... O O Q) H o o The Austrian Secession. THERE can be little doubt that one of the chief factors of the hastily-offered German Peace Note was the knowledge in Berlin that the death of Francis Joseph of Austria and the succession of the Emperor Carl might rapidly bring changes in the sentiment of that Power toward her taskmaster-- Germany. Austria is in a bad condition, her popula tion is on the ...

... UOTE&BRM)le%> TJopeBfadle\5 Ate Ciuil, Military Naual bailors i^-- THE KHAKI MARKET BY H. DENNIS BRADLEY. IN cold figures, and for the benefit of Officers purchasing their winter uniforms, I wish to place before them the following facts. The continued rise in price of the best heavy-weight khaki materials is abnormal. For the winter of 1916-17 Pope and Bradley, exercising to the utmost their ...

... Officers' Complete Kits in 2 to 4 Days or Ready for Use Illustrated Naval or Military Catalogues Post Free. N. B. Many 1916 Civilian Top -coats and Suits, as well as Ladies' Coats and Gowns, are being sold during January at about ONE- HALF USUAL PRICES. Full list on request. IN the dreary watches of the night, with icy slush in the trenches, and hungry winds howling over the frozen marshes, ...

... Wfats of FASHION J The First Dressmaker. By M. E. Brooke. -J IgjXP ALL will admit that the mythical snake in the Garden of Eden was the first dressmaker, but we do not know who was the first beauty culturist; some consider that it was Venus. In the Scripture women are commanded to adorn themselves in order that they may remain beautiful, as it is their mission to please and charm. Undoubtedly ...

... Pi tores in the Fire By S Sabretache. MOST of the military experts are at the moment extremely busy working out the pro's and con's of the German concentration near Constance and before the Jura mountains, and wondering whether it portends an attempted dash through Switzerland with the object of turning the Allied right by coming round on the flank of Belfort. It will be extremely interesting ...

... V> 200, Curzon Street, Mayfair. MY DEAR BETTY,-- A very long time hatching, aren't they-- all those wonderful schemes and plans and systems the new Government's going to win the war with? 'Strawdin'ry, really, what an enervating effect the Whitehall air does seem to have. Suppose it's 'cos you have to talk so much. However After all, it was the tortoise won the race, wasn't it? Festina ...

... 3Boscbfullv Speaking I By a Contributor Spiritually Domiciled in Berlin THIS week's burning-- or shouldn't it be freezing?-- question in Germany seems to be the cult of the nude. Ought hard-shell Germans (so to speak) to wear any clothes at all? Herr Ungewitler, of Stuttgart, coldly remarks No, but Heimdall (a Pan-German monthly journal) argues that The Germans have never gone about en ...

... An Epoch. THE message which Mr. Lloyd George issued to the whole Empire through a representa tive of the Australasian press last week would have rejoiced the heart of the late Joseph Chamberlain, who foresaw the importance of our colonies in the scheme of Empire and gave the best work of his life towards establishing unity between them and the Mother Country. But the next Imperial War Council ...

... By Sabretaclhe. A PROMINENT member of the elbows and legs division, who is also a dragon officer, writes to me saying that he supposes hunting is stopped. He is quite right, and with the temperature about 200 deg. below Ciro, and everyone trying to think of ginger, it would be strange indeed if hounds could hunt. Skating is more likely to carry on than anything in the way of pashin' ...

... Pictures m the Fire t By Sabretache. A TALENTED war expert has re cently written something that must at once strike us all as being incontestably true. He has said-- and I quote his words-- On the West there is more in the trench raids than in the official despatches meets the eye. I have just had the same in formation conveyed to me in slightly different words in a letter from a friend at ...

... Pictorial Politics* The Victory Loan. IT is doubtful whether by the time these lines are read the actual result of the great Victory War Loan will be announced, but it is already known that such result is stupen dous, and a wonderful tribute to the patriotism and determination of the British people. On this occasion money has indeed talked in a louder and finer note than ever before in the ...

... LONDON NIGHTS ENTERTAINMENTS jOBEffi fi^EKTu'' The 'QUEi'ENS By JINGLE THIS is a comedy of the Turf. Evelyn Swizel (Miss Ethel Irving) is the daughter of a country clergyman, and we learn, therefore, without emotion that she appears to know a good deal more than she was taught at school. The symptoms so far are normal, and there is no temperature. Evelyn rj '-^j i has a ne'er-do-well ...