FRAGMENTS FROM FRANCE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14984, 11 August 1919, Page 5

FRAGMENTS FROM FRANCE.

"PADRE" BLADIN 'S TRIBUTE TO

mi<; uu-xa,

"Fragments "tVoiu irancc'' w&* tiietii.t; vi a must eiituriiunmg autllesb on various aspects ol the soiuiers' bie m ii'iince, delivered by ttiaff Uaptaia iSiadm, ol Uie salvation- Army, at ii. very body's meitre \ esierday jii-eniuon. "".fadr© '• Biadni, iis ho is known to thousands oi th« boys, not onuy m the iNevv Zealand camps u^ on the Western hunt, is guted with a caking personality and ' possesses! a rare fund ol iirst-hand anecdotes of tbobe

" great recl-biooded splendid feilows," as he terms them, who made up New Zealand's lighting forces. Th,e speaker was introduced by Colonel Fletcher, president of the biisbonie Returned Soldiers' Association, who spoke m high appreciation oi the work done by the "padre' and the Salvation Army. iii. the field and at home, paying a special tribute to the .Salvation Army's sisters, and the services rendered by N this and kindred institutions. In ' acknowledging these remarks, and referring to the eulogistic tribute paid by Captain J. R. Kirk (mentioned at a- meeting on Thursday evening), Captain Bladin said that "out yonder" one worked very much m the dark and saw little indication of the result of one's efforts (and m" fact looked for none), so that tlie appreciation expressed was highly gratifying. He was pleased that reference had been made to the Salvation Army's sisters. He was proud to. be on the same platform with a man like Colonel Fletcher, and was glad that the affairs of the returned soldiers were m such good hands. Proceeding, the speaker said it was his endeavor to try ,tq give a, better undei 1 - Btanding of what the soldiers had undergone m France,, as >„p eople out here, had no conception of the, trying experiences of the men. Happily the boys ppssesv sed. the saving grace of humor, and this had enabled them toVlaugh m the face of danger under the most terrible conditions, and to ■ "carry on." Captain B}adiii's "fragments" comprised reference to the humor, of the soldier, the comradeship, the pleasures, and the religioti of the soldier. Speaking on the first heading, he detailed numerous incidents to illustrate the unfailing humor displayed under all circumstances. Even m. the hospitals, where one saw the most tragic effect of war, where men poured m with shattered limbs, torn faces, cruel wounds, and even, shattered minds, this sense of j humor' prevailed amidst a|l this misery and suffering. 'It was those radiant, sparks who kept the other fellows cheered up under such depressing conditions. Touching- oh the pleasures of the soldier. Captain Bladin declared that the greatest pleasure "out ■jjonder' was the prospect Of going on leave, to "Blighty." "Another great source of joy was the arrival of letters from home, and the speaker went on to tell of the eagerness with which the men lined up for the' mail, and of the tears which rolled down the cheeks of some of the strongest of these men . m expression of their keen disappointment when they- discovered there was no letter from home. Speaking on the soldiers' religion the "padre" stated that the average soldier was very much nearer true religion than most people imagined. . There were things perhaps about some of the boys they did not like— but it was not their, fault, it was the fault of the church— he did not refer to any particular church, but. the Church of God — which had made religion far too cheap. Religion had been made too ethereal;: it was not real and practical enough to appeal to these men.. If the church could only show these fellows something real, something they could hold to, then these soldiers "would be prepared to do for the church what they had done for King and country. .Nothing appealed to him so much as the spirit of comradeship. There was something sublime about it, and he only wished the people out here had the same unselfish consideration for their fellows as the boys nad for each pther on the field. Selfishness was at the heart of bur, social and if the spirit of Bolshevism was to be. curbed, then more consideration and self-sacrifice would have to be displayed for others. Empty platitudes were not wanted, but thorough self-sacrifice m the heart of every man and . woman for the good of humanity. The people of New Zealand had much to learn from the spirit of self-sacrifice that, had animated its grand fellows on the battlefield. Band selections were rendered; during, the gathering, which concluded "with votes of thanks to Staff-Captain Bladin and to Colonel Fletcher for presiding.. ■ ,-'