher s invaluable services to be lost, and the complete control of the Navy-which is to-day more than ever our "all in all''—vested in a civilian. Mr. Asquith and his colleagues decided t!hat the only effective remedy for the prevailing difficulties was a complete reorganisation of the Government, and appealed to the Oppo- sition for their help in that tai. As they have done in every case that lia-s arisan since the outbreak of the war, the leaders of the k Opposition immediately and patriotically placed themselves at the service of the head of the Government, and henceforth the di- rection of the nation's affairs will be in the hands of a fully representative Cabinet which may appropriately be described as a "Committee of Public Safety. Mr. Bonar Law clearly explained the position and feelings of the Opposition in the short speech which he delivered after the Prime Minister had made his formal an- nouncement in the House of Commons. The leader of the Opposition stated that on his side of the House the- sole consideration was, "What is the best method of finishing the war successfully, leaving out of our minds absolutely all considerations, political or otherwise, beyond the war?" Mr. Bonar Law pointed out that under the new arrange- ment, which is- to exist solely for the duration of the waf, "it is obvious that our convictions on other subjects will remain unchanged," and that the matters which those convictions affect "will be settled when this danger is over." Mr. Asquith made a somewhat simi- lar statement when he declared that the re- construction of the Ministry will be for the purposes of t'he war alone; and is not to be taken in any quarter as indicating anything in the nature of surrender or compromise on the part of any person or body of persons of their several political proposals and i-cleab. As a meani to an end-and that end the successful conclusion of the war—the leaders of the Opposition have acquiesced in the request of 1 Government, and have agTeed to share the burden of administration | for which they had not heretofore had any i respond 1 i 1 y. Hithe^^v?' the Unionist leaders have possessed n/. power of action, and have only been able to advise. Their responsibility for administrative acts is com- pistely limited to wha. may be done on and after the active establishment of the Coali- tion Ministry, whdch came into existence by desire of the Prime Minister and his Libei?al i colleagues. I
[No title]
The British are a patient people, slow to anger, they aire not easily excited, but a long succession of Germ a. outrages has at last aroused such a storm of indignation thatt it has led to a fierce anti-German crusade in this country, in South Africa,, and other parts of the Empire. Mesh and blood can stand a good deal vrheai put to the test. They caai bear all the horrors inevitable to civilised warfare, hut the soul revolts against- a people who make a science of add- ing to them all the inhuman cruelties of the Dark Ages. There is a. limit to our for- bearance, and it has bem readhed. The public have no sympathy with rioters who and destroy, but it is easy to under- stand the inevitable i^ ndignation that has beeai aroused, and recognise the motives which prompt people to attack men belong- ing to a. nation wtodh has sunk to lower standards of conduct thap those of the blank and yellow races. Old women of both seSSss exhort us to maintain a charitable iteling towards our enemies, and not to lose our heads. It may be easy for those who are personally un- affected by German "'rightfulness" to follow this advice, but is the reverse of easy for people who have lost relatives or friends by inhuman devices to think ten- derly of the murderer«. They demand vengeance. They insist that there is no longer room for sentimental weakness -in dealing with a people who kill women and children, who, torture., clay, and mutilate unarmed men,\ and catfjat war. They may not have reached the &imon that the only good German is the de$d Gc; 'man, but they have come to the coQ?s'Ion that no Ger- man is to be trusted.' And at lad, yield- i)ian is to -v t-.u-sted. And. at yield- ing to the pressure o public opinion the Government have taken, the unprecedented course of interning all of military -e,rrnan-, -of m;-iitarv age, in this country, ÆLld deporting the re- mainder. Prominent 0' obscure, all enemy aliens must be treated The King has set a good example by having the names of the German Emperor, the Emperor of Aus- tica, and other. GaTtp. Knights struck off the rolls of the Ot*">;?. Their hands are drenched in the toed •> £ bayoneted babies and women burnfd aiLve. The Kaiser is the arch-criminal of ,.«11. and he will have to be held persona^y^ responsible for the ghastly deeds of his :>* \ling tools when the day of reckoning coiner Meanwhile, wea. sentimental nonsense must be swept on one side, and so far as is possible the brutes wh. now ppUute the air of gmop0 must be loaght w?th their own weapons without pity. They afp saturated with the germs of ai, c-Lsease 'and no sacrifice can be too great to secure their undoing. This war not as other wars. It is k ,qpjq$i £ .t nati^s. "We qro f.gl1Í<tp our IJ"" as "Lord Haldane said when giving • warning a few days ago that compulsion tnEgITt soon have to super- sede the voluntary recruiting, and ill the light of the tremendous issues which con- front the nation, it may soon be necessary to adept Conscription. The War Office is | credited with the belihf that another winter campa;ign will have to be faced, and in that event the public must make up their minds for far greater sacrifices than they have yet been called upon to endure.
[No title]
The docal journal Sir Alfred Mo rid ik painfully affected by "the cruel and unfair course of blurting out his suspicions" re- garding the assumed German origin of Mr. Seyler the borough analyst.- followed by Mr. David Da vies at Wednesday's meeting of the Swansea GouncS "apparently regardless o £ the consequences ¡'lid the pain that his actions would assuredly cause, a.nd when he "ought to have -ade the necessarv in- quiries which might have been done very easily ? and safely." This extreme tender- ness of the "Lead-ei- in respect of the treatment of Mr. Sej ler rlis explained, if ex- planation. were needf- i, by the reference to "the significant light cast" thereby "upon his (Mr. Davies's) attacks upon other people," meaning the protest expressive of the overwhelming opinion in the borough against Swansea benig misrepresented ill Parliament by a member of German par- entage when the country is engaged in a struggle for life with Germany. I The "necessary inquiries, which the writer is reproached with not having made. £ instituted by our contemporary would have elicited the fact that when, weeks ago, the question of the re-appointment of Mr. ,S e y .i er (, Seyler came before a Corporation Committee au objection was raied--not by Mr. David Daviex and unanimously supported. A Gouncil minute, however, indicated that the re-appointment Had been effected, and the writer proposed the cancellation of j the contract forthwith, but when doubt was I cast upon the cor re; t-ness of the description amended his proposal so that it became operative only in event of Mr. Sevler failing to satisfy thtfCorporation tha.t he is not of German origin.1 The action taken is attributed to a form of hysteria," and, though unanimously en- dorsed by the Cou:-eil, is misleadingtly de- dori?c, d by the CoLrzi scribed as "an injustice averted by its good sense." The hysteria, happiiv o-w infects the overwhelming mass of the British people'of all classes beyond the reach of the pro-German infliiiences which contributed to- I wards exposing this country, naked and un- prepared, to the attack of a formidable enemy that had been preparing for years for this war." One of the amazing phen- omena of the world's war is the complacency and confidence with which newspapers, which were pro-Beer m the last war and pro- German up to the very eve of this, aire delivering homilies on pa,triotism and the draty of Britishers, whom they bad consistently encouraged to disarm, by assur- ances that no danger was to be apprehended from Germany, since disclosed as a greater scourge of mankind than the ruthless power cc?'trolled bv that unmitigated Ravage,  AtLlla. 
[No title]
In spite of the sad family bereavements which the war has brought him, Colonel Picton Turbervill bravely continues his work on behalf of publis charitable institutions, such as the Porthcawl and Southerndown Rests. The subscribers to the Rests greatly appreciated his attendance at the annual meeting, and sympathised with bin1 ir: th; time of trial. The tributes paid him for the great servioes which he and his family have rendered to the Rests were well de- served, and Mr. S. H. Stock wood voiced the sentiments of the subscribers when he ex- pressed the hope that the name of Turber- vill might long continue to be associated with the management of the Rest Conval- escent Homes at Porthcawl and Southern- down.
[No title]
What the Kaiser said when he read the news: "0! 0! Antonio!" Young man, are vou in the "W.T.C.F.?" —the VVait-till-called-for-Battalion. Amongst the local r<ecruits last week-end were two married men, one with sev chil- dren. Frorq -?xX>00<? wby, e' From Swansea docks: "Mean; why, 'e's that there mean 'e only 'aves a drink when 'e's thirsty." You should hear two "specials," docks- men, swop yarns of their experiences when on duty. Well, there! A company of Swansea "Tommies" were under fire on Saturday. The fire was in Whyndam-stre.et, and they rendered very useful assistance. The actress who pourtrayed the i ess" in a "screen" drama at the Carlton last week appeared in the flesh at the Swansea Grand Theatre recently. All alcoholic drinks were stopped at the Clyne Valley Races on Monday, and it is singular that CidV>r was the most popu- lar horse of the day's meeting. A steamer arrived in Port Talbot docks during the week-end named "The Citv of Swansea." Strange to relate there was not a single Abertawe man on board. A Penybont District councillor has joined the Colours, and there is a sort of competi- r tion between him and his two sons—also in j khaki—to see wh" will get to France first. At the Liand y si ul Whitsun festival the massed schools readered the special anthem, "Cynhyrfair Storm" (Mr. Ll. Bevan, Swan- sea). The organist was Mr. Ll. Bevan. The old-time Aunt Sallies are now dressed up in modem guise. For instance, on the Swansea Sands one is invited to down "Tired Tim," "Weary Willie," and the "Kaiser." A white-clad little girl fainted during the children's festival proceedings at Ndath on Monday. "I got well enough to have tea with the others," she later on informed her parents. < 0 The Swansea parks; and particularly Cwm- donkin and Brynmili, are looking their love- U<?t .?mt nw. By, the way, is there any ?ecesa?y !or ciö;singt!H'\bwr 'g'?e at the -es% v ie [Jplands Park? ;plaj?ds Park' The soldiers vbo lost their lives in the dis- tressing railway accident on Saturday last t r e,ts i. r, c died for their country as surely as had they fallen in battle, "for they serve ako who only stand and wait." "I know I'm pretty reglar in my 'a,bits-, but 'ow do that bloke in the fried-fish shop | switch off the lights every night when I passes on my way 'ome'Cos then 'e knows it's gone eleven, a'oourse." | Swansea Sands were thronged on. Bank Holiday. One of the most amusing sights was a youn,g woman who got "stuck" on the aerial switchback. She fell into the net; but her troubles did not end there' In the Canadian contingent," writes a friend in Canada to a "Daily PoM porter, "80 per cent. were of British birth, so don't forget that when you shout, Hur- rah for Canada.' But there are others to come. In spite of the warm summer-like wea- ther which prevailed on Whit-Monday there was little bathing indulged m on the Aber- aivon beach. Noticeable amensrst the thou- sands of pramenadea-s ware hu^'reds of the igible kreut specie. j It was generally conceded in connection with the Sunday schools' festival ni, Neath OIl Whit-Monday that the singing of the Herbert-road "demonstrators" was quite superior to that of all others. Yes, just as the smile of the Rev. T. W. George, was the f sweetest. One young sihirker, nearly six toot high, and smoking a cigar (thus, presumably, proving his fitness), swaggered down High- street, Swansea, on Monday with three "patriotic badges" stuck on him. Fair play to the girlies, they all gave him a "miss." A group of ha l f-a-dozen young slackers stood idly in the Neath square yesterday. "Well, this is a day," observed' one, "nothing to do and nowhere to go.Kit- chener could do with the lot of you," ex- plained a passer-by "why not pass the doctor now?" OJ The "business" of the Swansea Police Court, supposed to have been conducted "as usual" on Whit-Monday, was not held. Hence the feelings of the forlorn pressman who had been "luxuriously" lounging in the press-box for half an hour when he was in- formed that the proceedings were held over J X A young man was searching for a sover- eign which he had dropped in Page-ttreet, Swansea. He heard it click on the pave- ment and then it disappeared. Subsequently he found it in the ridge of his turned up trousers; the coin had dropped on to the pavement and bounded on to his trouser leg. And then he proceeded joyfully on his way. In fairness to the manhood of Swansea, those present on the Mumbles Pier on Sun- day afternoon must learn that the few young "no hatters" who were the subject of so much derision and contempt were holiday visitors, not townsmen. That these fellows j could swagger around unashamed in the pre- sence of men wounded and stricken fighting their country's battles is an incident that I calls aloud for oompulsory service.—("Pro Patria. ") A certain member of the Salisbury Club, invariably arrives late for the social enter- j ta.inments held in connection with their nu- merous patriotic efforts by the members of the club. His reason for so doing is that he so much enjoys the "house-full" smile with which he is greeted by Hall Porter West, a genial soul, but one whose views as expressed of what should be done to the Kaiser asd Old Tirpz makes the Huns' "frightfulness" I appear paltry. I EVVIVA ITALIA How about those white helmets, Captain Thomas ? All Swansea and his wife seemed out and about on Sunday evening. The Theatre Royal is militant. This I week there is a repertoire of war dramas. The annual (inspection oi the Swansea Police will take place on Wednesday next. I It is rarely that Mr. John Williams, M.P., misses a Sunday service at Capel c, rr e r. On the authority of Inspector Davies, who knows his Mumbles like a father, the village is i uH oi visitors. I is iujl o?; Forewarned, forearmed. This is a Por- j tugueae shop," announces a large poster in a little Strand eating-house. A Swansea "spccial," in the prime of life, wishes to run anybody 80 yards his own age. A match may be arranged. Elephants bathing in the sea provided crowds of Swansea people with an after- church entertainment on Sunday.  Ww not a recrujÙg Sunday? A" very prominent Swansea man advocated the other day that churches hcnld take the lead. The poor hippopotamus, because of his un- sociable- habits, was denied the chance of the free bath he yearns for in Swansea Bay on Sunday. Swansea Italians were proud men on Mon- day morning, and one and all looked as though they would have liked to tackle i a loc"l German f' a start. .1"<1> 'I I. A Swansea man, well advanced 1n years, j Iis credited vith < !wav5 carrying hi" wiU about v. lth him in his pocket. Where there's a will there's a way. i I 4-0<1.: Who is the West Wdes ot&cer who pub- licly reprimanded two of his men for dub- bins; some yom?g U:n not in khaki as cowards," and afterwards rewarding them in private? 'Ark at tin lions," said Tommy on Vic- tori.a. Park on Sunday; "there's roarin' for you. "Pooh," said Billy, disdainfully; "that's nnffin. Ought to 'ear my farver I when 'is dinner isn't ready <1>t--0- A story is told oi a letter addressed to a I Swansea gentleman who died in England last I week being opened gome yeare ago by an- other gentleman of the tiorae name in Bryn- road. And thereby hangs quite a story. I At an inquest held at Swansea on Satur- day the hearing had to lv:> delayed for three- quarters of an hour in order to enable the doctor, who had certifie.. the death of the deceased, to vie,* and c arniue the body. <i  -< x ?- "-?!' A lot o< oar-Rcdd.j: ?'f'){ ?-?L?!- wondering they \v<rc last W'hit-Moid8.;r. \.nd a lot of those at home who have not enlisted a" also wondering where they will be next Whit-Monday. Miss Effie Mann, the musical comedy actress, whose father is Mv. Tom Maim, the Labour leader, and formerly of Swansea, well make her debut en the variety stage next week, when she will appear at the Coliseum. Charlie Chaplin, the bioscope "George Robey," still maintains his popularity! A number of smaiii boys took such a fancy to a Life-size figure of him exhibited outside the Carlton Cinema that they purloined it! On Oy;-i tenn out'ruud on Sunday after- noon, a tall, eld.sriy man oi distinctly mili- tary appearance, was observed to stop dead and gaze intently at a group of young, well set-up men of eligible age in mufti, who were standing idly on a street corner. He never said a word, but his look was scorching, and the slackers; gaze fell before his. .4 The fact that the Swansea Rugby Club loyally decided to close down at the out- break of the war will not be lost sight of by the Swansea public when the game recom- mences. The game will receive added stimu- lus from all true sportsmen, and it will be a, feather in the cap of amateur sport. The members of the club have appreciated the club's sacrifice for their country, and though there was no football last season, the members' subscriptions have been even larger than during the previous year. Soldiers as a rule do not take much in- tel est m Parliamentary proceedings. Lord Grenfell, however, is an exception, for he ) regulartly attends th? debates in the House, of Lords. He has a keen sense of humour, I and some good stories are told of him. Once he sent, a drawing of an episode in some Afghan fighting to a.n illustrated paper, and to his astonishment found, when pub- shed, that some palm trees bad been added. He protested, but was blandly assured the public expected palm trees in "African" scenery. j  -v- v About 9.50 on Saturday night groups of people 1Jl St. Helen's district and Lower Ox ford-street were cricking their necks sky- ward in the effort to disoern German Zep- pelins. For a whirring, grating sound was Aggressively audible. Sortie eyes finding that which they sought actually perceived airships—which were not there. At the cilose expert opinion was c-i-vided in attribut- ing the strange jarring noise to a steamer blowing off steam Lt the, docks, and the Bos- tock and Worn bell's electric installation in Victoria Park getting right for Monday's fchow. In the vicinity of Birminghafn. Coven- try and other large towns, it is alleged by the police that man- persons posing as bona- fide iravellers--i, e., persons who are out ior business or pleasure, and are not less than three miles distant from the place in which they have spent the preceding night—walk into the outside districts merely to obtain intoxicating drink during closed hours, thus stultifying the regulations imposed in the industrial centres to prevent interference with the adequate output of munitions." Thus a Birmingham paper. The innocents! Are they only unearthing the "bona-fides' new? Mr. A. W. Samuel voiced a veay general opinion when he condemned the Govern- mant's action in throwing cold Water on the I Voluntary Training Corps all over the 1 country. The fact that 476 out of the 800 who have been connected with the Swansea Rugby Voluntary Training Corps have since joined the Colours proves beyond a doubt what an excellent recruiting ground the Voluntary Training Corps has been for Kitchener's new armies. Yet when men of neoruitable age wished to join they had to sign a form agreeing to join the regular Army if called upon to do so, thus imposing t a form. of compulsion upon those who were willing and eager to learn drilll and shooting for any emergency which might a.rise. whilst. the slacker escaped scot free. A. t. J I A notice on a Swa;i.sT? ?trf?i orga.1: "W? are Britishers." Now, Morris fconl How about that, platoon of yours? i Swansea has a Spanish barmaid in a wel1.t known house "down town." t Sir Robert Morris's elder son was fighting1 three miles away when his younger brother was killed- A gen Lie reminder to the weather cleric from the children: "Please don't forget it is our annual tea on Monday." Sir Robert Morris returned to Swansea on Friday evening. He had none tc lendoni before hearing of his son's death. f Bostock and Wombwell's don't allow look- ing glasses anywhere near the h'ppo's cage." He might see what he looks like—then t Neither the coalowner nor the consumer seems anxious to pay the miners' bonus. But the miner doesn't care so long as he gets it. <xx5«sxs>^ Tinplates, according to an authority, wilt shortly reach 20s. a box. "Waters" to-day are fetching practically the same price 08: "primes." A noteworthy feature of "Lttle Mise. Ragtime" is that the "principal pirl," Miss. Isa Bowman, has written the book and, lyrics herself. < 0 <x!x > It is significant of the splendid health of the Army that only one death from disease has occurred amongst all the Swansea men who have died at the front. '< S X < XSX A small boy entertained himself by drain- ing what was left in nearly empty ginger- beer bottles outside a docks hotel the othei day. It's thirsty weather. Lieut. John Mo ris. Sketty Park, who has, been killed, received an accident, shortly after he went to the front through a gun accidentally going off. He, however, quick- ly recovered. A Swansca, officer in the know says that when compulsory service comes the present "slackers" won t hear overmuch about separation allowances and the like. The small boy in the street heaved deep sigh uf relief when he was told that Italj was going on the Allies' side. The suppl3 of ice-cream is now assured. A member of the Swansea Chamber oi Commerce heard some unpleasant tbingf about himself the other day. He was stand- ing on one side of one of the entrance pill art ailld discussion proceeded on the other. -< .:>-> Everyone bcur. under the Union Jack whether on land or sea, becomes legally British. This feature, absent from th. ?3 now proving of great value to ipaa? aliens jl ie0nve--ny origin. ci><î- ,f'r"'  'fJ"ol, "'t1. '.1- Cf" 'i'-? ??p'?, to '? M?nn ^>ks 'iPtstfootf^.r^b. Is''Mr. Rogpr Beck who handed in hie form, afterwa?. takM; his place in the ranks and going i.hrongl drill with great earnestness. What a splen did example to some of the slackers. Mr. A. W. Samuel, who presided at th general meeting of the Swansea Cricket Clu on Friday evening, has occupied almas every position connected with the club dur ing his long membership, except that c wicket-keeper. He said hehad had a chanc to fill that role, but declined it. < S x!>-  -$-< x? Tho iumates of the Llanelly Workhous are increasing in number, and recently th population of Bryntirion exceeded 200 fo the first time. Nothing is overlooked in th matter of providing comforts The Guardian have ordered 36 special easy chairs with higi backs, and in order that everyone may b posted up with the latest war news, ten Loo doii dailies are provided. A retired colonel was boasting that b. hadn t drulli,- a glass of water in twent;" years. One day as he was taking a railwa journey the train was wrecked while erase ing a bridge and plunged into the river They pulled the colonel out with a boathook and when they got him on shore one of hi friends rushed up, crying, "Colonel I Ar you hurt?" No," he replied; "neve swallowed a drop I" 3xS~sjx S>«$, There were anxious times at the Swan sea Police Court on Friday. The Bench ha. to sit still for twenty minutes whilst an ir f terpreter was secured to conduct a case untIE I the Aliens' Restriction Order, much to thei annoyance. Also they were disposed < blame the police for the state of affairs, bu f they never mentioned anything of the qc- j casion when the police had to wait threo- quarters of an hour ior a magistrate toi put in an appearance to enable the court to commence! Such is life. "I aim pleased to say we had the best of the Germans, and I hope we will keep on getting the best of them, so that the war <J will come to a cpc*d?- conclusion. I then come back to have 'a few decent pints j in the once more, because every time we have a chance to have a pint out here it is not worth drinking, although it is only a penny a pint. Back for the Lincoln (sure winner)." Letter from a Swan- sea soldier m the 2nd Velsh. It may move the T.T. and Anti-Gambling Leaguef to tears, but it reveals the phlegmatic matter of fact spirit that makes for victory- Private W. J. Lambountfc, of the 51h I Dragoon Guards, lias written a letter to tias little daughter Irene, who resides with her ¡ parents at 19. Freeman-street, Brynhyfryd. which explains itself. He writes Just'a I few line..s from Daddy, hoping they will find you and Mammy in the best of "health. I am pleased to let you know that I am in the pink. Mammy lias written to me and told me that you are always asking when I am 'I coming home, and yo.u say that all the other little girls got. their Daddies. Well, if all those little gil'lR' Daddies joined the Army, just like your fuddy, the war would soonA!I t.'Ver, then I could come home to you and Mammy. Cheer up, Daddy will soon be home. Now pray for Daddy every night, •asi^q }itiO STOtpi-39 .re&p ioillo 8II{" Ilti ptw Referring to "the Duke of Beaufort's birth day, the "Evening Standard" states that his grace has maintained the great, hunting traditions of his family as Master of the; Badminton Foxhounds, and is said to be the best amateur huntsman in England. He is an A.D.C. to the King, and is the Heredi- tary Keeper of Raglan Castle. Raglan was built by Sir William ap Thomas, a follower of Henry V., and many historical events have taken place within its walls. It fonned a refuge for Charles 1. after the Brittle of Naseby; axid in 1646 sustained n memorable siege when the octogenarian Marquess of Worcester held it against Fairfax and a be- sieging force of over three thousand men. The garrison marched out in triumph, but t.he Roundheads seized the brave old mar- quess and sent him a priscDer to Loudon,
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Italy's preparation foir war"a fact noon which there has been laid a stress which was npeded in these days when most nations are discovering the innumerable new and undreamed of things comprehended in the term, "modem war"-r--vives an old source of bewilderment. Before the war we had imagined the continent as a place where nations, armed to the teeth, compOete to the last factor button, were ready to lairnch huge armies at each other on the ring of a bell. Now that the great war has came, we have France, Russia and Britain in turn complaining we were not pre- pared. The cry has been raised many t times, whenever in fact deficiency in some essential requisite has been discovered and we have made many such discoveries. Some people have foolishly put Germany's super preparation down to a double dose of original sin, a,nd have quoted it as further kvidenoe of her determination to force a war. That Germany had such a determina- tion is now" sun clear." but some of the facts cited in proof of this would have been hotter attributed to more brains. Amongst the German surprises have been an extraordinary large and elaborate aero- ,,css i oD. of great plane service; the possession of great num- bers of heavy artillery, and of immense num- bers of machine-guns—50,000 at the com- mencement oi the war is a figure quoted by "Eye-Witness" and her invention of many specialities, such as trench mortars. She had to begin with one immense advantage; supplies of money could be obtained more readily than was the case in France or Britain. Russia is an exception, for colossal sums, running into many hundreds of mil- lions, had been spent since the Japanese war in re-equipping the army, and the Duma voted money for the navy by the firtv millions at a time. Germany possessed that advantage through an autocrati<?Goverrmient | of a military complexion, which did not philander with pacifist and disarmament ideas, like the House of Commons and Cham- her of Deputies, but stuck steadily to th3 task oi making Germany as large and ugly a "handful" to tackle as possible. Some time before the war there was much stir about the Germau tsk upon capital to provide .f;&O,O(),OOO to spend on military stores. One wonders whether it v.™ not, really ror the purpose 6x payixigtltr the stores already amassed? The Germah equipment of heavy artillery should not have surprised the British" at any rate, who were taught by the Boers thai; big guns, oven in a country of no roads and a time of no motor haulage, can be taken anywhere in reason. Nor should it have surprised anyone who had studied the Russo Japanese war, and grasped the fact that in a fight, against an entrenched enemy howitzers are indispens- able. William the Conqueror knew this as long ago as the Battle of Hastings, when he ordered his bowmen to shoot almost straight into the air, so that their arrows might drop down upon the heads of the Saxons behind their impenetrable stockade. That was an illustration of the principle of howitzer fire. The German 12in. and 16in. guns against forts only pointed the moral of Port Arthur, whose fortifications were proof against field and medium artillery, but crumbled away when the Japanese brought 12in. howitzers into action. Japanese experiences in the siege also exemplified the necessity of hand- gienades, and of weapons for throwing heavy charges of high xplosive lat close quarters. The Japanese, for instance, took mountain guns in sections into their trenches, and fired them in some cases at twenty yards range. Russians and Japanese used primitive, im- provised forms of "mine-thrower"; the Ger- mans made the perfected weapon. The immense quantities of ammunition required, again, were foreseen by tho Germans, and provided, but that again was simple common sense, as the Manchuria-n War had suggested that modem battles might be protracted lover three weeks or a month (e.g., the battles of the Sha. Ho and Mukden), and would, even than, be indecisive. One unquestionable surprise has been the colossal number of machine guns employed by the Germans. But here again one asks, where were the Intelligence Departments of France and Russia that tens of thousands of machine guns could be made and stored in absolute secrecy? In mechanical invention the Germans—notoriously the least original and inventive in Northern Europe—put the Allies to shame. They have made this war an affair of machinery, plus brains and man power. They are relying to an ever in- creasing extent upon machinery. A machine-gun is supposed to be equal to 40 rifles; the Germans ha vo. in their machine-guns the equivalent of two million men, a fact to be taken very seriously intoi account when we consider the policy of "attrition" (which-has, be it observed by the way, the merit of making comprehensible the otherwise 1 incomprehensible Allied strategy in the West). The result of it is that when they desire to mass men at any point—as in West Galicia—they can denude lengths of entrenched lines of men, replacing them by scores of machine guns, or by second rate troops. The confidence that the Ger- mans possess in their entrenchments and machine-guns is evidenced by the fighting now in progress. They have deliberately re- moved the flower of their troops from large sections of their Western lines, and sent them East, according to the Russian official re- ports. At firs t, sight this suggests a most dangerous weakening of their lines in face of the French and British armies, which have made no such diversions from their strength. The Germans, however, must mave been qUlterta.in that their line in France would not be broken and though most fiercely at- tacked by the British and the French, and deeply bitten into, it has, as a matter of fact, not been broken. For that the enemy thanks I chiefly his abnormal number of machine- guns.