Abergavenny Chronicle

OUR LONDON LETTER. [From Our Special Correspondeni.] Leaving out the partisans of one side or the other who believe that the best possible Government mast be one entirely of their particular political colour, there is without a doubt a strong body of opinion in favour of a Coalition Government. There have been no parties since the wa.r broke out, though it would be going a great deal too far to say that there have been no indica- tions of party feeling. Such displays as l,.ive been noticed, however, have been con- fnoo to members of the rank and nie, and the leaders on both sides have scrupulously kept the political truce for ten months, while members of the Opposition front b.('nch have given valuable assistance to the Government in many ways. To hope that a Government composed entirely of members of one party, formed in peace, should continue to possess the un- questioning confidence of the whole country in such times as these, was probably to ex- pect too much of political human nature. Old suspicions and ancient animosities, un- happily, were almost certain to show them- -s,-Ives sooner or later. It is, perhaps, a tribute to the ability of the Government that it was able to carry on so leong and so successfully. It would not be particularly profitable to discuss the probable causes which made the formation of a Coalition Government imperative only a week or so after it had been definitely stated that no such step was in contemplation. Some say deferences at the Admiralty caused the dis- ruption, while others are just as confident that the whole thing is due to dimculties at the War Omce. The important thing is that tho new Coalition, or, as some prefer to call it, National Government, should be composed of the best men available, and that it should be strengthened and upheld 1'y the knowledge that it enjoys the com- plete confidence of the nation. It is also devoutly to be hoped that individuals in the new Government will be spared the bitter persecution with which a certain section of the Progs has followed some individuals of the old. Many people have been taking an unusual f' nount of exercise lately in consequence of Hie strike of tramwaymen. The stoppage 0Í the great two-decker cars has inflicted enor- mous inconvenience upon suburban residents -%N ho come up to the City every day. The trains, though nineteen persons in a com- partment is now about the average, are un- able to carry all who would ride, and the 'bu-ses are not numerous enough to accommo- date all those that are left. The result is that many workers begin the day with a long tramp from the suburbs to the City. The effect upon their health may be bene- ficial, but upon their tempers it is disastrous. One interesting result of the strike is that it has brought into the streets again a number of hansom cabs and horse 'buses, which we had never expected to see again. Perhaps the absence of tramcars ie more noticeable on the Thames Embankment than t'nywhere else. For years one has never sc-en this splendid road without a score or two of cars rushing up and down. Candidly, it must be said that it is a much pleasantcr place without them. Wounded soldiers, they say, make the best recruiters. Whether their tongues are eloquent or not, their deeds and their wounds speak powerfully, and persuade where mere words would fail in effect. One young Belgian omcer, a mere lad—"I vas seventeen and nine monce," he says-has secured quite a number of recruits for the British Army. He was wounded, and has been some time in this country. And on the day before he was to go back he addressed a recruiting meeting near the Law Courta in quaint, broken English. He told his hearers that he was going back to-morrow to "ze lofely trenches," and was going to take with him a bouquet which a "lofely English lady" had given him. He was going to give the flowers to "ze splendid Engleesh Tommies," whom he loved. He appealed to the "young English gen'I'mens over eighteen" to put on khaki so that they, too, could go and fight the Germans. "I call zem Sherman dogs," he cried fiercely. A man in the crowd remarked, "It's a libel on the dogs." The Belgian boy's English was not quite equal to the occasion. "Vat!" he cried, "are you Sherman?" "What met" was the horrified retort. "No, thank God, Ah'm a Yorkshireman!" Doctors, or at any rate some doctors, are always telling us that we eat too much meat; and now the Government has come along with a request that we should eat less of it. The fact that meat has increased considerably in price of late will be a powerful factor in persuading the public to accede to the request, and no doubt the vegetarian. restaurants will benefit accord- ingly. It has always seemed to me that these places, at any rate the cheaper ones, would be more popular if they took more trouble to serve the food in a more taste- ful and attractive manner. Often enough there is placed before a customer a stodgy, repulsive-looking mess that only a very hungry man ,would be plucky enough to tackle. Perhaps even a culinary genius could not make lentil pudding look any- thing but stodgy, but with that solid and substantial exception, there does not seem to be any reason why a vegetarian lunch should not look as tempting as a nicely cooked loin chop and trimmings. The detection of the spy Euepferle, who committed suicide by hanging in Brixton Prison, was a striking proof of the emciency of the postal censorship. This man, who gave out that he was an American citizen, thouo-h he had fought in the German Army, waa detected almost as soon as he landed in this country. All the letters which he wrote were intercepted, and the secret writing, with its information as to the disposition of British ships of war and statements about our land forces, discovered and read. In less than a week after his arrival Euep- €erle was arrested. From a phrase m the !etter which he left it appears that he thought he 'would have been hanged ii found guilty whereas he would have pre- ferred to be shot. No doubt the fact that he was being tried by a civil court led him to think eo, but he was under a misappre- hension, as the Court had the same power es a court-martial, with regard to the execution of the death sentence. A. E. M. ]

An order was made in the King's Bench Division removing to the Central Criminal Conrt all bills cf indictment found at the Maidstone and Lancaster Assizes against George Joseph Smith, the prisoner in the three drowned brides case, counsel statiuj there would be over 130 v.-itncsses.

) MOTHER AND HOME. Many a woman who fails to advance in !ife puts down her failure to sensitiveness and mode&ty. There is, perhapa, no term which is so often mieuaed by being em- ployed to cover cowardice and want of initiative ao that word "modesty." To be modest, strictly speakmg, is to be un- assuming, to recognise our own limitations, &nd to be considerate and respectful to- wards others. But while, aa a con- sequence, modesty is not consistent with an arrogant flaunting of our personal preten- sions, neither does it mean hiding shame- facedly from the world what the world haa a rig-ht to see and know. On the whole, it is better far that a woman should think too well of herself than too meanly. It is not enough to be willing to give others their r'g-hts. We must be bold enough to demand our own, otherwise our supposed modesty will simply amount to cringing cowardice. t DETR [MENTAL TO LOVERN. The greatest enemy to a budding court- ship is ridicule. It is like a chilling frost sipping the tender blossoms of affection. It is for this reason that the ehy man ia so un- successful in his love anairs. By his hesitation and blunders he introduces an dement of absurdity into his wooing-and that is fatal. Moreover, his courtship is lpt to attract the attention of others, and hat ruins the romantic atmosphere of mystery which the average maiden ao much enjoys. The ardent lover may make great progress with his suit by conducting it tactfully, so that the world shall be un- aware of the little secret. But the clumsy Murtship which reveals itself to alien eyea is apt only to arouse resentment in the breast of the maid who is thua wooed. MARRIAGES MADE FROM PITY. More than one great man whom Nature Mad endowed with a charming personality has been loved to distraction by women Tt'hoae passion (not being reciprocated) has had to be gently but nrmly ignored. In this the men have been wise. For it Is nearly always a fatal step for a man to marry a woman who lovea him, but whom he does not love, however much he may pity her. On the other hand, where a woman gives herself simply out of pity to a man who loves her, the marriage is far leaa 'ikely to be unhappy. For woman is by Mature adaptable, and, having married out )f pity, the chances are that she will ulti- mately come to care tenderly for her hua- band. One might almost say that the law :s that a man must love and a woman must 'M loved, although naturally the ideal mar- riage i6 where the affection of both are en- gaged. FOR SITUATION SEEKERS. I Here are some valuable hinta for giria who are in search of employment: Always look as well as you can. Dreae neatly and m good taste, and avoid all flashy orna- ment and display in your costume. Ap- pearance counts for much. References are generally indispensable, but they should be carefully chosen. Do not give the names of persons who do not know you personally, or who would speak about you indiiferently. Do not be too modest and reticent. Many employers would rather select a girl who appeared to have a great conceit of herself than one who was timid and dimdent in speaking of her qualincations. The busi- aesa man has no confidence in those who do (lot show confidence in themselves. Lastly, io not misrepresent or exaggerate. Say what you can do, but no more. It is better to fail to secure a berth than to lose one through incompetence after you have gained it. OTHERS MIGHT TRY IT. ) A certain lady who possesses a good col- tection of books and music is very geceroua u lending both to her friends. Naturally, she has found that people are often more ready to borrow than to return; so, in order to be able to lend without fear of loas. she has devised a little pla-n: Each borrower writes his or her name in an album op- posite the title of the desired book, and the date on which it is borrowed. On return- ing it, the borrower is expected to make some comment on the book and to initial it. This album, which is thua quite interesting, is often turned over by visitors, who soon see those who are not prompt in returning borrowed property. The result is that the volumes are always returned, and that, too, without the need of irritating reminder on the part of their owner. EXERCISE TO REDUCE THE HtPS. I Stand erect, feet squarely on the noor, raising the hands high above the head, and b-ing them down with a sweeping motion so that the finger tips touch the noor. The knees must remain rigid. Should they bend the exercise is useless. With practice thia will become quite easy, but no tight clothing should be worn whilst doing this exercise. This should be alternated with lying on the back and lifting the foot high into the air, and bringing it over as near the head as it can Qe ma<[eto go. No bend is to be made at the knees, aa the pull must come from the hipe. Another thing is to hug the knees, trying to bring them to the fhest. These exercises should be done for ten minutes daily, night and momiag. in- creasing to fifteen minutea M the musclea become harder. To WHITEN THE ABM8. ) Red thin arms do not tend to make a girl appear at her best, and if she would look w?ll in evening dress these need as careful attention as does the neck. Girls who wish rounded white arms must study their diet and chooae foods best suited to their needs. If the arms are thin a fattening diet, inclu- ding bread, potatoes, milk, milk puddings, chocolate, soups and eggs should be chosen. After the general system has been built u p exterior treatment can be applied, and the following will tend to whiten and fatten the arms. Bathe the arms with warm water and apply a good lather of soap. After dry- ing, rub in some hot olive oil. Stretch the arms at right angles to the body, holding the muscles quite taut, clench the hands, and draw them up to the shoulder, using as much force as if lifting & weight. Rough red arms should be treated daily as follows. Wash them twice a day in a hot lather and then rub vigorously with a flesh brush. After thoroughly drying them use a soft chamois, and work in a circular movement as if massaging. This treatment will make the arms smart at first, and when using the brush be careful not to break the skin. CREAKING BOOTS. j There are several ways of getting rid of that awful creaking that is so common with new boots. One way is to place the boots in a shallow tin or vessel, and pour in sumcient linseed oil to just cover the soles; about a pint will do, cost threepence. Leave them for twelve hours in the oil. When taken out it will be found that tTie creaking will be efficaciously removed, and, in addition, the soles rendered impervious to wet. Another wav, and this is done by most people, is to steep the soles and welts in oil or water, which only prevents them from squeaking for a week or so. Bore a hole with a pricker one inch from the toe and one inch from each side; then make a peg of hard wood, insert in the holes, and cut off level. This has been found to answer per- fectly. The creaking of the boot is caused by small pieces of old leather inserted in the sole. It can generally be stopped by driving small nails through the creaking part. which prevents the friction of the leather'; or, should that fail, by soaking the sole of the boot in oil. If the bootmakers would soak the pieces of leather in oil be- fore inserting them it would prevent the creaking altogether. I To POLISH FINGER-NAILS.. Use a little French chalk tinted with carnune. Touch each nail also with toilet lanoHne. Rub with a <soft chamois pad. Another way of gaining a beautiful polish is to steep the nails in warm almond oil and afterwards in rose water. They should dry naturally, then the maila should be polished with the palm of the hand. By adopting timae measures they never become brittle.

I All the fishermen at Yarmouth are en- gaged in mine-sweeping and nan-curing has been stopped, says the Board of Trade "Labour Gazette."

NEW CABiNET. MR. LLOYD GEORGE AS MINISTER OF MUNITIONS. MR. BALFOUR AT THE ADMIRALTY. The new Coalition Cabinet ia n<W eom- plete, and has been approved by the King. It has been constituted as followw: Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury: MR. ASQUITH. Minister without portfolio: LORD -LANSDOWNB. Lord Chancellor: SIR S. BUCKMASTEB< Lord President of the Council: LORD CREWE. Lord Privy Seal: LORD CURZON< Chancellor of the Exchequer: MR. McKENNA. Secretaries of State: Home Affairs: SIR J. 8IMOBL Foreign ASaira: SIR E. GREY. Coloniea: MR. BONAR LAW. India. MR. CHAMBERLAIN. War: LORD KITCHENER. Minister of Munitions: MR. LLOYD GEORGB< First Lord of the Admiralty: MR. BALFOUR. President of the Board of Trade: MR. RUNCIMAN. President of the Local Government Board: MR.LONG. Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster! MR. CHURCHILL. Chief Secretary for Ireland: MR. BIRRELL. Secretary for Scotland: MR. McKINNON WOOD. President of the Board of Agriculture! LORD SELBORNE. First Commissioner of Works: MR. HARCOURT. President of the Board of Education MR. ARTHUR HENDERSON. Attorney-General: w SIR EDWARD CARSON. A place in the Cabinet was offered to Mr John Redmond, but he did not aee his way to accept it. The Prime Minister has decided that a new department shall be created, to b< cabled the Ministry of Munitions, charged with organising the supply of Munitions o< War. Mr. Lloyd George has nndertakcD the formation and temporary direction oi this Department, and during his tenure oi cmee as Minister of Munitions will vacatt the omce of Chancellor of the Exchequer. It is understood that Mr. Henderson wil! assist the Government in relation to laboni questions specialty arising out of the war. The Kinsr has been pleased to confer upon Viscount Haldane of Clean the Order o< Merit. THE LATE CAMNET. I The following list showa the composition I of the Cabinet which has just gone out of oSiee: First Lord of the Treasury: Mr. Aaquith. Lord Chancellor: Viscount Haldame. Lord President of the Council: Earl Beau- champ. Lord Privy Seal: Marquis of Crewe. Secretaries of State: Home Department: Mr. McKenn. Foreign Omce: Sir Edward Grey. Colonial: Mr. Harcourt. War: Earl Kitchener. India: Marquis of Crewe. Chancellor, of the Exchequer: Mr. Lioy. George. First Lord of the Admiralty: Mr. Chur- chill. Secretary for Scotland: Mr. McKinnon Wood. President of the Board of Trade: Mr. Runciman. President Local Government Board: Mr. Herbert Samuel. President Board of Agriculture: Lord Lucas. President Board of Education: Mr. Pease. Chancellor of the Duchy: Mr. B- 8. Mon- tagu. Chief Secretary for Ireland: Mr. Birrell. Postmaster-General: Mr. C. B. Hob- house. First Commissioner of Worka: Lord Emmctt. Attorney-General: Sir John Simon. PARTY REPRESENTATION. I According to the official liat, the new Cabinet will consist of twenty-two mem- bers. With the exception of the Irish Nationalists, all the parties in the House of Commons are represented, the number oi seats given to each being as follows:— Members of the late Ministry, 13; members of the Opposition, 8; Labour. fMty, 1.- In the case of six members of the Cabinet by-elections are necessary—Mr. Bonar Law; Mr. Chamberlain, Mr. JMfour, Sir Edward Carson, Mr. Walter Long, and Mr. Hen' derson. While it is certain that no op- position will be onered to their return, the formality of the issue of new writs must be gone through when the House of Commonf meets on Thursday week.

SEVENTEEN U" BOATS LOST. I It is reported in German naval circles (says the London "Evening News") that seventeen submarines have been lost since February 18 (the date of the beginning of the "blockade" of Britain). The loss of the U29, with Captain Wed. dingen, who was regarded a6 the invlncib)e hero of the German Navy, is said to hnve depres&ed the men who form the submarine crews, making many unfitted for the ser- vice.

TORPEDO THAT MISSED. The Norwegian steamer Iris arrived at Shields on Monday with twenty-eight men rescued from the steamer Minerva. (518 tons), of Haugesund, Norway, which had been torpedoed by a German submarine. It was reported that the submarine also nred a torpedo at the Iris. The torpedo actually parsed under the vessel's hall and exploded a short di<stanca away. At first it was thought that the ship had been hit, and her passengers, about seventy, chiefly ? women, took to the boata. When tt was seen that the Iris was undamaged they returned aboard and the ship steamed at full apeed ? for the Tync.

The Canadian Government patrol eteamer pristine sank in harbour at Quebec, after -ollision, and seven men are reported irowned. Miss Violet Asquith, the Prime Mins- ter's elder daughter, has gone to Egypt to visit her brother, Mr. Arthur Asquith, who waa wounded d)u-ing the Dardanelles hglit- tnsr. James Mullett, who in the stormy days of the *eightiee in Ireland was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment, has died in Dublin. On his release he became a member of the South DuMin Board of Guardiana, of which body he was for two years chairman. Mr. F. W. Hunt has been appointed valuer to the London County Council at a salary of .61,500, rising to XI,Soo a year.

The Daisies.—Daisies should soon be taken up, pulied into pieces, and replanted either in shady spots or else be shaded by means of branches of evergreens laid over them until rooted again. They are liable to the attacks of red spider at this time of year, but attention to watering after the aun goes down will soon start them into healthy growth again. The double crimson- and-white and the red-and-white hen-and- chicken variety make very pretty lines in ribbon borders or edgings for small beds. < < < Propagating Spring Flowers.—Now that the spring flowers are going out, it is neces- sary to propagate next year's stock. Many of the subjects can be rooted from cuttings, and for preference should be inserted in cc.Id frames in which there is a depth of several inches of light sandy soil. Water the cuttihgs in, and shade from bright sun- shine until ropta form. The following kinds may be increased in this way: Alyssum, double and single arabia, aubretia in variety, iberis oempervirena (evergreen candytuft), and the spring-nowenng phloxes. Saxifrigas are increased by dividing the plants into small portiona, and polyanthuses are propagated by division and from seeds. Button daisies are uful for edginga, and should be divided and planted on a teserve border. < < Smilax.—Old plants which were rested and repotted some time ago will now be producing trails with freedom, and these must have frequent attention or they TRAINING SMILAX. A, plant trained to wall; e, strong thread. B, training when a wall is not available; a, a, strong sticks; &, wire. quickly become useless. Methods of training t'rs hero shown. Seedling plants must be potted on as the pots in which they are growing become filled with roota; use light !"j,ch soil, and be careful in watering for a week or two. Plants growing in fairly warm houses produce lighter and more useful shoots than those grown in cool structures. < < < The Water Garden.—The water lilies are now commencing growth, and the more for- ward varieties will soon be in Sower. Do not allow scum to accumulate on the water, and keep down the growth of water wefds. The water hawthorn (aponogeton diatach- yon) is gay with its attractive white blossoms, and the rich yellow blooms of the kingcup (caltha paluatris) brighten the water's edge. Other plants like spiraeua, rodgersias, senecioa, lythrums, epilobiums, and irisea in variety are commencing growth, and should be kept free from weeds nd grass. The flower spikes of saxifraga peltata have been very fine, and the hand- some leaves are now developing. Primulas are getting over their best, and if it !9 necessary to divide any of the roots, now ia a. good time to do it., They should be planted nrmly and succeed best in partial shade. Cucumbers. — Frames and pita may b? utilised to secure a summer and autumn crop. The method of pinching at every STOPPING CUCUMBERS. I 0, secondary growth to be stopped &t m&rk; succeeding shoots to be similarly treated. leaf is a good one to adopt where apace is restricted. Our illustration shows how this ie effected. < The Week's Work.—Both evergreen and deciduous shrubs and treea planted ur moved this spring must have the soil kept moist about the roots, hence in very dry periods watering will be necessary, giving a good soaking, and syringe the foliage also. Hyacinths, tulips and narcissi in flower beds must be lifted and laid in in moist ground in a partially shaded position where the foliage can ripen off, the bulbs being afterwards taken up, dried, and stored until autumn. Tulips and narcissi are suitable for planting again, hyacinths less so. Before proceeding to plant the summer occupants of flower beds, the beds must be thoroughly and deeply dug. Ex- cept for gross feeding plants no manure need be dug in. That which is used must be well decayed and completely incor- porated with the soil. Tie or nail in position the majority of the longest shoots of peaches and nectarines, cutting out supernucu.-i ones. Syringe the outdoor trees in the afternoons of warm days, and indoor trees twice daily while the fruit remains green. Gradually reduce heavy crops to a fair number. If you have pears and plums, limit the number of strong and healthy side shoots being produced, so that those retained may be sturdy, having plenty of room and light. Gross shoots starting* from the old wood cut out entirely. Thin out the rasberry suckers, selecting a moderate number of well placed ones near the stools to develop into long canes for future bearing. Regulate and train the long growths of loganberries so that they do not become entangled and crowded. Give a mulch of rich manure, and as the fruit swells liquid stimulants. Hoeing the soil frequently between crops destroys seedling weeds, prevents evaporation of moisture, admits air and warmth to the soil, and pro- motes rapid growth. Lettuce seed sown in small quantities at frequent intervals where the plants can develop to maturity is better than transplanting from seed beds at this season. Moisten the drills before sowing in very dry weather. Scarlet ruu- aers which have been raised in boxes may be pLmted now 1ft. apart on each side n row of stakes. Seed sown outdoors early in the month will be germinating, and stakes for the growth to cling to must be inserted. Sow for later rows now. < Trimming Hedges.—In many town strata the forecourts are so inconveniently smaU that it is impossible to'nnd any space for n bed, but we can usually manage to have a hedge, and when the owner t.-t?2e.9 a dd. Bill>- it there can be no doubt that it adds sub- stantially to the good appearance of the house. The one attention that growers frequently fail to accord to their hedges lies in watering. As a rule, the roots are by no means in a. favourable position, and when this is so copious waterings and surface dressings of some artificial manures do an immense amount of good in maintaining the plants in excellent health, Clipping must, of course, have regular attention, fs if it is neglected the hedge quickly loses its bright, attractive appearance.

WORN BY DRUMMERS. I The uniform of our drummers must be familiar enough to every Briton, yet few know the significance of the spotted lace with which their tunica are decorated. The blue spot is the celebrated fteur-de-lis of France which, being worn by the highest ranks in the French army, was, as a marh of our military superiority, bestowed by tbte Prince Regent upon the lowest rank in cur- own.

I- POISONOUS GAS AGAIN. GERMANS PENETRATE THE BRITISH LINE. I On Monday night the Press Bureau issued the following telegram from Sir John French:— "May 24. "In the fighting on the 16th and 17th north-east of Festubert seven machine guna were captured, and it is possible more may be buried in the destroyed trenches. "To-day three German batteries were silenced by our guns, one battery being destroyed by direct hits and its ammunition b'.own up. ''East of Ypres the Germans developed an infantry attack at three o'clock this morn- ing, under cover of poisonous gas, the hostile artillery at the same time nring asphyxiat- ing shells. Our troops were forced to evacuate some of their trenches, and the eremy penetrated our line in two or three places. "Fighting is still in progress, and por. tions of the original line have already been TP1.a kpn," FURIOUS FIGHTING. h- ijesperate ngm.ing nas once agam com- menced (says the Boulogne correspondent of the "Daily Telegraph"), and on both th<6 French and British fronts determined attacks have been made during the night by the enemy. Ambulance trains have been arriving here incessantly, and French wounded are being brought into the hospital bases of Calais an d Abbeville (Somme). From what these men say, the enemy's assaults were all repulsed, afteK desperate and furious combats in which the German losses were enormous. A French omcer who has just arrived wounded from the French front described to me to-day his experiences:— "I have never witne6sed anything so beau- tiful and yet so terrible as this last combat at Arras. When my regiment went into action the victory of NeuvilIe-Saint Vaast had already been won, and we did not arrive until several hours afterwards. We had been ordered to the vicinity to act as rein- forcements to the brave companies that had captured three of the enemy's nrst-line I trenches, and who were now threatening to t cut off the German troopa round Arras from 'their main body. "As soon as we arrived we took up a posi- tion in a little field bordering the Arraa- Bethune high road. There was next to no cover-here and there a clump of trees and a few bushes. "'the enemy was quite near, but he little thought that reinforcements had arrived, and our presence was consequently a sur- prise to the Germans. When, a little later, we were discovered by a party of Ger- man scouts, the enemy tried to drive us from the nelds by bombarding us for over two hours with heavy guna. "It was very terrible. Not one of us has ever been in such a bombardment. Every- where was nre, nothin but balls of nre, spluttering over us without rest. Never, however, have men shown such courage aa they did then. Around us for a. radius of ten yards lay wounded or killed brother omcere, and almost nert to me the regi- mental doctor had faHen dead, hit by a shot as he was attending to an omcer. "Next day we called for volunteers to go into the village of Neuville to bring out the wounded. As we were crossing the open nelds under fire we saw a German soldier bady hurt. We baited and picked the man up, and roughly dressed his wound. The Germans were but a short distance on', and were able to see what we were doing, and as a reward for our pains they started to fire at us. The only man to be killed by this bombardment was the wounded German. I was hit in the ribs by one of I the shots, but I hope to be able to return soon." I GAS CLOUD FORTY FEET HIGH. On Tuesday night the Press Bureau issued the subjoined telegram from Sir John French:— Some portions of our line east of Yprea lost yesterday during the enemy's gas attack have not yet been recovered. "The amount of gas used was greater than on auy previous occasion. Over a front of five miles gas was emitted from cylinders throughout a period of 4i hours, and at the same time our line was bombarded with jsphyxiating shells. "The gas cloud rose in places 40ft. high from the ground. "Portions of the line remained intact throughout the ordeal, and onr men have demonstrated that with due precautions this form of attack can be met and defeated. FRENCH REPULSE ATTACKS. On Tuesday afternoon the Presa Bureau. issued the following omcial French com- munication:— "The night was rather disturbed between the sea and Arras. "In Belgium, foHowing a violent bom- bardment, the Germans attempted an attack on the Langemarck-Ypres road. "To the north of AMain the Germans attacked twice, but were reputaed. "North of Neuville they made four at- tacks, which were stopped short by the fire of our artillery. In these various attempts the enemy was pompletely checked, and suffered severe losses. "On the rest of the front there is nothing t ,) report. Tuesday night's French omcial com- munique stated that important progress has hee'i made north of Arras. German fortined works have been carried by assault, and the French have aLso taken a trench where the enemy have been resisting for the last fort- night. At other points ground has been gained.

LEAP FROM A HIGH CUFF. I At Torquay sn inquest was held on the body of Mr. Harold W. Topham, a. well-known tobraning champion and Alpine climber. His brother, Mr. A. G. Topham, of Barkston- gardens, Reneington, stated that the deceased, who was a barrister but not practising, usually spent nine months of the year on the Conti- nent. He had been much worried by the effect w'.tich the war would have on his nuances. Arriving at Folkestone on April M, he was by a Harley-street nerve specialist, who a rest cure, and he went to Pinner on April 29. He was taken by his sister to her residence at Torquay. On Wednesday morning his sister found his bed empty; he had dresaed and was in the hall ready to go out. She urged him not to go, but he was very deter- mined and ran out of the house and up the road. At the edge of the cliff he raised himself upright on the railings, and then took a nying leap ca,er the cliff, which tt that point is 150ft. high. His skull was fractured and nearly every bone in hia body was broken. Deceased's sister told the Court that the culmination of his nnancial worries was when, having shares m the Mond Nickel Company, Sir Edgar Speyer resigned, he thought that one thing would lead to another and that he would lose his money. A verdict of "Suicide whilst temporarily of unaound mind" was returned.

ECONOMISE IN MEAT. I The Board of Trade have made the fol- lowing Announcement:— At a meeting of the Advisory Committee of the National Federate of Meat Traders' Association held at the Board of Trade on May 17 the effect on the meat trade of the inci eased requirements of the British armies and of the relative shortage of vessels equipped for the conveyance of meat from overseas was discussed. The Advisory Committee expressed the opinion that the recent daily and weekly fluctuations of supplies in the wholesale markets rendered it dimcult to fix average quotations. They also expressed the opinion that the only way of avoiding a further ad- vance in price in the near future would be an appreciable reduction of the demand by the civilian population. The Board of Trade having considered the report of the Advisory Committee- wish to call the attention of the public to He great importance of restricting the consumption of meat with a view to economising the national supplies and avoiøng: an excessive increase of price.

P.S Stocklev, of th? Dorset County Police, waB at a meeti? of the Ccuntv Council of Dorchester,, present?, on behaff of the Carnegie Heroes Trust, with a bronze meüllion and .220, fbr gallant conduct rescuing from the surf at Lyme Regis sur_ Ttvora of the formidable, when the boat containing' a J\wbe.:r; Qf: men canie ashore there.

TNTERNED ALIEN SENTENCED. I Beano Kahn, a German schoolmaster, who is a prisoner at the Douglas detention camp, has been sentenced to two months' hard labour at Douglas for ueing the name of another prisoner when writing & letter. Prisoners are allowed to write two letters a. week, and Eahn used another man's name when writing to a young woman in Lon- don. He said that it was a common practice in the camp for prisoners to allow others to use their names. In his letter he advised the woman to feave England, because she would be in danger when the Germans invaded the country. ?_