BRITISH IN SALONIKA

Southland Times, Issue 17682, 15 March 1916, Page 3

BRITISH IN SALONIKA

AX EXVIOUS TRIBUTE. Tributes to the British spirit are of sufficiently rare occurrence in the German press to ciemand sympathetic attention when they present themselves. Such a tribute is printed in the Berliner Tagcblutt over tlie signature of Emil Budvig, its correspondent at Salonika: — What inimitable creatures these English are! Xo matter in what part of the globe they may find themselves they are instantly at home and at ease. Envy tiicm tins faculty we may as much as wo iikf, but in imitating it no other people lias as yet succeeded. As an example, lake the case 01 Salonika, and cast a glance at the present clay conditions in that city. You will see that the English arc the distinguished masters there, the masters of tiie Allies, and therefore even more hated by ttie Greeks than are the French or Serbian?. Their demeanour, as they walk or drive through the streets, the coolness with-which in the evening the olficers. in khaki-coloured ulsters, with walking-stick in hand, stride proudly, like spuvtsmon, Into the cafes, the supercilious disdain of all these handsome lithe figures, from the white-haired colonel to the young lieutenant deftly handling his hold glasses and his lifting whip and nonchalantly smoking his cigarette in its gold and amber tubeall those; tilings have hut one meaning; the plainly say to the whole world: •'Wc arc the master.'-' here, and the masters wc intend to remain.” The perfection of tiieir equipment, their nobility of mien, their wealth and dignity, are calculated not only to provoke those cheap sneers which bubble forth from the columns of our German press; they also give birth to serious rollection over the fateful part which 'ids people is called on to play in the world, and from which it will not easily be ousted. Twenty four-horse waggons roll along the cjuav, heavily laden with wood, the French ‘soldiers astride the leading horse-s whipping the anima-s and Joiuh> cursing, bespattered all over \vith mire. \t ttic corner .stands the English cavalryman in spic and span uniform. hm bands in Ids pockets, the reins of his horse on ids arm, ids pipe in hi-i mouth; Im is huving mandarins. A battalion of Scots marches by. A French artillery battalion follows, the one wuh head erect shoulders squared, and an air of proud distinction and independence; the other careless, moody, with lack-lustio eyes, a significant contract to the haughty sons of Albion. The whole spectacle —as, indeed, the prevailing conditions generally gives food for muen thought in \vhuh thcie is the underlying question most difficult tr answer. fill all we ever succeed m niacin" and in keeping our heel on the neck cTf this strangely clastic people?