ALLIES AT SALONIKA.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 February 1916, Page 4

ALLIES AT SALONIKA.

LIFE OF BRITISH ARMY, PLENTY OP RAIN AND MUD, The following letter was written ty rt officer of an English regiment, nop sg£; of the Balkan Expeditionary jfaen*t~> I "Orders having nome for us 4*> on, wo soon packed up and *:*:»£*#.i and spent two days and nights ±ra"* Bl fc>if through France and some majb»i,f*»e?ff icenery. We were very glad to jrns W our train journey's end, as wo bad volt much room to stretch. We tfien msrcandl straight on towards our base, and for the neat two days, it being very rough, I it* afraid we all wished we were saMy m dry land.

'•On arriving at Salonika we raarehefl to our camping ground, about three mile* out of the town on a side of a hill. H«t« we soon settled in our touts, but I omitsay we found a dilVerenec in the teinjx*«-' ture, the nights being particularly toii.. Tlio weather in fact lias no: been <ri *** best, for after two or tliree ityf' «•* the whole place was a mud yttsmfj »n much so that provisions, etc., <':"iiltiwily] be brought to us by liaml-cnrts >m>' the' last half-mile; then snow aiut ire V«t in, so that it looks more like « ' xj* expedition, and the men in their «hei," skin coats add to the picture. "It ia extraordinary when yon tlii«\ that) we ore in a neutral country. In th» town you see men of all nationalities— i Greeks, Turks, .lews, Bulgars, French and British—and all sorts and condition* of uniforms and colors; it is a wonderful sight. The Greek nrmy is concentrated round here, and they are ft very flue set of men, dressed in khaki and well cqulnped. It is a strange sight to see in the same street ancient carts drawn by a. pair of buffaloes or yaks, and numbers of the French and English motor-lorries and despatch riders, with boys nelliuß «n English newspaper called the Balkan News, which they also bring up to Hi" camp quite early in the morning. It is quite nice to be near a town once more, where one can get really hot baths and shampoos, and buy anything one may want, althouah naturally the «hm>keepers' motto is to -make hay while tli« sun shines,' and (bey don't forsret t" make one pay. It is no good to try and areuc. it is take it; or leave it. '•There are music balls and picture palaces, aifo good cafes mid hotels where voh can got a good Enclish dinner. The diningroom oT the hotel is full of people of all nations—Ambassadors and (heir wives and families. Turks and Germans in civilian clothes, bin- the majority officers of all ranks and nations. The Greek officers are verv smart, with sold epaulettes and swords, also senior Servian officers covered with medals and lace and braid—fearful kmtts! With alre»dv (en or twelve degrees of frost and snow tinder foot, we want plenty of warm clothing, especially as they say the eold weather does not 'really begin until January, when we hope we shall be more acclimatised, but personally I am perfectly well and fit, and much prefer it to begin hexed up in a trench in Flandcu. Of course, we do not know how long we shall be if. this camp, and we may perhaps spend our Christmas in dug-ollts in the Servian mountains."