BRISK RECRUITING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15834, 3 February 1915, Page 8

BRISK RECRUITING.

MORE MEN VOLUNTEER.

DETACHMENT GOES SOUTH.

ARTILLERY AND ENGINEERS

Thirty-six recruits presented themselves for medical examination at tho Drill Hall yesterday morning, and 32 were passed as medically tit. Four others were to have attended, but they failed to appea.'. There were 12 enlistments during the day. A total of 37 men for the field artillery and 20 for the field engineers left Aurkby the 12.40 p.m. train to join the reinforcements at Trentham. More men are wanted for' the engineers, especially those who havo been engaged in the building trade. The names of those who left yesterday for the artillery are as follows: — Sergeant-Major S. Noels, permanent staff. P. Butler P. J. Mourant A K. 801 l p. H. Nelson T. W. Berghan J. V. Payne H. Bell S. R. Tyler A. L. deal J. A. Wright H. H. Cooper A. Walton A. H. Currcy W. C. Johnson H. B. Cameron E. Jovnt °- Dale K. Johns.-n O. V. Darev F. W. Kenned C. V. Eltoft A. E. Little " J Goodwin H S. Mercer J. Hamilton W. E. O'Donnell W. F. Haydon A. A. Playfair A. It. Johnson A. M. Steadman \\ . James L. J. Spinley M. Mac Donald E. W. Taylor H. V. Metcalfe H. Taylor" The following comprised the enei rteis : — A. E. Burton A. Xcill W. G. Cooper C. S O'Gara •'• <-'oyla S. L. Puig ;- Y? rd T - w - V. 'Robinson E. I'itzgeraii R S. Wvlie K. J. Hoy T. Wilson A. Hill F. E. Woodrow A. McHeath C. Wright K. Johnson A. MeKendrv R. R. Nairn F. Oram. FOURTH REINFORCEMENT. THE MEN IN TRAINING. GOOD PROGRESS MADE. The permanent camp at Trentham is now occupied by the third and fourth reinforcement drafts for the New Zealand expeditionary force The members of the fourth draft have now had three weeks' training, and an interesting account of the progress they have made is given by a sergeant, in writing to a friend in Auckland, ' % We have all our kit nowdenims, uniforms, overcoat, rifle," he states. " The underclothing is far too heavy for the present weather, and we are wearing either our own or none. The camp is well ordered, and the troops can, if they like, make themselves comfortable. Cleanliness is, necessarily and happily, a compulsory virtue. There is a magnificent patch of native bush near the camp with a stream running through, to which all the troops are marched on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons. The majority of the men are extremely glad to have this opportunity of getting rid of the Trentham dust. There is also a shower-bath in the camp. Dust is the greatest trouble here. Our tent floor is inches thick with it. and during meals we swallow a good deal. Most of the fellows take this philosophically, although. of course, there is the usual percentage of growlers. The food is plentiful and wholesome. Leave is granted once or twice per week, and this is quite sufficient, as the work is severe, and the troops require the 74 hours' sleep, from 10 p.m. to 5.30 a.m., to keep them fit. "The fourth reinforcements have made great progress, and it is almost incredible that raw recruits could reach the stage of efficiency, which is evident among the Aucklanders, as the result of only three weeks' work. At first, some of the men rebelled against discipline, but a few days worked Wonders. This was possible, owing to the respect, amounting almost to awe, with which they regarded officers. " Ample provision is made for the men's amusement. There are a billiard saloon and several concert balls in camp, and, besides, a tailor's shop and two' hairl dressers' saloons. A laundry is also a most useful and labour-saving institution." TROOPS IN SAMOA. HEALTH GENERALLY GOOD. [by telegraph.— association-.] Wellington, Tuesday. The Defence Department has received the following cablegram from Colonel Logan, Administrator of Samoa :—" The health of the troops is good. Battery : Private H. E. Hatch, injured foot. Field Engineer* : Sapper J. W. Body, rheumatism. Signal Company : -Corporal C. W. Boucher, varicocele; Private G. W. Pearce, fever. Railway Engineers : Sappers C. Cecil, abscess; L. 0. Drewerv, bullet wound: J. E. McNulty, fever.' Auckland Regiment: Maior W.'kav appendicitis ; Privates F. K. Bell, dysentery ; A. Cox and L. Ryan, hernia.; T. "E. Peck' fever; W. T. Tickner, burns. Machinegun section : Private H. E. Leo-en,-debility. Army Service Corps : Private W. _ Brocklebank, jaundice. Wellington Regiment : Lieutenant B. R. Lankshear, jaundice; Privates A. Clapham. ear trouble; J. Hunter, injury to foot; H. Jenkinson. septic throat: A. Johnstone hernia; J. W. R. McMillan, fever; H. Stubbs, rheumatism. Medical Corps: Private W. Mardon, fever. All are dcin<* well." ° THE SPORTING 'SPIRIT. HOW OUR TROOPS APPROACH WAR, Dr. P. W. James, of Croydon, who is serving as a lieutenant with* the Seaforth Highlanders, has written an interesting letter to a friend at Croydon. He says :— "The only way to finish the war "is to pour in crowds of mem Numbers must tell; that's the way to reach Berlin. Let no man run away with the idea that the German army is rotten. Their artillery is wonderful in its aim. The explosive that they use is not so good as our own. but honour where honour is due, and to see their batteries seeking and often' finding our own is pure science. Of their infantry, they are brave men, but what I have said from the beginning is that then- discipline is that of fear, ours of respect, and the latter must always tell. Don't run away with the idea that because of this one Englishman is equal to two Germans—he isn't whore war is concerned.

"We approach war sportingly; they approach it professionally. Just" let me give you a few examples. Every German soldier carries in his knapsack a stick of liquorice, . meant, of course, to check a cough when on outpost or sentry-go. Their equipment is aluminium-made: their waterproof sheet not only shelters from rain mi march or dew by night, but also makes a bivouac. Again, in wire entanglements, which often are put up in turnip fields, the posts supporting are painted green, like the leaves. Every trick, every artifice, and rightly, too. War is war is the lesson that Englishmen have vet to learn.

"dust one or two stories that I heard while, we were at Loncy-le-long, on the ridge above the town. One day, when the shells were pretty hot, I heard one dock say to another, 'Aye, mon, I'd rather see it ' n the pictures.' At the same place a certain regiment loved some pears in an orchard, but monsieur used to sit on the wall to guard his orchard and his pears. Tommy found that 'little Willie' (a name we gave to a German gun), which often used to shriek over the town, made monsieur run to the cellar. So Tommy gets a biscuit-box to imitate the shriek'of "little Willie." and when he wanted pears set his contraption to work. Down hops monsieur off the wall to find the safety of his cellar, and in hops a Tommy to find delicacies for his company mess."