The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-04-29
GOSSIP IN LONDON
From the Philadelphia Evening Tele-

ing attertion to the great need of more scripture readers to work in the navy. They point cut that there is one officially acknowledged society of which the King is patron. and the archbishops and some distinguished admirals are vice presidents. This society receives a grant from the admiralty. which in times of peace helps to maintain the Royal Naval Scripture readers at their work, which includes act ing as lay renders to the chaplains. The letter cos,tinUes:
 Tt may not be generally realized that many ships are necessarily without chap lains. as are also Gestroyers, submarines, mine-sweepers, aircraft, etc. which ob- viously could not carry them. This, of course. means that when in port there iS much tEe scripture reader can do, who is officially recognized, and in this time or war, and, consequently. of immensely increased work in harbors, hospitals, bar racks, etc, mary more of these men are urgently required"
 Presiding ct the annual general meeting of the Ncwsvendors' Benevolent and Prevalent institution, the Hon. Harry Lawson referred to the cost of news paper Iroducton in so far as it was af- fected by the var
 The difficulties of the trade were very great, he said. Net only were the costs of printing increasing. but the paucity of advertising and the general rise in ad- ministrative expenses had affected every department Of the newspaper industry. There was popular idea-he thought it was a popular delusion-that war brought many advantages to newspapers. Nothing that could be believed could be more beside the mark. At the moment there were the enormous increase in news paper production, the huge expense en- tailed in gathering newspaper news, and the general decrease in revenue through tue falling off of advertising. These three conditions affected the whole newspaper world, and they presented very difficult and serious problems to those who owned and managed newspapers.
 Mention has already been made in the Times of the various newspapers which are published by French soldiers. A good example is the Pigolboche, which is pro- duced by the Tenth division and claims the largest circulation of any newspaper on the front. Capital: One sou per day Offices: Migratory" it announces in it's heading. However. in spite of these mod est pretenticns, 1t ras two academicians among the consTibutors to it's last two numbers These are M. Emile Faguet and M. Henri de Resnier both of whom con- tribute verses. The majority of the con- tributors is less serious.
 A telegram dated April announces that England terrified by the German block ade, has left its ordinary position between the North sea end the Atlantic and is being lowed by it's fleet to an unknown destination. Admiral Tirpitz wires, Am in pursuit..
 Another paragraph represents an en- thusiastic Austrian chamberlain announce ing the news of a great victory to Elm peror Francis Joseph. For our troops?" asks the Emperor. Yes, your majestyi'' Not good enoush.' replies the Emperor, you musr think of something better than that for the next April Fools Day"
 Here Is a good story from the front. There have been so many cases of Ger man spies masquerading in English uni- forms that sentries at night are required to halt every body of men and give the order, Advance one. to be recognized D which means that one goes forward alone so that the sentry can satisfy himself without the risk of being overpowered if several went forward at once. A certain wel-known officer of the was found by London Scottish officer held up by a sentry, who refused to allow him to move and announced that he 'warn't satisfied with the man. The sentry refused to be convinced, and eventually scout coming along had to conduct the doubtful one to the officer in charge of the post, when all was we'll 'The sentry thought" writes the London Scot, that he had got hold of a good thing and saw visions of many stripes. He was perfectly justified and no one blamed him."
 The Austrian Jockey club has decided to abandon the spring race meetings entire ly.s The arrangements and dates of the summer and autumn meetings were all lowed to stand provisionally, but whether they will take place will depend on the developments of the war
 The Budapest police has forbidden a conference of the social democratic party of Hungary. which had been summoned to discuss social and political demands of labor and labor conditions during the war.-Reuter.
 In some places in France the church bell, the timekeeper of the village no longer rings the Angelus booming out liberation from work, nor does 1t ring for mass or vespers. In the church high mass
 is no longer sung, the organ Is silent; in some churches there is no priest at all The bell ringers. the choir the priests, all have gone to the war. And on the Grande Place the little cafes, so busy and so gay on Sunday or on market day they are all closedi The black-clad men, the black-veiled women, pass by; no one enters No one has the heart and much less the money to go to the cafe, for everyone has some one, somewhere, getting f-penny a day. 'Il faut bien lui envoyer tout ce que Ton a." And mothers and wives deny themselves everything, starve themselves, even to send all they have to their soldier man