The Cambridge University Boat Club has decided to spend £8,000 inimproving the Cam. There is talk of making it into a river.
Says a writer in a contemporary, "Don't live in a houseboat during aflood." And yet Noah always declared that he owed his life to havingdone so.
The gentlemen who formed M. Ribot's Cabinet are objecting to beingdescribed as "The One-Day Ministry." They were, they assert, in officefor some hours more than that.
The attack on M. Ribot's Ministry in the matter of the Three Years'Service was led in the Chamber by three quite undistinguishedSocialists; and the contest was described succinctly by an unsympatheticonlooker as "Trois ânes v. Trois ans."
By the way, M. Viviani's Finance Minister is, we see, M. Noulens. Is he,we wonder, any relation of M. Noulens-Voulens?
The Kaiser has commanded that the Colonial War Memorial to be erected inBerlin shall take the form of an elephant. Presumably it is to be ofParian marble in order to signify that some of the German colonies are abit like a white elephant.
A French squadron of eighteen vessels has lately been visiting Portland.It was perhaps a little unfortunate that Admiral Callaghan's ship shouldhave been The Iron Duke—but no doubt our tactful officers explainedto their visitors that the vessel had been so named after a wealthyiron-master who had been ennobled.
The report that an airship expedition is being prepared against the MadMullah is said to have caused keen delight to the old gentleman, as hehas never seen an aeronautical display of any kind.
It is now suggested that when Mr. Hobhouse took possession of H.M.S.Monarch, he was labouring under the delusion that he wasPostmaster-Admiral as well as Postmaster-General.
The publication of The Best of Lamb, by Messrs. Methuen, reminds onethat a literary butcher once complained that Lamb had not been issued inThe Canterbury Poets.
Although Mr. T. P. O'Connor is severing his connection with T. P.'sWeekly the name of the paper will not be changed. This sort of thing iswell calculated to confuse and unsettle the public. "T. P. or not T. P.?that'll be the question."
It is denied that the title of our newest magazine—Blast—wassuggested by Mr. Bernard Shaw.
"Old Spot Pigs," we are informed, are now being bred successfully oncemore. It surprises us to hear this announced as a triumph. One wouldhave thought that in these days of beauty culture a clear complexionwould have been the desideratum.
"If," says a contemporary, "the middle-class girl were regularlyprovided with a dowry, the matrimonial enthusiasm of young men wouldprobably be stimulated." We cannot imagine how people think of theseclever things.
Members of the Women's Social and Political Union are, says The DailyMail, boycotting West-End shopkeepers and stores not advertising in theMilitant organs. However, if the rest of the public will agree toboycott such firms as do advertise in these organs the matter shouldcome all r