SIDELIGHTS ON THE WAR

New Zealand Tablet, 28 September 1916, Page 17

SIDELIGHTS ON THE WAR

GENERAL.

Private Young, V.C., the Catholic hero K who now resides in Preston, but was born in Glasgow, has been presented with the sum of £6OO, raised for him by public subscription; Three hundred pounds have been invested in Exchequer bonds and the remainder in Corporation stock at 5 per cent. This brings an income of ten shillings per week. The interdict passed on FAbbe Lemire by the Bishop of Lille, suspending him from saying Mass, and also condemning his paper, Le Cri des Flandres, has now been cancelled at the gracious intervention of his Holiness Pope Benedict, to whom an appeal for reinstatement had been addressed. Mgr. Charost therefore returns to the Abbe full sacerdotal powers. A Vienna despatch says that Prince Maximilian, son of the murdered Archduke Ferdinand, has founded the Youths’ Association of Prayer for a Speedy and Favorable Peace. The association already has 14,000 members. Prince Maximilian is fourteen years old. He is the son of the Princess Sophie Hohenberg, the wife of the Archduke Ferdinand, who was assassinated with her husband at Sarajevo. Lieut. H. G. F. Clifford, of Lincolnshire Regiment, who-was believed to have been killed in action on July 1, was an officer with some notable Catholic connections in Scotland. The only son of Sir Hugh Clifford, Governor of the Gold Coast, he was the nephew of Lady Hamilton Dalrymple, of North Berwick (whose son was killed in action last year). The stepmother of the deceased officer, Lady Clifford, was formerly Mrs. Henry do la Pasture, the popular novelist and playwright. Lieut. Clifford was born in 1897. - - Drummer B. T. Livett, of the sth Royal Berkshire Regiment, and a former scholar of the . Sacred Heart Schools, has lately been the recipient of the coveted distinction of the Military Medal, awarded to him for gallantry on the field of action in February last. Acting as a stretcher-bearer, he was called upon to attend two men who, whilst acting as miners, had been gassed by the after-damp. When he had succeeded in getting them away in safety he was told there was another man still in the mine, so he volunteered to go and search for him ; but after an unsuccessful effort to find him he was himself temporarily disabled by the gas fumes. Later on in the same day he explored the mine again in search of men and rescued three, and whilst going after others he was again overcome by the fumes. For some weeks past he has been in hospital at Birmingham recovering from a severe shrapnel wound in the head. Here is a clipping from the current issue of the Ushaw Magazine from a former student of the college now at the front:—‘The important people in French villages are the cure and the mayorthe latter quite a kinglet in his own way. Things are Catholic—plenty of crucifixes and statues about—and the other morning a priest walked along the road in biretta, cassock, surplice, and stole, with the Blessed Sacrament, whilst a man preceded him ringing a huge bell. Of course they all agree here that Catholics from England are better than French Catholics, which is creditable to England. One good lady says we are a model regiment, for never before had she seen so many English soldiers at church. In obedience to the instructions of Pope Benedict, Monsignor Dolci, Apostolic Delegate at Constantinople, recently appealed to the Turkish Government to safeguard the burial places of the soldiers of the Allies who fell during ..the struggle on the Gallipoli Peninsula. The Government has now agreed to comply with the Holy Father’s request, and has ordered that the graves be fenced, that crosses be erected over them, and that steps be taken to care for them in the future. The Catholics of Spain have sent an address to the Catholics of . Belgium proclaiming the sentiments of Spain with regard to the war. From the beginning

Spain decided unanimously on a position of neutrality, and that position has been strictly maintained, for which reason Spain and its King have been able to interpose benevolently on behalf of victims of the war. But while maintaining strict neutrality asdbetween the contending nations, Spain makes no secret of her sympathy for Belgium, which stands as a case apart from the general question of neutrality as between the Allied belligerents. The Spanish Catholics hope that whatever be the result of the war, Belgium may obtain complete reparation for the injury inflicted on .her and restoration of her national independence in its unbroken integrity.

GREEK NEUTRALITY DURING THE CRIMEAN WAR.;

Greek neutrality, now troubling the Allies, gave Great Britain enough trouble during the Crimean War. The Greeks thought the Turks were at their mercy, and rushed pell-mell across the frontier. Queen Amelie thinking herself already Empress of the East—was the chief instigator. The Turks prepared to march on Athens, and were only persuaded to stop by a stern remonstrance from England. French and English troops were ordered to enforce Greek neutrality, and a force sent to the Piraeus remained until the termination of the war. Greece was thus saved from suicide. Some years later she was saved a second time by the same protecting Powers who are now at Athens— Britain, Prance, and Russia. A financial commission, over which the British representative. Sir Thomas Wyse, presided', spent two years in overhauling the affairs of the country, with the result that Greece for the first time was able to pay interest on her international loan.

A NUN DECORATED.

Sister Mary Angela, of the Hospital of SS. John and Elizabeth, St. John’s Wood, London, has been decorated by the King with the Royal Red Cross (second class), in recognition of her services to the wounded. This recognition of the Senior Nursing Sister may well include that of the good work of the hospital in general (says the Tablet), no small_part of the resources and skill and courage of which has been devoted to the healing of those maimed in the war. Sister Mary Angela is a daughter of Dr. Joseph Constable, one of the physicians of the hospital, and in its wards, one of the severely wounded, is her brother, Mr. Sydney Constable. We agree indeed with a correspondent, who writes— * I should have liked to be there to see that nun go up before the King.'

A NOBLE TRIBUTE.

Father F. A. Gleeson, of Dublin, was for many months chaplain to the Munster Fusiliers in France, and no more zealous or devoted chaplain stood by troops on field of strife. Writing to Sergeant-Major Dineen, of the gallant Munsters, Father Gleeson says in a recent letter :—•

‘May God ever bless and guard the good and faithful Munsters—as Catholic and devoted a body of Irishmen an Irish priest need wish to meet or minister to. It makes me so lonely when I think of the hundreds of admirable fellows who lived and died with me during my time in France. The holy manner in which they prepared for the great conflicts, the calm confidence with which they faced certain death, and , the edifying sights that surrounded their last moments, when they eagerly grasped Mary’s Rosary and lovingly kissed the Crucifix—these things have reflected fresh glory on our faith' and on our country. In Ireland’s sad history much blood and sacrifice has been offered for her freedom and redemption. It is true and just to say that the sacrifices made and the blood shed by the Irish regiments in the present war are as truly and sincerely offered up for the same sublime object— the liberty and love of Ireland. Knowing the Irish soldiers as I do, I know that in serving in the ' Army they believe they are serving their motherland in an efficacious and noble. way ; and their deaths in such circumstances

deserve the honor due to those who have ever made, or ever will make, the supreme sacrifice for Ireland’s cause. From Dunkirk to Baghdad, the soldier sons of Southern Ireland have mixed their sweat and blood with that of their Protestant brothers of Northern Ireland ; and, having met the Ulstermen and Munstermen on the crimsoned fields of France, and having myself laid their mangled bodies side by side in the same grave, X am justified in believing that, at last, the unity and fraternal friendship of all Irishmen is the harvest from the seeds of brotherhood and common nationality sown in the great sacrifices of a great war. The tears of Erin are about to cease ; for “her various tints unite to form in heaven’s sight one arch of peace.” All Irishmen are followers of Christ, and these are His words: “By this shall all men know that you are My disciples, if you have love one for another” (John xiii., 35).’ The heroic chaplain’s letter (says the Irish Weekly) is one of those ‘human documents’ that appeal alike and with equal force to the heart and the mind, to sentiment and reason. It is a noble and a timely letter ; it should be read again, and preserved for future study by every true Irishman, North and South. TYNESIDE IRISH BRIGADE. Lieutenant McKenna (Tyneside Irish), writing to Mr. J. J. Gorman, president of the Irish National Club, Newcastle-on-Tyne, tells a moving story of the splendid if unavailing heroism of the Irish Brigade at the beginning-of the great advance in the West; ‘ Though they were all the time exposed to a tremendous and most murderous fire,’ he says, ‘ not one of them faltered, but they advanced with undaunted courage, fighting like demons. Whilst their comrades on every side were falling thick and fast, still they pushed on, firing, bombing, and bayoneting as they advanced, till finally they reached their objective, a mere shadowy remnant of the glorious brigade that several hours before bounded over the top of our trenches (when they got the order to advance) like fellows rushing into a football scrimmage, only in good military order. An officer told me that he actually saw one of them change step as he advanced, just as a soldier would do on parade. The Generals and Staff, who witnessed their advance, have spoken of them in the highest terms of praise. The Divisional General (who is not given to praise unduly), speaking with great emotion, said he had never seen anything to equal them. Truly, they behaved gloriously, and my heart beat high with joy. I was not in the advance myself, but was seated on a high ridge about 700 yards behind, and had a clear view through field glasses of the whole advance of our brigade. My job was to bring up rations and ammunition under cover of darkness.

* The brigade, as you will know, or what was left of them, were withdrawn on the third day of the battle to rest and re-equip and clothe. We are now getting drafts of men from England, and are gradually getting up to strength again, but the drafts aie all Englishmen; therefore, the Irish Brigade, as such, is practically non-existent, for only a remnant of the original brigade remains with us. ‘ From a religious point of view, I do not think there were any troops in France that went into battle better prepared. It was truly edifying to see the men approaching the Holy Sacraments, whenever they had an opportunity of doing so, even up to a few hours of their going over the top. Poor Father Mcßrearty behaved gallantly. He took up a post in the communicating trench beside the first aid post, or dressing station, and did not leave it night or day for two days and two nights, administering to the wounded as they were brought off the field, till the last of the brigade passed through. He was much cut up over our losses.’

CATHOLIC CHAPLAIN STAYS WITH HIS MEN. A private in the Levant Expeditionary Force writes to an English. Catholic paper the following tribute to a Catholic chaplain; * I am writing on behalf of myself *and several pon-Catholic comrades. We have a Catholic priest

in our brigade, called Father Henry Day, S'. J., and we wish to thank him through your valuable paper for his good services and kindness to us. He is a gentleman who is loved by his men throughout his brigade, and I think that it is my duty to let the Catholic people in England know of the fine work he has done. I hear that he is late of the Church of the Holy Name, Manchester. He joined our brigade in March, 1915, and came, out to Egypt with us in April, 1915. He has been up the Suez Canal, and was at Gallipoli and in the big yeomanry charge on August 21, 1915, when we advanced across Salt Lake towards Chocolate. Hill under a murderous fire from the Turks. It was here Father Day won the hearts of all his men, with* his splendid work and remarkable coolness while under heavy fire. He used to walk about as if nothing was going on, and so calm. The boys used to say that it was impossible for the Turks to hit him. I believe he was also presented with a badge of the regiment from the men in the yeomanry for leading them in action against a sap which the Turks held. He kept going along until his health failed him, and he was carried off Gallipoli on a stretcher, with enteric fever, and was sent into hospital at Egypt. After he got well again, the doctors ordered, him to go to England, but he refused to leave his men, and in the meanwhile we had to withdraw from Gallipoli and go to Salonica, where ho joined us on Ash Wednesday, 1916, and he is with us still.' TRAINED MILITARY DOGS. It is a matter of general knowledge that dogs are being used to locate wounded soldiers who happen to tall in out of the way places by all the warring countries in the European conflict. Recently it became known that the United States War Department is arranging to buy and train dogs to be used for the same purpose. The excellent work of the dogs in Europe only came to the notice of the army officials lately. In France the use of Belgian sheep dogs in seeking out the injured soldiers who were unable to walk or crawl to an open space, where they could be discovered, has resulted, according to army reports examined by the Sun, in saving the lives of more than .2000 men who might otherwise have died before they were found. The dogs are trained not to bark when they find a disabled soldier. They are taught to disregard dead soldiers. Each dog has a box containing first aid medicines and appliances tied to its neck. Upon locating a helpless soldier the dog goes up close to him so that the box may be opened. The animal tears a piece of the uniform from the soldier and then returns to the kennel to which it is attached.

The better trained dogs return to the kennel, bark, and turn back in the direction from which they came to indicate that they have found an injured soldier. A corps of surgeons are attached to the kennels, and they follow the dogs to the injured men. Many times soldiers are found at the bottom of deep ravines and in other sequestered places where only dogs with a keen sense of smell could locate them. Sometimes it takes a whole day to get one soldier back to the base after he has been found because of the hazardous work of carrying him. Behind the German lines the dogs are similarly trained to go to the aid of the injured. And the same is done in Russia. England has trained Airedales to hunt wounded soldiers. France has trained 2000 sheep dogs for Red Cross work. Germany has many more. The Germans also use the larger dogs to haul light machine guns.

The Italian army has trained dogs to carry light munitions over conspicuous passes in the mountains where men would be subject to fire from the Austrians.