WAR JOTTINGS.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 15173, 11 January 1915, Page 8

WAR JOTTINGS.

NEWS AND NOTES PROM VARIOUS SOURCES.

A Solemn Requiem, for those who have fallen during the war, and an intercessory service for the speedy cessation of hostilities*. wiU take place in the Catholic Cathedral on Thursday at 9 o'clock.

Dr. Arnold Izard, late cf Welline*ton, has resigned his position as Chief Medical Officer to tho King of Tonga. He returns to in© Dominion on February Ist, and hopes to accompany the Reinforcements to th© front. Dr. Izard saw- active service in the South African War.

Lieut. W. M. Thorn (First Canterbury Regiment), who leaves on Wednesday to join the Third Reinforcements at Trentham. will be entertained at a farewell gathering by tho members of th© Catholic \.-ut>, in the club's rooms, this evening.

The fourth batch of reinforcements having been sent forward from Canterbury, recruiting is now proceeding for the Fifth detachment. About 300 infantry and 200 mounted men aro required to make up Canterbury's quota, and theso numbers must be supplied by th© middle of February.

In connexion with th© appeal by the Now Zealand branch of the British Medical Association for funds to establish and equip a military base hospital at Trentham, the Westland Racing Club on Friday night voted fifty guineas towards the object, with a view to enabling th© Medical Association to carry out the proposal.

Referring to a remark of tho Mayor of Wanganui, who had expressed tho hope thnton th© Right Hon. Andrew Fisher's return to Australia something of a more encouraging nature concerning th© end of the war might bo received by him, tho Federal Premier expressed the opinion when replying that the end was not yet in 6ight. It would be necessary, he said, to make greater sacrifices beforo victory was attained. They belonged to a race of people who preferred to be dead rather than havo their liberties taken away by such an enemy as they had to cop© with. (Hearty applause.) That wa* the sentiment governing th_> people of Australia, and fhey were determined to do their utmost to uphold the power and prestige of Britain.

A Gisborne resident at present in England, writing to friends in New Zealand, says that he has seen letters from soldiers at the front who have been in the trenches for three and ahalf weeks. Thoy have not had a decent wash during that, time, and have been living "like rabbits. J * The men wero very cheerful, and were getting ■""cry good food. The horses were well fed, and, like th© men, were very nt. Th© soldiers get tea and coffee to drink, and twice a week a tot of rum is served out. A clergyman had written in a Home paper that a plate of nico soup and a good hot bath was what they should get instead oP tho rum. The men, nevertheless, long for something wact, ai""' chocolate and cake are sent to them in large quantities. At one of the depots a big parcel of red petticoats, with huge waists, and mado of red flannel, was received. The authorities were at a* loss to understand what they wore for, and on enquiries being made it was ascertained that they were intended for the men in kilts.

Mr Keith Izard, son "of Mr H. S. Izard, of Wellington, joined the British Section of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force some littlo time back, and has been in camp at Bul-ord, Salisbury Plain. Mr Izard was one of a small picked party of Territorials who represented New Zealand in the Lord Mayor's procession in London recently.

It was mentioned in "Th© Press" last week that Captain F. B. Knyvett, formerly a volunteer officer in the Auckland Garrison Artillery, who has been serving with the Natal Light Horse in South Africa, had been wounded. Other information has been received in Auckland by Mr W. B. Briscoe, of Remuera, whose brothei 1 , Dr. Briscoe, of Majuba, is in charge of a squadron under General Louis Botha. Dr. Briscoe explains how Captain Knyvett captured four, mounted rebels at Narros, thereby facilitating the escape of a civilian named Partridge, who, having been taken prisoner hy some of the men under Maritz, at Schuit Drift, had eluded his rebel guard by slipping off a waggon and bolting tor a kopje. It was the men who were searching for the escaped prisoner who fell into the hands of Captain Knyvott's squadron. Captain Knyvett was a Queenslander, and as such served in the Boer War. Later, he came to New Zealand, and, in Auckland, was an energetic olncer of tne coast artillery. Later he returned to Queensland, but apparently has been attracted to South Africa by the prospect of activity in soldiering.

Captain F. J. A. MacKworth, of the Royal Field Artillery, whose death was recently announced, was a connexion of Lieut. H. M. Hartlo, of the Coastal Defence Force. -

Women and girls in large numbers aro trying to enter the Russian Army in various disguises, and several women have already succeeded in deceiving the military authorities. Th© most successful havo been the masculine-looking peasant women of the northern provinces. Amongst them is Nadezada Ornasky, a thick-set, well-educated peasant woman from tho province of Archangel. She posedas a man through the second part of the Manchurian campaign, and was praised for her courage by General Grippenberg. She fought in September in South Poland, and it was not until after the Battie of LublinKrasnik that her sex was discovered. A girl named Liuba Uglick, a twenty-year-old, attractive-looking girl, was present at four engagements in East Prussia, and West Poland, and has been wounded slightly. She says that during the long-range fighting she had no fear, but had a terror of crossing bayonets with the enemy. Two daughters of a landed proprietor at Kurck have been arrested on their way to join tho colours, one of them posing as "Prince Adrianoa," and the other as her ffervant. A peasant woman who was killed at Gumbinnen had donned her husband's clothes and impersonated him. as he had shirked the summons. She did not want, her family to be shamed.

After displaying great gallantry at Mens, where he was wounded, John Joshua Rogers (28), a private in the Queen's Royal West Surrey Regiment, had a regrettable experience while on sick furlough. He was charged, at Westmiaster, with the manslaughter of Thomas Bailey, at Johnson street, Lambeth. Prisoner and others had an argument over the war, which resulted in a fight in tho street. Bailey, who was knocked down, was conveyed to -t. Thomas's Hospital, and upon arrival there was found to be dead. When arrested as the man who had struck the blow, accused -said: "They set about mc, and I hit him in self-defence. I am sorry to hear that he is dead. I just defended myself—six of them came for mc at once. I've only one hand to defend myself. I was wounded at Mons." At the inquest the jury found that Bailey's death was due to laceration of

the brain, caused by a fall through __ street scuffle, but there was no crtdea**''"'--'--to show the cause of the fall. It «_»£"<■ stated that, with tho approval of U»'- r> " > Magistrate, the-police did not * to offer any further evidence. I'tisoii.p-:"-, distinguished himself by carrying ___ " r -j officer out of action after he had"beet. ; "*' wounded.-The Magistrate (M. Hor*£:- . hmitli): lam very glad to hear it : ' Aou are discharged. Tak© car© not -fa. , - got into trouble again." . " Sir Frederick. Treves, in a report, on *' Ked Cross hospitals in France t»vs a _r** 1 > n I t '» to - th ? Australian Voluntary hield Hospital. Ho says that it i» im. < possible to exaggerate tho importanca ' of the motor ambulances, -which ___._, hfe and lossen suffering. His chanfflant " is Mr Kennorley Rumford—-Clam n„w husband. Sir* Frederick Tr^^d, 3 that these drivers are a curious bcdv c. men. "A motor-cyclist has just c_ ma * back from the front with a despatch " h© says. "The man is a mere bund'la ' of rags splashed with mud. I am _*_.- ' prised to find that he is a much-re- ■ spected Church of England curate *' i

Any Briton needing a tonic coolnot do bettor than visit Liverpool i_» homo port of the Atlantic trade }, *___\ - tho London "Times." "His nerve. *§*? bo braced as he passes along the docks and learns tho majestic lesson of Britain's maritime power. Scores of ships are loading and unloading, and &m leaving upon the old trail. Let no per- • son dare com© to Liverpool and ask what the Navy is doinjj. Th© passenger traffic has changed, and most of the sailings are less frequent. Many of the best-known liners have been taken for the Govornmont service."

An inspection of tho account book-- ofmany old firms shows that during \h„ Napoleonic -wars th© books wcro"kcpt by women. All tho male clerks were engaged at the war. I„ Franc© th© ccKiimercial work is now boing almost ' wholly performed by women. In many cases women have volunteered to taka charge of the counting-houses of friends ' who are at th© war. It is said that they aro doing their work remarkably

A great many old prophecies have been raked up regarding th© present war, but w© do not hear many now ** ones (says th© Auckland "Herald") *- An ancient Maori, who was viewing th_. •*"- Expeditionary camp at Avondole lasfiweok. gave one which many of us bona will bo fulfilled. "Aue!" ho saidT"These are fine fighting men. If i_ T father had led them in his youth ha . could have conquered all Now Zealand.. •. When they go forth into battle they will *"• overcome all their enemies. I feel-if in my hones that those, my people, are' ' going to certain victory. The-cc-tuna; * again of the year is a good time. There will bo much glory for us and much utu. * This is my saying.'"

A French officer who was, wounded ' while leading a charge at "the head of his company has given in a letter to "* "Le Temps" his impression at the mo. *' ment when he wa« struck. Ho says: ~ "The ball which struck mc tow fired- . from a distance of about fifty feet. I - suddenly seemed to feel a. tremendous - | blow in the back, although in fact I - j had been struck in the breast. I snun •• completely round on my heel, and my / sabre, which I had lowered for the ' } charge, was thrown 20ffc away from -'• mc. The hall continued its course and - wounded in the shoulder a soldier who v followed mc. I. made every effort to . ' keep my feet. I realised that I was -, faintinf and tried to prevent myself from losing my senses, but little "■ by littlo I felt consciousness going from ' mc, and I had th© impression that I was dyinp- in a paradise of unexampled "■" beauty. It seemed to mc that I had .-' found the most perfect death possible— struck when at tho head of my com- *.. panj", sabre in hand and ordering the 1 charge against th© Geifinans. But * then I realised the possihilitv then. . was that I might fall into their hand-*, \ and I sought my revolver.-'but before --;. I could us© it it was taken from mc by '_- one of my own men, and I was raisod _\ and carried to th© rear through a storm ', of rifle bullet-, and exploding shells." ~ -