ENGLISH AND OTHER REGIMENTS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 239, 6 October 1916, Page 7

ENGLISH AND OTHER REGIMENTS.

iTo the Editor.) Sir, —With, reference to your correspondent Duncan A Machonoenie's letter in last Friday's 'i?tar," commenting on your leading article of September 12, in. which you put in a good word for '"the handy English regiments. - ' kindly allow mc to say a few words. He wcwiid be a poor sport indeed who would at a time like the present, when every , , part of the Empire is going its utmost to defeat the enemy, try to disparage the soldiers of any particular part of it. There are two or three statements in the latter of Mr Machonochie, however, ■which I cannot allow to pass. He says that the cause of the enthusiasm for Scottish and Irish regiments is found in,, the Englishman's desire to exalt the other fellow, and that English writers are lese reticent about praising the "kilties" or the "Pats"' than his own kin. I have soldiered for a good many years with Englishmen, and have been in the same garrisons with English regimeiito. and I must say that I have never noticed this desire, mentioned by yoar correspondent, to be always praising the , other feUow. And as for doing his job and shutting up about it —well. I must say I have found the Englishman quite capable of doing his bit, but as to his habit of shutting up about it—well, I haven't noticed it over much. If your correspondent wishes to find the real reason for the fame of Scottish and Irish regiments, he will find it written indelibly in the pages oi historySootsmee, as a rule, do not insist on their superiority to Englishmen, but I object to the insinuation in your correspondent's letter that the fame of Scottieh regiment* (I will lexve the upholding of the Irish regiments to some Irishman) is due. not so much to their deeds a3 to the self-depreciatory habits of the Englishman.—l am, eta, C.W.S.