the
February 20, 1905.]
moment
the 1
the attacking people covering fire ceases. Best results from good combination ca not be obtained unless those wl ose duty it is to direct fire recognise the proper target to fire at, and only careful observation of the enemy's movements and constant watchfulnes3 can decide that. Ineffective firing is worse than useless, as it discourages the soldiers delivering the fire and encourages the enemy. The next point is that of concentration. By this means the end is attained by firing in quicker time and with less expenditure of ammunition. If this is effective, the enemy's morala is shaken, which has Р very important affect 00 B war. The lecturer here dis- coursed on the different modes and rates of firing, also when a curacy rather than in- tensity was required and vice versa. He dis. coursed at some length on the question of when it was necessary to economise in the use of ammunition, and said it might pay to tell off a certain number of picked shots in a battle to fire on the enemy's leaders; if they could bag a general, so much the better. The speaker wound up his lecture with a few remarks regarding the maxim gun. If this were used in battle, he said it He was necessary that it should be concealed. had left a great deal unsaid with regard to the subject he had chosen, but if his hearers had the kindness to sit until to-morrow morning, he
would still be able to continue (applause).
Sir H. S. BERKELEY: Your Excellency, Gentlemen-I know we all accord to the lecturer a very hearty vote of thanks for the mest capable and interesting lecture just delivered to us. As he has sid, Sir and no one is more capable than yourself of knowing the truth of what he said the subject he has dealt with is He a very complex and difficult one. seems to me to have a thorough knowledge
of that which he has undertaken to do. 1.nd in the lecture he delivered he has shown that he bestowed considerable care on what he laid before us for our instruction. One or two of his remarks were most particular. ly interesting to me as a member of this association, formed by yourself for the purpose of standing up in case of need to assist those who will in the first instance be brought into the firing line. He has shown us that the firing line must depend altogether upon the assistance which can be iven to it by those in support and in reserve. Should the time c me when our services will be need
and I reserve, ed, they will be in the feel sure
when that time does come, we will be found to be affective supports to those in the
ever
firing line. In another direction this body of men can be most usefully employed-I make the suggestion for Your Excellency's professional consideration--that is with respect to the ques- tion of Maxim gun rapid firing. It seems to me we are a body out of which a machine section could be formed. They say a field gun does not require any great physical exertion, so we, as veterans, should not have much difficulty in that direction. (laughter). It requires coolness, calmness and judgment, which comes from old age and accuracy of vision, which we will soon be able to prove to the world at large we still possess. After we have had a little practice with the new rifles with which Your cellency so kindly furnished us, and become proficient shots, as we will become, it would not be safe for a general or any of the enemy's officers to bring themselves within our range. This one point is certainly clear regarding Your Excellency's reserves. I beg to move a hearty vote of thanks to the lecturer, also to His Excellency the Governor for arranging the
lecture.
Ex-
His Excellency's brief acknowledgment | concluded the meeting.
SALE OF STEAMERS.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
PORT ARTHUR REFUGEES AT
SHANGHAI.
THE UNIVERSAL TONGUE.
119
Not the least interesting incident in con- The stream of refugees from Port Arthac nection with the historio surrender of Port continues, and the passing of them on home. Arthur was the fact that the negotiations were ward proceeds but slowly in compariso Tue conducted throughout in English, a Russian Lieutenant and a midshipman acting as inter- hot is and boar ling houses Lave been full, a- we have said, for days, and the question of preters, and the message dispatched by General providing more roof accommodation for these Stoessel to the Czar, formally notifying his poor unfortunats is one of great difficulty. | sovereign of his inabitity to hold the fortress There has been unceasing activity at te
any longer, was also in the Anglo-Saxon Russian Consulate and by others interested in tongue. Russian affairs in Shanghai, but the arrange. ments made hare ben far from meeting the demand for accommodation. We understan'
that overtures have bee made for several large Another godowns, but without success.
batch
about of
5 0 refugees was CX pected and to me this further inroad. the Russian authoris applied to the Municipal Council to help the n out of the situation. The Council at once cous uted and placed the Riding school of the Light Horse at the disposal of the Russians. Police escorts were also offered to con luct the new comers to their temporary quarters.
The Riding School, it may not be generally known, is a spacious mat bed at the corner of It is hardly North Honan and Range Roads. an ideal residence in the cold weather, but whilst it affords little protection against the wind it at any rate keeps those inside dry. The refugees were to bring their own bedding and stores and the Russian anthorities have made arrangements for providing them with fool. The decision to allow the use of the
In spite of all hat slipshod flippancy, and the picturesque varia'ion in our spoken tongus- which has crept into use ander trans-Atlantic
influences, the Eglish tongue still possesses “a veritable power of expression such as
never stood at perhaps
the command As Max of any other language of man.' Muller expresses it, every country of the globe seems to have brought some of its verbal manu- factures to the intellectual market of lngland,"
and the same forcefulness which gained for the Saxon tongue a victry over the Norman in the mildle of the twelfth century, when Fnglish was first fully recognized as the language of our Law Courts, is still asserting itself, and even in diplomatic circles French as the one ani only recognized medium of diplomatic negotiation. It is doub less due in great measure to the cosmopolitan derivation of half our words that English is one Continentals
18 but it
the of the easiest languages for
pure Saxon to acquire, element which gives it force and facilitates a directness and Incidity of expression which no
We hear less and less of
school was come to so speedily that there was no time to notify members of the Mounted Infantry of what had been done, with the result."shall not be' that several of our gallant troope s. who turn ed up to drill in the afternoon, were
their considerably surpri-ed to find
head quarters in temporary occupation of an invading army of Russius.
A representative of the N.-C. Daily News visited the Riding School and found about 8-venty Russians in occupation. The Council had provide numbers of the long seats
on
used in the Gardens and on the Bund, and th. se were placed back to back and boards arranged top of them. A limited number of mattresses were also provided. The refugees found that the most comfortable way of making their beds was to take two of these seats, place them seat to seat and pile two or three mattresses into the space thus formed. Those who slept on the boards took good care to lie on two or three of the mattresses. A policeman was on seven Russian guard. In a corner six or soldiers were engaged in a game of ards. Fragments of loaves scattered round showed that the sleepers had not retired supperlass. The refugees were quite orderly and quiet. Most of them went to slee; just as they were with boots, caps, and coats on. There were no stoves or
other heating apparatus. The 500 expected in the afternoon seem to have got lost and the police escort which awaited them was, therefore
not required.-N.-C. Daily Ne" 8.
at
A 200-MILE TOW.
Ths.s. Merionethshire, Captain C. H. Burch, put back here yesterday towing the s.s. Os ar II Captain R. Olsen), of Bergen with her main shaft broken. Th Merionethshire left Hong- Shanghai on Tuesday, and kong for
on six o'clock Wednesday morning when ten mil s south-west of High Lam- mock, the disab'el steamer, flying signa's of distress, "want immediate assistance," was sighted. Captain Burch proceeded to get a tow rops on board by means of rockets. The sea being so heary, however, it was found impos-ible. to get close enough to successfully carry out this, manœuvre. A boat, in charge of the third officer was therefore, with great difficulty, launched After a heavy pull she arrived to leeward of the Oscar II. While alongside, the boat on two occasions narrowly escaped being capsized by the steamer sheering on top of it. The con- nection made the bot was returned, and a The s.8. Argus, owned by Messrs. Archibald, hawser connection was made between the vessels. Curry and Company, of Melbourne, has beeu The Merionethirs towed the Oscar II to port, so'd to Japanese for £16,500. She is a vessel a distance of 20 miles arriving at noon of 1822 tons nett, built by Messrs. Palmers' | yesterday. The Oscar II had left Hongkong Company, of Newcastle, in 1889.
for Shanghai on Monday.
The Ban An 8.s! An Pho, of Hongkong (formerly the China and Manila 8.8. Esmeralda) has been sold to Japan for £16,000. She is a vessel of 966 nett tons, and was built by Messrs. W. Hamilton and Company, of Port Glasgow, in
1891.
other language affords. There is no ambiguity, for instance, in such expressions as "shall be,"
must without fail" etc., no room for any possible ground for mi understanding, and in no other language can anything more plainly and simply straightforward ba found-
On occasions like the than our 'yes' and 'no." surrender of Port Arthur the absence of an el ment of ambiguity, and the inability to create any linguistic back door by which obligations may be later on avoided, is of all things the mos' essential, and the apanese no doubt felt it would be more satisfactory, not only to themselves but the world at large, if the terms of surrender were drawn up in what is rapidly bec ming the langu.ge of the whole civilized world.-Peking Times.
A SWATOW CRY FOR FIG LEAVES.
In a letter to our Shanghai contemporary, Swatow resident says; I understand that the Custom Authorities constituts the harbour guard of the local government. They seemingly cannot prevent the native boatmen from discard- ing al: clothing directly the hot weather sets in. This does not refer to simpan men and their kin, but those that work for general purposes.
They do not even wear a loin cloth. To add to this injury to common dec. noy, not a classical study of lety unadorned is to be found in the
whole bunch. A Praxiteles or a Phidias would swoon if they beheld the aaatomies presented to our eyesight A doctor might be interested and instructed in tracing the oorled veins and mascular tissues, he might eve. enjoy a professional rev lin diagnosing the varieties of skin diseases, but it is the community in general I must think of. Steamers bring many women sad children into the harbour, and I have It causes the gentle sex dweling with me. 80 intuitive shudder to conceive that this spectacle of undress is literally pa aded about upon the water of the port and no step taken to stop it, or if any step is taken, it is a very Perhaps the women themselves spulless one. may raise the question of the indignity they are put to, and for the sake of their children; but the wonder is that the missionaries are dor- mant Why loss this opportunity of redeeming · the natives from an uncouth custo u without an
ethical law to favour it ? Why are they shutting their eyes tightly to a gross evil and allowing i to p.as year after your without bestirring them- selves to overcome it ? It is the severest and most tangib'e criticism upon their work of salvation that a port that has come under the influence of civilisation and their religions yut retains the mark of prehistoric ages or darkest savagery.
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