SIDELIGHTS ON THE WAR

New Zealand Tablet, 1 February 1917, Page 17

SIDELIGHTS ON THE WAR

GENERAL. A Solemn Requiem Mass was celebrated in the V Church of San Silvestro in Capite, Rome, the other C day for the repose of the souls of the Catholic soldiers ' who have died on the side of the Allied Powers in the • war. -- - ■ In the villages and towns of northern France J% occupied by the Germans, the Catholic chaplains have ■ r assumed the work of inspecting the schools. Almost everywhere the crucifix, which was banished by the > c; French infidels, has been replaced on the walls of the schoolrooms. A telegram from Rome to the Home papers says Cardinal Amette, Archbishop of Paris, presented to the Pope the Duchess of Auerstadt, the bearer of an album containing the signatures of 2000 French soldiers • interned in Switzerland, thanking the Pope for his intervention. The Pope was greatly moved, and said that he would continue to do everything possible for the prisoners. The King has conferred the Military Cross on the Marquis de Caste of Scarisbrick Hall, Lancashire, for services in the field. The Marquis de Casteja, as a French officer, has been on active service since the war broke out, but soon after the outbreak he was attached to the British Headquarters Staff as interpreter. His two brothers, Counts Francis and "Stanislaus de Casteja, are serving with the French forces, whilst another brother. Count Emmanuel de Casteja, was killed in action twelve months ago. Probably one of the youngest British soldiers to lay down his life for his country is Private Robert C. Cooper, whose home was at Yarmouth, and who has died from wounds before he had reached his sixteenth year. He responded to the call in January, 1915, when he was only fourteen. He was sent to the front last April, and received his injuries in the fighting on the Somme. He was brought to London, where he died in the middle of November in hospital. He was a pupil at St. Mary’s School, Yarmouth. His father is with a machine gun corps at Salonika. The Cor riere d’ lt alia says: ‘A telegram of the Agenzia Havas states that the Pope is manifesting much diplomatic activity in communicating with the Cabinets of Berlin and Vienna with a view to bringing about the cessation of the inhuman conduct of the Germans in f deporting Belgian citzens to Germany. Though his action is similar to that of the United States, and perhaps also to that of the King of Spain, the three Powers have not acted in concert. The Holy See has wished on its own account to repeat with fresh energy the - protest already made against the deporting of French citizens from invaded regions. So far the result of the moves made by the Vatican is unknown.’ NEWS VENDOR, V.C. In one of the principal streets of Edinburgh a welldressed youth might have been seen selling newspapers. On his waistcoat he wore the coveted V.C. Passers-by stopped to look at him ; not a few bought papers and did not wait for the change. The more curious lingered and put questions. Why was he there? Why was a V.C. hero selling newspapers in the street? The tad— is little moretold his story. His name is George Wilson, and when war broke out he abandoned his calling as a newsboy and joined the Highland Light Infantry. It was in the fighting near Verneuil that he gained the V.C. In a wood he located a German machine gun. It was doing deadly work. He decided to ‘go ’ for it—at all costs. Accom- > panied by another private, he approached the German y position. His companion was killed. Wilson still went on. According to the official account of his exploit, he was undaunted by the perilous nature of his mission. On approaching his enemy gun, he shot the officer and the whole of the team of six men, and cap-

:tured gun and ammunition. It was, a brilliant exploit. Why was such a brave fellow selling newspapers in the street? Here is his explanation. His pension, 16s a week, . including: the ; allowance for the Victor Cross, is not a great sum, he explained, especially when living is ■so dear. • The * army, too, had taken the best out of him, and since receiving his last knock-out at Loos, where he was gassed, and wounded, he is not so fit for work as formerly.’ . And as he is neither fit for work not fit for - the army, he had only one alternative-to resume his old occupation and cry Paper, sir!’ - GERMAN PROTESTANTISM AND THE WAR. It appears that German Protestants are anxious to prove that the terrible conflict which-Germany is carrying on for the extension of territory and the destruction of liberty is especially theirs. They are not ashamed of the ambition and outrages of the militarists, but glory in them. The Konigsb erger Allgemeine Zeitung says: ‘Europe’s immediate future belongs to the Germanic Protestant race.’ A well-known Catholic journal, the A olnische 1 olkszeit ,is indignant and protests emphatically against ‘ this dastardly attempt to fan the flames of racial and. religious \ animosities, the fires of which, though smouldering, are far from extinct in Germany.’ The Cologne paper warns the Protestants that all —and their numbers are on the increase—who would thrust the German Catholics into the background, may yet be made to feel that the Catholic population, though a minority, are not a negligible minority. The Catholic organ (says the Catholic Times) cannot be blamed for resenting a claim which is put forward for the purpose of lessening the influence of the Catholics, but it might well leave to the German Protestants who take pride in it the responsibility for having forced Germany, and through Germany the other nations, into the war. This is a crime for which Germany will suffer for ages to come, and the magnitude of which will engage the attention of all impartial historians in the future. SCHOOLBOYS IN COMMAND. Soldiers’ letters now coming through (says the Dublin correspondent of the Manchester Guardian) describe the recent victories as victories of the platoon commanders. Long before Ginchy was through the Dublin Fusiliers were in command of two Dublin schoolboys, one of them captain of a school Rugby team the winter before last. It was one of these lads who organised* the machine-gun defence on the exposed left flank of the Blue Caps after they had pushed beyond Ginchy. He wound up a full and glorious day by capturing, with the help of a single sergeant, a German captain and twenty men upon whom they stumbled in searching the field to collect the scattered victors. The two schoolboy subalterns when the reliefs came marshalled the remnants of the battalion and effected the withdrawal in excellent fashion. Admirers of the Blue Caps are now wondering whether the long overdue V.C. will come their way at last. It would do more for the Irish reserves than a dubious attempt at conscription. THE IRISH GUARDS: REQUIEM FOR THE FALLEN. A Solemn Pontifical Mass of Requiem for the officers, warrant officers, non-commissioned officers, and men of the Irish Guards who have fallen in the war, was celebrated at Westminster Cathedral on Monday last (says the Catholic Times of December 1) with all the impressive fulness of Cathedral ritual, the appeal of martial music, the presence of. distinguished worshippers, and a Cathedral crowded with soldiers and the friends and relatives of officers and men. In the absence of the Cardinal-Archbishop, who was unable to assist on account of his departure to Rome for the coming Consistory, the celebrant of the Mass was the Bishop of Cambysopolis. The Bishop of Amycla and the Chaldean Bishop of Van occupied seats in the sanctuary, where also was gathered a targe body of regular and secular priests.

: Before the commencement of the: Mass the band of the regiment; and the "drums of the 3rd Reserve Battalion of the; Irish Guards played Elgar's .‘ Pleading,’ Chopin’s ‘ Marche Funebfe,’ Sullivan’s / Thou Art Passing Hence, My Brother;’' and Beethoven’s ‘ Funeral A few minutes before the entry of the clergy \ Queen Amelie arrived, 1 attended by her suite. Her arrival was shortly followed by that of Field-Marshal the Duke of Connaught, who is the senior- Colonel of the Brigade of Guards, accompanied by Colonel Sir Henry Streatfield:'; His Royal Highness was received by Field-Marshal Viscount ’French and a number of staff officers, including Colonel Proby, in’ command, and Colonel Lord Ardee (Irish Guards). Other officers v present were Major-General Sir Francis - Lloyd, commanding the London District and the Brigade of Guards, with members of his staff Colonel Smith Neill, commanding the Scots Guards; Colonel Lord Harlech, commanding the Welsh Guards; Colonel Drummond Hay, commanding the Coldstream Guards; and a number of French and Belgian officers, the latter including General Orth and Captain Reyntiens, of the Belgian Military Mission. In the congregation were Mr. John Redmond, M.P., Colonel William Redmond, M.P., Mr. T. P. O’Connor, M.P., Colonel Sir Mark Sykes, M.P., the Dowager Duchess of Abercorn, the Earl and Countess of Kenmare, the Countess of March, Countess Roberts, Lady Gerald Mulholland, Mrs. Marion Crawford, Mr. and Mrs. Rudyard Kipling, Mr. and Mrs. T. B. Curran, and a great number of relatives and friends of officers. After the ' congregational singing .of the hymn ‘ Hail, Glorious St. Patrick,’-the Cathedral Choir took up the singing and rendered the beautiful Mass music of Francisco Anerio, till again, at the Offertory, the Guards’ Band played the touching old Irish melody ‘ Savourneen Deelish.’ When the Absolutions had been given by Bishop Butt at the catafalque, where during the Mass the guard of honor had been standing motionless save on occasions of salute, there came the most tense moment to the vast assembly, as, after the strains of the ‘Dead March’ from Saul, the bugles of the Guards rang out the ‘Last Post’ with the vast body of soldiers in the nave standing mutely at atten- ■ tion. This was followed by the National Anthem. The buglers then sounded the Reveille, and the solemn function concluded with the regimental slow march ‘ Let Erin Remember.’ AUSTRIAN CHURCH BELLS FOR CANNON. The Berne correspondent of the Morning Post sends the following to a recent issue;— ‘ A decree came into force on August 15 in Austria by virtue of which the military authorities are empowered to requisition church bells in order that the metal of which they are composed may be used in the manufacture of munitions of war. The military authorities are empowered, however, to leave untouched bells which are proved to have especial value, owing to religious or historical associations, but in no case may less than two-thirds of the weight of all the bells be delivered to the foundry. The removal of the bells of the churches near the Swiss frontier has already commenced. Of the eight bells composing the carillon of the wellknown convent of Apmouter five have,already been removed. The priests have, however, succeeded in obtaining permission to retain the best-known bell, which

bears the name “ Blasius Glocke.” The inhabitants of one small r Tyrolese • village have adopted an original i ex-.-pedient to save their church bell. They collected as many of their cowbells as were required to make up its weight, and handed • these to the military authorities . . . Right in the centre of Vienna, immediately opposite the entrance to the Hof burg, workmen are stripping off the copper roof of the Michaeler Church, one of the three Court churches-in the capital, as well as one of .the most ancient and historically interesting. In the courtyard at the side is a celebrated wooden relief carving, ‘ Christ on the Mount of Olives,’ and even the copper roof sheltering this, and the heavy copper spouting underneath, are being taken away for military purposes.’ BOGUS CLERGYMAN AS SNIPER. The story reported from British Headquarters of the mysterious spy of Armentieresthe ‘ Man in Black ’ who was shot whilst crossing No Man’s Land— easily surpassed in interest by a story related by Canadian officers concerning a remarkable occurrence at Ypres some time ago, which throws a significant light on the ramifications of the German spy and sniping system. It was at the time of the great German attack on the Ypres salient. For a fortnight or so before that memorable event the Canadians in a certain sector had been visited daily by a suave-voiced, pale-complexioned, middle-aged man modestly garbed as a priest, who approached close to the firing line, always ready with a kindly word for the ‘ boys,’ and always assiduous in the distribution of oblong cards bearing Biblical texts, with which the capacious pockets of his somewhat dilapidated gown seemed to be full. No suspicion of the kindly old fellow was entertained, and no one thought of questioning his business. But after night, as convoys with supplies passed to a certain point of the Canadian line, mysterious casualties occurred. Sometimes it was the guards who were sniped, but more often it was the men on the waggons and lorries, and they were always shot in a manner which denoted that they had been fired at from the rear. Some nights two men fell out; on other occasions as many as four were either killed or wounded. All efforts to solve the mystery proved unavailing, and at last, when the thing had been going on for over a week, a captain, a sergeant, and two corporals determined to get to the bottom of it. Their first night’s investigation proved barren, and two more men went down. On the second night they failed to get any nearer the solution of the mystery, but on the third night, when the little band of investigators, with the aid of a few more comrades, were watching the' ruins of a demolished building, they noticed the flash of a rifle as the convoy came along as usual, and it was followed by another a few seconds later. The place was promptly surrounded, and a sergeant of the party, creeping stealthily through a whole at the bottom of a wall, was amazed to discover behind it the pale-faced, middle-aged man in clerical garb, rifle in hand. He was brought before a court-martial the next morning, but all efforts to induce him to give an account of himself failed. A few hours later, however, his fate was satisfactorily settled. On going through

his underground hiding place a little later the inspectin party were surprised, to find a capacious dug-out, most ingeniously constructed, well furnished, and plentifully supplied with" food, a rack containing ‘ several rifles of the latest-German patterns, and a large stock of ammunition. " - With the cessation of the distribution of kindly "Words and Biblical texts by the pale-faced ‘cleric/ there ceased# also the mysterious nocturnal casualties suffered by the members of the Canadian supply columns.