OCCASIONAL NOTE

The Germans are making the non-surrender of the war criminals a matter of national honour, but they would do well to consider how the honour of any nation can be served by making it a shield for men who have already made it a by-word by deliberate violations of the laws of civilised warfare. Some of these deeds are recalled in the summary now published of the British indictments. In the first category of the list of criminals whose surrender is demanded by Britain are the submarine pirates, headed by their chief, the infamous Tirpitz, and including the savages who torpedoed hospital ships and sank merchant vessels without warning. The bombardment of open towns, including the attacks on West Hartlepool, Scarborough, and Whitby, is another violation of the laws of warfare of which an account is demanded. The perpetrators of air raids on London, Hull, and Edinburgh form another category of the criminals the blood of whose victims cries from the ground. There are eight categories in the British list, comprising one hundred accused persons, and if the British demand were inspired by vindictiveness it can hardly be questioned that the list might easily have been made very much longer. Both the French and the Belgian lists are larger, but this was to be expected in view of the German occupation of French and Belgian territories during the war. The German declare that they will never surrender a single criminal. The Minister of Justice, however, protests that his Government are ready to try them in a German court.

INDIAN EMIGRATION SCHEMES

DELHI, FEB 13 The Colonisation Committee met the Fiji deputation, consisting of the Bishop of Polysia and the Hon. Mr. Rankine, yesterday afternoon in the Secretariat, and in two hours finished its inquiry into their scheme of free emigration to that colony. The Bishop had not come in any official capacity but was recommended by the planters to this mission for his extensive knowledge of the colony and its people, while Mr. Rankine appeared in his personal capacity as representative of the Governor of Fiji. Their suggested scheme was a system of free and voluntary State-aided emigration, the object being the encouragement of the settlement of Indians. The emigrant would be free of any financial liability connected with the cost of his introduction in Fiji and would in no way be restricted to service under any particular employer.

MEETING AT MADRAS

MADRAS, FEB 13

A special meeting of the shareholders of the Bank of Madras was held last evening to consider the scheme for the formation of an Imperial Bank of India by the amalgamation of the three Presidency Banks of Bengal, Bombay and Madras, and, if desirable, to pass a resolution approving the scheme and authorising directors to give effect thereto with any necessary modifications. Mr. H.P.M. Rae, chairman of the Board of Directors, presided, and in opening the meeting said, the war has made clear to us all the great advantages there are in closer working between the three Banks and between Government and the Banks, and has made it easier for us to find a common basis in preliminary discussions than in past years.

RICE PUDDING FOR DOGS

At Ascot Police Court, Gertrude Lady Decies was charged under the Cereals Order with using rice as food for dogs. She was ordered to pay a fine of pound 2 and costs. Police-inspector Simmonds said that he went to Scotswood, Sunningdale, and he saw two dogs in a kennel eating rice pudding from a plate. A person standing near was holding a tray on which there were seven other plates of rice pudding. He did not see Gertrude Lady Decies at that time, but a few days later when he called again, her ladyship told him that as soon as she knew it was wrong she stopped feeding the dogs with rice. She also said that a mistake had been made, but best rice had been forwarded instead. In defence it was submitted that the defendant was ignorant of the Order.

MADRAS CHAMBER

At the monthly meeting, the Madras Chamber of Commerce placed on record a letter to the Government of Madras stating that the Chamber has consistently opposed the employment of power-driven machinery in jails, and is still of opinion that private enterprise should not be hampered by the sale in open market of articles of manufacture. The Chamber also placed on record a letter to the Secretary, Association of Chamber of Commerce of India and Ceylon, stating that the Hon. Mr. J.F. Simpson has been elected to serve as Deputy President of the Association. The Chamber resolved to depute Mr. A.P. Symonds to give oral evidence before the Stores Purchase Committee.