SILVER BULLET CANNONADE

Nelson Evening Mail, 29 May 1916, Page 7

SILVER BULLET CANNONADE

SICK AND'WOUNDED FUND

EFFORT TO RAISE £25,0C0. Wo have been asked to publish the ■following : j At a meeting of the executive hold on . Friday evening, the organiser (Mr W. Lints) briefly outlined the general plan of the Silver Bullet Carnival in aid oi the Sick and Wounded Soldiers' Fund. j This, lie said, would embrace a S.'Jvsi 1 Bullet Cannonade. Britain's Imperial • Reveille, and a Paddv's M'arket. It had ■been decided to fix the goal at £25,0C0. It- was not expected that this amount could be obtained from these- functions, : and consequently they would he supplemented by contributions, which it wa; proposed to collect on the Barometer principle, which had proved so populai and successful in many oth/ j r similar efforts. The Barometer would be set at zero and would, have to be forced vp to £25,000, and to this end a scale oi jjossible contributions would bo prepared, including so many donations at- £IOCC ■ea-ch, so many at £SOO, and so on down to so many at £il each. Britain's Imperial Heveille would be a. spectacular extravaganza, for which he would have to train about 200 performers. It would be run in conjunction with a Paddy's Market, lasting about nine nights. Silver Bullet 'Cannonade : Briefly the scheme is designed to enlist the practical sympathy and sustained co-operation oi the entire community, town and country. The idea is that there should be a Silver Bullet Cannonade, the outstanding feature of which -will bo a great light for Hill £2s,ooo—the amount which it is hoped to raise by the Carnival. For the purpose of the fight a number of armies will be organised, probably eight. The Nelson province will be divided into eight areas, and the respective armies will be known probably as 'he Bombardiers, Cuirassiers, Fusiliers, Grenadiers, Hussars, Fright Horse, •'Guards-, and Rangers. It will be ths aim of every army to get nearest to tlie top of Hill" £25,000, and to this end officers and privates will require to take in every available shilling. The army that is strongest at the time fixed for the closing of the campaign will be de[clared victorious, and its Princess and officers will be the central figures of the grand closing pageant, which will include the signing of peace, presentation of colours, etc., etc. For the purpose of the great fight for Hill £25,000.. the strength of a company has been fixed thus:—2Co -men at 'ls, £10; 16 lance-corporals at ss, £4; 10 corporals at 10s, £5 : 8 lance-sergeants at, £l. £3; 3 sergeants at £5, £4O; 1 quartermaster-sergeant, £lO ; 1 sergeantmajor. £ls: 2 lieutenants at £25, £SO; 1. captain, £SB. Total for company, £2OO. It will be seen that a full strength company is worth £2OO. Pour companies, therefore, have a money value of £BOO, but in order to complete a regi-' merit -a major at £75 and a colonel at £125 must -be provided, thus making a regiment worth £IOOO. Every regiment will have its own Colonel and Princess, and the Princess of the victorious regiment will become Britannia or .the grand finale, and the Colonel will be presented with the colours. / ( The first week of the campaign will :be devoted to building up the rival armies preparatory to the great strugale for the Kill. Each army will. be started with a Colonel, a Princess, a, recruiting officer, and ten privates,/a-nd it will -be the 'business of. these piqfteevs to push enlistment for all it is worth. Every pound they get will ad d_ 20. men to their regiment, every shilling will add a unit.-'and every map and woman enrolled will become an active worker. \t the end of a week, or perhaps a fort'vi'ht Headquarters will give the ci'mil' for attack, and thereafter the armies will be able to hit each other as well as build up their own -strength. The positions of' the contesting- armies will be shown daily, by means .of ..flags placed on, a huge "property"-hill placed, in a conspicuous locality, and by notifica.tion. in the newspapers. For instance, at the eiid of ten days' fighting, the flag of the Fussars may occupy the place oi honour, the highest point yet reached, .j arid' the 'recrimental commander ot trie :

■Bombardiers' may consider it good tactics to use up some ammunition at _tne expense of the proud Hussara. Tbe Bombardiers' commander may have nad a .successful day,,-and the proceeds 01 ;fcis army'* -effort may aggregate a considerable sum. -He' doesn't know how much the Hussars., are ahead, lhafc is ■ only known to the secret service officer, 'who is. responsible for recording the 'achievements of the contestants. All the Bombardiers' commander knows is that the Hussars' flag is ahead of his- He •> knows that every shilling counts for a man, and" in order to see what, happens, ho drops a bomb worth £SO into his enemy's trenches, or, in other words, he secretly instructs the secret service officer 'to do it for him, which means that 1000 Hussars metaphorically bite. I the dust.' This £6O has, not used up the * whole of the Bombardiers' ammunition', : and be thus places the balance' to his i own credit -, thus 'strengthening his own ' force to a corresponding extent. ■■■• j In all probability several other com- ! manders may have had a shot,at the | Hussars, with the result "that the cas-; I uaity list is a heavy 'one. As a conse- ' quence the following da>;> will see- a change in the position of the flags, with -borhaps the Guards, who have not wasted: any ammunition, occupying pride ot place, and the Grenadiers advancing m strength. . ' ' / ; 'And so the fight will go on, no commander knowing just where he stands, .but with- the certainty. that when the battle has ended honours will be hehl by the. army that has helped most effective--lv' to canture the coveted £25,000. "'The Battle.will be waged under certain specially.' devised rules of war, fair to every arnw, but known only ( to the secret service" officer, I&ch army will be master of its own destiny, and each will be credited.with four regiments to start with to. provide for casualties :n the earlv dWvs'of the campaign;. but alter that "it will be a case of every army for itself, and the commander who does 'nof make the most of his opportunities and' get the most out of his soldiers (men and women) will be defeated I>Y his more capable and energtic rival. There will be ample scope .for enthusiasm, tactical genius, and individual and; concerted effort. Every officer, Y eyery non-com., everv soldier will be -expected to do his or her level best 'for the-regi-ment There will be raiding parties.. ' scouting parties, attacks in force, and! snipin" for big' money,■•taking the form ! of hall and street, entertainments, per- ! sonal canvass, perhaps a stall or two in Paddy's Market, and any other legiti- , mate "form-of raising money. The net result should be the organisation of practically the whole comlmuuty in a. great-and successful patriotic eftort.