PADDY ON THE FIGHTING SPIRIT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11217, 24 October 1914, Page 8

PADDY ON THE FIGHTING SPIRIT.

"Say what you liko about the Sydney Mornin' 'Erald," Paddy began in. a tone of argumentative challenge, " it's a paper with a great sportin spirit. You can see a touch of the. wowsor tar-brush over a lot of it, but I b'lcovo its staff gits down to the Stadium in disguise, and I wouldn't ba surprised if the editor asked Eddia M'Goorty to supper while lio was 'ere."

" Wot's got you goin' this toime?" the porter inquired. " 1 been readin' them war notes," Paddy answered, "about the Germans 'avin' plenty of food, .an' boots, an' ammunition. The 'Erald cove said that what his paper printed early in the war about tlio German army at Leege bein' all broke up was most oert'nly wrong information. Ho was very candid about it. If the 'Erald's made a mistake, it's got no false pride to sto]p it frum contradictin' itself. But it was the sporty way the chap do"he it that took my fancy. This ia what he wrote:

A moment's reflection on what the German army has done since then, and what it is doin' , now, renders these reports quite ridie'lous. One feels some'ow glad that the reports was not true. There is small glory in defeatin' a sfarvin', bootless, am-

munitionless army—there would be

infinitely less in bein' beaten by it. Now, can you beat that fer the opinions of a sport? The stronger the Germans is, the better he is pleased. He'd sooner be licked by a strong German army than be the conq'ror over one that wasn't well looked after."

"It shows a foin& spirrit," tho porter said.

" That's so," Paddy answered. "It's 1 tho true amachore status in soldierin:'. A professional soldier would never think of a thing like that. Take Kitchener, now. Shootin' darvitches in the Soodan. When they charged the machine guns he loosed off on ®em, instead of 'oldin' a tape to give the prize to the fastest sprinter among the blackfellers. And what's he doin' now. Tryin' his darndest to fix the war so as the Germans'll be shut, off from provisions an' _ clothes an' ammunition. If he could git the German army cut off frum its base he'd ackoherly be proud of 'imself. The 'Erald would write over to tell 'im there was no glory and no sport in a thing like that, but I don't b'leeve it would stop him. Kitchener's just a paid professional, that's what he is, and he's got no nobler thoughts than wantin' to win. the scrap. He's the kind of feller that if he found 'imself with a" two-to-one army, and the other chaps was short of grub an' cartridges, he'd begin tha battle at once, _ There'd bo tons more glory if he waited fer tho enemy to rest an' git reinforcements; but what does a cold-'earted cove liko him care about glory P Same with all .the professional gen'rals. Suppose the 'Erald sends its cove to interview a winnin' gen'ral. ' Wasn't you cut up with 1 grief,' says the interviewer, 'when you discovered that the enemy's guns 'ad no more shells left?' "'No tme,' Bays no more shells left'?' ' Not me,' says all the battle was when they stopped firm' and I knew they was up agin it.' 'I don't like it,' says the reporter. 'lt looks to me lure claimin' it over another chap at tennis when he's got a broken arm.' 'Run away and play.' says the gen'ral, 'war's a diff'rent game to lawn tennis, and it's got diff'rent rules.' "

" And that's the truth, too," the porter commented. " Unforch'nately," Paddy went on, "the 'ole British nation is bein' corrupted by this 'ere professional spirit. If the Australia, she's 20 ; 000 tons, was to meet the Leipsic, which ain't a quarter her size, I suppose she'd begin firm' before she come into the Leipsic's range. And if she captured the little German cruiser, Adm'ral BateyM not feel ashamed. Probab'ly he'd go down to the grave without ever apologisin' to the 'Erald fer fergettin' to think of glory, and attendin' strickly to his business." " Wot's it matter wot the 'Erald sez?" the porter asked impatiently. "Not much," Paddy replied, "except for the farewell speech it oughter make to the Australian contingent. ' Brave sons of Australia/ it'll say, ' we 'ope that when you meet the. Germans they'll be at the very top of condition, with millions of cartridges an' a strong position, so there'll Be plenty of glory fer everybody. Don't try to cut tlijir lines of communication, but keep 'em well fed. an' well_ mounted, and even if you git licked it'll be all the more credit to you.' "

"That ain't sense," said the angry porter. "Well," said Paddy, "is it sense to say you're glad that the enemy is a dam sight stronger than ho seemed to be when the war was beginnin'?" —Sydney " Sun."