With "pool petrol" already at 15. 10d. a gallon and certain to go higher—wretched stuff, limited in quantity, slow to ignite, which gives a miserable mileage and sets (he engine knocking on the smallest hill—great interest is taken in substitutes.
The first car fitted with a gas bal-Joon (it belongs to the Gas Light Coke Ca.) has already appeared in London. The balloon, attached to the top of the car by a light framework, reminds one of the divans which are id for. bed-sitting-rooms, sofas by y beds by night. The carburetters have to be changed for the use of Eas instead of petrol, but a simplified method of doing this is promised. One therm of gas is said to be the equal of about four-fifths of petrol, so this, at present prices would mean 1s. 8d. a gallon. The difficulty is that the gas takes up so much more room than the petrol On the other hand it is claimed that on gas one can slow down to walking pace in top gear and get away without any knock.
"The Times" also gives an account of the Minister of Transport driving an electric car in order to prove how easily such vehicles may be controlled. 1 should hardly have thought the demonstration necessary. Many Teaders Will remember how Mr. and Mrs, W. H. Trenchard Davis remained faithful to an electric car to the end of their days in Shanghai. It has immense advantages, a child can drive it, frost makes no difference to its readiness to start, it is very smooth and gilgnt and its tyres last forever.
Even in England it is reckoned to run two miles for about %d. worth gf- electricity. Its disadvantages are high initial cost, slowness and small Range pf operation without recharging. But for town work in war time it seems ideal. I still occasionally see one about town of a pattern I remember from the days of the Paris Exhibition of 1900, like a large clumsy brougham, with a very big Yaggage-boot behind.
The Germans'áre taking away from Poland to Germany everything that an be of the smallest industrial value while the Poles are left in the terrible winter without work, sustenance or relief. It would seem that the systematic destruction of the Polish people is Germany's studied aim.
It is perhaps un-Christian to wish to give the Germans a taste of their awn medicine. But one cannot help feeling that until they have learnt by personal experience something of the miseries they have inflicted Europe IN never be free from the menace Of their lust to destroy and plunder.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.