Vol. 148.
February 10, 1915.
CHARIVARIA.
"Kultur belongs to my Germans alone," says the Kaiser. We werenot aware that the charge had been brought against any other country.
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"The Indians," complains the Frankfurter Zeitung, "have anextraordinary way of fighting. They jump up, shoot with wonderfulprecision, and disappear before one has time to notice them properly."Our contemporary has evidently not been studying the pages of Punch,or it would know that the disappearance is worked by the well-knownIndian trick of throwing a rope into the air and climbing up it.
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Letters from the British troops operating in Damaraland show that theprevailing complaint there is with respect to the heat; and a dear andvery thoughtful old lady writes to suggest that, as our men in Flandersdislike the cold, it might be possible to arrange an exchange.
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With reference to the attentions paid by German aeroplanes, the otherday, to the British provision establishments at Dunkirk, we understandthat the bombs which were dropped made no impression whatever on ourbully beef, so famous for its durability.
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The Norwich Liberals have selected as their candidate LieutenantHilton Young, and it has been decided that the electionshall not be contested. It is realised that in time of war "Le mondeappartient aux Jeunes."
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In his account of the dynamiting of the C. P. R. bridge over the St.Croix river, Reuter tells us that "A German officer whohas been hanging around the neighbourhood for the past few days hasbeen arrested." We have a shrewd idea that he may be hanging in theneighbourhood again very shortly.
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We are surprised that the advocates of Mr. Willett's DaylightSaving Bill have been so quiet lately. Surely it would be an enormousadvantage to rush this measure through now so that the Germans may haveless darkness to take advantage of?
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Dr. Hans Richter, the celebrated Wagner conductor,who enjoyed English hospitality for so long, has now expressed thehope that Germany may punish England who has so profoundly disgracedherself. It is even said that the amiable Doctor asked to be allowed toconduct a Parsifal airship to this country.
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Professor Kobert, of Rostock University, one of Germany'sbest-known chemists, is advocating a mixture of pig's blood andrye-meal as a most nutritious form of bread for his countrymen.There is, of course, already a certain amount of pig's blood in thecomposition of some Germans.
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Our newspapers really ought to be more careful. We feel quite surethat the following paragraph in The Daily Mail will be quoted inthe German Press as showing the Londoner's fears of a Zeppelin visit:"The Golder's Green Training Corps yesterday morning mobilised eightymotor-cars and drove out to Harpenden to see how quickly the corpscould get out of London in case of emergency."
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The Times has been discussing the question as to whether khaki is thebest protective colour for soldiers. In this connection it is worthnoting that the uniforms worn by the men of Kitchener's Armyappear to render them almost completely invisible to the correspondentsof