LED BY A PRIEST.

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 13729, 18 March 1915, Page 2

LED BY A PRIEST.

It is not for nothing that every regimental standard in the Russian army bears the text "God is on our side," and when the officers go down in a fight it is often the regimental chaplain, who, with the standard in left hand and cross held aloft in right, leads the troops forward to the attack.

Only the other clay, during one of the Russian attacks on the Gorgimow front a battalion which had lost most of its officers was led by the regimental chaplain. He was, of course, absolutely unarmed and was wearing an ordinary soldier's coat. Ho brought the men back after as gallant a bayonet charge as any made in this section of the Polish front.

While speaking of the gallantry of Russian regimental chaplains, one must not forget an.incident which occurred on the Russian Christmas eve in the trenches near Goumine. The Russian and German trenches here were very near together. Every effort was used to dissuade a priest from holding service, but without avail. The service began, accompanied by beautiful Russian singing to "Eternal honour." The German soldiers opposed to this section of the trenches ceased firing and the service concluded in the dead silence of night at that spot, the Russians' singing rising above the steady boom of the distant artillery duelling.

Seven minutes after the conclusion of the service, when the Germans were satisfied it was over, firing was resumed as usual.

Next morning a stone wrapped in a paper and attached to a string was flung into the Russian trenches. The paper contained Christmas greetings and the words "pull the string." A pull brought across the narrow space dividing the trenches a parcel containing some cigars and a chunk of cheese with more good wishes.