Rethberg

397$

Revel

much more frequent, while the second is least
frequent.

Rethberg, Elizabeth (1898- ), Oper-
atic soprano born in Germany, debut made
in Dresden, 1915. In 1922 she first appeared
in N. Y. By invitation of Benito Mussolini
she sang the leading role in Respighi's The
Sunken Bell at Rome in 1929. At the request
of the composer she sang the title role in
Strauss's The Egyptian Helen at its world
premiere in 1928. After overwhelming ova-
tions in 1930-31 at La Scala, Milan and the
Royal Opera, Budapest and later in N. Y., the
New York Guild of Vocal Teachers pre-
sented her with a gold medal inscribed "The
Most Perfect Singer in the World."

Retirement. The transfer of an officer of
the army or navy from the status of active
service to the retired list, which operates to
remove him from command and promotion.
In the U. S. Army and Navy, all officers are
compulsorily retired at the age of sixty-four
in the army, and sixty-two in the navy.

Retort, a vessel to contain a substance
from which volatile products are to be ex-
tracted by heating. Iron retorts are employed
with amalgams; while glass, porcelain, or
metal retorts are used for laboratory pro-
cesses. See DISTILLATION ; GAS MANUFACTURE.

Retreat, in military strategy, to retire be-
fore the enemy, is one of the most important
manoeuvres of warfare (see REAR GUARD;
STRATEGY AND TACTICS). The retreat is also
a military signal to mark the close of day,
sounded by bugle or trumpet, after which
the band plays the national air, the sunset
gun is fired, and the flag is hauled down.

Retreat, a period of retirement for spirit-
ual contemplation and the exercise of devo-
tion, practised both in the Roman Catholic
and the Anglican Church.

Retrenchment, in military fortification.
Sec FORTIFICATION; REDOUBT.

Retriever. As the name implies, the re-
triever is a breed of dog trained to find out
and bring back any killed or wounded game.
One variety, known as wavy coated, was
probably the result of a cross with the setter;
the other, known as curly coated, is from the
water spaniel or poodle,

Retroactive Laws, or Retrospective
Laws, the statutes or laws that have an effect
upon proceedings or facts that arc oast.

Retrograde, as applied to the motions of
bodies in the solar system, signifies a dir
tion contrary to the order of the signs. See
CONJUNCTION.

Retz, Jean Francois Paul de Condi

(1614-79), French cardinal, In the civil war
of the Fronde he opposed Conde and Mazar-
in, and was created a cardinal in 1651. His
Memoires obtained high praise from Voltaire
and Hallam.

Reunion (formerly Bourbon), French is-
land in the Mascarene group, Indian Ocean,
420 m. e. of Madagascar. It has an area of
965 sq. m., and is divided by a chain of vol-
canic mountains and a plateau into two dis-
tinct east and west parts. Sugar, rum, cof-
fee, vanilla, perfumes, geranium essence, alof
fibre, tapioca, starch, dried manioc are ex-
ported. The chief port is Pointe-des Galets.
on the northwest coast; p. 186,637.

Reuter, Fritz (1810-74), German humor-
ist. In 1859, he issued the first part of Olle
Kamellen (Old-Time Stories), a series of
prose tales, including his best work, Ut de
Franzosentid (1859; Eng. trans.); Ut Mine
Festungstid (My Prison Life, 1862); Ut Mine
Stromtid (1862-4; Eng. trans, as An Old
Story of My Farming Days); Dorchlaucht*
ing (His Highness, 1865). The life of hi?
countn^men he was able to reproduce almost
perfectly, and his characters are so true that
they seem almost alive, especially the incom-
parable Uncle Brasig in Ut Mine Stromtid
and Governor Weber in Ut de Franzosentid.

Reuter, Paul Julius, Baron von (1821-
99), founder of Reuter's News Agency, born
at Cassel, Germany. His first news gathering
operations were in Germany and France. He
removed his headquarters to London in 1851,
after which the business expanded rapidly,
special telegraphic cables were laid and the
agency's sphere of operations extended all
over the world.

Reuterdahl, Henry (1871-1925), artis»,
and writer on naval subjects, born at Malmo,
Sweden, settled in the United States. His
article Needs of the Navy published in 1908
caused government investigation of naval
conditions. He was on the cruise of the
United States fleet around South America
1907. During the World war he became an
officer in the United States Naval Reserve.
His paintings hang in the Naval Academy at
Annapolis and the National Museum at
Washington. He also painted a naval scene
in the Missouri State Capitol at Carson City.

Reveille, the signal given fay bugle or
drum about break of day to give notice to
soldiers and sailors that it is time to get up.
See BUGLE CALLS.

Revel, now Tallinn or TaU*m»-Revalt
fortified seaport town of Estonia, 249 TO by
rail s.w. oi St. Petersburg, on the south coasr