1917-08-22 — Page 7

THE QUEEN BEHIND A COUNTER.

TWOPENNY LUNCHES

The Queen spent a delightful hour coently, with the assistance of Princess "waitress, serving luncheons *Mary as

at 24. and 3d. per portion at the new communal kitchen at the Stepney Central Hall, which had been opened by Princess Christian.

THE HONGKONG DAILY PRESS, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22ND, 2017.

NITROGEN FROM THE AIR.

MANCHESTER'S NEW: ENTERPRISE.

Plant is about to be created in Manchester for the manufacture of nitro-

nous products from the nitrogen in the sit for reasons that will be obvious faller details must be reserved until the conclusion of the war,

SUBMARINES.

ARE OUR BEST BRAINS AT WORK?

[BY LOVAT FRASEE.}

The nation does not yet fully realise the meaning of the destruction wrought Flom of late by the German submarines. The grave consequences of the inability of the Admiralty to find an effective remedy for submarine warfare are not yet generally

understood.

To a partial degree the German cal-

submarines are a greater menace than the German armies in the field.

STORY OF THE **DOVER CASTLE."

SCENES ON A TORPEDOED HOSPITAL SHIF

Admiralty message announced the of the hospital ship Dover Castle May 20th, in the Mediterranean, but the first of the survivors have only recent

reached Great Britain. Their story of the rescue of over 600 wounded men, together with the whole of the medica staff, is an eloquent cestimony to the skill

and ecamanship of those by whom the task was accomplished bra

The Dover Castle, when attacked by a journey with wounded soldiers from Balonika Ono torpedo crippled her, and a escond torpedo sank her."

Even since the British blockade was The Queen arrived at noon, driving enforced, Germany has found it impos- down Commercial-road and receiving a sible to import Chilian nitrates for the very hearty welcome from a large crowd. manufacture of explosives and fertilisers. After a ceremony of presentations to the reverted, therefore, to the expedient missioners of the ball (which is under the of fixing" the nitrogen from the air, culations have been right. To-day the German submarine, was on her homeward control of the Wesleyan Central Mission), and has adopted it to a huge extent since the Queen and the Princess went to the almost the beginning of the war. It hae kitchen adjoining, took their stand beca stated in German technical journals bind a temporary counter, and set to that the output of nitrogenous products by the Badische Analin Fabrik, with the aid chiefly of the Habercatalytic process, amounts now to about 500,000 tons a year, By these means the Germans get all the nitrogenous ingredients for their high explosives.

work.

Hundreds of women and children with baskets, jugs, paper bags, and plates were efrendy in the waiting queue which stretched from the ball far along Com- mercial-road. The work of serving this hungry throng began in a most appetising odour of sausages and fried onions.

"it

Ideolare," said the.. Queen, makes me feel quite hungry.. Here comes the first customers cory small boy with a very big basket and a rather suspicious looking britle in it "Are you going to put your dinner in the basket, little boy?"

Attempts have been made to work the Haber proces in Great Britain, but all have failed, and the general conscnaus of opinion now is that this is not a com mercial process, as the expense and risk appear to be enormous. With the Ger- mans, however, it is a case of needs

must..

No doubt the enemy have failed to fulfil their own boundless hopes. They boasted that they would have us on our knees by June. We are so far from being prostrate that millions of well-fed and comfortable people in this country are still almost oblivious of the submarine danger. Paralysis creeps upon us to slowly and imperceptibly that the syrup toms are ignored.

The second shot did the dirty work," said one of the survivors, and in less than ten minutes her stern uplifted out of the water and she went under bow first.

HIGH

EXCHANGE.

We beg to announce that from to-day's date an EXCHANGE REBATE will be

put into operation.

The Rebate will be allowed upon every complete sum of one dollar and will be announced daily in one of our store windows.

No Rebate will be allowed off Sale

WHITEAWAY, LAIDLAW

The first shot came without the slightest warning. It was a beautiful evening and the sea was calm and smooth. Had it been otherwise many a home might bave had to mourn the loss of a gallant To do them justice, the leading mem on The vessel was struck on the star- bere of the present Government bave never hole was torn in her side, through which

board side and reeled heavily. A great Prices. talked lightly of the terror that strikes the water poured. One of the life-bonts beneath the waters. Mr. Lloyd George, was smashed, men were thrown about in Bir Edward Carson, and most of their all directions, and the engines were stop colleagues have repeatedly uttered guard pad. The vessel gradually became lower ed but carnest warnings, though they in the water, but fortunately sha was have not created any deep impressionable to remain afloat. It was providen- People are eating less, but the food tial that the vessel had few cat-chees on economy campaign does not carry com board, the grene majority of the wounded pleto conviction, and any decline in the being walking cases, but many of them number of ships sunk starts another were pearly helpless by reason of their Wave of jubilation. The surest remedy wounds. The medical staff and the mem would probably be to tell a little more bers of the crew worked heroically. of the truth. The weekly return of ship. ping loses was decided upon by inter national agreement, but its form is not frank enough. At present all ships above

but there is a tremendous difference be tween the loss of a ship of 2,000 tons and one of 10,000 tons: It has been said by Gaptain Bathurst that the Germans are now concentrating unea the bigger ships, but the return gives no clue.

The only other way by which nitrogen can be "fixed" from the air is by the electric processes, of which up to now the principal have been the Barkeland and Evde, the Schonburr, and the Pau ling. All of these are single-phase and electrical processes, and are considered workuble commercially only in places like Norway, where electricity can be generated cheaply by water-power. None of them has been worked in England because of the high cost of electricity, But sausage and onions is three-which makes them uneconomic under 1.600 tons (gross) are lumped together, ber that when a vessel has a large hole

ordinary conditions.

"Yes,' mum," raplied the little boy. "And what do you want? How much have you got to spend ?"

"Tuppence, lady," and he produced a wopenny ticket. I'll have sausage and onions," he said, knowing what was good.

"One sausage and onions," said the Queen to the waitress at her side, as she spiked the twopeany ticket...

pancs,'

," declared the waitress (Princess Mary), "and it really can't be done at

the price.

ROYAL COMMENDATIONS.

you can't have

The little boy's face fell. I'm afraid threepenny dinner for u twopeany ticket," said the Queen, aym- pathetically. Have a meat pis-I can assure you they're very nice!""

The consequence is that the fixation of atmospheric nitrogen has not beet adopted in this country, which relies for its supplies of this valuable ingredient of high explosives and an indispensable part of all the principal fertilisers on the utilisation of Chilian nitrates, tho price of which has increased enormously since the beginning of the war.

The small boy said he would; and from that moment there was a tremendous run

A NEW PROCESS: ENGLISH DISCOVERY, on the meat-pis market. The news flashed through the crowd instantly that thoj

A new factor in the situation has now Queen had told Jimmy Thompson that the arisen in the new method of nitrogen meat pies were fine. Nearly everybody fixation from the air which is about

Manchester. It is elamoured for them, so that at 19.45 pre. to be started in cisely Mr. Gregory, the minister of the believe that with this process nitrogen mission, rapped vigorously upon the can be "fixed" anywhere in England at -counter and cried in a loud voice. Your a very low cost, even where electricity is Majesty, ladies and gentlemen, and dear fairly expensive, because it apparently friends, I have to announce that all the achieves the highest efficiency of nitrogen mcat pics are sold. I am very sorry, bu fixation per kilowatt hour of energy we did not anticipate so huge a demand used that has oven been achieved or even for them."

dreamt of by any of the other processEI Dicntioned. subject.

"The cold hat looks very nice, too," remarked the Queen. Consequently the cold ham was the next dainty to be struggled for.

The first of the claimants for this dish was an elderly, white-haired woman, who leaned over the counter and whispered mysteriously for it.

Where's your plate?" asked the Queen.

If you please, your Majesty. I've only got this," replied the dame, producing s large envelope.

I dare say we can manage with that." the Queen said. So Princess Mary fetched the hum, and the Queen, using bor ticket-spiko as a fork, transferred the alices of ham to the envelope, amid en couraging cheers,

And so this speedily served quick lunch went on merrily for an hour, hor Majesty pasing now and then to ask her cus comers questions. A good mans were in mourning. "Were you in the raid?" was the Queen's question to them and they told her briefly of their adventures.

OLD SSAMÈTRESS' INQUIRY.

Very nearly the last customer serve! was a bright-yed woman of over 70--Mrs. Smith, of Salmon-lane, Bcepuer

"I should like just a word with you your Majesty," said she very confidential

1y.

"Wall, what is it?" asked the Queen, bending over and smiling encon ragingly. "I hope your husband's quite well, "Thank you, yes he is," replied her Majesty. "I am sure it is very kind of you to inquire.**

ma'am."

robe, bless his heart!"

Queen.

**And I hope you'll tell him what I've told you and give him my best respects and kind wishes,"

To be sure I will," replied her Majesty.

Thank you kindly." said Mrs. Smith, and with a deep curtsey the old lady turned to go.

#

Its inventor is British

The Manchester Corporation succeeded in being the first to get the industry started, because it went out of its way to help the grotuoters, the International) Nitrogen and Power Company, 8, Waler log Plaer. London, who hold the exclusive rights to work the process in Great Britain.

The new industry is believed to have great possibilities, not only for war pur poses but after the war. Possibly when the method comes to bo worked through out the United Kingdom it will make this country independent of overses sup plies of Axed organic nitrogen, and provido a new security against the danger of interruption of oversea supplies of sme of war. If it can be done the whole essential ingredients of explosives in

of our nitric acid supplies could be obtained in this way, and also picrie Reid, an essential ingredient in synthetic dyes.

Above all, it would bring to realisation Sir William Craokes prediction to the British Association at Bristol over thirt: yeare age that the future of the white race would largely depend on the econo mic fixation of atmospheric nitrogen, by which the world might be made to yield larger quantities of wheat and other food. stuffs.

chester Corporation an excellent site for Through the good offices of the Man the works has been provided. Construc tion has already begun, and the catablish rent should be working within six months.

Inquiries made by a representative of

I

"Talk about winning the V.C.," said one sailor, it was won time after time by men who seemed absolutely careless about themselves. You must remem.

in her side the next moment may be her last; she is liable to go down at any minute. The wounded soldiers in turn again proved theinsalves to be brave men werd almost reckless in their devotion to The ship's officers and the medical staff

duty. It was a big task to transfer 600 wounded men from the ship, but, thank God f we did it. Every one of the brave fəl lows was rescued, and their gratitude was dearer than all the distinguished orders in the world.”

All through this war the nation has been told too little, from a mistaken fear of telling the enemy too much. fully believe in the policy of almost com plete silence about the losses inflicted on Gorman submarines, but more might

After all were in the boate, Commander be disclosed with safety about the extent Wilfrid, who was the last to leave the and character of the depletion of our ship, saw that she might still keep afloat, merchant shipping. The Germans are and called for volunteers to return to well informed on this point, and we shall her, in order to await the arriva lof tuge not be telling them anything they do which, he hoped, would take her to not know. Surely we are now far from place of safely. Immediately officers, the days when Lord Buckmaster made engineers, and sailors offered to go back pathetic attempts to prevent the public with him, and the captain and a number from thinking that their affairs were of others returned to the ship While they were on her she was struck by the second torpedo. This time the blow was forward, and in a few minutes all that could be seen of the Dover Castle was the wreckage on the water. The captain and were saved, but when the roll call was thom who returned with him to the ship made on shore, it was found that six of the stokehold crew were missing,-Timer.

a very serious state"} Eighteen months ago I should have been reproved for discussing the submarine question candidly, on the plea that it would hearten the enemy."

The result of the silence of eighteen months ago was that the latest development of the submarine campaign caught us unprepared,

#

•

It must now be bluntly recognised that most of our present difficulties are due to the shortage of shipping, which has been the submarines. Because we are short of mainly produced by the depredations of ships we are rapidly growing short of everything, but of bread mast of all. The stability of the cotton industry of Lança shire is now being threatened, partly from other causes, but chiefly owing to the fact that sufficient ships are not available to bring us raw cotton and to earry Lancashire manufactures to die the submarines slackened a little during sant over-sea markets. The pressure of May, but is increasing once more, and seems likely to go on increasing.

EXPENSIVE SUGAR.

"Your sugar has come," said the post- an with a grin as he delivered a parcel 3lb. of sagar at a South London home.

And there's dd. to pay on it, please.” A glance at the label showed the as tonished householder that this quite un- expected gift had come all the way from New Zealand 13,000 miles away, and that it was sent by a relative. It was a of getting somewhat roundabout and expensive way a parcel of sugar to South London.

The 3lb. of sugar cost dd, in New The Germans admit that our naval Zealand; the postage was 23. Old., and forces are destroying some of their sub- the Customs duty (paid by the recipient) marines, but they claim to be building way ad; total 38. id, or more than Is. submarine far more rapidly than we! a lb. destroy them. It is not at all impossible that their claim is well founded. They

liave sat us various problems in this war which we have either not solved at

all or have only very partially solved. The submarine campaign is one of the problems which we have not solved at all disposition to say rather helplessly that In certain circles there seems to be a the submarine question is incapable of solution. I decline to admit this con- tation. There is sotne answer and some remedy for every new method of warfare, Human brains found out the way to

are not to judge by results, then what Admiralty is to be judged? is the standard by which the Board of

present average weekly rate we shall not If the shipping losses continue at their

which we may not be able to recover. be long before we reach a position from.

Are our best braing boing applied to the submarine problem, or are the Ger mans beating us in the utilisation of brain power. We must look to Whitehall

"I've got a very good reason for it,' remarked Mrs. Smith. "Because I'vo followed him, so to speak, ever since he the Manchester Guardian” showed that a attack under water, and human brains for the answer. Mr. Bonar Law was ob was a baby. It was I who made his first movement for carrying into effect a can assuredly find out the best means of viously comforting himself with the project for obtaining aitrated from the counter-attacks. We have now had three thought that it was too soon to expect *How interesting!" laughed the atmosphere was started in Manchester ten years' deadly experience of the submarine results from the recent changes at the or twelve years ago, the motive being, of in war, and it is time that an antidote Admiralty. But, with the exception of course, mainly a commercial one

The was discovered.

We lost many months Bir Eric Geddes, who is given charge of promoters were, for the most part, submarine menace was well in hand" strategy or policy, what was the extent do with because somebody said in 1915 that the construction and has nothing engaged in the bleaching industry, who desired to avoid, if it was possible, the and would not bother as seriously any of these changes I have examined again expense of bringing nitrates so largely tion might have prevented this mistaken of May idth. Stripped bare, it seems to more. The exercise of a little imagina- and again Sir Edward Carson's statement used in their business from South America. It was found, however, that assumption. Very much the same error is mean that a junior Ses Lord has been an obstacle to the development of that raids. We are not devising adequate Grand Fleet bas taken his place on the now being made about daylight aeroplane sent to China and an offer from the "Stop a minuta," cried the Queen, scheme was the intense heat required to preparations for the day when aeroplanes Board. You've forgotten your dinner!"

make the process successful. "We needed will attack our cities in swarms, because The rest of the process is simple. The Bless us, so I have!" chuckled Mrs heat," one of the promoters of that time the prescient imagination which can me men are taken and labelled afresh Smith "I think I'll have a little pie, said yesterday, "of an intensity of 2,000 foreste this undoubtedly inevitable de An admiring nation says, "Now let the please, I was that Bustered

degrees, and the result was that the whole And as she received her portion, of the ovens and appliances necessary velopment is not at work among those in Hung Tonk out!" but new labels do not fetched by the Princess, the old seam- were destroyed before it could be attained. high places. When the war began the quicken tired brains.

No doubt we shall be reminded of n atress of Salmon-lane once more said, Another obstacle was placed in the way

Germans had about 30 submarines of shaking her finger. Now, you won't hy the shipping trade, who feared the moderate efficiency. How many hundreds mysterious body which, according to the First Lord's statement, is or was called forget to tell your husband ? "

loss, if the experiments then made proved have they got to-day?

The Anti-Submarine Division." We a success, of the bitrate shipping trade." I am sure he will be very interested Means were subsequently found of over- Last week in Parliament the Govern-shall he told that numbers of officers with coming the difficulty created by the inment were asked a very significant ques wan expericace have been brought of late The answer is that tense heat required, and further efforts tion. They were asked whether, having changing subordinates in of no use un-

to the Admiralty. were made in France which proved to be regard to the activity of hostile sub-less the best available brains are at the RUSSIAN WOMEN AT THE FRONT. Buccessful.

There is a works in that marines, they were "assured of the com. country now which has for a number of petence of the present Board of Admiralty top. In short, the changes at the Ad- years been producing nitrates from the to adopt measures to secure the safety enough or high enough. All the labels miralty do not seem to have gone for It is reported from Geneva that the air."

of our over-soa communications." Mr. correspondent of the Azest, a Budapest journal, wiring from the Galicia Front on A chemist at a large house in the dyeing Bonar Law gave a conventional affuma which can be invented will not alter the the 22nd instant, saya :—

trade expressed the view that but for tive answer. He was then asked whether tendency of minds which have worked along a particular groove during three On the Brezezany front our troops the fact that the Gormans bad for year it was ant a fact that the shipping years of strain. for the first time came into contact with obained nitrates from the air the war

HeTired brains are in control. Perhaps A regiment composed of Russian women. would have been over long ago, consider replied, one presumes rather hastily, that is why we are failing to grapple They fought with extraordinary bravery, in the present difficulties in the way of that be "did not think it was fair to with the submarine menace. But failure frequently making feres counter-attack their obtaining them from Chili or or judge entirely by results." But if we to overcome the submarines may mesa They were led by women officers."

(Continued at foot of next column.)

I won't forget," replied the Queen

to hear all about it | "--Daily Mail.

Bonth American sources.

*

losses were more severe than ever."

ו

& CO., LTD.,

20, DES VŒUX ROAD, HONGKONG.

August 20th, 1917.

66

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