Sidelights on the War

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 49, 26 February 1916, Page 15

Sidelights on the War

s Qnlte right, girls! When they're at Che ■' 'imai, send 'em socks. When they come froine, give embraces.

•'"lt I s reported from Athens that the •Greeks are trying to tide their savings. ■ imagined them trying to save their lides.—"London Opinion."

- .'in Austrian countess has contrlDuted 5000 cork legs to wounded soldiers. Jean ie Eeszke, the famous tenor, has given 60 000 cigarettes to tie wounded allies.

t A WAR TUVTB TOAST. here's to the men who have gone to the front. Here's to the men who will go; Here's to all those who are "doing their ! ■ hit" .Io smash up the .Kaiser and C<K

GENTLE AITNIE. .(Bβ first armoured motor car for nght\.JnS purposes to tie built in the 'Commonwealth is- practically completed, and will •be handed over to the Defence Department to a day or two. It is the first or two (probably three) cars which are to be ; j,nUt and dispatched to the fighting line. The first car is known by her crew as "Gentle Annie." She weighs a ton and ■ a half, and has.a speed of fifty miles an - liour.

WAB TIME ECONOMY ! '•■Tie following Incidents are -vouched for ty the "Draper's .Record": —Scene: A nighclass draper's establishment in a great -northern town. -Enter: A woman munition -walker, with the characteristic shawl over : her lead. She demands to be shown to the for department. Here she selects a fur coat and cap to match—price, thirty-two gnineas. She pays cash, and departs *with ler new glories. Another instance in the same town. Scene: A jewellery establishment Enter: Another woman -worker. She asks for diamond rings, alects one, and asks the price—thirteen guineas. "Here's t'irass," sije says, and off she goes.

fiBOBGE MEREDITH ON < ' CONSCSIPTION. 'George Meredith's views on compulsory "service are interesting: to recall just now. "The fear of death," he once said, 'Is the vieal. cause of the English objection to conscription. Men come to mc and say their trade would suffer, or they could not spare two years from their apprenticeship. Their leal meaning is that they are afraid of betas called out and getting- shot at. Every minly nation submits to universal service. In the. present state of the -world it counts among the necessities for safety. But nothing short of an. invasion and the capture of-London wonld Induce England to think oi.it seriously,"

OBGANIST'S V.C. STOB.Y. Sir Frederick- Bridge, organist of "WestmtasSer AMiey, relates this story. (He was approached while playing at the Atbey by a who begged 'him to play a certain jiece of music Sir Frederick felt unable to.'comply at a (moment's notice, but consented to play the piece at some fntnre tune on condition that 4he soldier returned when he 'had killed ten Germans. The man did return, trat Sir (Frederick was a"way, ici the snb-organisti'Wasln''his-place. The ' Midler"explained , the task imposed upon 'Win, and. the organist played the ingue, ' aid i&en asked -whether the soldier had euTled out his part of the contract ."Well,' , said "the "warrior, "I don't know iiow many I ijlled. but the King gave mc .this to-day." It was the T-C-J

GERMAN TROOPS WORN OUT AND DISGUSTED. " Mr. Romaine Bolaud, of Vienna, who Is a strong advocate of peace, contributes a letter to the "Semaine Litteraire" from a German soldier who ie fighting in the trenches in Northern France. "My whole experience at the front," the letter says, "and everything I hear and see in these trenches strengthen my conviction that every man who has had anything to <lo with this war is sick and tired of it- iMy only wish is to i>e able to return home and never again have any part in warfare. I can assure yon now that the fighting men here to-day are the peace advocates of the future, and o£ peace at any price. All ithese men who were so enthusiastic to go to the front sincerely nope and pray that they will not live to see another war on this earth, and that their children and their children's children will be spared ench horrors In their lives. It is for this reason that these tired, wornout and disgusted soldiers are willing to conttone fighting until , a lasting peace is declared." .

PBESTDENT WILSON ON WAH. . The test of President Wilson's message to Congress, which has just reaches this conntry, contains some interesting passages on the subject of war and preparedness, wliicn. were not contained in the cubted Bnmmaries. President 'Wilsoa says: "War has never been a mere matter of men and guns. It Is a thing of disciplined might. If onr citizens are ever to fight effectively opon a summons they mnst know how mod-em-fighting is done, and what to do when the summons comes to render themselves Immediately available and immediately effective. And the Government must be their servant in this matter, must supply them with the training they need to take «are of themselves and it. They mnst be fitted to play the great role in the world, and particularly in this hemisphere, which ;they are qualified by principle and by chastened ambition to play. It Iβ with these ideals in mind that the plans of tie Department of War for more adequate national defence were conceived, which will i>e- laid before yon. and which I urge you to sanction and put into effect so soon as they can he properly scrutinised and discussed."

-GERMAN PRISONERS; HAPPY TIME. Eight correspondents, representing Amerl**b> ' Australian and Scandinavian newspapers, recently visited the largest of military prisonere' camps at Dorchester at tie Invitation of the War Office. "I spoke with at least a dozen prisoners, and the only complaint I heard," writes one of tne Scandinavian correspondent, "was that they had no work, and that therefore time '■ sometimes hung rather heavily. These Prisoners certainly found Do bread, meat, ■or butter tickets here, Buch as their countrymen in the Fatherland have to sub•mit to. Meat, bread and vegetables are •Mowed them ad lib., and in the best •qualities. They even have the privilege ' of having German cooks to prepare their excellent food£tnffs in the beloved Ocr-man manner, and, what is almost incredible, these German cooks are paid by the British' I Government for their work, the general ■ Principle being that no German prisoner must be allowed to work without being Paid for it. The health conditions in the camp are excellent. Out of 3,408 prisoners, I only 17 were in the excellently managed "■" hospital. There is an a<luilrab:e canteen, where for very little money prisoners buy ; non-alcoholic drinks, fruits, cigarettes, ; tobacco, etc,"

a ixying record. A copy of the "Numbrate," an amnslng little paper Issued by No. S Squadron, of the Jloyal Flying Corps, somewhere in France, has been sent to the "Daily Express." which quotes from it the following limerick:— A budding young second A.M. Oime to No. 8 Squadron pro tern. . He looked, juet for fun Down a new Lewis gun And now ihe's transferred to—ahem! A SHORT WAY WITH SLACKERS A correspondent •writing from Singapore to a friend in ;London says: "Why don't you deal -with slackers as m do 'here? You mow, of course, that compulsory military training te in force ihere. One man failed to appear at the iplace appointed, and was duly prosecuted. His excuse Tras that he had conscientious objections to any military training in Singapore. ■Much to his surprise, he "was sentenced to two months' 'rigorous imprisonment,' and Is to be deported when his sentence expires. That's the way to deal -with 'slackers. . Their fellow-countrymen no doubt ihave conscientious objections to paying a life iforfeit in protecting such people. lurould use them aa sandbags if a had any Tray. Just fancy a Britisher ielns so nn-Britisfl as to consider nis individual conscience when his country Is (fighting to fulfil obligations Trtiich he, as a Britisher, gave Jiis, word of hpnour to fulfil."

AN INVISIBLE INVASION. "We have resurrected the "monitor , light draught craft of the old days, drawing so little water that she is capable- of going pretty well anywhere and hitting hart when she gets there," cays F, T. Jane In the "Snnday Pictorial." "How many monitors we fcave built Is an official secret, and their armament (despite 6urmise) Is likewise. It is enongh to say that sooner or later they will be-th e doom of Germany, once we have soldiers enough, to follow along any road that they may make. The road will be a sea road, and it will have been made by the British. NaTy. Once made, the Invasion of Germany will be no longer en Invisble one."

"FACE ARMLETS" POPUI4B. A fashion for growing beards has suddenly developed among men of middle age in England. Hsny -who for years have been innocent of any hirsute adornment to their chins have -within the last few week* developed quite laudably bushy growths, "It has struck mc very forcibly," said a recruiting officer to a "Dally Express" representative. "I may be wrong," be added, "but I have reason to believe that they are mostly men Just over the age limit for enrolment under Lord Derby's scheme. They feel that clean-shaven they preeent too youthful an appearance to make things pleasant for them If they appear la public not wearing an armlet."

BIiOOB WILL TELL ! blood cannot die," cays a French proverb. A generation ago the Marquis de Mores was famous all the world over for his courageous exploits and ihis chivalrous adventures, and -when he met with a premature end -in the African- desert, his death -was monrned as & national bereavement. The Marquis' eecoud eon. Count Paul de VaUombrosa-Mores, is at the front as a lieutenant <rf Dragoons, and four "limes already has been mentioned in dispatches. His latest feat Is the slaughter of no fewer than cli tec a Germans single-handed. • Out reconnoitring , , he fell among a German pat : rol, but used his revolver first, his sword after, and then a tree-stnmp to such purpose that he accounted for the entire patrol without being touched himself.

AN "LTJ»." ARMLET. ". In the dab a discussion "was going on abont the unhappy men who are Just too old for the lArmy, and *who, consequently, cannot flaunt armlets before the public says the ".Manchester Guardian." "Government ought to do something for us," said one of the .Lost Hopes. "We can't wear our hlrth certificates on onr arms. People glance at us dubiously as if we were shirkers. My Idea Is that the Government should distribute fclue armlets marked I.T.P. amongst us." "Why I.T.P. ?" came the question. "Income tax payera—*the real heroes of the war." "Why should the armjet be blue?" queried another. "The only colour. YonTl look bine whejj' U's time to pay."

NOT HUB " LEGIBLE " HUSBAND Some idea of the trials which await regimental paymasters In connection with the payment of separation allowances, says a London contemporary, may be gathered from the following extract from a letter received by oDe of these unfortunate offli-ials: — "Respected Sir, Dear Sir, — Though I take this liberty as it leaves mc at present I beg to ask if yon will Mndly be kind enough to let mc kno* , where my husbin is though he is not my Im.sliin as he as a wife though be ses she. is dccl, but I don't think he nos lor sure but we are not marryd'though I am gettln my allotment regler which Is no fault of Mr. Loy George who would, stop it if he could and Mr. McKenna, but if you know where he is as he Is belong to the Naval' Royal Flying Corpse for ever since he Joined in the January when he was sacked. from his work for talking back at his boss which was a woman at. the laundry where he worked I have not had any money from him since he Joined though, he told Mrs. what liveson the ground. floor that he was a pretty orcifer for 6/ a week and lots of warm underclothing for the winter and cold weather, and I have three children what is being the father of them. . . . Hoping you are quite well as it leaves mc at present. I most close now hoping you are quite well as It leaves mc at present."

AUSTRIAN OUTRAGES. Grave revelations have been made concerning the reign of terror at Gorizia,. end the summary execution of two Americans in that town by the Austrian authorities(says a. "Dally Telegraph" message from Milan). The Americans -were members end shareholders of a banking firm, whieii tiefore the war had begun operations in Gorizla. They stopped payment of certain Wile, and "when summoned toy tie Anstrlan. authorities- to resume payment, declined to do so. The authorities then accused them. of having received letters from America which contained expressions of hate or disparaging reflections in regard to Austria, and they were also accused of being openly hostile to Austrian interests. These charges ■were tramped up for the occasion to com,pel the hankers to yield, tout they persisted in their Tefnsal. This wae considered proof against them that they were spies, and -before they could be warned they were brought before a court-martial, condemned to death, and executed, and all their valuables and bank deposits - were confiscated. These facts esem co far to have becu carefully concealed from the American diplomatic representatives In An*tri»-: