"TOUT DE SUITE" CORNER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17105, 10 September 1917, Page 7

"TOUT DE SUITE" CORNER

THE KENDEKBURG lINK.

(Bx a Y-M.OA. Wokeeb.) Have you learnt to say "Tout de suite" «nite" before the boys come home. It is one of ouTmost popular adaptations from X Fraac£ "Toot sweet" we call it, and m« iroonstaiifly. An officer lib* to be obeyed We all want the war over " Toot sweet" If your oWs waiting tW's it anything to be done nnmediately, without deErS to be done "Tout de see oar address, *•»"**» "j*?! Corneri somewhat least, it Uuld be 2 we had invented it. ourselves. r _ m-tter of fact the men christened us, S interesting story of a piece of Y.M. work in the way we were able to earn so enviable a name. I think Providence mnstnawe selected tne spot for us, and Providence certainly protected us while we occupied it It was at the junction of five road, the most advanced canteen of any sort on the most; advanced and most important sector of the British front at that time. From the moment wo opened, a month ago, our doors have never been shut, and our boilers have never been out Night and day men have been served with tea, cocoa, coffee, biscuits, and cigarettes, and not one penny has ever been taken. That's why we were Tout de suite Corner." Customers can be dealt with "Toot sweet" when there's no money to take and no change to find. No statistics of the actual number of men served have been kept, but it must have run into tens of thousands. Forty-five urns of tea were made one night between eight m the evenm<r and five in the morning. Generals, majors, captains, indeed, all ranks up to full privates, hare been among our clientele. We had a monopoly of the trade of the whole district . ,_ There was no other canteen anyttnng like so near the line. And the men' marvelled to find even the YM. up so close. They marvelled still more when at right on several occasions a Y.M.OA. worker appeared in the trenches, having taken a load of biscuits- and cigarettes for free chstribuA cup of hot drink, a packet of biscuits, and a few eigarettes do not sound much, but they mean a great deal to men out here, if they can get them «t the right place and moment Men came to us straight from the trenches, 'shelled and suffering losses almost to the very doors. They came dazed, weary, worn to the last extreme of human endurance, and a cup of cocoa, biscuits, and a smoke made the difference almost between life and death. "By Jove, that's good—that's the first warm drink Pre had for five days." "Thank God for thafc-Hihat's saved my These.are the expressions yon could hear a score of times in any quarter of an hour at the counter at night One man staggered up, panting: Tm done. Can I leave my rifle and pack here? I can't carry it another yard!" "All right, chum; let's have it" We took away rifle and pack, gave him his cup of coffee, biscuits, and cigarettes, and in about five minutes 1 time he came again. ''I say, chum, let's have my rifle and pack. I'm all right now." ' Walking wounded by the hundred have been served, scores of wounded Germans have partaken of our hospitality, men gassed, men buried and dug out, men suffering from shellshock, men utterly broken by the strain of war have rested and been cared for, and sent on for further treatment

It must not be forgotten that the horrors of war at the front are at least equally great for officers and for the rank and file, and officers of all grades have blessed "Tout de Suite Corner." > They have lost brother officers and men m the trenches, coming out of the trenches, on. the way down, and have literally fallen into our chairs with "My God, this is awful; this isn't war, it's murder, human beings can't stand this." And . the Y.M C.A. welcome, tho cocoa, biscuits, and cigarettes have worked their miracle with them. Notes for ten, twenty francs have been offered us again and again, but we have always refused, jealous of our reputation of never having taken a penny. And the Y.M.C.A. will not be the loser. "Well I shall do something decent for the T.M.C.A. after the war,'' said one in my hearing to a brother officer, "send them a cheque for £20 or so." "Yes, I reckon the Y.M. will never want for money after this," said the other. One would like those who aro familiar with our palatial huts at the bases in France and at home to see the buildings, or rather bits of building, that serve as huts near tho front "Tout de Suite Corner" was a fair sample. It was a part of what was originally stable buildings. All had been completely wrecked by shell fire except one rooat—tho only structure of any kind left *U«»dinff anywhere on th>> crossroads. One side of this was shot away and served conveniently as a window counter. The floor was jome t#ofeet deep in horse litter, that we were never able properly to clear. Thero was just sufficient ceiling left to concentrate the rain into the room,\and then the floor became morass. Ycra wouldn't nave paid •. big rent for 'Tout de Suite Corner." One has to confess that life under such conditions is pretty rough and not without its dangers. Our billet was another bit' of stable on a par with the hut. Boscho gas was an ever-presont danger, and to be out of reach of one's helmet was practically suicide. Our pwitior- on a crossroads was sufficient to ensure us a good share of Fritz's attention. Our customers, soirctimos disappeared below the level of the counter when a shel' whined and burst ominously near. Bits o» debris have hit the wall, and new shell-holes constantly appear on this sido and that But a kindly Providence watches over "Tout do Suite Corner," and the frequent prophecy of *he men, "It's bound t« go up some day," has not yet been fulfilled.