THE LIGHT SIDE OF WAR.

Waipawa Mail, Volume XXXVI, Issue 7752, 22 July 1916, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE LIGHT SIDE OF WAR.

“With Botha’s Army.” By J. I’- Kay Robinson. Alien and Unwin. 3s bd 1,1 “ \Vo sat down in the sand and played auction bridge, and the people at homo called it ‘war!’ ” -So the war -n Gorman South West Africa wax doncribed by a man in Mr. Kay Munson’s squadron of t’hc imjicrial Light Horse. Mr. Robinson denies that tho expedition wna such good lun as that. Though bis book is written with something" of the humour of the early Kipling hi l leaves one with an impression of the horror rather than tho gaiety of the sands. Thoer is very' lit tl:* lighting in his bo-ok except with sandstorms. Thoer aro more false alarms than battles Tho author and hi« comrades used their bavonels not in killing Germains, but in opening fins of milk. l;lis principal ingredients are such com it? .a If Mis n< tho bolting o':‘ a chaplain I'rftm livino morvlco at tho approach of a Ger man aeroplane, and "the capture, of throe -camels and the attempt of unacrusUmicd nun to master them. Mr Robinson writes m the sp'rit of a iporb-.man. Ht coiil'cksos Inis human feelings in regard to beer and “loot,” and he does not make a pretence ol 1 (.lines-ck be was a .stranger In. Tlie a:»i donica.'yl gay tone of his book may !)••> judged by a paragraph in which ho ''(•o v; ( i il)* 1 how the South African forces ; L'-amed into Hi.* German port ol imderitzbuclit : From one or two of tho liousoo white line's that looked like tnbloc 1 otluswere hysterically waving. It was distinctly Haltering, and I know that w.* Kit immensely forbearing. Then co:i iooi in -aw tho Gorman flag that, flaunted its garish challenge to j us from tli-) lighthouse, -and wo began to lc I alien as a German must, 1 think, wlimi ho con.sen to be a ; German and lav: nines a Ilun. “Wit'll Army” i.s a book of humour, and of good humour. A. tcdd or on leave from France very properly draws attention to the fact that the French soldiers are not the only persons to give names to their guns, and points to the fact that motor I• urriv's, and even cars, are “baptised ’ in tho’ British Army. Wo do not know tho unit to which this Tommy Ik longs, but judging from tho name of ils transport, waggon there munt bo a strong Scottish dement in the ranks. The car beam tlie name “Annie Lor-