The farmer and mechanic., 1915-04-13

NATIONAL
to the writings and teachings OF his.
tarians and poets and authors IN all
lands. and ended by expressing the
view that the general exhaustion that
would follow this struggle would per-
haps prevent a war on a very large
scale for many years to come.
War Widely Felt.
There is of course hardly a phase
Of life which has not been affected by
the war. At the beginning OF the
war there was an attempt on the part
of a section of the public to visit the
supposed sins of the present German
generation upon Wagner. Beethoven
and Bach, and the authorltles at
Queens Hall, in a weak moment, ac-
tually temporarily banned the classics
of the great German composers. But
wise counsel prevailed and now, ex-
cept at a few of the cheaper reStau-
rants, one may listen to 'Tannhauster
as if no gulf Of war separated the
fellow -countrymen Of its composer
and the people of Britain.
Recently. however, there has been
recurrence Of this initial prejudice,
due largely to the fact that word has
been received in this country OF the
action of Hans Richter, the famous
! Austrian conductor long associated
with German opera at Covent Garden,
who has announced his determination
|
| decorations that were so plentlfully
| heaped upon him in happier times.
! This action OF Richter is to be re-
! gretted all the more because ne was
| extremely popular among opera goers
| in England. and especially among the
| lovers of Wagner. In fact, 1t was
| Richter who was largely responsible
| for the vogue Of the German COM
poser within recent years at Covent
| Garden, and his retirement a couple
| Of years ago was sincerely regretted
| by all lovers Of good music.
The Royal Flying Corps.
No branch Of the British army has
done better work since the fourth day
| of August last than has the Royal
| FLYING Corps. Both Gen. French and
Gen. Joffre have praised it in high
terms the former claiming that it has
established it's ascendancy over the
aerial branch Of the German army.
| This is high praise when it is remeni-
| bered that the German flyers held
most Of the international records be-
fore the outbreak of war and pos
sessed many more machines than Eng
land.
Much of the credit for the showing
made by the British airmen is due to
the organization and training Of one
man-Col. Sir David Henderson, di-
rector of military training and head
Of the Royal Flying Corps. Sir David
is comparatively young man, being
born in 1862, but he has seen a 10
of active war service in the Sudan and
South Africa. For years he special
lied in reconnaissance, and eight years
ago write book on subject which ha:
become more or less of a text book il
the British army.
, He was one Of the earliest to Sc,
the possibilities Of the aeroplane 70
scouting purposes, and it was at hi
! own earnest request that he was give1
: the job Of bringing the new arm int
! army. He spent much time at Hen
don, the great flying ground nea
London, until he secured his pilot
+ certificate. He is not a spectacula
!, flyer, believing that he has a NOR
I important mission in life than to thrill
t society buds by looping the loop an
executing the dip Of death. AS 500
as he fully mastered his machine, 81
d David set about Strengthening tn
/. Royal Army Corps. He went anon
n the more enterprising and intelligen
d Of the young army officers and i'm
pressed upon them the possibilities G
n him a rare collected Of daring soul
:. 1t is with these men-or rathe
n with those who are left, because man
,r lost their lives in the early days q
,r experiment before the war-that 81
- DaV1O mas, according to the cOmman
q der IN chief of the British forces, tax
s. en- much Of the heart out Of the &c,
e man flyers. Under his control ha
) come also that remarkable band :
le naval flyers who, under the imme
1t date leadership Of the intrepid Win
l. Commander Sampson, have carrie
le death, destruction and confusion int
t, the country back of the German line
1e in Flanders.
=. Welsh in the Tsn,aIi~b<
The picturesque Welsh. abo,
LII whom. before the advent of Lloy
OF George, the people in London hear
u little and cared less. have come Yer
is prominently into the limelight in th
le pas. rev days 1t seems that a
le though the Household Rrieadas co1
i 1alned two English regiments
t Scotch and an Irish, it was not. ND I
SIS 70 the outbreak Of war, considere
es mat the Welsh were entitled to !
|