SIDELIGHTS ON THE WAR

New Zealand Tablet, 30 September 1915, Page 13

SIDELIGHTS ON THE WAR

: " GENERAL. It is estimated that each Catholic mission in the diocese of Southwark has given an average of 150 rtfen to the Expeditionary Forces now serving in France. The Geneva correspondent of the Matin states that the Austrian Government has decided to put into the melting-pot for munitions the great bell dome of St. Stephen at Vienna. The bell was cast in 1711 to the order of the Emperor Joseph out of the bronze of 180 cannon taken from the Turks. It weighs about 20 tons. The Belgians in Belgium lost no time in learning the news of Italy’s declaration of war. At dawn on the day Italy decided to enter the field airmen journeyed forth, and from a great height dropped thousands of cards on Brussels and many Belgian towns bearing the glad tidings in French on one side and in Flemish on the other. » What is believed to have been the biggest hole caused by a shell in the history of warfare was made by a German Jack Johnson’ in soft ground near the entrance to Ypres Station. According to Corporal Hatcher, of the Military Mounted Police, who is visiting his home at Guildford on leave from the front, it was 66ft wide and 45ft deep. The anniversary of the beginning of the war was observed in the Salford diocese on August 5, when the Bishop of Salford (Dr. Casartelli) pontificated at a Solemn Mass of Requiem for the repose of the souls of the men from the Salford diocese who have fallen in battle. Our of the 25,000 Catholics who have joined H.M. forces from the diocese it is estimated that about 1000 have either been killed in action or have died from wounds. Mrs. Augustus de Trafford, of Haselour Hall, Tamworth, a well-known Catholic lady, is the mother of seven soldier sons, one of whom died for his country during the South African war and was rewarded with the D.S.O. Of the remaining six, who are all fighting at different points of the war area, one has been wounded but is now convalescent, and of another no news has been received for several months. One is a member of the Canadian contingent, being among the first to join. A British Catholic soldier, in a recent letter from France, says that the General in his command is a Catholic, and that this General gave great edification to the French lately in being seen at Holy Communion in public at Sunday Mass. Before the war began it was as much as the position of a French General was worth to be seen in the act of practice of religion. Naturally the fearless piety of this British General made deep impression on the French soldiers who witnessed it. THE CONVENT BREAKERS. Speaking at a Belgian fund meeting at Harrogate, Mr. T. P. O’Connor, M.P., said that the Germans had issued a defence of their conduct in Belgium. There were some defences which aggravated the crime, and this defence was one. He had read of many horrors of war, of the atrocities of the Balkan wars, but he had never read of Bulgar, Greek, or Serb ever entering the portion of a Mussulman dwelling where the women were secluded. It remained for German ‘Kultur ’ to break open the door of Belgian convents and other places, where women, retired from. the world, 'y had given their souls and work to the service of God ' and man. A FRENCH OFFICER PROMOTED. The following is an extract from the French Official Report on operations at the Dardanelles: Inscribed on the official list of officers proposed to be promoted to a higher rank: Naval Lieutenant Blanc

(P.M.J.), of the mine-trawlers has been : 13 years in that rank. He is an officer ,of rare ability .and sang froid, and has given proof of the most brilliant qualities during the course of the mine sweepings effected night and day by the squadron under his command in the Dardanelles. Naval Lieutenant. Blanc, mentioned in despatches, is a son of the late Admiral Blanc of the French Navy, and a brother of his Lordship Bishop Blanc, of Tonga. AN EXAMPLE TO THE ARMY. Father Michael King, S.J.C.F., in a letter published in the Mountaineer , speaks of the Catholic soldiers as an example of devotion to the British Army. Writing from France, he says: ‘ I have big church parades here every Sunday, and Communion for the men every day. . I also say Mass at a hospital and look after five other hospitals—all camp affairs. The men are very good : many lead saintly lives and all are under the influence of religion. Officers and men are absolutely free from human respect, and go on their knees for confession at the station, in the streets, or anywhere. The Catholics are an example to the army. lam glad to say that in no hospital which I attend has any Catholic died without the last sacraments. The wounds are fearful, the effects of the gas awful, and I am simply astonished at the patience and endurance of the men. They die like saints.' ‘War,’ adds Father King, ‘brings out the grand character of our men: they are simply splendid in theib courage, cheerfulness, and determination. I would do anything for them. I only feel uncomfortable when 1 see the young chaps going so cheerfully to the front, knowing what is awaiting for them, and then have to return to my comfortable quarters.’ MILITARY NECESSITY. .Here is a little story from the front (says La, Semaine Litfentire) which is absolutely authentic: The church tower of a certain village in the hands of the enemy proved very annoying to a particular portion of the French trenches. It was decided accordingly that it must be destroyed, and a good artillerist was chosen for the purpose. He accordingly addressed himself to his task, and having taken careful aim, succeeded eventually in levelling the tower by a well-directed shot. Congratulations followed—to which the gunner replied : ‘ You would felicitate me all the more perhaps, although there is little need for congratulation, if you knew what I am in civilian life.’ How do you meanwhat are you?’ ‘ 1 am a priest.’ AWARDS FOR BRAVERY. Among the awards of the D.C.M. which have fallen to Scottish regiments are the following to Irishmen or men of Irish parentage : Private J. Devlin, of the Royal Highlanders, who, although wounded himself, at Rue du Bois, on May 9, dragged back to safety a wounded officer from within forty yards of the German trenches. Sergeant W. Moloney, of the Royal Scots Fusiliers, showed remarkable coolness and bravery at Festubert* on May 9. The machine-gun of which he had charge became clogged with mud when under fire of the enemy 200 yards away. He cleaned the gun and brought it into action, causing the enemy to retire. Private A. McNulty, of the Gordon Highlanders, at Festubert, on June 18, carried messages under very dangerous circumstances. On the same day he cut an opening in the German wire entanglements and made a trench under heavy fire. Lance-Corporal J. McNulty, of the Royal Scots Fusiliers, at Festubert, on May 16-17, first took over the platoon duties of his sergeant and subsequently those of his platoon officer, who was wounded, and held his platoon together. He also went forward some 300 yards and attended to his wounded officer under a very severe fire. N

GENERAL CADORNA.

ji 'The Correspondent, a journal published in Paris, A|has drawn a pleasing pen-picture of General Cadorna, who is the famous Italian military Commander-in-Chief. He comes of a soldier race. His grandfather fought against, the French Revolutionary forces, and his father, General Raphael Cadorna, fought as a General commanding the Piedmontese troops, on the side of the French, during the Crimean war. Although he is sixty years of age, the present General is still of straight soldierly figure, and his black hair remains untouched by time’s silver tint. His military education dates from the age of 10 years, when he was sent as pupil, to the school at Milan. In 1892 he was raised to the rank of Colonel, and six years later created Major-General. He is the author of some useful military works. This distinguished soldier is a practical Catholic. Recently there was a religious celebration in a church near the Italian front. There was a magnificent sermon preached by a distinguished preacher, Father Semeria, which was followed by Mass. The celebrant of the Holy Sacrifice was served by officers in uniform, and amongst these were General Cadorna and his assistant staff officer, Major Porro. General Cadorna’s daughter is a nun. On the day that hostilities broke out between Austria and Italy a deputation of the most aristocratic women of Florence visited the convent to offer their best wishes to Sister Mjary Cadorna, for the success and safety of her father. ‘YOUR DUTY AS CATHOLICS AND GOOD FRENCHMEN.’ A patriotic cure of a big commune in the Department of Indre is credited with the following address to his people : ‘ My dearly beloved brethren, divine service will be reduced to-day to a minimum. After praying God to bless our sons, i will ask those of you who can do so to go and help the harvesters. Until the harvest is entirely gathered in I authorise, nay, I invite, you to work on Sunday. Mass will be said at 4 a.m. ' for the harvesters. As for those among you, both men and women, who have gold at home, it is their duty to hand it over to the State. And if, after exchanging your gold for notes, you purchase national defence bonds with the proceeds, you will have done your duty as Catholics and good Frenchmen.’ Cardinal Amette, Archbishop of Paris, has been asked by the Gaulnis if he approves of this exhortation. His reply is categorical ; ‘ The initiative of the cure in question is most praiseworthy, and I congratulate him on having taken it in all the simplicity of his Christian and patriotic faith. To take one’s gold to the State is to accomplish a national duty. It is well that Catholics should set the example in this duty. We have done so ourselves.’ THE WAR TOLL. A few months ago a British statistician investigated the death roll created by the war. This investigation has now been carried further by a distingushed writer in the Matin. It is almost impossible to realise in their physical density what these vast figures really mean. Approximately, the number of soldiers of all the belligerents who are permanently maimed is about the total population of Manchester and Liverpool together multiplied by six (says the Universe). In addition, the dead exceed over five millions, which is about four-fifths the population of Greater London. '(This is what the world has already had to pay in the lives of men for the mad ambition of a mad monarch. A mathematician with the honest idea of endeavoring to focus the reality of the figures in the eye of the reader has calculated that if the dead who have died in this war were laid side by side as closely as they could be packed llowing only eighteen inches to each body, the line would be about fourteen hundred and twenty miles in length. This is almost the exact dis-

tance from London to the. sea of Marmora, or - from London to Cairo, and farther. ' /’ / TRYING DUTIES. Rev. Father'Gwynne, S.J., chaplain at the front with the Irish Guards, writes to a friend in Dublin as follows:Every day comes with its .own strange event for me. At 12 o’clock last night I was called—• a man shot through the throat! I was with him immediately; the poor fellow was perfectly conscious, but could not speak spoke in signs. I heard his confession and give him Extreme Unction. . . At breakfast a note was handed to me that a Coldstream Guardsman had been shot in the head in the Goldstream trenches. I started off at once, a Coldstream orderly with me. It was a cold, bleak, , muddy morning, and when I got to the place I found the poor fellow was lying out in the open, at the back of our trenches, in a very exposed position—the Germans were not 70 yards away. I crawled out flat to him, and he was still alive, and I gave him the last Sacraments. He was absolutely unconscious, and I crawled back again. The Germans had one shot at me, but missed badly. Of course, they were afraid to take long aim, as our men were firing all the time. I was very glad to get back. I was going down the Coldstream advanced trenches afterwards when an Irish Guardsman, all perspiring and muddy, came after me, shouting that one of our men named Ryan had been shot, and wanted to see me. I went back immediately, and found the poor fellow had been shot through the lung. I heard his confession, and gave him Extreme - Unction, and saw him off to hospital. When I gave him Extreme Unction it was extraordinary how cheerful he got. He was very badly wounded. I hope he’ll get through. I had to go off then about a mile to bury a poor Irish Guardsman named Murrin, who had been shot dead during the day. Going a mile seems, very simple to you at home, but here it means dodging bullets, a shell bursting now and again—when you hear a shell coming all you have got to do is to lie flat on the ground, be it wet, muddy, or dry, and not mind your clothes, and wait until it bursts. If you get down quickly enough one escapes, unless it actually falls on top of you. I had just finished Mass, and some hundreds of the Guards were at it. While we were at Mass a shell passed over us and burst a short distance beyond. The men did not stir, and I am sending you the brass noses of two German shells which burst quite near me.' This morning saw Ryan, the Irish Guardsman, who was shot through the lung— had a. narrow escape. He said to me Ye can tell the Germans, yer reverence, that they are not done with Joe Ryan yet!’ A LETTER FROM MALTA. Private M. O’Connor, writing under date July 14- from Malta to his relatives at Cricklewood, near Fairlie, says: ‘ I have been shifted from St. Andrew’s Hospital to St. George’s, which is about half a mile away. We are allowed leave here, but we don’t lead a fast life, as our ‘ income ’ is limited to two shillings a week. Still I can go from here to Sliema in a cab, across the ferry to Yaletta, come back to Sliema, have afternoon tea and a cigar, and home in a cab, for 9d. You might not believe it, but it is true. It is about 21miles from here to Sliema, and then you have to cross the harbor in a ferry to Yaletta. The cab will cost Is for four, so that is 3d each. The same coming back makes fid. It costs Ad each way on the ferrythat is 7d altogether. Then there is a tea room in Sliema for the wounded, and you can get tea and cakes for 2d. Cigars, cigarettes, and chocolates are handed round free. There is a band there also. I was in there last night, and quite enjoyed myself. We were waited on by English ladies of the Red Cross Society. There are some beautiful Catholic churches in Yaletta, and there always seems to be some service or other

■,d' 'going on; in them. In' St. John’s ' Church there are “ some beautiful tapestries, and these are on show at certain times of the year. I have not been fortunate enough to see them. I suppose you have heard of the Knights of St. John? Well, this is where they came from. They defended this place in the early days. * The streets of Valetta are very narrow, and not too clean on account of the number of goats there. Still it is far cleaner than Cairo, but that is a filthy hole. I don’t expect to get back to Gallipoli for some time yet. I can walk very well, but I still limp a little, and my ankle swells when I walk far. I expect to be here another month at the very least. I would give the world to have my camera here: this is really a fine place to spend a holiday in. There is a promenade along the sea from here to Sliema. The people don’t seem to wake up until evening, when it is a bit cooler. I hope all are well at home. You will be right into \ winter now. By the way, yesterday was my birthday. I thought at one time that I would never see it, but you never know your luck. I am getting quite old.’