News From the Trenches

Horowhenua Chronicle, 31 March 1915, Page 3

News From the Trenches

(Loudon Tinier l\otee.)

MULHEIM, 23. 11. 14

Everything is fearfully clear here We shall be glad to finish il r only an honourable peace comes with it. A fearful lot of 'lis must be falling, as every one is being called out. Everything is all right, only God protect you from Russia; the poor soldiers don't know what to do lor the cold, and the Landsturm must go to Russia. The damned English! What are they doing with our prisonersP And we treat the swine dogs so well! But soon it will be different. A train was to have come here with 340 English. The train arrived. The commander brought out 40 English. When he was asked where the 3000 were he didn't know where they had remained. 1 know belter. That is what all should do. A card written home by a wounded German prisoner dated 25/1/15 is an interesting commentary on the above letter, and incidentally is a reply to tho query, "What are the English doing with our prisoners :— 1 was wounded this morning in an attack, and was captured by the English. Those of the company who are not dead are prisoners. Am treated very well, so don't worry at all. Our lieutenants were also taken prisoners. 1 feel well. Tell my relatives. The existing ignorance and credulity about affair# in the British Empire is shown by the statement that it was generally believed that at our request 130,000 Japanese troops had been sent to maintain order in India and that grave doubts were held as to whether we could ever get rid of them again. As a proof of the intention to hold on to Belgium the fact that a German brewery had been started in Antwerp was quoted. The German soldiers appear to he well looked after, special care being taken of their feet. The low-lying trendies are provided with hoard floors nbove water level, and on leaving them the men are made to remove their boots and socks, when their feet are rubbed and dusted over with some kind >1 powder. All soldiers are compelled to be inoculated against typhoid and ■liolera. Many of these now serving vcre living in England before the war, <nd some of the captured liave expressed fan ardent desire to return there. Hie otlier day a deserter astonished our men by suddenly rushing towards them unarmed, shouting 'Nach London" as he jumped into our trenches. An officer in the South African. Rifles vrites:— I want you to read the cutting we are tending this mail, particularly in regard to what the Chief says about jreneral Smuts. How he kept in touch with all the columns is a per'eet marvel. When one thougiht no 3iie could possibly 'know where wo vere, miles from a railroad or tele;raph line, a motor-dispatch rider would ippear out of the night, with a eon'ise clear instruction from Smuts to Rove to some point the next day, and here we would find a complete scheme ind been worked out to a fine point, nd perhaps a dozen far-flung forces per ectly co-ordinated for the surrounding >f a rebel commando. Horses, foot, notor-caifi, and armoured trains, all noved with the skill of chess players. 3e has certainly deserved wolj of his ountry. At one time 1 was in direct ommunication with him. A n officer writes:— One ol the most difficult aspects of he well-organized system of espionage vhich the Germans conduct this side if our trenches is the spy in uniform. I'mm time to time descriptions are •irculated of office re who have obtained nforination and then disappeared. It s as common for spies dressed in the inifonus of British officers to appear n the trench lines as it is for "French ifficers ' or "Belgian soldiers" to ap)ear in our own. Their discovery of >ur guns positions and other secrets vhich we imagined secure is demon tinted by sudden burets of well placed ind accurately-timed shells. Sortie of hese S{)ieß are not beyond using v> il'nce. A friend of one of our officers vas entrusted with an important dis>atch. As he was nearing hie destin ition he noticed two officers alking some distance away. Suddenly me officer sprang upon the other and ivrested' from him somjb pepers and ©ok to his heels. The other screamed >ut "Shoot him!" This fellow, alhougir he ha dnever handled a revolver lefore in his life, took aim and fired. Ie managed to kill the culprit outight. It transpired that he was a nan wo had been looking for For some inic.