A SERBIAN SOLDIER.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 144860, 11 December 1915, Page 4

A SERBIAN SOLDIER.

HOW HE IS READY TO FACE THE STORM. (13y Stanley Naylor, in the London Daily Chronicle.) When, a lc- days ago, I left Serbia alter constantly travelling up and down the country over four months, I carried away with me many different impres- ! aions. Sonic of these impressions, it may be, are curiously confused and conllicting, for Serbia is by no means an : open booh in bo read by all who ran as soon as they reach her gates. Like the i rest ol her Bahian neighbours, mu; is to ! stmie extent a paradox—a nation ol j warring truths. But one impression 1 that | early formed has remained with { me so long that it t> now among my I ripest convictions. On one paint. 1 am ; prooi-po-ltive. To-day there is no induing man in the world mole wonderlid (liait the “Tommy Atkins” of , Serbia.

Wonderful is a big word, but il is not too big to til the men in the rank and file of the Serbian army. They are wonderful, of all in the Sioici.-m—one. had almost said gaiety!—with which they have burno the heat, and burden of iour years of v.ar. They were wonderful, again, when, now nearly a year a”o, undci superb) generalship, they succeWidiy drove <uvr YXMi-u Austrian iiruiders trout their territories and took, 03.808 of llieiu prisoners into the bargain. And th.-y are still more wonder! nl at the present moment, when, after lea months of masterly inactivity, they “stand like greyhounds in the slips aliaiumg noon the start’' lor—well, what ever betidoF ‘■.SERBIA WILL BE HEADY.” “Don’t forget, that when the time acmes to strike, Smhia will be ready,” ?J. Pasuch, the veteran Brimc Miidster. told me proudly at Nish as far bark as last May. Ami in view ot the fa cl ibaT. live months carla i . our Aliy had purcha-cd her \ i*. lory over the Atn.tri* ans ai a cost of HKhfrfiu lives, this was certainly no mean boast. Even at that

in redd'!,'.' early date Serbia. after baaing hi; in ! ;, ■ inieival i ;,i.i n ni by ■ lim and ib.-H. ins once more back at- haloid fighting-strength, with her loree.s completely leorgamscd and bolter clumped lii.-m ever before.' .Since that tini.‘, idm. anmumition-inakiiig has broil procot dm;: apace. Il Serbia, evilb b"a army o> was i eady to strike in iijuv, vac ni.lv o. ijinle mire she is more than ever ready to strike to-day. There him been something impressive nufi grand in rite picture ol these stoutbeaned men oi Serbia, n.a.-e d round tin- liul- nation'" bolder"—waitin'.;, always wailing. hoi several bum's nearly ’ every tiny timing: l lie pa.si ten months many a .Serbian “Tommv At-, bins'’ lias knoii'ii what it is to stand rigidly on guard, glued like nn automaton to Ids jmm. bis i.iee stolidly inscrutable, but Ids heart yearningly atlanie to lie ontie more up and dome. ■‘l’m dead "irk ot having to wait. ’ a private told ole when I talked with him while off duty through an interpreter who. having lived in America, was able to translate very raeily. "It onlv wo could have anotl:» whack at ’em! fin just longing for the war to end. Von see, 1 haven’t seen my wife and children for three years. My liome is so far away mid we have been so everlastingly light mg. or expecting to light, that I have never bad a chance lo go bank.” And if this has hron the lot of sonic of Serbia’s first-line soldiers still in their prime, what, of those veterans of the third and fourth lines who are to be found guarding the remoter places less liable to attack ? These grizzled warriors are generallv cheerful. Vet. lor them also, life holds mure than its fair share of irony. "Of course. I’m onlv scrap-iron—ion old for the firingline,” one of them lately confessed to me. "I’m’fifty, and I’ve been in the annv thirty-three years. In Serbia, von know, we start serving at seventeen and finish at fifty-five.” . . . •'Then, in another five years yon will be treck” I ventured encouragingly.

••Vos. in another five years I shall b« free all right/’ bo replied bitterly. “Mid please don’t forget, sir, I shall also bo lifty-five!” But not for nothing lias Ihe Serb been railed “the Irishman ot the Balkan?/’ His temperament is mercurial, and those moments o: depression soon slip jnvav. Although (vcasionallv discouraged. hr is seldom seriously downcast. "OilficuHie? never damn, him. Instead they lire his blood, "li only we could have another whack at ’em!” That is (lie spirit in which ho goes forth to meet and beat his foes. T 0 him the thought that. Serbia should he vanquished is simply muhinkablo. For with him his country ranks as god. Patriotism, an all-consuming love of t!)o land of his forefathers, is praeiieallv tlu? only religion ho knows and understands. Provided he holds last to his faith in the salvation of Serbia ho feels all will be well. Inevitably his enemies must so to the walk This is the firm belief of every true Serbian peasant. And maybe—who knows—it is because perhaps be tlin.es to it so tenaciously that he ligai.i ?a valiantly and well.

THEIR HU AVERY IN ACTION. "Victory is not won by shiving anus, but by brave hearts.” nuts the Serbian ‘TutJ'.niyV "uithn;; nrircm. And in his case. it is literally true. M hen you rolled that many of the Serbian officers contrive lu cm quite a formidable' dash on L'7(> a year, it follows that the uniforms of the men in the ranks are not oxu-ily "littering. The only allowance they get is a very tew dinars a month, together with one loal ot bread ami a round of ammunition day. And unless they are fust-lino soldiers they tight in thoir peasant-dress. As a rule the peasants have only, two suits of clothes—one for winter' and one for summer. Each is firmly stitched on to Idm. according to season, by a devoted wifi l —so {irmly that, it lott to himself, lie pursues the line of the least resistance, and, such is ids pagan 1 taste for filth. changes his clothes only twice a veer!”

All honour, then, to tin? .povertystricken men who tip lit under such terrible conditions. The homes tram which many of them come seem too wretched to light for. Vet they still go oa lighting—for the unification ol their beloved Serbia, for the glory of this one single idea. Tl.ejr bravery in action i.-. now a byword. But let me, at least. L'i’-'c oik- story tor the truth’ nf which tha: avcicut Sorbophilo Dr. .SotullV.itsnii voucher. Hcfore tlic l - superior forces of the eneuiv on one occasion a Serbian rcciincnt lu;d to retire. Of the men serving the jiKichim’-ttuiis till but one were Uilhsl and wounded; bill this man. instead of withdrawing with his comrades, continued to worb his gun with such fiendish energy that, at' last the advancing enemy, not realising that lie. stood alone, ami- fearing ” trap, retired in their turn. And sc the situation was saved by the courage o' one man. His exploit was duly icocted to the general, who sent'for mm next day and said (iercelv, "Vmc'ic a terrible fellow. What’s this I hear ol yon? They tell me il was a regular masiaere. How many men did you hill?” The gunner, much norgarbed, stammered out his belief that certainly well over a hundred men must have fallen victims to his machine-gun. ••Well,” said the general frowning,

“rhero’s’nothimr for u but to make yoti a corpora).” ”Oh. goncra!.” exHainuvl the man, v.dio bail expected soma kind of punishment. “And now, C orporal general,” gasped the man. speechless with astonishment. “And now. Sergeant the general went on, “I make you a lieutenant.” The new olliburst inm tears. “And now,” cried the general, “now embrace inc l”