[Editor: This column of various news items was published in The Democrat (Lithgow, NSW), 21 August 1915. Most of the items relate to the First World War (1914-1918).]
General news.
A new antiseptic with wonderful properties has been discovered and is being applied to the most frightful wounds. Infection is considered impossible.
* * * *
The comprehensive remark of Mr. David Storey, M.L.A., to the effect that the earth’s inhabitants comprise two sections, viz., “the human race — and the Germans” is apt and expressive and worth preserving.
* * * * *
Mr. J. C. Watson, who has just returned from a trip abroad, says the main thing which impressed him in England was the large number of men drilling in every town and village he visited.
* * * *
The Tommies and French troops are amazed at the high rate of pay of the Australians, and a cornstalk writing home says, “One chap said to me the other day — ‘Why you fellows get as much as our bloomin’ generals.’”
* * * *
Captain Bean, the Commonwealth official correspondent, speaks of the heroism of Australian gunners in recent fighting. A Turkish shell struck a gun and blew the gunner away. Two were killed and others injured. Other gunners jumped in and kept the gun going until they had silenced the Turks’ guns.
* * * *
Said the Kaiser to one of his Generals, “Who are the Australians?” “Don’t know,” answered the General; “but I remember reading once that eleven of them beat all England.” “Mein Gott!” answered the Kaiser, “then we’re lost, for I’ve heard that 20,000 are coming to fight against us!”
* * * *
Dentist E. H. Hart, of Parramatta, and formerly of West Wyalong, aviator, who volunteered his services to the Defence Department at the commencement of the war, has again placed his services at the disposal of the Defence Department. Mr. Hart has not yet received a definite reply, so has now offered his services to the Imperial authorities.
* * * *
As Mr. Julius Knight was crossing Summer-street, Orange, on Saturday morning a nondescript individual accosted him and asked him if he would convey a letter from him to the King. “Out of the way, fellow,” said the imperious Julius, which evoked the remark from the man, “Blime; ’e thinks e’s the bally dinkum Boneypart, ’e do.” He of the calves could not refrain from laughing at the retort.
* * * *
On account of the Geneva Convention Act of 1911, which comes into operation on the 18th of this month, no one is allowed to use a red cross for the purpose of advertising his business, the red cross being reserved entirely throughout the world to denote the care of the wounded. For this reason a Wellington chemist, whose business has been known as the “Red Cross Pharmacy,” will drop the name altogether, and his preparations will in future be known under the name of the “Red Star.”
* * * *
Members of the Willoughby Political Labor League rolled up in force at a meeting held at Crow’s Nest, for the purpose of receiving nominations for the seat rendered vacant by the death of Sergeant Larkin. The proceedings were lively, the debate at times being heated. The internal working of the league was severely commented upon. The following nominations were announced:— Charles R. Harding, tramway employee; John Leslie Chambers, tramway employee; Horation M. McKay, secretary, League N.S.W. Wheelmen; W. H. M’Dermott, sergeant on active service; F. F. Cowdroy, alderman; James Stanton, auctioneer; Captain R. R. Bradley, Merchant Service Guild; G. M. Down, bootmaker; C. A. Campbell, alderman. It was decided to hold the selection ballot on August 30.
* * * *
On a charge of being in possession of apparatus capable of being used for tapping wireless messages, Raymond Evans was fined £50 at the Paddington Court on Friday.
* * * *
The Turko-Hun charges on the Australians’ trenches have degenerated into very raw half-hearted affairs, with painful results to the Turks. Plainly the Turks are full of the losing job.
* * * *
It has been arranged that the new Australian destroyer Torrens shall be launched from Cockatoo Island on August 28. The ceremony will be performed by her Excellency Lady Helen Munro Ferguson.
* * * *
A message from Washington states that information has reached the State Department that thousands of Mexicans are organising to take that part of Texas where Mexicans live. The plan is to kill all Americans over 16 years old. The American population is arming.
* * * *
According to information received from a reliable source, Italy has at the disposal of her army a total of 3½ million men and 36,000 officers, including 1,700,000 trained men between the ages of 20 and 33, about 500,000 men, also fully trained, between the ages of 34 and 39, who have been drafted into the milizia territoriale on account of their age, and about 1,300,000 men between the age of 20 and 29 who are untrained.
* * * *
At a P.L.L. meeting at Grafton it was decided to call upon Labor supporters throughout the Clarence Electorate to refrain from voting for any of the candidates at the forthcoming by-election. It was pointed out that none of the candidates are Labor supporters, and that by voting for any of them the League members and supporters of Labor generally will be holding their cause up to scorn at some future time. The resolution is also to be conveyed to other leagues and organisations in the electorate. The action of so-called league members in signing the nomination papers of the present candidates for the seat was strongly condemned, and it was decided that they be not allowed to renew their membership fee as members of the local league, which is now due.
* * * *
Nearly 150,000 farm workers — not including farmers — in Great Britain have joined the forces, representing 15.7 per cent. of the whole, and in addition 1.9 per cent. have taken up civilian work under the Government.
* * * *
A Kyogle (Richmond River) message says:— Sergeant Wade, killed in action early in May at the Dardanelles, has been fined by the Lands Department for failing to pay rent on his selection at Bonalbo, and has been given till Christmas to effect improvements. Sergeant Wade left Kyogle in August last year. The action of the department has caused intense indignation.
* * * *
Georges Carpentier, France’s celebrated boxer, has been injured, but the Germans were not responsible. It was the result of an accident, and it will be some time before he is able to again serve his country at the front. While flying in an aeroplane in the Vosges, the engine stopped, and Carpentier had to descend suddenly. The force of the impact was terrific, and it was fortunate the famous boxer was not more severely injured than he was. An examination revealed that he had broken his ankle, as well as an eyebrow bone.
Source:
The Democrat (Lithgow, NSW), 21 August 1915, p. 1
Editor’s notes:
bally = an exclamatory term, a euphemism for “bloody”; an exclamation used for emphasis, or as an expression of annoyance or anger against someone or something (e.g. “That bally idiot!”)
Bean = C. E. W. (Charles Edwin Woodrow) Bean (1879-1968), an Australian journalist, war correspondent, and historian
blime = an alternative spelling of “blimey” [see: blimey]
blimey = an exclamation which expresses surprise (a shorter version of “Gorblimey”, which is a contraction of the phrase “God blind me”, which is believed to be a shorter version of “May God blind me if it is not so”, or similar phrases, used to assert truthfulness)
bloomin’ = (vernacular) blooming (an exclamatory oath)
Boneypart = a vernacular spelling of “Bonaparte”; a reference to Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821), Emperor of France
cornstalk = a native-born Australian, especially one native-born in New South Wales (of British-European descent); comes from the notion that men in Australia grew up tall and thin
Dardanelles = (also known as the Strait of Gallipoli) the strait which connects the Sea of Marmara (north-west end of the strait) with the Aegean Sea (south-east end of the strait), the latter of which connects to the Mediterranean sea; it is bounded on its northern side by the Gallipoli peninsula and on its southern side by the mainland of Turkey; it is considered to be part of the continental boundary between Asia and Europe (thus separating Asian Turkey from European Turkey); it was the site of a military campaign during the First World War, when the Allied powers attacked the Gallipoli peninsula (part of Turkey) in 1915
dinkum = genuine, authentic, on the level
’e = (vernacular) he
Helen Munro Ferguson = Lady Helen Hermione Munro Ferguson (1865-1941), wife of Sir Ronald Munro Ferguson (1860-1934; who was Governor-General of Australia 1914-1920); she was the founder and president of the Australian branch of the British Red Cross Society (founded 1914)
Imperial = in the context of early Australia, regarding the British Empire
J. C. Watson = John Christian (Chris) Watson (1867-1941), Labor Party politician and Prime Minister of Australia (27 April 1904 to 18 August 1904)
Julius Knight = the stage name of James Dickson Kirkpatrick (1862-1941), an actor; born in Dumfries (Scotland); worked as an actor in England, Australia, and New Zealand; died in Hull (England) in 1941
Kaiser = Wilhelm II (William II) (1859-1941), the Kaiser (Emperor) of the German Empire (1888-1918); he was the leader of Germany (although essentially in title only) during World War One (1914-1918)
Mein Gott = (German) My God (often used as an expression of dismay, shock, or surprise)
milizia territoriale = (Italian) territorial militia (the Italian army reserves)
M.L.A. = Member of the Legislative Assembly
per cent. = an abbreviation of “per centum” (Latin, meaning “by a hundred”), i.e. an amount, number, or ratio expressed as a fraction of 100; also rendered as “per cent” (without a full stop), “percent”, “pct”, “pc”, “p/c”, or “%” (per cent sign)
P.L.L. = Political Labor League (an early name of the Australian Labor Party in New South Wales)
Political Labor League = an early name of the Australian Labor Party in New South Wales
terrific = something which is extraordinary or great in its amount, degree, or intensity (e.g. to drive at a terrific speed); awe-inspiring; admirable, excellent, magnificent, very good, very impressive, very enjoyable; (archaic) something which causes terror or gives a bad fright; dreadful, very bad; terrifying, very frightening
Tommies = plural of “Tommy”: (a shortened version of “Tommy Atkins”) a British soldier, British infantryman, British fighting man; the term was popularised by the poem “Tommy”, by British poet Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936)
Turko-Hun = Turkish-German
viz. = (Latin) an abbreviation of “videlicet” (a contraction of the Latin phrase “videre licet”), meaning “it is permitted to see” (the “z” derives from the z-shaped Latin shorthand symbol for “et”, as used in the Tironian shorthand style); in actual practice, “viz.” is used as a synonym for “in other words”, “namely”, “that is to say”, “to wit”, or “which is” (used when giving further details about something, or giving a list of specific examples or items)
Vosges = a range of low mountains in eastern France, located relatively near to the German border; a department (administrative division) in eastern France, which partly includes the Vosges mountain range
[Editor: Replaced the double quotation mark before “Why you fellows” with a single quotation mark. Added a dividing line of four asterisks before “On a charge of being” and before “Nearly 150,000”. Changed “nomiation” to “nomination”.]
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