OUR LITERARY CORNER.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15649, 22 July 1916, Page 7

OUR LITERARY CORNER.

A RUSSIAN WITH OUR

ARMY.

L—WHY THE ALLIES MUST WIN,

(By NEumovrrcH-DANCHEKxo.)

[M. Nomirovilch-DanohenJco, the famous Russian novelist and war correspondent, thus describee in "The Times" his impressions at the British front in Fxanoo.J

Cold and snow. The train from LonJon moves through a fog. The towns on the way clustering around the beautiful cathedrals look hazy and murky, as if pencilled in gloom. At jne place the sun flashes at one of them »nd it seems as' if some stony arms had Bfted up heavenward tho stony tabk-s of the mediarval portal. In the distance there is the grey line of tho sea. To-day it is motionless. One expects all sorts of nasty things from thi3 quarter, but to-day the Channel looks homely and submissive.

The train goes right into tho harbour and our boat looks a real beehive; grey khaki everywhere. It looks as if it will be impossible for us to get through tho thick lines of Canadian infantry. They have splendid faces, these Canadians, with a sincere and happy look. I saw tlfem afterwards, at the front, after an ordeal of 48 hours' stay in flooded trenches; they wore tho same expression. One could see the stuff they were made of, the race that is used to relentless fighting with Nature and can stand cold and hardships of which we, in the Old World', can form no idea.

The Canadians are excellent shots and walkers; our Siberian fellows,, who take aim and shoot a hare through the eye, resemble them. Our chaps, however, are sombre. The quiet of tho Siberian forest has made them taciturn. Tho Canadians, on the contrary, have tho joy of life in them. They are calm and steadfast in action. They wavered at first under the heavy German fire, but now they form an iron wall which no fire of the enemy can break. The best quality of the Canadian 6oldier is calmness in attack. He is not hasty, jnd therefore wastes no energy.

The relations between officers and men are touchingly simple and cordial. The officers behave like Bcnio'r comrades. They share with the men the hardships of trench life. The Canadians feel well and are well dressed. Where the Canadians are stationed the Germans have no peace day or night. The enemy has to look sharp, because in spito of all wire entanglements the Canadians crawl right up to the enemy's trenches, pouring down a shower of bombs, and organise little expeditions reminding one of the times of Fenimore Cooper.

WELCOME TO FRANCE. Large piers, numerous boats and warships. A green waterline, and above, the white outline of a Hospital Ship. We could see from a distance through the windows of her cabins the luxurious and comfortable arrangements if or tho,- wounded. .Only wealthy ; tKnglandf pan maintain such . hospitals. The nurses were on deck assisting. crippled soldiers. i-rThe French town which had grown ' Weak and damp in the seafog received us into the cold and wet of its streets, frozen right through. '

We had a captain as our -guide, who spoke excellent Russian, and Mr Mori- : tague Balfour, who commands our. language so well that one might easily take him for a Russian. Everywhere motor-cars were waiting for us. One taay em'y the English for the excellence of their cars. During all these. of continuous journeying _»long the whole front (we did at least 80 miles a day) thero was not a single case of a breakage, not even one tire burst. watch along the whole route is «sotapghYS' From as distance thev signal tbsyou to stop—% the' daytime by tteans of flags, and in the night ■ with lamps. - The watch comes up, inspects carefully your documents, then salute and let you pass. ''.Oar first excursion is to V. It is ral] cold and wet. Fields are covered with show, and where there is no snow there is a dull glimmer of water with which everything is soaked. All this stretch of line is occupied by British troops, and it seems to me that I am in England. . The fraternising of the English with the local population is real.' Many .young men have either, married French girls or will do so after the war. Some of the local "Captain Kopecks" (a type in one of Gogol's novels), say:—"You'll see, they have come here to stay! That is to Bay, they> will go back toEnslnnd, but not before thev have carried off a good many of our beauties, . that is sure enough."

At the front nobody has the slightest donbt but that ours will be the firal victory. Wherever we . went people \cknowled<Ted that the coming triumph of the Allies will be due in a considerable measure to Russia.

..SOLDIERS AND SHIBBOLETHS. People over here are only afraid of one thing—that is diplomacy. When tte war is over, and the time will arrivejor conversations, this "old bag" (Lain using the expression of a noted English General in London), bred under the old political conditions of the Ewopcan "balance of power," will do "l-it can to save Austria and Ger-

■When I reoollected an anxious query b J a Russian diplomatist as to who be our Ambassador at the Kaiafter the war. I had the ■MM doubts that animated that spii ited ""ffoh General. The diplomatists hare v*P despoiled nations of the fruit for •Inch they have paid a heavy price in «*cred blood, and not less sacred labour. We were nearing the trenches. The ™°w and rain of the suddenly returned Winter has covered everything with •tack mud. Prom the trenches came out soldiers,-who on3y yesterday looked J 0 but now were covered from head *o foot with dirt. There is a calm expression in their eyes, not the slightest «gn of fatigue, as if their nerves were ™*de of steel. A fresh company was to relieve them; everything on "}e newcomers was spotlessly clean with wjejexception of their boots, a little , jUrty from the mud on the road; and wje same expression on the faces of •aose who were going in and those who m lust left. • In this sector the war is mainly sub«wanean. The English have burrowed T*|* ground with passages branching i off in the direction of the German trenches. This mole work goes on «* days. Very often the soldiers hear ""juiar work by the enemy going on "™9 by side; the ear discerns at first a *»gu.e noise, which little by little grows ™°K» distinct. Then the sappers stop, informing the superior com- :—¥•* of the direction of tho enemy's wore, mate a wide curve. It sometimes

ORIGINAL AND SELECTED MATTER.

NOTES ON BOOKS AND AUTHORS,

happens that one tunnel meets another from _ the opposite side, and then the enemies,, in semi-darkness faintly illuminated by the flickering lights of little lamps, rush at one another in deadly combat.

We were shown photographs and sketches of this kind of work. The German positions are linked up on all sides with a zigzag of communicating trenches, and at a few most important points there are black gaping craters. On one photograph five such explosions were shown. About 40C0 Germans were overtaken in the catastrophe and have found a grave. On the night after our visit to this sector three more subterranean mines were exploded and about 1200 Germans were kiKed. lI.—GENERAL HAIG'S FAITH. THE MEN AND THE GUNS. To-day the British are shelling the position of tho Boches. Often the thunder of the guns becomes a continuous roar. From the observation points signals are given aa to where the Germans are congregating or where trench work has been detected. The howitzers begin their high-angle fire, and immediately comes the triumphant news, "The Becbes are running I"— "Tho shell has landed right in the trench."—"The tower where the Boches were hiding has collapsed." The nearer to the trenches the jollier the men arel This is not only my observation; I heard the same thing from the Commander-in-Chief, Sir Douglas Haig, and others, French and British. It was getting - dark, and we had to hurry from the trenches. Tho Com-mander-in-Chief of the British Army had invited us to dinner, and we had hardly time to put our clothes in order, as .we were all splashtd with mud. The motor-car drove to tho chateau where General Haig and his Staff were stationed. We were somewhat abashed at the general attention and interest as to everything concerning Russia. Everybody was eager to impress on us their brotherly love for the Russian Army and recognition of the service done by Russia. Only recently the unexpected news of the victory achieved by General Yudenitch and tho taking of Erzerum sent everyone here into ecstasy, and when they learned that I knew this General personally and also his colleague, questions were heaped upon me one after the other. One of the Generals observed that the Turks themselves were excellent at fortifications, and he could not understand why they wanted German engineers. THE COMMON 1 TASK.. Sir Douglas Haig expressed to me his sincere pleasure at entertaining Russians, and at thus being able to confirm the feeling which animated England towards our great country. He well understood that Russia could the blows delivered at her if it were not for her magnanimous desire to help out the Allies by inter- i cepting the heavy blows of the German i Armies.

We also (he said) had very Sew guns at the beginning of the war, but we quickly, got over this trouble and are now working for our Allies. All our factories are busy at it.

Ho laid special stress on his conviction that very soon all our and the. Anglo-French activities will be co-or-dinated in delivering common attacks on the enemy. His belief in our final victory is unshakeable. S'There are plenty of forces on this front." He said confidently that Verdun would not be taken by the Germans. He is all admiration for the French. Verdun and the Marne will remain for ever monuments of French valour.

Of the British Army he spoke but little. He is pleased with it. believes in its: indestructible power, and gives credit to the young intellectuals in its ranks. These intellectuals give an example" of heroism and self-sacrifice, and one could feel that the Comman-der-in-CRief, who is very modest, and not exaggerate, is proud of his soldiers. They are real gentlemen, noble, strong, and healthy youths. I heard no'complaints against them from any quarter. AFFECTION FOR RUSSIA. Sir Douglas Haig is convinced that our alliance will outlive all the difficult phases which will follow after the war. He considers that the main theatres of the war are not in the South or in Greece, but in the East and West, although he acknowledges the great importance of our accivities in Turkey and Persia. I noticed the marvellous feeling of love and friendship for Russia and the ' Russians, not onlv among those who are at the helm. To-dav a miner, having learned that I was a Russian, appronched me and asked permission to shake | hands. "Will you please tell vour countrymen that nil of us here, workers of Franco, love Russia, a"d have faith in her." and after thk followed the usual "Vive la Russiof" "How nice it would be if your soldiers could come over heref we would fraternise with them." After dinner we went to the drawintroom. Here were rnips of thf> positions. One of the THtish Generals asked if I had seen their artillery in action. ; We and out Allies, Russian and French, have +he to be proud of it. Onr artitlerv is much superior to the Germans, oiven equal condition'?. The superiority of the enemv is +hnt he had prepared tmrs of nrusual paijh-o but. as von see. in spito of their deadlv work, thev have not rrivpn the German frpTiernls any decided success. "" Tf is somethin" fine the English nn'd Australian nrtiHorv possess, it is the horses: arc strnr«T and well fed. Thev l°ok l'ke sot™ Bucephalus of a srvoJol breed, and all the time en at n «rall°™ +he most broken pr-d stickv roads. They are as tenacious as if thev were east of iron. Their nenw. hnirv rnire them the ar*oeamTice of some monsters, T»nt monsters are n'"rnunll'v| for this worV. Thf» horsos nro <st.n+/>lv and elegant. a«d the horses aro remarkable for their marvol'ons attachment to thoir misters, whom they follow about like dogs.