1932-01-20 — Page 7

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20,

HOW FISHES SWIM

NATURE'S SCREW - PROPELLER PRINCIPLE.

Everyone

Tail Fins As Rudder.

fishes swim by means

at

assumes that Mr. Gray arranged a tank of of their water about five feet long and tails. This ancient belief has two feet broad and a few inches deep. The bottom was white been exploded by Mr. James and marked with squares simi- Gray, F.R.S., the Reader in Ex-lar to squared paper. Then he perimental Biology

Cam-took cinema films of various fish bridge University. In a fascinat-the tank. By marking the time as they swam to and fro along ing paper, with cinematograph the path of any point on the demonstrations, read to the con- fish's body could be plotted after- wards as a curve on squared ference of the Society for Ex-paper. The exact movements of perimental Biology, Mr. Gray the fish in swimming became described his investigations, known. It appears that fish swim in virtue of a wave of con- writes Scientific Correspon-traction of muscles on the sides dent to the Manchester Guar- of the body, starting from the dian.

hend, and not the tail. The body begins to bend from the head Observers have often tried to

under a nerve-message, which follow the movements of swim- after a short interval of time is ming fishes by watching them followed by another nerva-mes- carefully by

eye. Under un-sage, causing a contraction on the aided visual observation fishes other side. The effect is that seem to owe their propulsion to the fish's body, except at movements of the tail, because bends, is always pressing the the tail is seen to move most water sideways, and in virtue of violently. Fishes such as the this inclined-plane or wedge mackerel have noticeable tails effect, the fish moves forward. and

the

awim swiftly. Mr. Gray Thus the tail does not add its found that if the tail-fins of a quotum to the propulsion until mackerel were removed the fish the body has operated. could. surprisingly, swim just as This mechanism cannot be ob- quickly. Fish sometimes lose served with the eye in most their tail-fins through disease, fishes with fairly squat bodies, and it has been noticed that such because the wave of contraction fish swim much better than would is not always completed in pass- be expected.

ing the short distance from

tion.

LOCAL SHARE

MARKET.

7

Quiet Opening This Morning.

LIMITED ENQUIRY.

THE CHINA MAIL.

The official summary issued by the Stock Exchange to-day states:

The was a very quiet opening at the morning session with a limited enquiry generally.

Sales,

Hotels fold), $15.10/$15.13. H.K. Government Loan, $3 per cent. premium.

Buyers. Douglases, $234. Providents (old), $5.30, Providents (new), $2.45. Ewos, Tia. 16.30. Star Ferries, $962. Cements (comb.), $19. Cements (new), $5.60. Constructions (new), $1.85. Benguets, 311%. Realties, $11.60. Chinese Estates, $95. Trame, $22.

Singapore Tractions, 3/. H.K, Ropes, $174. Sinceres, $16.

£200 A MINUTE ON ARMS

WHAT BRITAIN IS SPENDING.

Primate's Plea for Peace.

"The world is spending on] "Nay, sixty-one nations, and armaments no less than £2,000,000 among them all the most power- a day; we in this country £200 a¦ful, have bound themselves by minute."

the Pact of Paris to renounce

These impressive facts were war as an instrument of nation- quoted by the Archbishop of al policy, and have agreed that Canterbury, preaching at the the settlement of all disputes, of National Service of Prayer held whatever nature or origin they at St. Paul's Cathedral in pre may be, which may arise among paration for the Disarmament them, shall never be sought ex- Conference at Geneva,

cept by pacific means,

The vast congregation em- "Are not such solemn pledges braced Cabinet Ministers and the enough to banish fear? If they Diplomatic Body, the Lord Mayor are not, the question arises whe- and a brilliant civic group, every ther these States are to be trust- grade of the Church, and nearly ed to mean what they have said every denomination, every sec- and to stand by their pledged tion of the laity, and envoys word. from a great number of peace "Has civilisation itself the and philanthropic service socie-strength of will, of conviction, ties.

of courage, to maintain the ideals

J

The lesson of the Great War on which its very existence de- had shown, said Dr. Lang, how pends; or must it still, and ál- great armaments could only lead ways, give wizy to the to war, and who could doubt that old untamed competitive in-

of in another war civilisation. itself stincts

primitive man- might perish? Ten years had kind? These are questions H.K. Government Loan, $234 per passed, and the level of arma- which only the public opinion of cent. premium.

ments remained as high as ever. the peoples can answer. Is there It remained for the fateful Con among them not a wish only, but ference next February to effect an settled and resolute will for progressive reduction by gen- peace ?". eral agreement.

Sellers.

Banks, $1,460. Hotels (old), $154. Lands, $9234. Electrics, $78/2. Dairy Farms, $30. Indo-Chinas (Pref.), $45. Indo-Chinas (Def.), $32. Kealties, $12.

Telephones (part paid), $28. Entertainments (old), $10.

$190,000 GO UP IN SMOKE.

Confiscated Drugs Destroyed.

Shanghai, Jan. 13.

The consignment consisted of 35 picula and 88.50 catties of opium; 674.50 ounces of morphine pills and heroin; various narcotic drugs; a quantity of opium-smok- ing paraphernalia; and 11 pieuls and 50 catties of poppy husk.

Representatives from the local Party, civil and military organs and various people's societies witnessed the huge bonfire. Kuo. Min,

Selfishness of Nationalism. Britain's Example.

"Further," the Archbishop "Our own country, we may went on, "there is another and a honestly say," said the Arch-kindred disease of which arma- bishop, "will enter the Conferments are a symptom - the dis- ence in a position of some moral ease of a selfish nationalism, authority. She has already which nerves one nation to press made more substantial reductions its own advantage without re than any other country. Indeed. gard to the needs of others. there are many who think that "All the perplexities, appre- she has already reached the hensions, confusions, which sur- lowest point consistent with her round the words Reparatione, safety and obligations.

War Debts, Tariff Walls, Arma-

"This very fact creates a dif- ments, are growths which spring #culty which her representa- from this self-same root of ✡ tives at Geneva will have to face. self-seeking nationalism. Yet It may not, for example, be posthe very distress which binds sible for them to accept some the whole world in bondage is a A large consignment of narco-general Teduction by a fixed com-proof that the world is now one tics was publicly burned at Poo- mon percentage. But within community of nations in which tung yesterday. The drugs had classes of armaments there are the welfare of one member the welfare of all, and heen confiscated by the Maritime possibilities of reduction which means

the calamity of one member Customs during the last three she must be willing to offer.

"What we ask of our represen- brings calamity to all. months, and were estimated to be worth $190,780.

tatives and this great assem- "It may, indeed, be asked whe- bly asks it most earnestly--is ther the time has not come when that they will strain every nerve the state of the world demanda to bring about at least a true and an international conference to be honest heginning of general disassembled which, accepting this fundamental truth, might en- armament. of failure cannot be contemplat-operation, to stay

Assuredly the consequences deavour, by international co- the distress ed without dismay. It might and hasten the recovery of the mean the withdrawal of Ger- world's economic life.

"Assuredly the only hope of many from the League; even, possibly, her determination to be- rescuing civilisation from its pre- gin the increase of her own arm- sent plight is to make the fact aments. It would certainly mean which that plight proclaims a serious blow to the authority of namely, the oneness of the, whole the League and to all its efforts body of nations the ruling to hold the world together by a principle, of international life. rule of reason and justice. Then, so far as this problem of "It would be a setback to all Disarmament is concerned, the the hopes of a period of settled question of each nation would be confidence essential to the re-not what armaments does it covery of the world from its pre-need to maintain its own post- sent confusion and distress. Godtion, but what contribution can grant in His mercy that a calamit make to the armaments need- so grievous may be averted!ed to defend the unity of nations

The Disease of Fear.

against any aggressor who would

for Foreign Affairs has said, are

"Armaments, as the Secretary to break it.” but the symptom of a disease. And that disease is Fear," said the Archbishop. "The spirit of fear is still haunting the nations. organs, however, the order in It is this which makes them structs that each should submit cling nervously to their arma- its respective plans for curtailments; and yet since the war a ment of expenses for the appro- great structure of arbitration val of the Executive Yuan before treaties, some 800 in number, has enforcement.Kuo' Min.

been built up.

RETRENCHMENT PROGRAMME.

How then do fish propel them-head to tail, but fishes such as selves if they do not do it by mackerel swim with their bodies their tails? By studying their just as much as virtually tail- movements with the assistance less eels, and the motion is ob- of a cinema camera the problem servable when shown by a slow- has been substantially solved, motion camera. Fishes swim with their bodies, Mr. Gray had established this they receive impetus from the theory from his experimenta! movements of their bodies study of many different kinds of against the water, and their fishes. Then he was disturbed to tail-fins have chiefly a balancing learn that there are certain sea- and guiding utility. Mr. Gray worms which swim by contrac-,

This believes the tail-fins are import-tions starting in the tail. ant in the prevention of rolling, was a shock, for his theory re- In discussing the problem of quires the swimming movement fish propulsion, Mr. Gray re-to run from head to tail, Care. marked that engineers had in-ful examination of the worms vented three types of propellers showed, however, that the bends for driving ships. One crude in their bodies as they swam had method consisted of squirting little flaps sticking out at right water out at the stern, so that angles to the bend. As soon as the ship went forward by reac-the bend moved on, the flaps lay There were also paddle-down again. Was it possible wheels and screw-propellers. The that these little flaps could re- principles by which all these con-verse the motion and enable the trivances worked had been em-fish to go forward even if the ployed by nature long ago. The contractions started in the tail? sea-squib moves by squirting

The mechanical problem water out, some fishes swim by seemed too complicated for ma- padding with fins, but the mathematical solution, so one jority swim by the principle on the advanced students in the en- which the screw-propeller oper-gineering department made ates. The blade of a screw-pro-mechanical model which imitated peller is essentially a wedge or the movements of this inclined plane attached to an with flaps at the bends as It

Nanking, Jan. 14. axle, and is nothing more than a wriggled. By immersing 'the

A drastic retrenchment pro-ity convenient arrangement for ap-model in water it was possible to gramme should be adopted by all } plying a wedge. The blade show that the flaps did make all Ministries and Committees under strikes the water sideways, and the difference. Thus the motion the Executive Yuan in view of the ship is pushed forward as if of fishes propelling themselves the present financial stringency wedge had been driven be-by wriggling from the head of the Government, states an or- tween it and the water.

downwards can be explained, and der of the Yuan yesterday. Nature's Mechanism. also of worms wriggling from In view of the varied con- Nature has not succeeded in the tail headwards. This ja aditions obtaining in the different evolving a wheel and axle, so she really triumphant conclusion. cannot employ the particularly Mr. Gray and his collaborators ingenious mechanism of the are now engaging in a detailed screw-propeller, but she can use study of the finer motions of the principle of the inclined swimming and the parts played plane in another manner. The by the smaller fins. method is most easily seen in the case of the eel. When it swims its body moves in a wavy way with which everyone is superficially familiar.

Я

A WEEK'S DISEASES.

Eight Diphtheria Cases Notified.

FOUR DEATHS.

of

Я

worni

Yuan Issues An Order.

CHEUNG-CHAU NOTES.

[From Our Own Correspondent.)

Cheung Chau, To-day.. A large party of students from Ling Nam University arrived here to spend most of; the week at No, 19. The weather has been kind to them and to other visitors. Several house owners from up- and Canton expect to be

PROBLEMS OF SOCIAL INSURANCEoming at the end of the month

[By Henry Royce.]

to spend Chinese New Year holl- days on the Island,

After montha:of expectant wait-

The International Labour Office | a long time this remained the only the existing schemes are based on ng the new concrete pier was of the League of Nations has scheme of the kind, until in 1906 the compulsory principle, which made available for the Cheung issued its so-called "Grey Report the former Austrian Expira set up has now become the keystone of Chan and other ferries vast im a pensions Insurance scheme for social legislation in this respecting visitors should note this and provement on the old one. Intend on the question of invalidity, old non-manual workers. The French It is the hope of the Interna age, and widows and orphans' in- Act of 1910 on workers and tlona Labour Organisation that it stop at the first concrete and iron. surance. The question is to come peasants' pensions was never, com will prove possible to introduce pier west of the Macao Wharf, and up for first discussion at the six added to her earlier system

pletely applied. In 1911 Germany universal principles for invalidity, taking the tram car, get off at sur-old age, and widowa" and orphans the first stop after Wing Lok teenti: International Labour Con-vivors Insurance and salaried eme Insurance, covering all... wage. Street (not the second as former ference in June. The present, re-ployees pensions. The same year earners, with the possible excep Port, according to the Office cus- saw the introduction of the Britiation of persons whose ramunera- guy tom, gives a general survey of the sickness and invalidity scheme, the tion exceeds a prescribed limit, 1 law, and practice of the different old age and invalidity schemes in seasonal workers, members of the __1:: nations in this question.

nia and employers family, and perhaps one maling for two other categories.

The

The official roturn of diseases and deaths during the week and ed. January, 16, is 'ni', follows:Y

Diphtheria

Smallpox Cerebro-spinal fever

Tuberculosis

Summary

approx

January 1 to Inggu

Cases Deathe

Luxembourg and

67

Social Insurance Is a thing of the 58 compara ely recent growth.

og schemes of com-

ern

and

FALL INTO NULLAH."

the

the

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7

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