~ PAGE TWELVE -- P-- a ------ ---------------- THE DAILY BRITISH WHIG TUESDAY, SEPT "- EMBER 28, 3 4 Members of the Cabinet Have Many Weird Callers Cranks and Inventors of Many Sorts Are Irate When Servants Rigidly Keep Them Out--Strictest Precautions When Cabinet is in Session You have hard work indeed to get showing the actual appointment made, into the -War Office nowadays when | do you get admission to the room of you wish to see anybody important {a Minister at the {ouse oi Commons, 9 n or | 'One man came a month or so back," thers, Sa¥y An Eoalish Journulios wor sald a policeman on duty, "and told & host of guards of one sort or an { us he must see Sir Edward Grey. It other have to be satisfied, passed, and was imperative, as he could put him propitiated ere you come to the man | vp-to a thing or two which would you want to see, Nor is this provis | Just about make all America imme- lon unnecessary, for every day sees | diately send thousands of men to help an eccentric man or womal trying to|the allies at' the front! When we get an interview with some notability | told the man he had better write the in the various Government offices | Secretary for Foreign Affairs concern- about Whitehall | Ing it he got very much annoyed, and "I want to see Lord Kitchener, | finally wanted to krow whether Eng- that's what 1 want!" exclaimed a)land wished to win this war or not. visitor to '.e War Office indignantly, | Then he tried a new tack by vehem- when he was stopped by a burly emily declaring that 1 was preventing policeman. "No,«I haven't any pass. | England from winning it by my stop- But I've invented something which | ping him there; and, finally, I had to would drive all the Germans into | summon another officer to remove him Black Forest in a fortnight! What is | altogether outside Palace Yard." it? Never you mind what it is, young | Some Wonderful Schemes man!" went on the irate visitor. i . Eda , Beg. pardon, can you tell me if es take me to Ritchetlor's Jog, this is Mr. Lloyd-George's house, sir?" that's all! I can't see him? Bir S| sald a lady to me in Downing Street. is called a free country! Well, then, [1 happened to be going myself. "Yes I'll just go along to Buckingham Pal- | it i3, madam," sald I. "Oh, are you ace and see King George, and tell |... 1, coo Mr. Lloyd-George?" ask- him about it; that's what I'll do! led she. I nodded. Whether tie angry man went to the | "May 1 come in with you? I very Palace or not the smiling policeman | oy desire to tell him something never les*med. But it is Satan; that { about the drink question I think he .his chance of interviewing Lor 1 "| ought to know, as it is extremely ur- chener without some very special ap- I had to explain that it was pointment was about as likely as his quite impossible for me to ask her fcelng I ve flesh the present. Shah | ". me; that she must ring and of Persia! ask for an interview on her own ac- Lunatic Almost Did It count. Whereupon she got very angry Another crank did actually get into and called me many names. the Home Office some few weeks ago, It is rare indeed that any unauthor- though how yet remains a mystery. | ised person does actually get into the Hie 'must have smuggled himself iu |presence of a Cabinet Minister in somehow amongst a number of clerks, | this way. But it has been dome. 1 about nipe am. when there was | recollect one of the former secretaries uite a little crowd entering. . Anyway 'of a Prime Minister telling me how clerk found thiz stranger in his | he found a perfect stranger in a room room, and was blandly told by the close by where the Cabinet was hold- visitor that he was waiting to be tak- ing a meeting at No. 10 Downing en to Mr. McKenna, with whom he | Street. The stranger quite politely had an appointment. Luckily, the explained that hc was a stranger young official guickly grasped the fact {from the United States visiting that this nfan in hit room was a luna- | London, who had thought he should tic, for he began to say things as to ike to see the famous house, rouse suspicions. So the clerk did a!and found the door open, strolled in very smart thing. Instead of raising (to ask someone if he might look the poor fellow's temper by réfusing | round, and had walked from room to him he quite calmly asked tae man | room, never meeting a servant till he to follow him, and led by devious cor- | had come across the secretary. But, ridors until he found jhimself shown [of course, that curious chance could through a side door Inte the strc.t | What the demented one said when that haprened the clever clerk dil not wait to hear. Only if you have a latter on you, scarcely happen once in half a cen- tury at ordinary times, let alone when a Cabinet meeting was in progress, | so thorough are the precautions which are taken against unofficial intrusions. Lord Reading's Career ' Varied But Brilliant Sailor, Student, Broker, Bank. rupt, Lawyer, Politician, Then Lord Chief Justice -- Owes Much to King and Wife. Baron Reading, Lord Chiet Justice of England, is stil a comparatively young man. Rufus Isaacs was born in London in 1860, but tiring of com- monplace life he ran away to be a sallor, and shipped for Rio Janeiro. He sickened of this life, however, and returned home, where his parents were both able and anxious to give him a university education. The young man , and set up in business as a briker. This adventure was not much happier than his sailing exploit, and at the age of 26 he found himself with considerable Mabilities which he had no means of meeting. About this time he had the great good fortune to meet Miss Alice Edith Cohen, the daughter of an American merchant, and he fell in lovey with her. On her persuasion he concluded that he would study law, though he felt at the time a too old to be- It 'that the pair used to le usually given to court- il; law books. After tion. He then began to practise. In he came to be recog: nized as & master of the law concern- ing bankruptcy and as the possessor of a remsrka nemory. He showed a most unusual talent in untying knots formed by dishonest or unfortunate business men. » H I : i £2 fi i was able to pass | married both 'sides. However, Slever was ac- quitted, thanks chiefly to his lawyer's skill. King Edward's Friend In 1904 Isasew® entered Parliament 8s the Liberal mémber of Reading. About the same time he hecame ac: quainted with King Edward, with whom: he used tv play 'whist. The King, who was no great player, is said to have enjoyed Isaac's participation in a game because of his equal medio- crity. In 1909 Isaacs became Solicitor General, and the following year was knighted and appointed Attorney- General. Subsequently he me a Privy Councillor, &. Knight' Comman- der of the Victorian Order, and was admitted to the Cabinet. He was the first Attorney-General who ever recefv- ed this distinction. But a greater honor still was awaiting him, and that was his elevation in 1913 to become Lord Chief Justice of England. He is the first Jew to hold that position. Baron Reading is a financial ag well as a legal authority, and since the outbreak of the war he has been work- ing an the Britisl. in operation with Lloyd-George and Reg: inald McKenna. "Personally, the Lord Chief Justice is' a man o. striking ap- pearance, tall, slim, graceful and ex- tremely youthful looking. He As tidious in his dress, and suave an eloquent in conversation. ------ i -------- Conspicuous Uniforms Experiments have _been made in Europe to determine what color in a soldier's ' uniform is the least con- g g5k SCOTTISH "PASHA" | Among the fighting Turks a writer in lie Weekly Scotcman suggests that there may be descendants. of a little Scottish drummer boy who was taken captive by the Turks at Rosetta, in Egypt, in 1807. No adult prisoners were taken, the army being practically wiped out and it is not known why the boy's life was spared. But he nct only lived, but prospered, and visitors in after years who visited Jeddah, in Asia Minor, found him possessed of large properties, living as a Turkish "Pasha," outwardly conformed to the Mohammedan faith but inwardly mindful of his different origin. He had. forgotten his Scottish name, but through afl his adventures he had clung to a small Bible" which he had with him in Egypt. On its fiyleat he had written in a boyish hand: "J.M. is my name, Scotland is my nation; Perth is my native place; And Christ 18 my salvation." JOFFRE'S RIGHT HAND General Foch a Very Able Man--Ad- miration For 'British } -- 'General Ferdinand Foch is the Frenchman who Las won more battles than any other general in this war. He is commander of five French armies, operating in the north of France; he -has been Joffre's right hand man 'and second in command. Yet, curiously - little is known about General Foch; even Frenchmen out- side the regular my had scarcely heard of their brilMant leader before the battles of the Marne and the Yser. Then, France awoke to the fact that in this soldierly, grey-eyed man they had a Jeader the equal of "Papa" Joffre. OMcialdom praised him; he was promoted. from the c d of the 20th Army Corps at Nancy to his present 'high position. Then, to add to general surprise; Sir John French spoke very highly of thé support that he had given the British armies. Thus, General Foch gained wider fame and was added to .he galaxy of popular military idols at an age when he was near to retiring. General Foch was born on October 2nd, 1851---just over three month: be fore Joffre--in the Pyrenees, like Jof- tre, Pau and Castelnau. As a lleuten ant of nineteen Foch fought in the last Franco-German War. So success. ful was he as a soldier that at the early age of twenty-six he. received a captaificy in an artillery regiment. Always a hard worker, and a keen student of the artc and sciences of war, Foch soon gained further pro- motion until he was made General Officer Commanding the troops at Bourges, Then, having. passed all the examinations and gained high honors in military history, strategy and 'tac- tics, he became Professor of these sub- jects at the famous School of War. Had it not been for the excellence of General Foch's lectures France would have found it a far greater task to oppose Germany's mighty war ma- chine, - No French general holds & higher opinion of British soldiers than does General Foch. During our 1912 man- ceuvres he sald: "Your cavalry and artillery are excellent. Your infantry Swell, I would sooner fight with it thin st it!" An illustration of the brilliant leader's methods is given by the dictum he laid down to his officers during the battle of the Marne: "Discover the enemy's weak spot and then strike there," said; ; "If he has not a weak spot, then make ome!" ' SHARP BELGIAN WIT Galling Weapon Freely Used, Admits a German Paper Germans are complaining tat the witty 'people of Brussels are making the invaders the targets of their ready shafts. "The people of Brussels' writes the "Frankfurter Zeitui.g," "re- pemble the Parisians very much and | but their. wit the same kind of 'blague.' Their wit-1s exuberant and naturally they make the\Germans their vic'ims. The word * e' is now with the diminutive ending by the people of Brussels. 'Bocheke, bocheko tut t'en ira' (Ifitle boche, little boche, you will soon have to run away) sing the children of Brussels and when you hear ft sung in a fresh girlish voice, can't really get angry. Born op- ists, as they are, how could they suddenly drop their 'opposition to us? They obey all the order of the Governor in he most correct manner galling." The the ineid of the people of Br solemnly saluting hearses and gar- bage wagons, pretcnding that the Ger- man Governor might be imside, when that official had oruered them to salute bis carriage the street "Truce During Concerts pe Mol tells this story from AI The Naeory fom generally listen | hospital in Italy. their hospital robes. SAll Italian Very ~~ AAAS The war has meant hard work to the entire Italian Royal family. King Victor Emmanuel has been at the front from the first in supreme com- mand of the army, and his two _cousins the Duke of Aosta and the Count of Turin, are each in command of an army corps. The Duke of the Abruzzi is commander-in-chief of the Italian fleet and the Prince of Udine, another cousin of the King, is in command of a submarine flotilla. There are two sons of the Duke of Aosta in the army, both serving in the ranks as volun- teers, and a son of the Duke. of Genoa, the King's uncle, lieutenant of artillery. The Duke of Genoa is lieutenant-general or viceroy during the King's absence from Rome. Queen Elena, Dowager - Queen Mar- gherita, the Duchess of Aosta dnd Letitia are all working hard in connec¢- tion with Red Cross hospitals and the organizations of relief for soldiers' families. * As soon as war. was declared Quécen Elena insisted on overseeing ull ar 'rangements for wounded and @ick sol diers, and, despite the admirable or: ganization of the Army Medica] Corps and the Red Cross, her experience served to improve even what was sup- posed to be perfect. The Queen has been interested in hospital work ever since her girlhood, when Juderher mother's tuition she learned to ndake bandages and took her first lessons in attending to wounds. Every woman in Montenegro is expected to know all about minor surgery, as the Montene- grin arfy has no medical corps and the women must take care of the wounded soldiers. When the Princess of Montenegro became Queen of Italy her first work of mercy was fending cident at Castel Giubileo near Rome. It was due to the Queen's efforts that relief and rescue work was started prémptly after the "Messipa earth- quake and again during the Avezzand earthquake when the work was hard- er, as medical supplies, blankets #nd provisions had all been sent to the front for the war then expected at any moment and the relief of the earth- quake survivors was almost a hope- less task. 7 A Tremendous Task The Queen delegated tho Duchess of 'Aosta, who graduated as a Red Cross nurse during the Tripoli war, to take her plate as directress-gcneral of the Red Cross. This post is un- doubtedly the most exacting éver held by a member of a Royal family, since it meanssa continuous and complete tion of every base and reserve It is roughly esti- ted that, excluding the field hos- pitals and ambulances at the front, which are in charge of She Aly "Medical Corps, there are at d has to travel trom one end of Italy to another Royal Active In is A sub. the wounded in a serious railroad ac-. "The Duchess of Aosta | The Czar reviewing convalescent soldiers in a military hospital not far from. the battlefront. Note that. he has just returned a salute, his foot being in the correct military position. The men are wearing PA AAA Are ar Work all modern improvements for surgical and medical cases." Queen Margherita has regained all thi popularity which seemed to have reverted to Queen Elena. Her reply to the Kaiser's tele- gram asking her to plead with her son and avert a war between Italy and Germany conclusively proved that al- though a good Catholic she, unlike the Majority of Italiar clericals, is not a neutralist. Despite her age, the Queen Mother has been tireless in visiting hospitals and workrooms. "She has contributed largely toward the relief of soldiers'. families and equipped at On expense an entire hospital train. Six Hours' Sleep For King The war Lis rejuvenaied the King. The open-air life he leads at the front has benefited his health. He is no longer nervous, and the characteristic twitching of his mouth has disappear- ed. Although not robust in appear- ance, the King can stand fatigae and even lack of sleey better than his aides, younger men, who follow the King everywhere @nd have to take oc- casionally a few days' leave for a rest. Victor Emmanuel never. sleeps more than six hours, und he spends the re- maining eighteen of each day in mo- toring along the front, visiting all the encampments. He is immensely popu- lar with the army and people. "You are my prisoner,' "1 have no sword. 1 will --Péle Mele, Paris. Captain. Give me your 1 give you my gasoline tank GERMANS HAD PLANNED "WELL FOR AFRICAN WAR BRITISH WAR MEDALS | The first war medals appear to have been bestowed b, Queen Elizabeth, to commemorate the rout of the Span- ish Armada in 1588, when she issued medals in gold and silver as rewards | for that great victory. A specimen | of these medals, with rings and chain, | is to be seen in the British Museum. | Perhaps the most costly medal ever | made was that given to Sir Francis | Drake by Queen Elizabeth after his | voyage around the world. The _rame of the medal is set with diamonds and rubies and enamelled In various colors. On ong side of the medal two Leads are carved, while on/the reverse is a beautiful = miniature of Queen Eliza- beth. Just over fifty yeard after Queen Elizabeth awarded the first raval medals Charles 1. extended the re-| wards to the army, when he ordered that medals should be struck for mili-| tary prowess and "delivered to wear on the breast of every man who shall | be certified under the hands of the Commanderin-Chief to have done us faithful service in the forlorn hope." The first record we have of the be-| stowal of a medcl for conspicuous con- duct in the fleld is in the award made | to an Irish commander who 'distin-! guished himself at the Battle of Edge! Hill, in the Civil War, fought on Oc- tober 23rd, "1642, by the recovery of | a Royal standard and certain military accesories. The gallant soldier, who | became Sir Robert Welch, was subse- quently presented with an oval gold medal, specially cut to the King's or ders. PARIS HERSELF AGAIN A Great Family, Not Pleasure Resort, Since War There is something wonderful, writes an Englishwoman in witnessing | the renaissance of a great nation and | if any nation has ever, after years of frivolousness and decadence, once more found its soul it is surely the Prédcirot t6-d8y:"" Parid" is to-day, as it always was, the heart of France and here in Paris ycu may witness bet- ter than anywhere else the trans formation that has taken place in France during the last year. Before the war all' who love Paris had wit. nessed with sincere grief how the city had gradually lost its character, how it had 'degenerated into an im- mense international pleasure resort, whiose péople had become satisfied to cater to pleasure-loving tourists of all nations, how Pars had become Americénized in the bad sensc of this word, how its old-time poetry and charm had disappeared, how it was becoming shunned by artists, who no longer found here the Inspirations they come in search of. Tha war has wrought a great change. The old-t.ce Paris has once more returned with its indefinable charm. The peopl are like one great family, sorrow ghd trials have united everybody, the distrust of strangers has gone, becafge everybody feels that those who Yemain are only the! true friends .of France, and homes and hearts are readily opened to you. More than once lately when 4 have! been sitting in a favorite restaurant of thine, a modest little place, fre. quented mostly by students and art ists, people whom I have never seen before have enterea into a conver sation with me and open their hearts to me, a thing which would have been utterly unthinkable before the war. |of transportation But Anglo-French Forces Have Remarkable triumphs in Differ- ent Campaigns -- Distrust of Huns. "Fighting continually in Africa since the war began along a fron: of more thag 2,000 miles, the French Colonial troops, aid>d by the British =ilies have obtained remarkable results." said Gaston Doumergue, French Mins ter of the Colonies. "German Bast Africa," the Minister contiaued, 'wii | Soon be the only colony possessed by Germany with the exception of a sniull part of the Kameruns. The other Ger {man possessions are occuped either Ly {the French or English, or conjolutly "When one considers the difficulties In the {iuterior of Kameruns not only "of focd, but of munitions and cannon of var expedi fonary celumns, our success appears to he still more gvident end merit fous, A number "of French columns marcaing from East to West and frow South to North have covered more than 600 kilometer: (about 373 miles), _ and fighting continually have estal- lished junctions and thus surrounded the enemy on three sides, while Xh- glo-French columns are operating frcm the coast toward the interior, and a blockade of the cost has been effected by British vessels. , Fight Climatc and Science "The fighting in the colonies bears a great resemblance to that on the western front. Trenches, barbed wire entanglements, blockhouses, and ob- servation posts havo been cleverly dis posed and utilized by the Germans, who have shown here, as elsewhere, the greatest preparations for war, Our enemies had even sent to Africa some aeroplanes, which the allies forunate: ly brought down as soon as they ap. peared. Barua, with a population of over 20,000 and an important garrison, was besieged for several months, gpd only fell when I ordered & gun of large calibre transpopted there from M oroc- co. It was brought up en boats along 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) of wind- ing waterways 'o the outskirts of the city. The effect of the projectiles was 80 terrifying that after « short bom- bardment the population and garrison of Barua requested permission to sur render. ; "The cliniate and the naturs of the' ground opposed great difficulties to tha march of our t'oops. I must in this respect refer to thy excellsni organiza tion of our sanitary service, thanks to which our losses due to disease were greatly reduced. Colonials Eager to Come "I hope that we will be 'able to add still more Colonial troops to the force of 70,000 Senegalese rifiemen who a¥e: on the firing line, whether in France, Morocco or the Kameruns and in Wes- tern Africa. It is indeed wonderful to see the way in which the natives have responded t: the Mother Coun- try's: call and their absolute devotion to the great cause. All the colonies have sent more than their quota ot trogps, and many more are eager to come. This is due to their childlike faith in their commanders, who have rendered our successes in the Kamer. uns possible. I learn in this connec: | tion that many nitive troops fighting with Germany Lave crosied over, to our side." > FRANCE ADMITS DEBT Why-~Britain's_ Lines Extend Slowly, French General Explaine An officer of the French general staff visiting London assures me, says a writer in the English press, that French officers have absblitely no fault to find wih their English ullies, though he does not deny that some French people are growling. "We un- derstand perfectly well," he sald, "that line thal they might gradually become used to the actual fighting; which at this time has become a war veteran's and ; "Now he has accomplished pose and he may send