WAR JOTTINGS.

Press, Volume L, Issue 15121, 10 November 1914, Page 7

WAR JOTTINGS.

4 NEWS AXD NOTES FROM ' VARIOUS SOURCES. i During :ho i\;;r :ho ttafi" « tho I and i,yitelton prisons are ; making a levy rut their .-alar;es in aiii ;of the War Prfonre I-'und. the amount i thv.N ra:se<l b-.vji's l''.O Ills Id ;wr ! month. I Sir Jamej C'rifhtou Browne, tiw I famoiLs jth> ..ieian. has mado an j jnxerc-'Uni; cojif.'ibmion to curre:n. ap- | preciati<>ns ef the KmjK-ror William. In >a spec. , . , : at Dumfries i:c sukl:—"Tho • causes i>; tin; war are to be seen in a , crazy or :i K:nso;, in an ar- ; regant and brutal military ra?to. an.! lin a ge:iera:i;Ki of (icrm;i!i.s who \\tni ; «rown up since tho l'"raneo-{.«erinan j \\\\~ o: 1.570 with an overweening eon- : <vit of their own jirowess and iniportant'i.\ Tho ]\ai«or w:<s erasy, ami ; uickc-J, t<><>- The Kr.iser was crippled . aud di<ea.seii, and J;o 'Sir J. C. i\.) ■ tp..»ke. witli German mediuil autliI ority when he t:\id so. Ho was so <hs- ! eased thai no army medical officer ■ woud pass him tor service as a com- ; mbii soldier iv t-he ranks, and yet lie I was allowed to direct l'.uge armies in the field and to control tn.> destinies c* i millions oi' nn.'M and women.''

A Seoieh paper reports a «"-aractcristii- conver.-ation M-hicli a lady now at had with the German Crown Prince at a luncheon party in India when he was out big-<iatm> shooting. Lady: ''Has your Highness had Rood sport:-" Ci-nwn l'rince: "Kxcellent, (nit it is nothing ]:ko war." I<ady :

"Oh. war! Why, that is too dreadful to think of. -, ,, Crown I'rince: "Why, war is the finest spare'in tim world, and wo would bo all the better for a pood war."

The war ha* developed a slang of its own. Our soldiers iovo nothing so much as to find some horueiy name or metaphor for all tho dangers and weapons which atsnil them. Besides "lilnck Marias.'' 'Jack Johnsons," and '"coal boxes" (mentioned in the official despatch), German shells are also called "suit cases." Other terms are:

"Lost their-keys": Shells which fail to oxplode.

"Stalls for the pictures": Trench exposed to artillery fire.

"1 'anded 'im a plum' , : A good shot —a German probably killed.

''Tho Zoo" : AViro •entanglements. Prisoners of war aro "ordered off the field," and German .spirs are "playing off-side."

Sonio of tho French keepers of archives along the route of tho Germans have shown :is much ingonuity in hiding treasures as French soldiers in cloaking their machine-guns. No one has hnd moi-o success than 31. Gabriel Mourey. tho well-known artist in charge of tho Compiegne Chateau. The Germans woro in occupation of the chateau for twelve days: slept in tho famous Tooms, but though they showed no particular respect for any historical relics they refused to sleep on 3lario Antoinette's bedstead, preferring to pull the mattress on to , the floor! Tho famous tapestries had been previously hidden, and none of tho Napoleon relics left wero taken away, probably owing to a. very hurried departure. However, some of tho French beliovo that even in the midst of war German commercial instinct is busy, and a 3iumbt?r of relics and curiosities havo been methodically collected for subsequent sale from Rheims and other towns. Tho first demand of tho German officers wherever they billet themselves is for tho immediate installation of electric light and tho telephone. Tho former was immediately installed even in tho chateau. Tho want of electricity is held to bo proof of a lack of German culture.

Ono of tho finest acts of humanity recorded from the battlefields is the following, related by a wounded soldier in Livcrpood:— Tho wife of a colonel was making tho round of a Liverpool hospital and stopped at tho bedside of a wounded Highlander —a very bad case. The gallant felloWj ono of whoso legs had been recently amputated, was toying- with a German helmet, evidently a trophy of war.

"Well" Raid .the visitor, "I suppose you killed yo\ir man?" "Well, waw," modestly replied the soldier. "You see it was like this. He lay on th© field prottv "ear mo with an awfn' bad wound. I was losin , a lojt o' blood fra' this leg o' mine, but I managed to crawl up to him an' bound him up as best I could. Ho did the same for mc.

"A' this, o' course, wi' nawthin , at a' said between us, for I knew nao German an , tho ithor man no a word o' English. When he'd done, rot seem' hoo else tao thank him, I just smiled, an' by way o' token handed him my Glengarry, an' he smiled back an , gavo mc his helmet."

~Slr Frank Brangwyn, A.R.A. who designed tho New Zealand Arch in Whitehall at tho Coronation festivities, has voluntarily executed lor the Underground .Railway Companies a most inspiriting and effective poster. Entitled "To Arms!" it represents a fully-ac-coutred Foldier pointing to burning houses, and asking a 'man, who, -with his wife .and child, stands in a scene of death and desolation, to enlist in dofenc'o of his homo :nid country: Tho picture is intensely dramatic. There is a hint of the Crack of Doom in tho burning buildings, the dca"d and mouiiiing figures .strewn in tho foreground, and in the. terrorised woinou and children boyond. This splendid •work will appeal to all {writes onr .London correspondent), and help to rouse tho ablebodies among us to arm, in order to fcafeguard tiio British people from tho outrage and sufi«;ring which atiticfc tiieir fellows in Belgium and France.

An Auckland lady has received from her brother, who i.s an official in tho Telephone Company in Constantinople-, a letter dated September Ist, which contains interesting comment on tho situation in tho Turkish capital. The correspondent. 31r H. 11. Bell, writes: —"Wo are prnctirally cut off from the world here, and cot ions of faiso news. There i.s no money, and precious little U>ml. We only received half pay last month, and doubt we shall get- that much this. Of course, such a .state of i.hiucw is 'unprecedented in tho world's uiswiv. Turkey has not yet declared war. but is acting as if she intended doin , ' io, as the place Canny particularly) is absolutely under the thumb of German". It wonld ho. an awful tin to throw this c-ountrv into war. as the poor fellows arc taken off the fields. and a rifle put into their liancLs. and tlicv an , sent to be shot a:. Moreover, the'v have, to provide their own food ; and J believe at trio present moment, half ot the army is in a state of starvation, and to sr-e the wav they are (vjuipped is awful. Imagine- a poor fellow with .-i big pant o:t hi.-, buck, wearing a pair of siippors. The climate is al>out the .virno as yours, aivl would bo as much '('ky\ ! .< Own Country' a> any p]a-~e i; a derent nation had it. The soil i.s nio-t prolific, but laziness rules hero. Yo;i will havr read alx)Ht the fyr> uerman v.a.^hipi—the Goeben and Broslau—wiiich oscapetl from the Mediterranean. AVfH, they dodged behind a French boot, w> a.- to avni<l t!if> Pn'tish guns, a:t<l then slipped into the Dardanelle*. ar.J escaped, and worn immediately 5-old to Another of Germany's fiv moves. Tho •yemen here are. fee!JDt verj ncxvoiii. >■■. i.'.-.-o T«-u. »►«_

over-fond of a massacre; but there';, no fear of that to-day, tn(y would hnvo u> deal with a people who'hit back anit tut hard."

Wo are indebted to Mr Kugena WaMJU. M.P., for one ot the best tilings yet said aboui the Kai»cr and the .\inii&hty (says the "Wcssiniiiistor GaseMo">. .Mr Waton has. had a letter from an. American friend, in which tho writer quotes The following remark overheard : "Xobojy terras to b<: 'on Germany's side except tlie Alroiphty, r>nd we have oulv tkv; Kaiser's word for th.:t."

Alajor-L'euera! Sir William KobcrtFon, Qujrterm;i>;cr-(.;c;ieral of the British Arjuy in J'ia!is>. \\;:.s recently pronwtod :o bo Liemeuant-lJeneral. Sir Williaai JtobertMin row f:om the. rai)k.<. and 's the tirct "ranker" to b.xv>;i;e. a He his Army career >*»•» a 'j-ooper in tlie l<s;li Ij3.i:c<.ts. ii'.ul ai-er ,s»*n"iiii; J'or ten years obtained n commis-'sioji iii tlie •Srd l>rag..Hi:i Gi.a \!-. He has boon Conim.'iniiaiK oi tho Stall College Chic:" vt the- General Staff at Aldershot, aud Director of .Miiitarv Trainiu«i a- tho War OflU-e.

Possibly many people were st-ariled to learn thr.;. Mr "Winston Churchiil and Mr F. K. Smith, thouph jxilitic;!' opponent**, are personal friends \says the '•Westminster G-axetto'"). But we arc reminded of a very remarkable association. At. the time <i!" the Khartoum expedition, t-hf , youthful Winston Churchill va> Miuhbcd by the Sirdar a> an Impertinent .'Oy, who voluiueered only t/O wiitv- a. l>-x>k. Tb.e boy wrote the book—"The llivcr "War"—and did not f.jvare the General. Now the iwo are side by sharinji the control of our force*;. It i< a curious association, t};;'.t. a! tiie silent veteran and his voluble t»oy critic!

ilr T., "W". Littleton Hay wrou> to the "Saturday Review' , as follows:— "Many of us. . . would lie- glad if you would raise- your powerful roico to 'Stop "William Watson.' " wlierrnpon Mr Watson wrote to tho "Wootiiiinsler Gazette" :—

Peace he to all who rail! Pint where-

fore ihns Squander your breath away? You oanno'., .stop the mouth of Pegasus With" Hay.

A correspondent of "The Times" says lu> learns from official sources.that ihe Kaiser himself witnessed tho second assault OTi .Nanoy, and that when it failed he went away ''without uttering a word." It is almost incredible that thero can be any occasion which can ronder the Kaiser (says tho "Wflstminstor Gaaetto"). If the war is already twichini; him the virtues of oilencc, we aro indeed making progress.

Under the heattfhg "That, Queer British Empire." tho "Chicago Herald" comments on the rally of the Dominions to tho aid of tho -Mother Country:

Indian troops anxious to fight in tho war for Great Britain!

Irishmen. Ukteritus and Nationalists ready to help tho Empire!

Australia prohibiting the export of food anywhero except to the Mother Country!

Canada preparing to send v strong contingent!

♦The same story in England, Scotland. Ireland, and all tho and Colonies! In time of war how suddenly things look up in that queer, qiyser British Empire!

"I haven't a thing to tako back, ,, says Ireland, -"but under the circumstances kindly show mo tlie enemy as fioon as possible. 1 want- to- geb "at him." "

"Yours of recent 'Into received," says Canada. "Am sending mon as fast as they can bo gotten ready and transportation secured."

"Reserving for a more auspicious timo any hatred a part of our population justifiably bears to.England," says South Africa, "we. arc prepared to do our utmost in tho present war." "Serious local dissatisfaction will arise, sahib, unless Indians arc permitted to givo their lives for tho honourable Empire, now that it i.s at war with a foreign nation, ,, says India. "It's everywhere tho samo story. In peace it's 'Confound your stupid, mireasonable, fat-headed, doomed, arrogant soul!' In time of need it's i 'Count on us to tho limit! , " I

Which is why we say that tho British Empire is a queer, queer institution!

Some highly sensational tales have appeared in certain journals about tho alleged "degradation" at Windsor Castle of the banners of tbo Emperor William and the other German Sovereigns and Princes who are Knights of tho Garter (says ■ London "Truth"). One reads of banners being dragged down from their positions over tho slalls of tho various Knights and thrown down iguominiously on the floor of tho choir of St. George's Chapel, with other undignified proceedings. These narratives are all pure inventions. Tho King as Sovereign of tho Order <tf tho Garter can act as lie plottsos, and the decision on tho subjoct is in his hands exclusively. It is fully expected, however, that his Majesty will iss>ue commands, for tho banner and. insignia of tho Knights who are at war with this country to be removed from St. George's Chapel, but tho proceedings will be .strictly, private, and (here will bo no fantastical "degradation , ' of thes-j emblems. The Knights concerned aio the Emperor Francis Joseph (who received a blue ribbon from Queen Victoria in ISS7), tlio,- r Enipi.ror "William, the King of VVurtemberg, tho Grand J>uko of Hesse-Darmstadt, tho German

London "Truth -, of £optombar 2.3rd pires an interesting summary of tho Army organisation. li say's:— "TheArmy Council have now Completed tho framework of tho now Array organisation, and this i-s how they have done it. The eth Division has at last gone abroad, leaving Sir John Jcllicoe to takn care ot' invasion. Then two n<?iv divUionH. ilio 7th and Bth. are being formed out of regular troops unallotted to Sir John French's' fcix divisions, to- | pother wjth. the units which have been j brought homo from iSontli Africa and j I tho Mediterranean. When iho artil- '■ I l<-ry and transport, for those tiro divi- ; [ ;-inns are ready the field-Marshal will j I liavo a fourth army corps under 3»is j j command, a fifth cor]Jβ and a third car- i I airy division being on tbir ivav, if I they have not already joined him. from j J India. Judged by quantity alone, to! I say nothing of quality, this force of ! men hardly answers to tlio 'Herman Emperors description of a ('contemptible little army.' Xow about • the new armies. The Army Council h:»vf» %oKi half a million or ir.or<> recruit* of the i>ftjt. raw material to play with, aiul this U wha: they havo done with them. Six divisions wcit. , organised on August I'ls-t., six mom on September 11 th. and arotli«-r hix on Septonihor l-'3ih —eighleen divisions in all. lie re, we have the framework of three now Expeditionary Forces Amounting in round numbers to 360,00!) officers and men. with another 150,000 men remaining nt tho training rontrss to replsce easuatcies. As Lord Kitchener limited out, men are easier to get than amis, ammunitio:). and equipment. but the new AVar Minister ha.s plenty of driving power in his nature, j and he -is making the best use of it. I Tho spring "will soon come round. In addition xv these three new sis-division

j armies is a prospective 'fourth ! which is to be formed out. of the re- \ js-orve bntt.il:O!is created when tho h\t p-xlitionary Force ctnlKirked for, foreign ! service, these battaiions being brought. • up to nar stroiifjUi by Ui« new recruit*, j This uiil civc. itt. another six dtvisi<»ns loi whut Kaiser Wilhelni calls "ir."rccn- ,; :.n, ■'• tr?v»p>. or thirty-two divsMons ; a hope; her. yieliijHß a total of 6-t«>.t-0i) i oftieeri and "men. who aro increased t<: i riO.CVO by the Indian contingent. Ati.is fisurt* does no , , include Co!on:nls. • Te-ritonn!.-. or the locnl corik> now j Loitv; v.i:.m-«; in nuuibors throusn- ' out tbe country. i: is safe tow}' -that tv. iUiin a year or less time wo etinU nave •an army* in the field amounting to «'i [ nitlTion "men, with plenty more behind ! thorn."

At the r.iueral at Mainiec.on tl'-Ure-et-l/jir, . rajue), t-arlv last month. "' Captain D. C. ),. Stephen, Ist Grenadier I'luard.-. killed in action, (iencrn* Hever.ird, who the I'rcncu military .i::ihoniie.<. Oelivorixl the foll.f.viue orai ion :—'"Ladies and (lentleraou, — )\;\\-mix V»een appointed by thn (i.-'f-ra! Command:: , !!: she 4th to represent i v .im at this sad ceremony, I am h.'iv io bid a I;i>: adieu in the Maine oi t)ie French Army to Captain l>oui;las Stephen, o> the 1*: "ejfiment <:f (Jrenad'er Cuiirds, who died iv tl'.o ne'.d <>t honour while with it t C'afit; , .!!! Douglas Stepliin belongo*! i<> the noble Knslish uatiou. our tr:eni! and :>liy. which has just offered U>;!>or-tjineou>-!y its hand, and lent us its generous as>i>tanc»> to diive out of Fraiyv tbf barbarian b.ordes who .vought i<» invade our lerrit-ory. and who. in thosr foolijb r.ride, imasjinwl that iv a lev.- ---(!;'-•■: iney would concjner Franrc. Adieu. Captain Douglas .Stephen. He.vt peaceluily. You died on the fiold or honour, and France, who dors not totcet her friends, will know how to cherish your memory with pieiy."

-\<> part of the Km pi re is bettor m the- way of recruiting, both iv quality and (|i;ftntiiy. than the Highlands: "of Scotland, and this is duo larpely to the- way in which tho c!au chieftains have thrown ihcras<Jlves into the work of rallying fin* clansmen. Cameron of Loirhiel. chief of tho famous Clan Cameron, and although without iiti English title, one of tho <iroatest noblemen in Scotland. ha.s accepted the command of tho Cunioron Highlanders, and declares that he- will raise enough new bnttalions to mako the- .famous old regiment, a brigade This is tho firsttime in tho history of tho regiment that lxxliiol, tJie Chief of tho Clan, has commanded it, or who hns engaged actively in recruiting for it. It ivas raised originally in ISOo ]>y Cainoroti •of Ermcht, tho head of a cadet branch of tho house, and it, is often roforfwl to still in tho Cameron country as,Erlaeht's Jtegiment.

I witnessed an interesting littlo eceue the other d:iy (writes a London correspoudent). when a man J know asked a soldier in uniform to have a drink. Tlu> soldier refused. "Kitchener has told us to cut out wine and women," ho said, "and most of our fellows have taken tho pledge until tho war.is ovor. Hufc God help those Germans when wo got. at them. All our chaps blame them for the fun we're missing."

Among those who are doing very well out of the war is the- Anglo-American' Oil Company, which is the British branch of tho Standard Oil Company (•writes our London correspondent). The British Army and Nnvy are \isincj immense quantities of oil and petrol, and tho Anglo-American is supplying neaijv all of it. This is duo to its determination to take no undue advantage of the situation. Ite great competitor, which boasts of being mi all-British company, although it is closely connected with tho great' German oil combine, tried t<o screw up prices, ntid. its directors wore contemptuously referred to by Mr Winston Churchill as "patriots at a price." A hiftli official of th* Anglo-AnnTiean tells mc that his company's sales since the beginning of th<' war have been just double those of tho corresponding period last year.

A Briiish cavalry officer recently wroto Iromo from Franco, and in the letter. there occurred thd sentence: "Tho Kouavos were hero just now. and tho waiter from Komano's among them. Wasn't it f tinny?" This newspaper cutting now occupies an honoured position near tho cash-desk ai tho restaurant in the Strand, which will !;o troll known to . ■ many New Zonlandcrs. If. seemo that Kene and Lucia n wero waiters at Romuno's. Reno was filiort, dark, and atout, and a little bald, though not. more than 26 years oW. . Luci.in was nearly 40, tall and filtm, with fair hair and thin lips. Hβ was head waiter on- " the' balcony. The two wero bosom friends While Lucinn was earnest* dnd serious, R«ne was tbo'foiil of 'mem"-"' ment. Novrs cairio that tho war was to * come. Rene , was.all oxcitetnent. Ho • had a bhio and red for lio wee a Iloservist in the 155 th Foot. Ho brought ifc to the'restaurant. Ho polish- * od its button* there with silver pasto. ' Arid Lucian lookod on envious, for- he had no uniform; lift had never been a soldier. But a stout French heart beat under his spotless ehirt-frbnt. "J'n» n« ',■•. Boldier." ho said in his serious way, ' ''but if thhro's trouble with Germany, I'm off .to : help Lα Pntrie." "We'll go together, cohirade," eaid Bene.- And ' . they wont. "Thoy cave no notice," ■' said "Napoleon," their chief. "They asked for no -wajjps. A train wa« going that Tiight. "Wo so. 'Napoleon,' "was - • all they said—and I was not, going to stop them. Nay, wo nil gathered round {.hem and shook their hands and Rare thorn our £ood wishes. And> off they went together. j\h, they were- goad waiters; jmkxl countrymen of France." Ren«« rejoined the- 155 th Foot. Lncien found a pkco in a regiment of Zouaves.

Grown Prince, and Prinro Henry ol Prussia. WJiilo theso German potentates remain Knights of tho Garter the congregations «i St. George's Chnpci are rcquii-cd to pray for thorn as Companions- of that rr.o,st noble, imcient. and honourablo ord«r. Jt is rertainlj anomalous that prayers should at the present time be offered up in Windsor Castlo for the Eruporor "William and his associates in the war.

f A quaint picture of ono of the Kai- . ser's ftons on active service, Prince , August Wilhelm, jtho fourth ■ of. the I family, who accompanied tho German . corps which occupied Itheitas, i« giwi t by a nurso of tho lied Cross Society, ■ who was at ono of tho hospitals ostabj lisbed ia tho town. "Onb day a younp - officer whose uniform was hanginj; in ; tafcUM-s ■ and vrho vas :ndcacribal»ly dirty," slio say.s. "stopped mo in tho street and spoko to mc with a salute. Ho asked if wo-•could receiro in. our hospital sonio wounded in whom ho took OBpecial interest. I replied ihat 1 no longer had any authority there, and that as it was I was hardly able- to find enough food for those I was taking care of nlrrady. Ho thanked mo and went on. I thpn saw him enter a pork butcher's shop. A fen* ininntfs later ho tamo out carrying in his. arm* a great quantity of sausage*. It was only later that 1 learnt that tins ragged officer was the , fourth .son or tho Kaiser. ,,

A French correspondent says:—"Grrrcan .sDii , .-; roiitiinu , to harass onr forces. I was .standing: o:i the .step oi" my hotel, when the gendarmes jjrrestwj a venerj.ab!e wiio was concentrating hn j mind on the wir map displayed in a j shop window. Th<.> n.'jest was surprised, ;ind Ins breviary fell from h'** hand. Next morning a rattling found from t»:» barracks awoke, mc; it wa> the reverend father takinj; his fart well to earth.. llis father and rootlier were both (.JcrmaiiH, ami had a big in Antivtrp. His <a<sofk, rosary, and breviary uorc .sham.-, aiiii in the gtiiso of n Ik'Jciun he had lrf?en «tip•ph'jii'z G<Mi!:!ii'.K nit l, , details of thr» Allies 7 nnd had adopted thy pries:iy tr-irh vl'.-n his l»oiia-fi(!es were, j quostioncfl."