South Wales Weekly Post

 IFOR ALL CLASSES OF 'QO:' ¡ w ?? ?? B? 1 I AT MODERATE RIOES' t wmre OR (ALL AT THE OFFICE. § t OF THE a" I SOUTH WALES ? DAILY POST ? W?tRE SAMFLKS CAK BE INSPECTED  A?D LOWEST QUOTATIONS OBTAINED. G|   ?S6?!???a!???????S  3

After the candid statements made by Sn William Rob?rt?n, the thiet of the Ueral ?tan, and Adminl Jelli.es ,t? he Vubll^c ? longer any justihc.li-m for ?'? :'??. EUY iilu?ioa y ai I to th« s,e,riiiiei6 of the  which liw in <?'? oi U" ?? ATriiy, Sir William R?b?r'?'n ?d, need s ImE a million more m«n between now and and summer und it will r?uu? them t? NpJe ea"m.l- ties, in all probably. There wJ reman the obligation to furnish a constant .HMn of draftT that will keep the Army- up to u.ll »tr««gth when it driv home and reaps the full fruits of whatever success it may ubt-wil, in the joining gigantic clash ot arms. To that. tremendous collision that is impend.g, tne German retreat hikol been no more than a prelude. The people should bear that fact well in mu? T!? main ma?es of the German ?Y ? France hav? stiU t) be met  overthrown behind the formidable ioitih^ca Liis of their new line. And until that is done we. would do well lij,, to concern ourselves overmuch with how many seore of yilla.gcs and departments have been heated m m-e I ia l l .\orth-eastem France. Otnerwise we shall iall into the error of the enemy, who m the first months' oi the war, trampled over fan provinces and whole countries, but could not overthrow the armies Avhicri sought to de- A lend them- and without that all the Germ-wi conquests rested on sand. Germany, Sir William Robertson said, had never placed so many men in tne field as she has done in her last desperate effort to preserve her gains. Her expedients, cruel and illegal thuugh they have been, de- fying all the laws of God and man, have en- abled her to assemble together many new di- visions. And she is st'll able to secure such jj nisccesses as that oil the Stokhod bridgehead (9,500 prisoners, 15 gum;, two Russian regi- n-ents annihilated), and her men still fight desperately on occasion even in personal en- counters with the butt and the bayonet (a* in Savy Wood, in the battle for the lost: battery). It is necessary that our aerial service should at the earliest possible moment re- connoitre and survey as thoroughly as pos- | Bible the new lines taken up by the enemy. Upon their aerial surveys and photo-, "•rraphs, to say nothing' of the unceasing. • aerial superiority and control of our artillery fire, depends much of our suc- cess oil the Somme. With the contro^ of the air assured, we can attack their jungles of trenches and wire, with knowledge of r how to thread its labyrinth. Without. that knowledge we will fight blindly, with f:jie riak of failure seriously increased. Precious time may be lost in reasserting our superiority of 1916, and that is a needed for reedniiaissance andinvest-igation of the enemv's lines. Oil hie part Admiral Jellicoe could not affirm that the Navy had the submarine menace under control. The weekly return of ships lost indicateg that the contrary is the case. Admiral Jellicoo dwelt upon the extreme difficulties of the Xavy's task. The country can mitigate the effects of the submarine campaign by means of the judicious measures which the Govern- ment is recommending or enforcing, and the seizure of 600.000 tOlls of enemy shipping bv the United States wipes out at a blow uiorfi than a month's submarine ravage?. Put the gravity of the situation remains. fhe country, in short., will have to fight as It never fought before, will have to stint- and save as it never saved before, and will have to .settle a task of obvious difficulty in ending the men, who must number four- tifths, of a miilion at the least tc meet the ll-emands jointly made by Sir William Robertson and Mr. Nevitlle Chamberlain. We have reached a stage of palpable diffi- culty, and it is useless to ignore that. Wo are consoled by the knowledge that the t nemv's difficulties are still greater but he continues to maintain a most formidable re distance, which we have to break down de- cisively at a moment when our own strength is taxed to the utmost, and that of some of • our Allies is on the wane. The intervention '1 of America Js one factor of the highest hop ?. » President Wilson's speech, a speech of lofty dignity and firm resolve, an historic and inspiring document, which states the issues as finely as they have been stated, makes it clear that America is entering upon the struggle with the same stern determina- tion as that which carried" the North on to victory in the sixties, despite v many great defeats and discouragements. The Allies are to be assisted to the utmost capacity of America's strength. America's plans are to be based upon a possiMe pro- longation of the war to a period unthin kahle to many I)eOPle, hi-it nevertheless just possible, The American Army, it is reported, is to be raised to a strength" of 1,200,000 men. on the basis of universal liability to service, with. certain exceptions which the enormous pti latiofi and we speel.al circumstances ot the United States justify, by the expansion of the regular rmy,. the National Guard, and .,he creation of new levies. America's gi- gantic resources and rare capacity for huge effort and improvisation at the shortest atotice are to be dra.wn upon to the fullest extent, and by 1918, should the war con- tinue to then, we may expect in the summer to see American armies pouring across by the score of thousands, repaying the debt ta.t:th.f) Transatlantic Republic owes to the memory of Lafayette. The German defi- alice of Arnerici w,, i ance of America was a gigantic gamble, based upon the expectation of an early and decisive suocess against Britain. Probably the 'German General Staff realised that, granted the continuation of the war to an extreme duration, the Ameri- cans could repeat- the achievements of Kitchener, and «ren improve on them, in the light of our own dearly-bought ex- perience, whilst American finances, to name fiut one resource out of many, would im- mensely augment the staying power of the Allies. But they trunttd to deal us a -noo?-otit blow before American aid could materialise. We know the l ethodl-I on which they put their trust, and we know the methods by which we can circumvent them. It is for us to tide ourselves ovep thet critical period of the coming sum- pit-, ana to press inflexibly and without tating an iota of our resolution upon the enemy, so that, it it must come to that, the path will be smoothed for the new Ameri- ran armies, and for the final crushing im- pact of the resources of our new Allies. We would rather have finished the task ourselves, than see the Germans draw the consolation that they were biting "snowed under" by such a weight uf arms as a nation has never before. • -/faced—a consolation that would with- draw the sting of ddealt. But if such is not lito be the case, we must resolve to fight on I doggedly "until we have expended our strength to the utmost in bringing the Hohenzollerns to strict accountability."

By eleven o'clock on Friday morning the news had been cabled through to this coun- try from Washington that the House of Re- presentatives, following the lead of the Sena.te, had approved of the resolutions sub- mitted .for the President. This action, sup- plementing the others preceding it, meant in law. as in fact, a declaration of war against Germany. Consequently all the great de- mocratic Powtrs in the world are now openly arrayed th atitoocracies, of the Central Europe Empires and their allies, the Turk id Bulgarians. The Armagod- don haa ,ked .taelf into a combat be- !tN,,e-e?n autocracy and democracy. France, America, Portugal, Russia, China are re- publics Great Britain, Italy, Roumania, Serbia have constitutional monarchies sub- ordinate to the popular will. The advent of America in the arena of in- ternational warfare is a great event involv- ing consequences that must grow from week to week. Small craft may be kept in home waters on the eastern coast to offset possible German .submarine activity which can only be prosecuted by diverting to distant waters craft operating more effectively nearer home. But the chief battleships of the United States will become iin-ailable Ili European | waters, relieving the strain, upon the Allied fleets in the Adriatic, the Mediterranean, and the North Sea. And the shipbuilding yards of America will at call turn out my- riads of thp. small craft most needed in COlUl- t.erin. the submarine menace. If the West- ern Republic will put its back into the fight —and that is practically certain, for the Americans are not people given to half mea- siires-ttie Germans wilt presently realise that one of the worst of their miscalculations was the belittling of the fighting capacity of President Wilson's forces. The first fruits of the entrance of the Un-ited States into the war will be per- oeptihle in directions where they might not be readily appreciated by 1 he public, but will, nevertheless, afford immense relief to harassed and anxious ^Ministers of State. The seizure of some 700,000 tons of int-ernc-d German and Austrian ihippilJg tndoes at a blow the beat (or worst) month' s work of the enemy's submarines, and it sets an ex- ample not unlikely to be followed by the South-American States, where a consid-er- able quantity of other enemy shipping is in- terned. Such a windfall of tonnage is of in- estimable value, and the enemy has 30 days of his campaign, y-ith its losses to his own submarines, absolutely thrown away. Then there is no reason why the United States, with its superabundant resources, should not take over from Britain the task of finan- cing all our Allies, and at moderate rates of interest. The value of suoh a sqp to Britain, which has by this time advanced probably a, thousand rniibone to its Allies and oversea Dominions is again incalcul- able. Tims, ppart- fcv* sdi ve military measures on land and sea, the United States without firing a shot can. weigh down the balance heavily upon the side of the Allies. In money, food and shipping, and additions to the Allied anti-submxrme lfotillas, the .Americans can give us most valuable aid. and we do not doubt that it will be forthcoming very early. If the war is to drag on, an American army in the closing stages would be decisive in its results and we must confess that the prospect of such a force is decidedly welcome, with British re- .sources in man-power becoming palpably embarrassed the re-examination of men in- valided from the Army from wounds and -dist-me is a patently extreme measure, par- allel to that taken in France, whose own difficulties in regard t-o men must be as great as those of the Grnans. We have not sus- tained suoh looses as the French, but, on the other hand, we, have our own special funo- tions, and we have our own special preoccu- pations in our agriculture, whilst the French a,re still decidedly better off for bread, on whose consumption no special restrictionsj have yet been placed. The American as a fighter possesses every quality of a first-class man-at-arms. The st?ndin? army is admittedly too small to -sta-iidilig 'o!e parallel to that of the British re- gulars, who n a good-sized army to France besides providing the foundation on which the new armies were raised. Rut it is ad- mirably efficient, and sufficiently numerous to provide leaders and instructors for a very much larger army, upon the lines of "Kit- chener's." The American is nothing if not an adept at improvisation, and. there will be full scope for this national aptitude in raising a large new army if that" measure is decided upon. The American munition factories have been mobilised for war by reason of the enormous orders placed by the Allies, and aU their new resources and ex- 'perieatce aA-e vt th. disposal of the Am?n Government. In the War of Independence 4 Army under Rochambeau and La Fayette fought side by side with Washington's men, and there is an opportunity ior too Americans to repay an historic debt. '.rhore I will undoubtedly be a great number of Americ,ms anxious for the fullest participa- tion of the States in the war, and no lack of volunteers for an oversea army. The American Congress' will decide wiiat the wope of the American effort is to be but iwve no doubt that a- great body of public opinion in the States will favour action upon the hries indicated above. On the whole, if America is in earnest, we may free our minds of anxiety as to the termination of the war, and rid ourselves of the doubts which beset tli,- fainter-hearted whether after all the task is not to be too great for our strength. For America on our side assures us of sufficient money and sufficient. men to see the war through to a period beyond which the most pessimistic hardly imagine th-j- enemy will be able to drag out- hi« resistance.

General Nivelle has cabled in his hand- some compliment to General Murray, our Commander-in-Chief in Egypt, the signifi- c: nt observation that the brilliant victory n" Gaza is "'a iavourable start for the Army's campaign in Palestine and Syria." We have here our objectives clearly defined, and we may look forward to a time when the «rtire Turkish Empire east of the Levant hallave ceased to exist, and when the Army of General Maude, as well as of Sir ¡ Archibald Murray, will .oe maintained from Egypt. The battle of Gaza was un- questionably a brilliant achievement. It is piMn that the exhaustion of the water, which could only be brought up in small quantities by a, painfully tedious process, prevented us from driving home the victory, and compelled a halt near Gaza. But the immense disproportion between the losses (400 killed and 200 missing on our side, 7.000 casualties and 1,000 prisoners on the side of the Turks) shows that it was a totally different affair, from that Pyrrhic triumph at Ctesiphon, and that, fighting under more favourable conditions of supply -condition" which will presently be im- proved by the railway which we a.re pushing on--we can count iritli confidence on beat- ing thoroughly in the own field, any forces t, h e. '17(ir iir,. the Turks can con trivc « £ pu £ e to us. The Turks in the open and the Turks in en- trenchments are two different kinds of fighters, and the difference is all in our fav our in such battles, as we are likely to see in Palestine this summer, on the ground hallowed by memories of the Crusaders and Saladin, of Napoleon and of Sidney Smith ("who spoiled my destiny." said Napoleon). 1 In respect of General Murray's coup on the edge of Palestine and General Maude ? movement to effect a juncture with the Rus- s ians under General Baratoii, certain facte must be token into account calculated to moderate excessive expectations. Cne is that the capture of Gaaa was designed, but miscarried by reason of t. thick log that held up the advance during several precious hour, Another that the Turkish force encountered and overcome was not the main enemy army, presumably still postad-^ffl. the heights sur- rounding Gaasa. Consequently weeks may elapse to complete the railwa-v a.cross. the desert zone and lav a water pipe line before another attack in force can. be delivered against Gaza—the Turkish stronghold in this area. In Mesopotamia the British and Russian vanguards are only a few miles apart, but every mile of advance towards fusion will be made under difficulties. The Russian line of communication becomes a,ppaliingly long and the Turkish Government is rushing ai re- inforcements, realising that its hold on the most valuable of its provinces is in grave jeopardy. With General Murray in signt of the Holy Land and General Maude domi nat- ing the Tigris and Euphrates and stretching out hand." to the Russians at Khanikin, the Ottoman Empire is visibly tottering in Asia. Enver Pasha's visit to Berlin is obviously concerned with the rec.all to home defence of the Turkish legions employed on the Allied front in Macedonia and Roumania, In the West the German Tine is palpably crumpling. The reserves which should be there are elsewhere, or veritable strongholds would not be vielded after only a show of re- st;!ep. Hindenburg's scheme may be providing for an attack in full force against the Italians, or against Russia. assumed to be weakened and con- fused by the revolution. But in any event German action in the- West is deteriorating. The Anglo-French forces steadily advance. will import the ,ever- St. Quent-in. if it falls, will import the sever- ?i the Crerma?il Army ance in unequal parts of the Germa.n Army iit Franca For La- Ftfre-and La.on must then fall likewise. And the British capt-m'e of Cambrai would deprive the Germans ot their principal railwiy communications. On it converge nearly all the railways and roads in this part of France. If the Germans are compelled to give up Cambrai and St. Quen- tin there will be another strategic retreat on a large scale. It will be the beginning of the end of German occupation of Northern France and Belgium.

Everybody admits the necessity of food control in this country in present conditions. -We are t,) some 'extent—to a variable but serious extent—-cut ofe" from our ftormaThriarn sources of food Supply. In any case these islands, in view of their size and population, could not be self-sufficing in the production of foodstuffs; a.nd our policy for nearly a. century, based oil the mistaken belief that w.p should placate all other nations if we permitted Everybody to have unrestricted and unregulated entry into the British market for anything he might chose to send there, has made us far more dependent for our daily meals on foreign {producers and un- interrupted sea traffic than we need have been. In 'Oll of his rare and laconic utter- ances in Parliament Lord Fisher salida few days ago, Our country is in great jeo- pardy." And Lord Fisher understa-nds the potentialities of the U-boat piracy as well as any man living. In instituting food control the Govern- ment was and still is confronted by a dilemma. If the system of rationing the people is made' compulsory, equality of treat- ment for all is secured as well as it can be, and the efforts of the food-hog and the food- lioard-er to sacrifice the nation to their con- cern for their own stomachs is fiustrated but an enormous organisation has to be set on foot and this .demands the withdrawal of a great liost of male and female workers from productive and other necessary labour at a time when that labour is most sorely needed to secure the country's defence. If the Government adopts and maintains the volun- tary system of rationing, it incurs the dan- ger that a minority of selfish and heedless persons may rendi&r fthe self-denial and pa- triotism of the majority of no avail. At present this mischievous a.nd danger- ous minority may he classed under two heads. There are persons who are not de- librately and consciously treacherous to the nation in its hour of peril, but who are so habituated to take the normal courts of the provisioning of the larder as inherent in the immutable order of nature that they never look beyond the table and the shop in this connection, and do not realise that the whole community is in a state of si-ege--as the President of the Board of Agriculture has told us—so long as they siee provision stores in the shop wilidow6 and have money to buy wha.t they are accustomed to consume. Many of these happy-go-lwcky people would put the necessary restraint upon themselves if they were aroused to a. lively sense of the help they Gre giving to the G2TIDan pirates and the obstacle they are opposing to the final success of our fighting men on sea- and land. Thiere are other offenders who excuse their selfishness by accusing their neigh- bours. At one end of the street we may find Mr. Stuffer saying, Why should I stint myself? It would do no good. There are plenty of others who won't. What I might- save by spare mewls would go to ever-feed them. I know men in this street who won't go short of anything while it's to be had. For instance, between you and me, there' s Crammie-" And at the other end of the street we may find Mr. Cranimie saying the sarne of Mr. Stuffer. The desi- deratum is that Stuffer should be wrought u,pon to igtftU'e the supposed gluttony of Cram.mic and do his own patriotic duty and vice-versa. Many of these careless or unbelieving food- hogs are curable by example and precept. And for the purpose of their conversion nothing is likely to be more effective than an energetic but judicious crusade against greed aaid waste conducted by men and women of light and leading in every district —ministers of religion, members of local au- thorities, organisers of war-work and others. It is a matter of enormous national import- ance to maintain the voluntary system of rationing, if possible, and so prevent the di- version of ,It gredt stream of labour to a purely administrative function which ought not to become necessary. And if that amount of individual consumption in excess which is not prompted by mor:1tl turpitude could be eliminated we should have a much ea,sier task in dealing with the quite small minority which is deliberately prepared to petray the country into incalculable danger rather than forgo ito incorrigibly porcine habit; of mind and ho. I 4

A Swansea, man diz,,roverm Brynmill Park on Friday. And he has been living a mile off for th pab-t seventeen years;  A Sy?raiis??a- firm, 'wh?,?,h be nameless, smile blandly when ('.ne talks of shortage of sugar, and remark that their favourite scng is "Ma honey, ma honey!" I $. to Old-time Gower trampers eyed with envy the troops of youngsters with their food-bags slung ever their shoulders making for the open country on Good Friday morning. < <> A well-known Swansea confectioner and special constable has put the following no- tice outside his d(oor :Will the, person who took the Empire# notice from tie door oeme inside for t. pass ?'' "This is a funiy world." said the Swan- sea fishmonger oil Thursday evening. "Here I've got about thirty pounds of gurnet at 4d. a lb., and? everyone's clamouring for ood at Is. 3d. 1" Town Hill, viewed from Swansea Sands in the sunshine of Good Friday mornn g, resembled an ant-hill. Swansea is taking up the allotment question enthusiaatically. I r> w l io i-, ac at A Scottish chief engineer who was at Swansea Empire on i'nday evening wa? 1 vastly surprised to be informed ?hat the I entire programme was mace up of pnxely local turns. Need more be Judging by the gesticulations and loud language of .some Swarthy t reign-:rs on Good Friday -morning, the parade drill of "C" Company of Swansea Volunteers had for them soiiie higuly sensational import 1 *-< £ »■< £ > It was not the Sanctimonious ^drivel con- cerning -.varfa-re-that a< propaganda '•conscien- tioas" person chalked oil a waU cI a Swansea thoroughfare, but what someone ore nMniy had written und'emcath that '<l> in!ter&&ted pa??cg-by. "H.av]ng recehed my calling-up nice, I have dihmissed my ca?p." So wrot? a man w-iio had put 111 an application for a havjig certificate to the South Wales Muit< lions Tribunal on Thursday. Mr. J. W. iV o-rpe (clerk): "He lias acted as hÏ¡,.)wn tribunal." -s- Swansea juvenile*, are tench int^'ested .« the prepaimiioijs bj'ng jjiade for the Kqatar -aturnivai &t Only fine., weather is now required to ensure success, and a plenitude of funds for comforts for our fimhters and for necessaries for the less fortunate of our gallant local lads at the front. ?-?-.?>  ,I>< Not only London, but one reads that the large provincial towns are now a lso taking action in regard to aliens of military age, who are living unrestricted lives, and in respect of food, whilst the British people aire depriving themselves. Swansea has its particular grievance which a responsible authority should deal with without delay."—(" Pro Pa-tria.) Mr. J. W. Thorpe, clerk of South Wales Munitions Tribunal, read out a letter on Thursda.y from a, workman who had put in an application for a leaving certificate. The letter asked Mr. Thorpe to "cancel the Tri- bunal." as his c^se had been settled. The tribunal smiled.. Mt  -?X?-?-t  "It, must- be a most pleasilig reflection" (writes "Townsman") "for thoMwhose en- terprise and industry provided the several War Fund whist drives which have been suoh a feature of Swansea s social life this past winter, that not only were their efforts most heartily appreciated throughout our own town, but L eir example has been stu- diously followed by communities the length and breadth of Wales.' Australia Wales, at St. Helen,s, Monday. They change their skies above them. But not their hearts that roam; We learned from our wistful mothers To call/Old England "ho-me." We read of the- English skylark, Of the spring in the English lanes. But we screamed with the painted lorries As we rode on the dusty plains. And the Cross swings low for the morn; Last toast and your foot on the table— A health to the native bom. —"The Native Born" (Kipling). -<  -< < x  ?x >-<  Wi'th the death of Bryn Lewis one of the fastest wings that ever played for Wales has been lost- to the Rugby code (writes "Rugby- i ite"). It was a refreshing sight to see Bryn making; one of his characteristic "bee lines" for the line, and he was a doughty man in- deed who could tackle him securely. Angus, the Scottish International full-back. used, to say that Bryn Lewis was one of the most difficult footballers to tackle, as when in full career his knees almost came up to his chin Bryn was not much of a handler or kick, hut once given possession of the ball he was de- termination personified,- and his efforts when there was a ghost of a chanoe of scoring generally materialised. <     -<  -< s The following is an extract from a letter written by a young officer from Swansea dis- trict now in Egypt, and the references to his brothers possesses pathetic interest as one of them has already died for his country in France You would be astonished if you only knew what a problem even exi. stence is here sometime. We are a mobile column, continually on the move, and we have not seen decent civilisation for the last six months; any placos we have captured are j held by our garrison troops and on we push again. The only clothes I poesess at. present are what I wear. All my other possessions are scattered far and wide. goodness knows where, and I look more like a tramp than anything else at present. We recently cap- tured 40 GeniiaiiofFcer- and N.C.O.'s (there are a lot of Germans out here) and 3S out of the 40 spoke English fluently! The German part of the enemy out here are carrying out their usual custom .-nd breaking all the laws of humanity and civilised warfare, and s-ome of us will not forget Fritz in a hurry. I wish we oould send you a little of our hot weather. You seem to need it badly. We should not miss it in the least. In spite of ail the taJk about peace I do not think it, will oomeabout for some time. Germany will have to accept our terms on her bended knees, and unless this is done ail those who; have given their lives will have done so in vain. I hear that my brother has joined the Army. We are all in it now, and. I sup. ipose it is too MUCII to expect that we shall ill come through all right. Still we must get on afrd finish the job, which is the chief tiding after all, is it rati" j, I A Swansea aid-erman has his dining-room table covered with seed potatoes. He is waiting for them to sprout. -< The strike at Barrow i? now happiiy over, and on the Western front the Allies have got the Huns "in the cat." <     !-< >-  A youth was seen wearing 3 straw hat in one of Swansea's streets on Wednesday stftmwor E')h0p88 of An? weather now. I "Well, anyhow." said the Sandfields philo- ) sopher, "fish is too dear to raise a thirst on, and it would be too expensive to settle the thirtt; so thre -ou tbit-st; .o there yoa are." It cold work, but one Mumbles man has solved the food difficulty to a little extent. He has added winkles to his daily menu, and picks them himself from an a djoining and pic' ,S th c -in i-ijrp selt tmm an ad j oin inz The optimist who thinks the snow will keep his seeds warm mast be the man who put on his overcoat on a broiling day in the belief that what keeps out the coid aiso j keeps, out tjie heat. The Gower Guardians received what was to them very gratifying news at thfeir re- cent niecti li-'tilaa one of their charges, a lad named Cottrell, had been received into his Majesty's Navy7. CoxiT^iilor David Richards told the Swan- sea Markets Committee on Wednesday that some seed poitatuee on being cut, in hall were found to be quite black inside through being lrostod. Outside apparently they were quite sound. The sucoess of the auction sale for the Red Cross on the steps of the Swansea Coal Exchange yesterday suggests the hope that this will not be the last. Members heartily entered into the spirit of the occasion, and Mie .birds came as fast as th?y could be put I  <tx t   j down. ( j Shipper" (Swansea) writes Not a day goes by but we read of Swansea do?ks- men in some form or another assisting war funds or war efforts, and I cannot help thinking that t-here is something lacking on the (part of Swansea, tradesmen in th\? I-e- sped. Is it organisation? For meMiB are plentiful." o rg ar1'sat?on! Forare  There are evidently p?t;n<:o? 5t;n left in the MlUn bles. The local Red Cro^s Jiofipital; I having run short the children of the Oyster- mouth Schools were asked by their head- master to try and bring at least one tuber each for the ?l?.ers. The result wa.s a bag I of 541 bs., a gilt by no means to be despised of a.gitt ty ro me to L-.e. despi??d in War works wondrous changes ..for in Satur- day^ match for the benefit of the Mayor's Comforts' Fund and the War Prisoners Fund, T. C. Lloyd (Neath) captains a Swansea" team, and the players will be drawn from our friends the enemy. Cardiff,- Llanelly, Neath, and A beravon. Goodv sportsmen all ê--+-" 3- $ J Dnn Pedroy who >1 n engaged to ap- j pop 1 it v f Monday, once. performed a.t the CrvKt-Al Palace before 11.5.00^ people. He has been in Ru.sia, Germany, Denmark, England, America, Australia, and practi- cally every country in the World. He is a Dane. Once in America he walked from one mount-ain to another at a, height of 375 feet. He never usee a net, and always gives a thrilling show. The cockerel stold by auction by Mr. Wm. James at the Swansea Coal Exchange on 1 Wednesday, for the benefit-of the Mayor's i Red Cross Fund and the Queen Mary Sew- I ing Guild, manifested a particular reticence" in its crowing powers, though the bird is usuaily, so adept -at making his presence known that to go anywhere near him ordinarily is to evoke a clarion call. The 1 cockerel was on his best- behaviour through- ] out. The only time it seemed discon- certed was when M. La Bars asked if .t laisd eggs. The "Daily Sketch" tells the following little story-:—"At the teatime wedding of Lord Raglan's son. Major Wellesley Somer- set, to .Miss Lesley Vivian, at St. James', Piccadilly (by special license), it was just as well that Lord Raglan's ba.by grandson was there to create diversions, for the arrival of the bride's' small brother in the bridal car caused a false alarm. The choir started off singing up the aisle, and had to go on for over a quarter of an hour until the bride did finally appear. It seems the small brother was very anxious to be there an time, couldn't find a 'taxi,' and so took the bridal carl" The said "small brother" is a nephew of Mr. i C. C. Vivian, of Swansea. .¡;q> I THE THIEF. Jaeii s proverb, "Might is KagM, holds' yet to-day O'er vanquish'd peoples under Prussia's ) sway. Conquer'd, but unsubdued, invaded coun- tries feel Hie "tortures of the damned," beneath ner brutish heel. As ruthless conqueror during his advance. The" UtUl" despoiled the smiling face of Vance. Now, in retreat, his wolfish instinct reeks. And 'gainst his victims cruel "vsngeance" ks. Despite those bl a.c.k en d ohu.rches"land. inai-ks gnni- And i-uinpd orchards (souvenirs of him) That pAtfagon of lying, loot and lust, The whutiny Hun" complains "None him will trust. Whence come these psychic traits, so wefl displayed, in teuton, steeped 111 crime, yet undis- mayed By the world's verdict? Rock it not io him That, his crimes' cup is full; e'en to the i brim? Tha page of history; sure as changeless tide, To nations' characters affords a guide. Old Tacitus records the German, greedy, way Expressed in, reckless gaming naught CGuJd stay. Tmt ganabiing spirit's theirs to-day, at then. The dice employed arte countriee blood of men, Anguish of wLNiii(-,j) ba"oies' tnr, Whilst brutes intensify their fenrs L'Envoi. I That Royal "Fred uiou proudly rail'st "The GreiLt (The robber founder of thv plundering State), Left maxims vile-thcu'lóIt ta'en th,-m well to heart; He t-anghit thee how to steal an d ne' er to pari Germania! crime stained, who thro' Bel- gium burst, Go reeliiig houie; by the whole world accurst! From lands like thine all moral feeling flies, Leaving a stark, denjented people ted on By thy foul deedo f?ir <Auvab'y's laid Iciv Thv sons to rescuers d?gj the dastafd s T,hy somto rwcuers the dastar d s F,rom "Fted'iI Sileedan th-eft thiou'st C'ulJ'cl a loaf, ) And stand to-day* 01 Europe's thieves, the ch--ef, J. F. P. McEN'ERNY. Swajieea. Auril. 1917* T" The Order regarding the hoarding (,f food comes into force to-day. Icomes into famc to-da?.v. Will SwanseEf unmarried indispeu-j Mbi?a" permit American. to fight for them Five potato-le%s days a week leaves me cold," said a Siwaaisea man. w ho has been •spudlesis" for a fortnight. The chearwt V-jd tn!s- week at Swansea —due to a plentiful supply-was dried cod- fish at 6d. a pound. The Lascar seamen from over the King' s contemplated the new (potatoes, the: early radishes and the asjparagus, and then priced thwn. Napoo Tbere was a "noise" at one stall in Swansea Market one day laH week. A housewiie who was about to make parsley sauce for the family nsh-dinner found she had been sold miniat ure curly greens instead of pirslev. iieiice said ncite the following j day. <?> -> "The darkest hour is the hour before t.he dawn," writes "No Cod, "but let me at once state that t-he longest hour I have ever experienced was tbe one that preceded six o'clock on Good Friday evening last at the termination of a waik into the country after a dinner of salt, fish." Despite an increase of about £5,000 in the estimates of the Education Committee— due principally to increases in the salaries of teachers—the rates for Swansea the cur- rent year are unlikely to be greater tin 11 last year's. These are days when we have to be thankful for small mercies. A farmer declared at Carmarthen Rural District Council on Saturday that good roads were essential for the safe transit of eggs from the farms to the market. Owing to the deplorable condition of a certain road in his district, a few shillings' worth of eggs brought into market by him that morning were all broken Chronic local grumblers please note that whuist other areas are still crying out for tractors and seed potatoes Swansea had three, of the former at its disposal.early and I that its requirements in the latter are l>e- ing satisfied. Also that S'.vansea was thel .pi-oneer in util sing the public demand, for ¡nuoet. pleasures and relaxations to swell patriotic funds. Thousands ?f pounds have ¡ been raised in this way. I It  t,, delerni i iip- It M dimcult these days t'? determine what comprises ?i?tKjml Service and the perz-Diiiiel of munition workers. In any case the conduct of u paity of young men. in a, "■ joy-ridin& fll()t,or Ci.r in Swansea High street on Good Friday night was most- unseemly, and the only degree of satisfaction deri ved from the incident was that these yotn-g fellows were toO depart from our town that does t'ot we!reya» s-ach a typo.—(" Pro Patfrla.") The "¡;WP3P'' World" ao?d& Sw.n? ?.?.s ?n p?tr;-? .? the way 01 collecting ten tons oi 'w£te paper  bu t h1Ht that t;h £2 per ton ?bL?i?ilhA toulj be mu<A im:prond u-pon as a price. The attention imtyron-e d u??-n a. 1 e of the President of the L-vcal Government Board ha,s already been drawn to Swansea s ittit,ia,tt ve-it is the first, town in the king- dom—to commence such a collection and the example cited. Tlie scheme isbeing further developed, it ma.y be ?r'j. with the aid c? the Boy Scouts of the district. ',<i'<:>-<><i;> I Welsh Rugby footballers wore busy on Saturday afternoon last. At Swansea for I the benefit of the Mayor s Comforts Fund I and, the "Post" War Prisoners' Fund, a "Swansea" team, inctudin.g players from Cardiff, Neath, Llanelly and Aberavon met the Monmouth Engineers, practically a Newport fifteen; while at Richmond the powerful Army Service Corps, which in- cludes Gronow (Bridgend) and Holbrooke II (Swansea and Cardiff), won against the I Royal Naval Depot, assisted by Tom Wil- liams (SwansesA, W. A. Dayi" ?Swansea and Leeds) and E. J. Da vies (Neath). I aitd let? d ?-, ) aiidE. -T. DiiN-ies Swansea Corporation have plenty of new expense?, but can look back with equanimity J to seme useless ones of the past- of which 4iey have long sinoe been relieved. For in- stance, up to 1742 they at thetr own expense provided and lighted bonfires on May 29 and November 5 in t'he Market-place (which was then in Castle-square), and they allowed thirty shillings for ale, twelve shillings for wine, and eight shillings for the bonfire, drummers, etc." We fear that any sugges- tion to renew this ancient practice (which savours greatly indeed of Merrie Eng- land ".) would be resented by the- ratepayers just now but if there ever should be an ex- cuse for reverting to it, just for once, it might be when the British forces get- to I Berlin. Tlien even Councillor C'olwill wouJd uot object. -4> t The late Mr. Burns, senior science master at Swansea Municipal Secondary School, was associated with the school at Dynevor- place since ill iticeptioii. He was ap- pointed to the position he held with such distinction and honour for so many yeai-s when the old School Board determined to organise a Higher Grade School under Mi. Gomer Jones at Trinity-place. Through all the vicissitudes of that school he and others loyallv laboured to lay the founda- tion for the success and efficiency which the Municipal Secondary School at Dvnevor- piace now so rightly enjoys. It is not too much to say that. his memory is held in affectionate rmnemoranc,e by his colleague-" (past and present) and thousands of old bovs, who will learn of his deceit with heartfelt- sorrow. Though of a somewiiat austere exterior, one had to know him thoroughly to appreciate his depth of know- ledge, /kindliness of heart, sympathy, generosity. <md goodness. Mr. W. J. Wilson, of 95, St. Helens- road. Swansea—who has a son a lieutenant in the naval ge,rvieh.a.s received letters of thanks from the Prime Minister and the Direct-or of National Service for copies of tlie following .topical lines: The Call to the Nalian. Come. rally, my lads, round tbee National Flag, For the hour of trial is "at. hand; When the pick and the spade, the anvil and lathe, Are things that will help us to stand. So come along, boys. put. your name on the roll, N () matter whatever your oreed- English or Irish, Scotsmen, and Welsh, For now it's the Empire's need. Boys, on "the ball!" it is no use at all I To stand about watching the game; But just take a hand, at your country's de- mand, And then you will not be to blame. Our boys on the water are doins their best To stop the Huns' dirty game; And soon on the land, when you give a I hand, The boys will be doing the same. So answer the call, 'and with the help of you aU, With spanner and shovel and gun. • The Boche will be flying, there is no deny- ing, We'll" send him back home on the rim. ———'————— — =3- One class of tradesmen has done badly during the holiday*. <>-  <t'- $ x<X  "Even vicars like votes of thank,s. (Rev. Canon J. H. Wavkiiw-Jones). One large residential hotel, at Swansea- has been without jxitatcos for three wasks. -< ><. A marjied feature at Swansea over the Eastertide has been the order in the streets. o<  -< $ >- $ -<  <   Aching backs were a speciality in Swansea on Saturday morning. Also 'corns" on the hands. < £ ~sxXXS>-<!«> Optimism' Tents v. ere being erected at liMngland Bay on louda- during a heavy saowsterm! Swansea had some weather samples on Bank Hoiiay-snow, hail, sleet, ram, and sunshine, with a bitter east wind thrown 111. A few eating potatoes were obtainable at ;5Wdí", Oil Saturday night. Better sup- plies are anticipated this week. The decision of America brings over to the .cause of the Allies a hundred million people —and Charlie Chaplin. -<<?>><X?-<?- When you are asked why the British pwples are capable 01 colomg:ng the world over recall the Eastertide of 1917, with jts winter. spring, summer, and again spring and winter. T?te i-?a.triot ?-<!?<ix<x$-<? ladiez- -j ho The patriotic action of the ladLM wh<i assisted at the pay-boxes at the War Fundi events, and in uch weather conditions, too, was noted and appreciated by Monday's crowds. rn iei-e were <t?$>-?-a>??> h ree c l er k q?, There were five magistiates. three clerks, the superintendent ol the police, and a couple of constables present at Swansea Police Court on Easter Monday morning-- and one solitary female prisoner. ??-<?)>-?-?-w to theil Pe ople who ordinarily proceed to the?x business at. fay. -ight c, ,CFO(Z, of a morn- ing. should not overlook the fact that it is a seven o'clock temperature and wrap up accordingly, otherwise the chemist will IoGkO cheerful. <:x!x>-??-<?- d tl,.e 111. The re-m-icted railway service and the in- crease of fares are io small matters to man,- Swansea shopkeepers. One of the. lattei told the writer that 40 per cent, of his trad. was with the people in the valleys and thir surrounding districts. The public cloaks of Swansea are cert tx, Ti proving t-lieli- Utility" (write* ''Thoughtful") "for on Easter Monday morning, as the chimes <J. 12 o'clock arose sweetly on the morning 144, it was interest- ing to note the number oi householders lwli4 emerged to have" just a walk around before dinner," With the wintry conditions of Easter Mom day all against cotintrv tramps numbers oi Swvuvfa folks spent the Bank lioiio" ing their own town and its spreading a?turb-. With remits to them 6Urpri?ini and in'orniing. Swansea is now 63 of Li great towns of the kingdom. Let. it at onoe be said. that the iame,at St. Helen's on Easter Monday altern001* was one wor,thy of the splendid tradition^ of Easter Rugby at Swansea. The pla of the yoiuig Wales team was ext hilarating throughout, aud the passing aiig inter-passing leadil up to the two tri scored on nie right wing was Welsh football at its very best. "—(" Prospero.") The clocks at S-vnusea at 'midnight o Saturday presented a study in, Several of the public clocks had "been pu, on to summer-time from ten o'clock en. wards,but othens registered the old tinne u.nt Sunday morning. -N igNvorl. ha th behêilt of the hour ga?ed, though thE? will have to put in the extra hour when the clock are set back in September. < >-4x s *< $ *o < > At Christ Church vestry meeting, Rev. Canon J. H. Watkins-Jones, in observing that church honours should go round, rea qalJed a parish .where the milkman in cor- duroys used to do the Sunday coueetiiig with the fashionable gentjeman of the parish attired in frock coat with black vest and white t-lip underneath, and all that apparatu." said the vca-r. A -< Photographs are always pleasing, snap- shots especially. Two sets in the Continen- tale. High-street. Swansea, are unique. They were taken by Mr. Leigh Jones, and are well worth inspecting. One .group 5e.; cured a high at-ard in the Kodak competi- tion, open to the world. The other is sin- gularly appropriate. being pictures of the U.S. and incidenL on the Olympic. What is the origin of The Bells of Aberdovey,"? It is perhaps one. of the most popular 01 Welsh airs, yet it ? a remark- able faci that Aberdovey does not possess, and never did possess, a peal of bejie. Someone (says the "South Wiles Daily News") suggests, that the place Referred to is S>a-nsea. and that tbe real title of the air should be-" Tlie Bells of Abertawy. > o It cannot too generally known that that excellent patriotic association, the United Service Brigade, ( is open to all men who have done their bit." on sea or in foreign lands, the only other qualification being good conduct in order-lateep up the pres- tige of such a splendid bo3y of men as now b;long to it. The subscription is only- 2s. per vear—purely nominal. Swansea, in- deed, is very proud of its veterans. It would be very interesting to know just how many tons of s-eawead have been gathered at Mumbles during the last week. Allotment-holders have been very buv getting in a stock, as potatoes, as well peas and beans, thrive remarkably well ou it. Thelels quite a vexed question in the village as to the best method of using the weed, some advocating over and some under the potato, whilst others plump fotr both, stating that one cannot use too much., A Welsh correspondent in a London con. temporarv save the ignorance of the average Englishman is intense'. Leading English musicians acknowledge "\mdaith Gwyr Harlech" to be the world's finest military march, they speak in iri pr-lll.e of Wefeh music generally, yet we do not fiad. any of the modern English v poets paying iiheir tribute to. Dafyad a-b Gwilym, Ebeu Fardd. or Ceiriog. Whtob is all yerytrue- and is acctntuoted when a binlliant English stnd«nt tells us that he is unaware of the existence" of Welsh poetry The Chaplain-General of the Force 6 (Western Command), Rev. J. Blackbouyne^ concluded his address at the receiit Aruint head service with the following striking lines:- "When the last -day is ended and all the night-s are through, When the sun lie3 buried in hiis grave erf blue, When the stars are snuffed like eandiaje the seas no longer fret-, .,g for When the winds unlearn their < the storms forget, When the last, lip is palsied ar" prayer said, §*« by Love will reign immortal while °' 0 lies dead." d the