AMAZING IDEAS OF AUSTRALIA

Grey River Argus, 30 December 1914, Page 7

AMAZING IDEAS OF AUSTRALIA

FREMANTLE, Dec. 18. "They are not bad chaps at all." This was the comment yesterday on board the R.M.s. Mayloja by a n invalided Australian soldier who happened to be in the hospital at Colombo during the time that some of the Emden's survivors were there. There are 12 returning" men on board ihis boat two officers and ten of the rank and file. "I happened to be in the hospital

at Colombo," said he, "when the German wounded were brought in. Some of them were in a shocking- slate from shrapnel. One man had a gash m his thigh, and several inches below this gash was found a piece of shrapnel embedded in the flesh-

"One man from the Sydney was in a particularly bad state. One of his legs was broken in three places by shrapnel. He received three wounds below the ankle on th othr foot, and the flesh of his abdomen had been removed by shrapnel. Yet he lived, and there was great hope of his Tecoverv.

"A man on the Emden had been blown clean into the water by one cf the Sydney's shells, and was afterwards picked up by a boat -from the Sydney, after he had been swimming in the w.ater for seven hours. It was then found that he was suffering from a broken arm. On his arrival at Colombo the ilimb was amputated. He was a fine-looking man, and when in "rood health was capable of lifting a weight of about 1071 b above his head. Mis mates from the Emden stated that he was one of the strongest men in Germany.

"Many of 'the Germans from the Emden could speak very^good English, arcd I had a Jong- chat with them.

"They .could not make' out why Australia had gone into the war. They imagined that out oompuilsory •service scheme was formulated for the object of trying eventually to throw off the British yoke. I promised to write to one when I returned to Australia, and said I would send him an English dictionary, which he was very anxious to get hoild of.

"From conversations I had with the wounded, I judged that the Sydney, instead of standing out of range ot the Emden, elected to come within range. This was done, I was informed by one of the Sydney men, for the purpose of giving the Emden a sporting chance.

"No, we never saw the commander of the Emden, and I don't know of anyone that did. He seemed to be fairly cloaked up."