We are officially informed that, when every cat and dog in the German Empire has been enrolled and armed, each cat will be allowed to provide its own kit. * * * * * "Physically, Mr. Owen is a fine type, and his height is almost double that of the originator of the Welsh Army Corps--the Chancellor of the Exchequer.--_Western Mail._" If we allow Mr. OWEN a generous 8 feet, this would make Mr. LLOYD GEORGE about 4 ft. 2 in. He _must_ be taller than that. * * * * * THE CHOICE. The scene was Maida Vale--in the home of Julius Blumenbach, an Englishman of one generation. "Well, my dear," said Mr. Blumenbach on his return from his office, "it won't do. The time has come to take the plunge. We have often talked about it, but now we must act. Only this morning I received five letters closing the account--all because of the name." "You know I have urged it on you often enough," said Mrs. Blumenbach. "And not only have I thought it necessary, but my relatives have urged it too." Mr. Blumenbach repressed a gesture of impatience. "I know, I know," he said. "Well, we must do it. _The Times_ has a dozen notices of changed names every day." "The question is what shall the new one be?" his wife replied. "We must remember it's not only for ourselves and the business, but it will be so much better for the boys, too, when they go to Eton. A good name--but what?" "That's it," said Mr. Blumenbach. "That's the difficulty. Now I've got a little list here. I have been jotting down names that took my fancy for some time past. Of course there are many people who merely translate their German names, but I think we ought to go farther than that. We ought to be thorough while we are about it." "Yes, and let us be very careful," said Mrs. Blumenbach. "It's a great responsibility--a critical moment. It's almost as critical as--for a woman--marriage. Let us take a really nice name." "Of course," said her husband. "That goes without saying." "Yes," she continued, "but a name that goes well with 'Sir' or 'Lady.' You never know, you know." "I don't see, myself, that 'Sir Julius Blumenbach' would sound so bad," said her husband; "I've heard worse." "But 'Sir Julius Kitchener,' for example, would sound better," said Mrs. Blumenbach. Mr. Blumenbach started. "You don't really suggest--" he began. "No, I don't," she replied. "But I want you to see that while we're about it we may as well be thorough. If at the present moment we have a name which is disliked here, how much wiser, when taking another, to choose one which is popular!" "True," Mr. Blumenbach said. "But 'Kitchener.' Isn't that----" "Too far? Perhaps so," said his wife. "Then what about 'French'?" "A little too short," said her husband. "I favour three syllables." "Then 'Smith-Dorrien'?" "Oh, let's be shy of hyphens," he replied.