CORRESPONDENCE

Taranaki Daily News, 27 September 1930, Page 5

CORRESPONDENCE

: “ALL QUIET.” ' : . (To the Editor.) •Sir, —Your correspondent “10/3-m” hag; gathered a’wrong ipipression from my”letter, ami-1 shall be grateful if you will allow me, a few lines in explanation. I do not'condemn the picture in every- way, but I assert positively that soldiers did not behave like those in “Alli Quiet.” Granting that food was short ■at times, the men did not, fight for ; it, nor tear it to pieces. By all means - let every woman see it, so long as she doesn’t think her digger husband, son or brother conducted himself as in the' picture!' 1 ‘(I dbii’t rdftr r to t the - ’incident' of the three French -girls ;>-ith erewas nothing exclusive to the aripy about that). I don ? t remember saying or suggesting that I never “had the wind up.” On. the' contrary, I have always maintained that the, man who said he never ielt afraid under’ shell fire was a straight-out liar. But .1 say that the men kept their feelings to themselves;, they didn’t rush about screaming. I pass over the remark that I “must,have had a good time somewhere’’ with the com-.ipent-thiit never 'detache’j on any special job' that kept me but of the Urie, so your correspondent will know how good the time was. Contrary to ’ what lie’ says, I 'was in hospital with, the wounded, and I therefore know how they behaved. “10/3-m” says the picture is not gruesome enough. I agree with him that the Western Front (I was not on Gallipoli) witnessed more terrible and pathetic scenes than any shown on the screen, but I again repeat, soldiers (and nurses, too, since he mentions them) suffered their hardships and their wounds, their fear,-and their hunger-, with-patience and fortitude, and never descended to the level of the picture. Say whit you like about war or the last war. I do not defend war, but it is a gross libel and injustice'to allow the men who fought in it to be characterised as they are in “All Quiet.” —I am, etc., , ' 10/xyz.

Sir, —Be good enough to allow me as much space as possible to add my quota of comments on the above. No doubt, “10/xyz” ' was quite correct in his somewhat severe strictures. “All Quiet” may be regarded as an artistically constructed picture calculated to draw the general public, who as a whole rather seem to enjoy the gruesome mixed up with a little sob stuff. But to claim that it is a true representation of warfare is ridiculous, and anyone who has had even a moderate experience of . war must know this quite well. It is a most curious fact about the • war that the most gruesome and most exaggerated descriptions usually emana'te from those who saw least of front-line work. I have heard that the talented author of “All Quiet,” who, -incidentally, made a big sum 'of money (and good luck to him), was chiefly engaged in base work. War is undoubtedly a game that lias a great many drawbacks, and in these days much too expensive as a pastime, but “10/3-m” is very far astray if he thinks that the younger generation are to be frightened out of the idea of warfare by going to see pictures of the “All Quiet” type. “10/3-m” might “often” have been hungry “at times,” but thece were many complaints of the fopd, even at Trentbam and the other training camps.’Lois of people', whether they were at the'war or not, might feel a little off colour at times, a condition that can usually be traced, to over-eat-ing and over-drinking.—l, am,, etc., ' 23/3pm.