LIFE IN SAMOA

Southland Times, Issue 17476, 3 April 1915, Page 6

LIFE IN SAMOA

GETS ON SOLDIERS’ NERVES. £ CAMPAIGN OE DO NOTHING. (Special to the Time-si. CHRISTCHDRCH. April I. The principal Feature of life amongst the New Zealand troops in Samoa apparently was the "neruy” condition into which the men drifted simply because there was nothing in the nature of what they call a ••scrap" to break the monotony on the islands. They went from New Zealand fully expecting to see sonic lighting and eager for opportunities to show' what they could do, but nothing "I this sort came their wax-, and at hist the hope that was so long deterred made their hearts very sick. Air G. D. Pool!’., who, was in the infantry division, and who j.as returned to Christchurch, discussing Samoa to-dav. said that he had never known such a pronounced case ot "nerves getting liold of a body of non. Leave that look t’ae men far from the town could not be granted, anil wailing became so tiring find disappointing that men and officers Silike la>gan to long for a chance t■. get n.\vav. 'Dio on!’.' im■ iilents wcic ties \ isit of the German mcn-of-war wnich resulted in nothing, and a little -serai'' between two tril'-s of natives. Apart from these the men had to rely upon wordy arguments on tilings in g.-iicrah friendly pouts. It ’.'.as real lighting that they had gone to see and tne garrison duty palled on them until it made them restive and discontented. They

began to ask ..no another if they were actuallv on active work, and some of th*m went as far as to send a formal question to that effect to the officers, ■who knew no more about the arrangements than the m-n themselves knew. On V:ie whole, Mr Booth said, the im.-n laid good health, and even if ennui did attack them somewhat strongly they had XL good time. Tb-v found that althotujth the climate was trying at times it iwns quite bearable if suitable clothing was worn. Leave was giv-n fairly frequently an«l tl.is nJjpnri unitios? to visit soaie plains ni ino-resT. Tiio natives wore bosmtabb-. they mad- many protestations of their loyalty to lb- British, and openiv avow-d tht-ir dislike "i the Gcimans and of German rule. stpvaking generally lb— New Zealaudei s pot along v-rv well with the German population -t Samoa. There were occasions when haid language passed between two members of the hostile nations I. at ’io-se differences went no further than x.-T'ls. Mar.;.- of the New Zealanders. inoe'd. were on very trieiidix t-rms wita the Germans. Usually a German who discussed the war smiled Incredulous!;.- when it was suggested that Germany would go down in the struggle. Tuev snowed more b\ titeii confident air than by what they said that they had boundless faith in their country. " The possibility of defeat did not seem to nave entered their minds.