"HIGHLANDERS, SHOULDER TO SHOULDER."

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2515, 17 July 1915, Page 3

"HIGHLANDERS, SHOULDER TO SHOULDER."

Sir,—The Scottish' societies of Dunedih- are' invited to inaugurate a movement for the collection of fiiiids for the more distressed portion of the crofters and fishermen in • the Highlands and islands of Scotland. The response to I arms in those districts has been '.phenomenal. .According to Press . reports,' | about 95 per cent, of the. able-bodied men in. the Hebrides, ana 80 per-cent. of their fellow-clansmen ..on the mainland, have joined the colours. The.Highland regiments are Territorial—that is tp say, the men comprising the various (regiments are recruited from particular districts, so as to ,ensu>'e ( the;nec,essary v community of interests' and "regime'ritaf esprit de corps. During the early.stages of the war the Highland regiments-suf-fered severely, and in some instances whole regiments were almost annihilated. This resulted in extraordinary efforts being made to , fill tho depleted ranks from the sparsely-pcople bens and glens of, their particular districts. In several instances the response has.been so ready:that only old men and women, spinsters and children, are : left-to till tlio crofts and man the boats.' The wastage of,war amongst the new levies is likely to be, considerable, so that by the end of the war many Highland claclians will be largely depopulated. How theold folk, the'spinsters and children, are , to eke out an existence in the; immediate future is a puzzle. The soil in many of these glens is poor and niggard, the seas around them wild and dangerous, and the' winter long and cold. • \ ; - > , The Highland regiments have a glorious record in the annals of British warfare. Wherever a tough job had to -be performed those regiments .faced, the odds with the motto, "Do or die.;','. As witness'of their gallant deeds, read tho • story of Corunua, Waterloo, Balaclava, Delhi, Cabul, Dargai, ■ Soudan, Magersfontein, and now a second- and more glorious Waterloo. Surely a race of men who have shed such lustio ujjop British ( arms is worthy of consideration. They grumblo not-at their hard lot, nor do they implore us for help; but there can be little doubt that the words of "Lochaber no more" will be upon the lips of young and old in many Highland glens to-day. During th'e dark days of Slagersfontein I appealed for help for tho wounded heroes, and in a few days Received over £100 without aiiy personal solicitation. On this occasion I appeal o:i behalf of the old folks and maidens who lament over the soldier laddie who returns no more. There are many of their fellow-countrymen and women comfortably situated throughout New Zealand, and to them, and to all willing .to help, I appeal'with guadrupled expectations., Alf subscriptions will be publicly acknowledged, and duly forwarded to the :Hon. Thos. Mackenzie' (High Commisi: sinner, London), with instructions to distribute them among the people of the' most .needful districts. Stand not, therefore, upon the order of giving, but give, and fear :iotc . Listen 1 What is that? —a voice from a Highland coracle or'the lone speiling of Ben-more singing "God bless New Zealand." —I am, etc., GORDON MACDONALD. j Dunedin, July 7.