OCCASIONAL NOTE

A curious mistake in connection with the earthquake of July 8 has been made by Mr J.E. Evans, of the Colombo Observatory, who, writing to the Times of Ceylon that the first vibrations were recorded on his seismograph at 15 hours 58 minutes, says that this was twenty minutes before Calcutta was affected.

Further, according to Mr Evans, all the different waves reached the seismograph practically in the same minute, and this, together with the time when the record began, point, in his opinion, to “the origin of the disturbance being close, and between Ceylon and Calcutta”.

It is remarkable, Mr Evans goes on to point out, that the shock was not felt at all in Ceylon, and his explanation is that the disturbance occurred in a fault or faults in a line running north and south in the bed of the sea in the Bay of Bengal, the seat of the greatest disturbance lying further to the north.

Mr Evans seems to have based his remarks on a Calcutta telegram to a Madras paper which timed the earthquake according to Calcutta time. As a matter of fact, the shocks began in Calcutta at 15-55 standard time, or three minutes before the Colombo record, and, as has already been noted, the centre of disturbance was probably neared the Khasi hills than the Bay of Bengal.

THE PEOPLE’S BANK LAHORE

In the re-application filed by a creditor of the People’s Bank for the removal of Mr. Mengins, official liquidator of that bank, on the ground that the latter had left India since 1916, the Hon. Justice Broadway has passed orders rejecting the application.

His Lordship held that since Mr. Mengins had left his staff to work as liquidator in his absence and that staff had been working to speed up the liquidation, it would not be to the interest of the liquidation or the creditors if Mr. Mengins were discharged from the office of liquidator, although prolonged absence from the country would generally warrant taking such a course.

The total amount of the payment order passed against Mr. Harkishen Lal on account of debts owing to the People’s and Amritsar Banks, both under liquidation, is Rs 30,44,000, including interest up to date of the suit and Mr. Harkishen Lal has been ordered to pay the amount forthwith. Meanwhile, Mr. Dignasse, official liquidator, of the People’s Bank has filed an application before the Insolvency Judge, Lahore, asking that Mr. Harkishen Lal be adjudged an insolvent.

OFFENSIVE AN ENEMY FAILURE

Reuter’s correspondent at American headquarters, telegraphing today says: Reports from the whole battlefield indicate that, except in a few minor localities, the offensive hitherto has been a complete failure.

The new prisoners are saying that they are convinced they are beaten, and a carrier-pigeon message captured east of Chateau Thierry says: “The situation is serious. There is no chance of making further progress in this locality.” East of Rheims early this morning we were not only holding up enemy attempts to advance, but we appear to have broken the spirit of the enemy.

At one place here our counterattack drove the enemy out from a salient. In the region of Fossoy, we improved our positions during the right and drove the enemy across the river, taking prisoners.

UKRAINE REVOLT

A German communiqué affords an interesting sidelight on affairs in the Ukraine. It alleges that there is a strong anti-German agitation at Kieff supported by members of the Government, and resulting inter alia in the distortion of the German decree with regard to the Spring sowing which has produced excitement in the country and in the arrest of the manager of the Russian bank for foreign trade.

The communiqué alleges that the Ukrainian Government connived at the manager’s arrest. Hence Field-Marshal von Eichhorn has been obliged to take drastic action, including the establishment of military tribunals and severe penalties for disturbers of the peace, and the arrest of an Ukrainian Minister, the wife of the Minister of the Interior, the Commander of the town militia, and others.

RUN OVER BY LORD’S CHARIOT

On the afternoon of the 10th instant, on the Rath Jatra festival day, the chariot of Lord Jagannath, while being dragged near a culvert on the way to the Gundicha Temple, took a wrong course. The Collector of Puri, who was with the chariot, promptly raised the flag to stop it, but in vain. Three pilgrims were run over by the wheels of the chariot, of whom one died immediately after. The other two are lying in a precarious state in the pilgrims’ hospital.