WAR JOTTINGS.

Press, Volume L, Issue 15138, 30 November 1914, Page 8

WAR JOTTINGS.

NEWS AND NOTES FROM VARIOUS SOURCES.

Two well-known Dunedin citizens joined the New Zealand Expeditionary Force reinforcement camps at Trentham last week—Captain D. E. White, manager of Kempthorno, Pressor, and Co.'s Dunedin factory, and Lieutenant T. R. Sargood, the only son of 3lr P. R. Sargood, of Sargood, Son, and Ewen. 3lr W. C. 3lacGregor drew laughter and applauso from the audience at tno Dunedin Garrison Hall on Friday u.pht when ho said, in the course of his remarks on tho war: "If wo may judge from our newspapers, we are ourselves engaged in several wars. Besides the triennial parliamentary war between tho 'ins' and ihe 'outs,' we have at least threo civil wars here in Otago. First, there is the old strugglo between tho Prohibitionists and the publicans; then wo have tho divines themselves ranged in hostile camps over the Bible-in-School question—engaged in loolqng for proselytes when they might bo encouraging recruits, and hunting heretics when they might be chasing Gernians._ Finally thero is our old friend tho National Peace Council, engaged in their absurd propaganda." "Would it not bo better," asked Mr 31 acGregor, "for these good people to compose their differences until after tho war is over, and thus remove what might, very well be a pernicious influence on the young men upon whom we lire calling to volunteer to fight for us in this great ..id serious conflict;-'" - A Wellington telegram states that Christinas cheer for the Nov.* Zealand garrison at Samoa in the form of cases c-ontaining all sorts of luxuries and comforts have been sent by rail to Auckland for shipment by tbo Navua. The total consignment represented 'OS cases, all of which ' were fijled with every conceivable kind of dainty, from a 50lb cake to a lib plum pudding. The goods represented 'the goodwill and generosity of relatives and friends in Wellington. Yesterday afternoon. Colonel Robin. Commandant of the New Zealand forces, paid a visit of inspection to tho harbour defences at Lyttelton. Accompanying him wero staff officer Captain Hudson, Colonel Chaffey, officer-in-eommand of tho Canterbury 31ilitary District, and his staff officers, 3lajor | Aleddings and Captain Finnis. Colonel Cooper, offieer-in-command of tho defences at Lyttelton, and his staffofficer, Lieut. Rawnsley, and Captain Thorpe, Chief Examination Officer. The 7>laces visited were Fort Jervois, Ripa Island, the battery and searchlight at Gollin's Bay and Erskine Point. The Commandant subsequently expressed his satisfaction at the efficiency of the forces and the defence works. 3lr Charles Thompson, formerly of 3fessrs Scott Bros., Christchurch, ami later on the engineering staff of the Rinuitaka, enlisted on his arrival at Home. Writing to his friends he states that ho has been transferred from the Coldstream Guards to the Royal Field Artillery: evidently his artillery work in New Zealand had assisted to „rocure him this change. He mentions that the New Zealand Shipping Co. ;s allowing him £5 per month during hi. absence with the forces. 3lr Thorn-n----eon's i.oungest brother Eric is with tnoAdvance Expedition in Samoa, being attached to the D B..ttery. Captain 3leDonald, of 'the British steamer Cape Ortegal, which arrived at Lyttelton ' yesterday from Newcastle, mentioned to a representative of "The Press" that he was much amused at a statement that appeared recently in several Australian papers regarding his .llcged escape from the German cruiser Leipzig. According to the journals | mentioned, tho Capo Ortegal, while bound from Norfolk, Virginia, to San Francisco, was, when about a day's steaming from the latter port, signalled and closely watched by the German warships,- which followed her until the merchantman entered the Golden Gate, when the Leipzig stood out to sea. Captain AlcDonald said that although ho subsequently saw tho Leipzig lying in San Francisco harbour, "he knew nothing "of the incident referred to, the origin of which he ascribed to the reporters' fertile imagination. - Mrs Hudson, a well-known resident of Nelson, has fonr sons serving with the British forces in different parts of the Empire. 31r Philip Hudson, who was completing his medical course in England, volunteered for service at the outbreak of the war, aud was drafted to the Navy. He is at present surgeon in the torpedo-boat destroyer Laurel, which took a prominent part in the Heligoland Bight engagement. 3fr Charles Hudson volunteered from Brisbane, and joined one of the

engineer corps with the main Australian Expeditionary Force. 3ir Achot .Hudson, wno is the three mile running champion of New Zealand, went witu the Advance Party to Minion, and Mr William Hudson, who was in England, volunteered tor service and joined one of the infantry regiments.

One of the most poignant stories ot a private soldier's heroism was to.d re-c-utlv Dv a sergeant, of the Leicestershire* Regiment, now in a hospital in London. "After Cambrai, said the sergeant, "1 found myself with a wnu Gh^'-ow'lrishman of the Royal Scots and a wounded man of the Dorscts. We hid in a farm, but one day tho Irishman was seen by tho Germans lie was the roughest card 1 ever met, and -would have robbed his best chum without turning a hair: but ior all tnat moral Kink he had a sense ot honour all his own. He thought he hadn t played tho game in bringing the Germans down on us by ins carelessness, and, after reporting their presence, lie said lie was going out, 'just for a bit of a dander.' ' 1 guessed what he was after, and told him he must stay whero he was. In spito of my rank, he ordered mc to a placo wnere they don t need coals to keep them warm, and cut the argument short by making lor the door. He stopped on the threshold and this is what he said so far as 1 can remember it:— [lt's like this, my son; you've got a missis and clnlder to look "after, and so's that chap in the corner. I'm as bad as they make them, and nobody will be a penny the poorer if I'm shot this very minute. It was 1113- carelessness that gave you away to the Germans. T'ticy .don't know there's anybody here but mc, and if I rush out thev'l*l get mc and go off content. I'm 'taking my gun, and byHeaven, if you come after mc and bring the Germans down on that poor chap, I'll put a ball in your brain as sure as | I'm an Irishman. I'm the best shot in the regiment and I'll not miss you.' With a man ot that stamp you can't reason anrhow, and so he went off, walking coolly out of the gate and mak- «_</. a" rush "for the fields. Tho Germans saw him and fired. They couldn't miss him, and he dropped in the road, riddled with bullets. They must have thought he was tho only one in tho house, for they didn't como back."

In an article showing what a valuable aid hunting has been to tbe War Office in the present crisis, the editor of "Baily's Magazine" states that sixty-seven leading British hunts have contributed 81394 hunters to the War. Office, and from the stables of eighty notablo masters have gone forth exactly 1000 remounts. It is estimated that fully 10,000 regular hunting men are with the Colours, the majority having elected to take on "foreign service" duties. There are .54 masters of hounds with the Colours, at least half of that number being on tho Continent. Quite 200 hunt servants have enlisted, aud are proving their real merit. Lord Kitchener and his staff (it is urged) will surely have realised that the hunting men who have joined his army wero half-made soldiers before thoy got their uniforms. "Baily's" figures certainly provo that the influence of hunting on the cavalry is greater than ever. When it is' remembered that all the horses taken in the first instance were hunterbred, and that the War Office have obtained quite 10,000 horses from the hunts, with the tolerable* certainty of being able to find a good many more when they are wanted, some idea can be formed of the value of hunting to the country.

One striking result of tho call for recruits has been tho emptying of many lodging-houses (says a writer in the "British 3Veekly"). There i s a sido street close to my home where groups of "Weary Willies" hung about every day after breakfast, aimless and hopeless. I am. told they havo nearly all eniisted. Tho corner men havo also disappeared and many slack and "feckless" hangers-on to the Church Army or the Salvation Army have seen a new gleam of hop© on tho sky-line. Tho winter lay before them, with its useless visits to tho labour bureau, its casual and languid employment, its nights spent in tho close air of crowded dormitories, its constant anxiety about food and shelter. Self-respect is lestored, and never again will they sink back to the old level. I imagine that a lew who have prison records in tho past—records which have long hindered them in the search for honest labour—will throw tho past behind them liko stained and tattooed clothing and put on a now manhood with the King' 3 uniform.

.A correspondent chronicles the most remarkable case of a French surgeonmajor of the 28th Regiment of the Line. The following is his story just as he related it:—"You see I am still alive, and 1 have no longer that desire to die which at first beset mo. But I've had a narrow escape. Just think of it, ninetyseven wounds, officially recorded! I've got them all over mc. I'm 6 own up everywhere. It's a wonder I'm here. This is how it happened. I had been in action all day; there had been some hard fighting, but fortunately the number of our wounded was small. I had just finished attending to my last case, and was about to mount my" horse, when it seemed to mc as though a clap of thunder burst immediately over my head, and J found myself in a circ. •. of flame. A shell had just burst over mc. 3ly poor horse was killed on the spot, riddled with shrapnel. I tvu» thrown violently on, to my back. I was badly wounded in bo th legs. A man of my regiment picked mo up and walked over two kilometres with mc on his back. Then some others, forming a stretcher of their rifles, carried mc yet another five kilometres before we came upon an ambulance. To describe what I suffered upon that journey would be impossible. On reaching the ambulance I lost consciousness. I was brought here, whore for several days they removed pieces of shell from my shattered and torn flesh. Luckily no vital organ Jias been touched It's true I've last an ear; I can hoar no longer on my right side, and mv head is all sewn up; my right arm is pierced through to the bone; my back has as many holes in it as a sponge; my ribs are all cut about, and my unfortunate legs are tattooed in a manner which is far from artistic. But here I am; havo you a cigarette? Thank you! After all. tho German shells are not up to mucn!"