TWO BRAVE MEN

NZ Truth, Issue 685, 27 July 1918, Page 1

TWO BRAVE MEN

1 V ! Not a Matter of Nationality The Jingo papers are always extremely anxious to caus9 us to believe that all Germans are fiends. Possibly, there are Jingo papers In Germany that also try to make their readers believe that all British subjects, are fiends. The fact is, however, that, as used to, be commonly said before the war broke out: "There are good and bad m, all countries." A remarkable illustration of the truth of this .Is -.'given m the "Monthly Report" of the United Society of Boilermakers and Iron Shipbuilders, which is published m Newcastle, England. The issue before us is for February of this year; &nd it makes the following reference to one of its members, under the heading "An Aberdeen Apprentice Riveter":— Pte. Wm, M. Allan (has been awarded the Military Medal for conspicuous gallantry, on the field. The act for which he has been honored was In rescuing a wounded, comrade, at- ... tending him for ,two days and nights knee deep m water, until he took him to - a place of safety, being himself wounded. Curiously enough, one of ihis last heroic actions before donning the khaki was saving a German who had jumped into the river. Dee'" to the assistance of two bathers who were m difficulties. It will be seen that this paragraph shows that a German m Scotland, seeing two bathers m difficulties, jumped into the River Dee to render them assistance, but, when m, was m such danger himself that his life was only saved by the gallantry of William M. Allen, the Aberdeen apprentice riy.et.er. ftpparefttty^ fiend. If he^had been,' K6?ov%lfaiwdm&s ' nbf have imp'er:illed:Jhi3^wS^rKe^i|K' order to' ;save the. lives, of others/ pariv! ''tic'ulafrly^as this; 'act . on^iils part waS ■-not ; eyeii- in'-Germany; but; m Scotland, 'and' that'the -bathers- in «'di faculties were protiatoly Scots'. - It^ is"' quite likely that ; what occurred was that the two "bathers m difficulties 'cluiig to the man who had gone to their assistance; and m this way, would have drowned him had not Allan saved him. • Such occurrences are not particularly uncommon. The facts of this case go to prove that a man can be a man, no matter m what country he first "saw the light."