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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1914-10-1, Page 2ALI- THE HORRORS OF WAR WHEN MEN BECOME AND ACT LIKE SAVAGES. Art Army omeer Tells of His Ex- periences in South Africa. War is (brutal. It is a -butcher ]business; Every 'Wattle means sliamkTe, every 'death 'a shiver 'of' Pain and a tear -sodden, sorrow. The imaginative can •picture the scone, the •more .simple 'have no idea of what' battle ' means, Warmeans death,' disaster, privation, cruelty and grief. It is a bkoodeliiraty trade, but it is a necessary trade so long as •nations remain as selfish las they are. ''The fool cries for war; the veteran never prays to un - :sheath his 'sword. He knows the terrible cost. I am net theorising, for I have seen the terrors of it a11. I have heard the plunk of the shell, the whistle of the bullet, and the after yell of death as a man 'tumbled to earth. "I have seen the fiewer of an army slaughtered. I have wander- ed oyer a field- of maimed and !blood -covered heroes. This was in the African War, when I was :but 'a simple and impressionable lead of fifteen. Till then I imagined war to be: glory, chivalry and honor; now I realize that it is more ghast- ly than chivalrous. In- the final assault the veneer of civilization: departs, and men are revealed as mad, as savage and as cruel as tore. pagan Goths, who swallowed up Reese,' I shall never forget the broken- hearted General Gatacre retiring with his defeated army from the battle of Stormberg. Discipline Had Gone. Men made their own laws; some cursed` -their trade as •they shuffled along, while in tre rear of the col- umn staggered the wounded men. Their wails rent the sultry air, while an occasional groan cut deep into the more sensitive soul. Eventually an engine and a number of railway trucks were seoured. The wagon bottoms were covered with straw, on which the wounded were laid. Buckets of water, some Tough bandages and a few hard'bis- cuits were placed inside. And ,then the army started for the base at Etat London. Every jolt jarred the bleeding and shattered bodies, while an occasional sigh signified that another man had gone. Haw ghastly ; how awful it seem- ed, Young officers, bearded ser- geants and smooth•faced'boys were littered like sardines. Khaki suits were covered with mud and dark red. blood ; bullet -holes could be seen in helmets. But it was my duty: to tend to their needs. I hardened my heart for the job. "Orderly," whispered a man mato had (been struck in .the abdomen by part of ,a pom-pom shell. "Yes," I said, bending down, "'This—this," he whispered, fumbling with a locket on his neck. flitted it off as 'he whispered. "Send—home—the wife," and he fell back dead. I looked at the locket. It was only sixpence worth but it had a photo of his wife and child. In his pocket I found a let- ter with his wife's address, so I despatched the relic home. It was a grata .message. It Was the Penalty of War. Searching again I found a young offioereof a creak regiment who bad sailed tfroni England with me. He leadbeen engaged to a minister's Idaatalater, a lovely girl of nineteen. When. our 'ship left Southampton the yeung lady shrieked with fretr'zy, 'then with a- loud wail of •"Jack";'Jack, my boy!" she hysteri- tally swooned into 'her fat'her's arms, And ,there he lay, this shoulder tattered, his 'body riddled, +and one leg broken. Six feet of manli- ,ness ruined in an hoar. But he did• a}ot;:omp'iain. As I lifted his bead to pour some water (between his lips he waved me away, saying, "It's Fall •right, old man, I'm done. Give it to the men," The last phrase WAS typical of a public ;school boy. d'IGdve it to the men" has ever since -been •a text of my life. And where is the Scot, who will forget 1 tagersfontein 1 I discover- ed any own brother in a field hos- ;pdtalethere three weeks after the ifighb, He had been bayonetted by Iawn:dant-it the darkness Wand panic, lE is lung tis pierced, and his body ia`isnost•drained,of (blood. But the •parade, of :the - wounded officers of the Highland Brigade was still more trenching, I saw them lined 'ora'the ,as. City of Berme, Lege off,'; arms off, heads ,and bodies fb'an4lageld—just one line of broken hstoes, . The old General who had psmeate imapcot theta and arty good. la ye 'turned await' withal/Ws in (lit eyes: Wlien,at:mahed tears the emu is Creat; • •Bet'UIIe••afh.srnatflf.°uf M erta•caea t w t of the lit s a dein was perhaps = a�]" hive Hundred Widows - land' hundreds of fatlterleas e'hild- • sen ; ewidertllrirod and poverty hi The Germart Bivouac After the Battle of Vise—An Actual War Picture this night of disaster. Let us hope that that terrible night shall not be repeated. Id death comes then let it come with victory, not in an attack which was ill-advised and wrongly direct- ed. Now I would tell you of battle. What it is like. How the soldier feels, Picture then, the dawn; the quiet command, "Get up!" -and the ris- ing from the ground of wet, hungry and emaciated soldiers. A mouth- ful of lukewarm coffee, a bite at a biscuit and a lump of red bully beef constituted the meagre fare. After this the command, Tall in." Am- sntumition was issued, rifles inspect- ed, and off went the column into ac- tion. Even the :bravest has a thrill of fear. Ibis not of the enemy,'but of the unexpected result. Will it be victory) Will, it mean death/ And then a bullet zipped by. Next a broken volley echoed. We were in touch. "Extend," was the order all along the line. Out went the long lines of men. "Lie dorwn," was the •next com- mand. This completed, the batter- ies behind bellowed forth a fierce volume of artillery fire. The air was filled with shrieking shells, which circled and oraghed against the rooks and entrenchments ahead. The 'shells were answered by the deadly creosot guns. - They smashed the limbers of our wag- gons. Killed Several Horses, stampeded many more, and here and there sent some poor soul to his God. "Advance," ordered a grizzled old :Colonel. The older men rushed; the younger boys paused, but the curse of a sergeant drove them on. Across :the fele.-swept zone they ran. And then I saw how dead men fall. When struck by the !bullet the arms rise involuntarily, the head goes back, and with a strange jump and a (blood -:curdling yell the ill-fated man &11s dead. Once I stopped to help a dying man, but another officer's 'boot sent me on again. It is useless to tend them. Every man is needed in the firing line. "March by the right," yelled an old sergeant of the Peninsular type. He bad no fear, and :believed it his duty to keep the men in line. Ib was foolish, but it was splendid, too, He stood exposed to the shrieking bullets, cursing and com- manding. And so nearer we drew. The fire was getting more deadly; officers and men were failing fast. Yells and cries for water were heard on every side. Looking back I saw a plain dotted with dead and wounded; then, looking' ahead,- all I saw were rocksand trenches not the sign of man except the flashes of rifle fire from out of the sangar holes. This is modern war. Every man is'hidden in defence. It is depress- ing while making :en attack, for the advancing troops have little indi Dation of the success of their fire. Imagine .su:ch an attack in a broil- ing sun, with no water, no food and the terrible strain on the nerves of all. - Think cif the sweeping bullets ;which zip and 'batter; think of the awful crash of the shells. Horses are masted to pulp at a blow; men's ladies sundered :by the that raging metals, others riddled through and .through. It is Difficult to Advance. Courage, endurance and will power are required. Discipline, : however, kept us right, foe discipline •is the main spring of an army, This lasted for a day, and just as the sun was setting we reached a point 200 yards from the enemy's position. "(Fix ibayonete," was now the order. The rattle ofsbeel made th.e enemy rise. Steal in the stom- ach is rather unpleasant. The flee ing men was the sign to -rush on. Up rose the whole line of savage soldiers. Their eyes were :blood - that,' their muscles taxis, •their civ- ilization had gone. '?hey, were sav- egss out for grim revenge. With blood -escaping yells they dashed up the Bills, The fleetest got in touch. There were some sickening thuds as bayonets .plunged into the bodies of the few remaining Boers, and horrible groans as the steel was withdrawn. But it was a poor re- venge for the hundreds of dead and wounded behind. And such is war. But the Germans will wage their war ie a more cruel way. Of chiv- alry they know nothing. This is the reason why many French officers parry ,phials of ,poison in their hav- ersacks. They expect no mercy when wounded, and prefer to end their sufferings rather than fall in- to German hands. And slhould the Germans land on our shores the scenes will be awful. Heaven pre- serve us from such a fate. In 'the meantime we mast not be idle. It is the duty of all able bodied men to rally to the flag. It is the duty of all women to surrender the rights of love in the interests of that patriotism which is as sacred as our theology. Shoulder to shoul- der must be our ery. Though the clouds are dark a silver lining will come if we will play up and play the game: People's Journal. SOLDIERS AND SAILORS. Sailors Have Special Rights hi Al- most All Countries. The Statues of Wills, in, force in Great Britain provide that wills of soldiers in actual military service, and of sailors, are subject to ape- ciad legislation, but this privilege applies only to wills of personal estate. Wills of petty officers and seamen in the navy, and of marines, as fax (as relates to their pay or prize -money, must be attested by an officer, and wilds made by sea- man in the merchant service must, if made at sea, be attested by the master or matte, and if made on land, by a superintendent of a mer- cantile marine office, a minister of religion, justice of the peace, or consular or customs officer. The effeclts of seamen, marines and soldiers killed or dying in :the British service are exempt from the regular duty; and if they amount to keg than a hundred, pounds they are not probated. In the ease 'of prisoners of war wills are subject to special regulations, Under the French lane, according to the encyclopaedia, nunoupative or oral wills are not recognized, but soldiers' and 'sailors' wills are subject to special rules as in most other countries. "In Germany there is a provision that the formalities may be raliaxed in certain Crips, such as imminent death, a prevail- ing e'pidemic,"a state of siege. The wills of the German naval officers might came under this olassiflcation, as the cruisers were preparing to run out through the English fleet, which was reported to be lying in wait for them off the harbor. In the United States nuncupative wills, the riglrb to make which lies only with eaailo•rs aux se(a, or soldier's in the field, are somewhaut rare, but one was admitted to probate in King's County in December, 1909. It was made by George O'Connor, chief engineer of .the atesanshlp Dorothy, when the vessel was in mid -ocean, All that he said was: "Everything that I have belongs to my diaughter, Lizzie," Th,e will was proved with the aid of two witness- es, the captain ,and the first officer of the Dorothy. The Small Boy Again. A small boy was one: day asked by a clergyman' if he knew what was meant by energy and enter- prise. "No, sir; I don't think I do. The clergyman said , Well, I will tell you, my boy. One of the richest men in the world came here without a shirt on his back, and now he has millions," "Million•s I" replied the boy. "How many does he put on at a time l" A Sweet Tooth. Tsaeher—dohnnv. if apples were 20 cents a dozen and I gave you 10 cents, how many would you get( Johnny -None. It'd get a chow- late sundae, "SHOT AS A SPY" IN PARIS TIIE - MANAGER OF A MOST EXCLUSIVE HOTEL. A Wireless Station on Roof Was Used to Give Information to Germans. "He':s been 'shot ; over a •hundred spies hays been shot at Vincennes and La Muette," This Frenchman was speaking of an hotel manager I used to know a lilible. Hie hotel is off the Champs - Elysees, a place of salt carpets and inlaid wood, marble and palms. He was one of those suave; sell -pos- sessed German or Austrian hotel managers who make on you an un- canny impression of omniscience, writes G. Ward Price, Paris oerres- pondent of The London Daily Mail. They speak every European tongue without •a trace of Salbering; they know the name of the beat ha - tel and are personally acquainted with its manager im every city in Europe. They can give you detail- ed directions for the most oompli- catedl journey without opening a sin- gle time -stable, and their informa- tion is .right to the last particle; they know at what station the din- ing -ear is put on, and: they iunpress upon you to remember that the train leaves Kleinstadteam-Flues 20 min- utes earlier this month than the time mentioned in the time -table. That is how I remember him; al- ways in a frock -coat whatever the season, whatever the hour of the day or night; always wearing the diamond pin that a travelling mon- arah gave him; always ,alert though unebbrusive, known of all hie guests, familiar with none. He has been shot, they say. Pos- sibly it is only another of the exams gerated stories that are passed from mouth' to mouth in this imagi- native city of safes and concierges and gossip. Certainly he disap- peared immediately war begasi, while both guests and staff were turned out at an hour's notice, and the hotel itself is now empty and guarded by the police. Page Boy's Discovery. We than knew what'beoame of the manager perhaps after the war. It was one of the page boys of the ho- tel, they eay, who, in a boy's way,. gat out of his attic window on to the roof. He scrambled :about in great glee for a while, climbing onto the ridges of the gables and looking over the housetops right away to the green Bois. At last he came to the turret that stands at the corner of the roof--ene of those little orna- mental cupolas time architectsput onto hotels to gratify the hotel pro- prie. pr's sense of graceful design— a thing lake a pepper castor, sur- mounted by a tall flagstaff, wallet is stayed against wind by a circle of stout wire ropes running down to the 'roof. There is a door in the side of the cupola with a la:dcler leading up to it, and the sight of a closed door in a turret is enough to fire the curl- osi,by of any boy. Up the ladder scrambled the little page, pushed open the door, and then started back in astonis'hmen't. Instead of being empty the turret contained' a large table, and the table was Dov- cred with instruments and coils of wire and wheels, The man sitting at the table had- a telephone re- eeiver clamped over his head, and as the, door opened he swung round' with .a ishirblbd word, Penitently the frightened . libtbe boy :stood there stain neying apole-. gies. Ile had'reoognized the chief of the hotel staff, :The .manager seized the boy angrily by tte slboul- der'. What biusiness, had. ,he ftp there) What did he mean lay die-' turbine important ' experiYnentsat "Go down at epee, you little 'rascal, and if you set. u• ,word. ,abont tlita without m,y"permtssibn there' 1I bo trouble ahead of you," Warned the Policia Thoroughly scared, the ",petit groom" scurried away. It was some days before he told anycste of his strange discovery of the manager in the cupola with the mysterious coils of wire and 'telephone receiver. But gradually, first to another page boy, then through all the servants of the hotel, the story spread. And at bast one Frenchman who bserd it, mare alert than the rest, refleobe'd that there was talk of war between France and Germany, and took the trouble to go round to the police station, Nothing apparently happened. But tho military governor of Paris bad been told of the incident, and from windows do 'houses round the hotel discreet field -glasses were watching the unobtrusive little tur- ret. 'Ilhen there Dame the German declaration of war, and the next morning several detectives in plain clothes drove up in a taxicab to the hotel, - They crossed the broad hall with its lofty gleaming marble walls, to the manager's office. At his rich mahogany desk sat the manager, spruce, self-possessed, capable as ever. "You have been using a secret wireless apparatus on the roof of your hotel for the, purpose of eon- veying messages to the enemy. You are !arrested as a spy." Some of the detectives were driv- ing away with their prisoner a mo- ment later. The rest stayed to make arrangements for the imnie- diate closing of the hotel. And sines their, the manager has not been seen by anyone. Only from •every ,side you bear the same story. A court martaaal ratting in one of the big barrack forts 'round Paris, 'and the next day a firing squad in the moat, and facing ie the hotel manager, a oonvieted spy, Is this the 'rue story of 'his disap- pearance) I can only say that it is what everyone in Paris will tell you. War is a grim busaness- 1 WHEN ATKINS ACTS THE LORD When the British Soldier and Officer are Campaigning. Campaigning is a great leveller Yesterday Private Brown was clean- ing :the boots of Captain the:Hon. Fitz-Puddletan, of the Royal Army Medical Corps, as the latter's fac- tatumrin-chief; to -day the private has 'been• wounded and the captain kneels at his aide with tender soli- citude binding up .hies wounds and offering brandy in a tin mug. In war the medioad colonel, steep- ed in .subtle science and the dignity of years, may have to bind up the sore feet of :the greatest ruffian in the regiment. At no, time is any- one less than a non-eommisaioned officer oonsidered, good enough to compound (medicines for Tommy Atkins. The kutiter may ofte,n have been repreeenbed by novelists as a being forlorn and meshed under the multitude of his meaters; but to- day many of those masters' are busi- lq employed in ministering to hf's comfort. At depots 11 is the duly of the corporals to see than their men have biscuits and coffee the moment they are awake, ,and superintend in person the bathing of the latter, whilatithas•alwaya been ems of the prin'oi.paal duties of the ` sergeant,- maim- to study :the weather condi- tions, 'and ea relieve soldiers from the, puzzle of deciding what clothes to wear when going out. In many regiments it is'an honorable tradi- tion for these sergeants to wait hand and foot upon the men at the big Christmas dinner, and on active service' (abroad it is very often ne- cessary for an,officer Ito take con- trol of the reginiental water -cart and dole out supplies to the anon, Indeed, 'a•soldier in India, revels in oandlti-one which noes 'knit the, riche in civilian can enjby. The. "punkahs" to cool ills barrack-ieoni tare 'rept in motion all night by na- tives; his linen and :clothes are washed dad, starched, and his food onolead 'by: natives tor a nomtual' -charge—Landon Answers. Victory is sore to .perch on the banner of the eha(p wbe never lets doubt creep into anis heart. MOST PEPPECT MADE THE INOREASED,NUTRIT$- OUS VALUE OF BREAD MADE IN THE HOME WITH ROYAL YEAST CAKES SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT INCENTIVE TO THE CAREFUL HOUSEWIFE TO GIVE THIS IMPORTANT FOOD ITEM THE ATTENTION TO WHICH IT IS JUSTLY EN- TITLED. ,HOME BREADCBAKING RE- DUCES THE HIGH COST OF LIVING BY LESSENING THE AMOUNT OF EXPENSIVE MEATS REQUIRED TO SUPT" PLYTHE NECESSARY HOUR- ISHMENT TO THE BODY. E. W. GILLETT CO. LTD. TORONTO, ONT WINNIPEG MONTREAL 1 SHRAPNEL. Naval cannon existed over five hundred Years ago. The Dutch, if (threatened, could flood 300 square miles of land. Three and la quarter yards of flannel -will make .a 'soldier's bbirt, Sweden, though neutral ,intends to spend nearly $15,000,000 on de- fence, Rises in the price of drugs are seriously handicapping our hospi- tals. Food and drink imparts into Ger. many amount to $831,000,000 per annum. The total cost of this war, works out at about $60,000,000 a day. Austria's naval base, Pola, dates back as a naval 'station to the Ro- man period. When a sentry cries "Halt! Who goes there)" the, oarreat reply is "Friend." Many people with foreign -sound- ing names are changing' them to Bra tisk ones. Not since the reign' of Charles II. has London heard' the din. of ,foreign guns, In Belgium the peasant women provide suets of bread and beer for the soldiers. In the suburbs of London 'the name "Liege Cottage" has already appeared. For the camm,on eauss, certain Welsh miners have agreed to work on Sundays. Fish merchants in Great Britain have agreed nob to make any cor- ners in fids. smpplies. Belgian priests have taken the confessions of dying men on the ac- tual field of battle'. Sufficient oil fuel for la cruising radius of 2,000 miles. is carried on the largest German submarines.. Tb 'housewives: One eablespoon- ful of ordinary honey 'will go ces far as six tablespoonfuls of sugar. 3 SICK DOCTOR Proper Food Put Him Right. The food experience of a pbysician in his own ease when worn and weak from sickness and when needing nourishment the worst way, is valu- able: "An attack of grip, so severe it came near making an end of me, left my stomach in such condition I could not retain any ordinary food. I knew of comae that I must have food nourishment or I could never recover. "I began to take four teaspoon- fuls of Grape -Nuts -and cream three times a Bay, and for 2 weeks this was almost my only food. It tasted so delicious that I enjoyed it im- mensely and my stosnaeh handled it perfectly from the first mouthful. It was so nourishing I was quickly built back to normal health and strength.' t tG.raire-Nita is of great value es food to sustain life during serious attacks in which the stomach is so deranged it cannot digest and asci- mi1•abe ether foods. °'i am convinced that were Grape - Nuts more widely used by physi- cians, ib would save many lives that are otherwise lost from lack of nourishment." Name given by Canadian Postale Co,, Windsor, ,Ont, The most .perfect food in the world, Trial of Grape -Nuts and cream 10 days proves, "There's a .carom's Loolc in pkgs, for the little book, "The Road to Wellville." Ever read tho above Tetter. A new one appears Irorn time to time, They are eahuma, Iruo and full of human interoet, SOME FAMOUS 'BACHELORS 1K,L'f'C.IHEN]'ER, BISHOP OF LON- DON, SIR TR0,11AS LIPTON. Ex -Premier Balfour Has Been Con. tent to Let His Spinster Sis- ter Housedceep for Han. ror uats hsima of. theIt snisortatlrcharnaei'ng isomontinat theowoelej should be confirmed bachelors, al= " r though dt as, indisputable that they enjoy the society of the fair sex, When one weamines.-the alleged reasons. for {heir -failure to take themselves wives one is bound to admit that reluctance to break away from established habits seems to be the likeliest explanation, says an English. paper. The best-known bachelor is Rb, Hon. A. J. Balfour. The ex -Union- ist leader's studious habits and the extraordinary way in whuch pall - tics have engrossed his life for the last thirty years have disanissed thoughts of marriage from his :mind. Also the fact that he has always I had a 'delightful sister to look after his interests and preside over his table -has been am additional in- ducement to him not to change his bachelor life. There ;has never been any suggestion that he found him- self uncomfortable in the society of the opposite sex, Indeed, his free talent attendance at social funo- bio-n's• is rather a proof that he finds the ladder 'attractive. After Me. Balfour the most due - cussed English 'bachelor is Lord Kitchener. Iau his case the belief has long prevailed that Britain's agent in Egypt has been a woman - hater, and certainly he has never shown any great disposition to be attracted by them. The known fact that Kitchener has never sought the society of the fair sex is sufficient reason for therm to court his company, There is great curiosity to discover why so Fascinating .and handsome a ao:ldier is proof against the lure of feminine beaut3-. Ambition Chief Influence. Nevertheless, it is the most utter rubbish to describe the hero of Khartoum as cherishing any dislike to women. In his case ambition has had the strongest influence over his life, and if aman of his reserve would speak frankly it 'would bo Bound that had he met the right woman in !the right social rank he would have married' her. The wealthiest bachelor in the world is undoubtedly Mr. Alfred di Rothschild. Bachelors are very raro among his race; his single state therefore all the more marks him out for ecwancn't. In his tastes, his mode of life, and his temperament he is the bachelor by choice. The busy world of fi- nance, collection of rare curies and paintings, the opera, •and hia own private band have satisfied all the needs of his nebula. M. Paul Canibon, the French Am- bassador, is a confirmed bachelor. An entertaining man, of homely habits, he would have made an ideal hush and. Diplomacy, however, seems to have absorbed all bis in- terests, end left him a lonely man in the, great Albert Gate mansion which is has official residence, Another diplomat who has never married is the Marquis de Several, the great friend of the Royal family, formerly Minister for Por'bagal at the Court of Se. J(ames', and King Ivianuel's most trusted confidant. Preferred His hooks. The Bishop of London has cele- brated his fifty -(sixth birthday 'with- ou* entering the holy bonds of ma- trimony. In his Dose a 'certain etu- diou.s turn -of dispositi'o'n seems to have been the, Team :reason'for nego- berin•g m.arria•gei, D. Ingvahami varies his lonely bachelor life with golf, cycling, and fives, bat the absence of the joys of the •benediet is reflected in an as- cetic line of thought that prodiuces books of the 'type of "The Mesi Who Crucify Christ," Sir Thomas Lipton is a million- aire bachelor whose friends still hope that rama.nce may yet give color to a remarkable •career. Lip ton, according to the ex,plan(a.tion he himself has vouchsafed, has never' met the right woman. As for Sir Thomas Dewar, gilt.- teen ysare L(iptcsi's junior; he is at baeh'elor mainly because he seems to hove merle up hire mind never to marry and to oheeas recreations that help -bowtard% this end A young man wale is: spoken of as a likely (bachelor is the Hon Neil Prisnrose, the very 'talented and good -leak -mg 'son of Lord Basebe'ry, who was left is fortune of 01.,000,000 by his aunt, Miss Luay Cohen. F� Canoe for Complaint, The Mistrea§a I'm rprised that you wont to leave, Mary. I con- sider you've a very good siituaition, As ,you know, J do some of the work myself." - thtaryyYee,, but :yoti ..e,i't do it bo ansabiafaetion, Busy men are usually to happy. that they have no time to realize it,