AN ENTHUSIASTIC INFANTRYMAN.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 15218, 4 March 1915, Page 8

AN ENTHUSIASTIC INFANTRYMAN.

SOLDIERING PREFERRED TO

"CHASING THE LEATHER."

Writing from Zeitoun Camp, under date of January 22nd, a private in the First Canterbury Regiment—a young man who is very well-known in athletic circles in Christchurch, particularly on the football.field—says:—

We are still doin»; the good old tramp over the desert, and are all pretty fit, although the vaccination has affected a few of us. We have spent a couple of nights on a .bivouac, and 1 can tell you the sand is cold, and we are only allowed one blanket each. We are doing battalion work now, but next week we commence brigade training, so it should not bo so long before we have finished our course.

V\ o heard the rer>ort of our shooting at the range, and it was funny. The comment in each case was "disgraceful," "very bad." and "shocking," but conic excuse can be made as shooting on this desert is no joke. Tne sand is extremely bad tor sighting, and not at ail what we have been used to.

Each day. there are more and more rumours Hying, round, and it is really aniueing to. note the effect they have on the men. About four days ago we were out on the march, and we heard that the New .Zealand Forces had been lent to the Egyptian Government, and would remain nere for two years. This rnmour grew in volume, and when we got back to camp everybody wae talking about it. Talk about swearing and cursing, I never heard so much, or it before. Everybody was mad against the- iK>wers that be, and for the moment all the men connected with the British Forces were unpopular. When orders were posted up at night hundreds of men got out of their beds to Bee if the report was true, and When nothing appeared they, searched vainly for tho man who started the rumour. Now they have all settled down again, and the military authorities have once again been restored" to their high pedestal. 1 read by the Christehurch papers that volunteers have not been coining forward cjuite so freely as could hayo been desired. This is .rather strange, and the men here cannot understand it at all.' Surely they don't realise what a lot of good fun and education (besides hard work) that one gets out of the game, with the Expeditionary Forces. "When we left New Zealand every fellow .'we nWt was coming away with the reinforcements, but evidently* they have changed of late. Perhaps they will alter their minds now that tho Citizens' • Defence Corns has set them such a good- example. ' . I- notice that the ' different cricket teams still contain a lot of young and promising material. They ought to be out here: they would find it a lot more interesting than leisurely phasing the leather in Christehurch. , The general .opinion appears to be that we will leave here for Marseilles in March, and trek to' the front. By then we should have finished our training, arid have some idea of doing things. I think "that if we are kept here any longer tho men will get tired of things generally. At. present they are fearfully keen.