“THE DEEP GAME.”

Otago Witness, Issue 3215, 27 October 1915, Page 52

“ THE DEEP GAME.”

“THE HUN NOWHERE IN IT.”

An officer on H.M.S. Philomel writes in a letter which arrived by this week’s mail: “ Paid a visit two days ago to the front as one might call it, where small skirmishes take place and things are interesting. The real trench can be seen and dug-outs, as used by those who dwell in such places. You would bo surprised at the comfort and neat appearance of this earthern existence, and one can fully realise what it moans in a communication trench to come face to face with the enemy. Our part of this show is to shell and prevent the advance of the enemy, and we arc in an ideal position to do so if such a thing occurs, lying within a mile of the beach, which extends flat to where our army lies. We have at present a small party and one officer lent to these soldiers with Maxims, and they also do ‘ spotting ’ for us if our firing is to be utilised. I am merely telling you this to give you some idea of what we are doing. Nothing ever seems to come of all our preparations. As the Turks realise, we have the best of it. Occasionally we get nows from various naval officers who come out in P. and O. steamers to man gunboats out here, and by all accounts Nortli Sea is a good place to bo out of, but for all that the situation is in such a good way that you cannot realise how badly ‘strafed’ the Gormans are. The Admiralty never give out information even if it is good, and the public, and even men in the navy, know very little of what goes on or what has happened. I would like to give you some more hints which would explain how the German report differently upon any action that takes place. It will make you smile some day, for when it comes to playing the deep game and the deceiving-trickery business the Hun is nowhere in it.”