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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Clinton New Era, 1914-12-31, Page 3PAGE T HI EE MQUNTAIN BATTERY FROM FRON TIER OF AFGHANISTAN NOW IN FRANCE `The War Imposes Tremendous Burden aaf Responsibility Upon the King's Advisers—Many Sol- diers. Will, Find Homes in Canada When Peaee Comes. The conduct of the war throws a 'tremendous strain on the physical :strength of the _ Government of the 'United Kingdom, as well as on their strength of character and strength of intellect. And it. must be remembered that it occurred at the lag -end of a •.session which had been an exception- ally trying one both for the Monarch 'and for his Ministers, .and just when both might ,reasonably have looked forward to a .holiday. The Home Rule situation had for months, been a source of the ..cutest anxiety to both the Iiing and the Prime Minister, in particular, and of almost daily conference between them. Indeed it is safe to say that no King and Premier have every 'leen In such 'frequent communication, within a like space of time, as were King George and Mr. Asquith, practically for a .year before the outbreak of the war. One has only to recall the history of many things which now seems so far off, but which are really, in point of time, so near, to realize the se' -ere tax on their strength` and patience .alike, which had been imposed before war broke' out. There was the Home Rule struggle, the 'Ulster question, the Curragh camp incident, the men .ace of civil war, the interminable.ne- gotiations, the Buckingham Palace conference, the fierce debates, the ceaseless wrangles. All these have `pajsed. Only the war remains—a bur - of urof anxiety, responsibility, and care a='heavy as mortal men have ever had 1,,?‘ bear. Men-.ef .Vigorous Strength It is a good thing that both the King' and the members of the Cabinet principally concerned with the conduct of the war are men in the prime of life. His Majesty is forty-nine. There is no septuagenarian in the Cabinet— i .a very,,rare thing in a British'Govern- "�ment. Mr. Asquith is sixty-two years old, but of a constitution that has al- ways seemed to thrive on hard work. Lord Kitchener - is sixty-four, but he looks nothing like that age, and his .constitution is like his will—iron. Sir Edward Grey . is fifty-two, Mr. Lloyd George fifty-one, and Mr. Churchill slot yet forty. That due provision shall be made ?for the future, of those who are eery.' ling their country in arms, and for " -those dependent on them,' is a pro- ject that is very near the King's heart. in the past; semi -starvation and pover- ty have too often been the so'ldier's lot after "the war is o'er." A. Govern- •ment committee is to decide, what ad- ,ditions to the.scale of pensions are necessary, in order to ensure that no soldier or his dependents shall be suffered, after the war, to go short of the necessaries of life,: with particular regard to. the requirements of soldiers who have lost the use of a limb, or who have otherwise become perman- ently disabled. Over this committee the King will preside in person.' • Veterans For Canada ' The scope of The scheme which the committee is` to formulate will include; the provision of ample ,work for time expired men. It will, in all .proba- bility, comprise, among other,,things, a system of State -aided emigration to, Canada and the other overseas Do- minions, with a free grant of land to those who wish to take up farming or stock -raising. And. it is the ernment's intention to enlist the co-operation of the Governments of. the various Dominions to the matter. The authorities in Great Britain have good reason . for :concern with regard to one feature of the operations in France. And that is the astound- ingly acourate information which the enemy constantly gains, not only of the movements of, troops, but also of the contemplated movements of. the Anglo-French army. Every shipment of troops from the British shores is telegraphed to the enemy via Holland and • Turkey, and England' and, Scot- land, it is said are both "rotten with spies." Spies Use Clever Code is absurd, writes Edgar; Wal- lace, a well known military corres- pondent, `''to say that no' code tele- grams ,. are , accepted, when we know that Is Jack with you? may mean 'Irish Guards left' for Havre.' These men do not'wish to save money they send the most lengthy and•,plaus- Bible telegrams to business houses. in Rotterdam,' and convey all the infor. mutton they wish to send. Anyway, even the average reader must- have seen with what amazing accuracy the enemy has been able to foretell every move we 'have made." BURNING TOWNS IN WAR TIME An Unusual Proceeding Now But Customary Centuries Ago Fortunately it is not usual for a civilized enemy +to burn and sack a town as thl Germans destroyed Lou- vain. In the past, however, it was regard- ed as a legitimate method of warfare, and many British towns on the` south' coast suffered in this way, That most picturesque of Sussex towns, Rye, twice suffered this fate, being dei stroyed by the French in 1377 'and 1448. .. . Perhaps the West of England suf- fered most from these raids, for the sturdy sons of 'Devon' and Cornwall were continually at war with the country's enemies, even in tills of peace, and Spain did not 'easily forget Drake. Dartmouth was twice plundered by the French, and Teignmouth suffered ! in the same way more than once. In Um reign. 01 Edward III. the French made a sudden raid, and later, when James II. thought .to' come back, the French Admiral Tourville came' with a fleet to Torbay., However, as his reception did not seem promising, he hurriedly landed 1,700 men at Teignmouth, made bon- fires of property in the streets, and burned and plundered tho towngener- ally. The Spaniards were busy in Corn- wall in 1595, for they burned Mouse hole, Penzance,' -and Paul. Y A Russian soldier brought to the field, hospital at Druskenik had twen- ty-four bullets in his legs. The picture shows an interesting, de tail of the Indian force now serving against the Germans. The battery is remarkable for its complete equipment and for the manner'n which. it is able to traverse rough districts where other batteries would be useless. Everything is carried on the backs of mules: Soldier, Statesman and Financier Is President Poincare of France 1 The President of the French Re- public was brought prob"bly closer to the war than the head t lny of the other belligerent nations. M. Ray- mond Poincare was born at Bar -le -Due in French Lorraine and the house: of M. Poincare's parents was occupied by the Germans, and German shells dug holes. all over M. Poincare's own acres. The Poincare estates are consider- able, onsiderable, and, with the industry and thor- oughness that are characteristic of his own people, M. le President made the most of them, He is learned in the deep and difficult cult of the vine, and his cellars are judiciously fur- nished. While his studies in Paris were mostly given to stocksand shares at1.i international' finance, he has shown, at home and as a holiday. maker, the practical Frenchman's close acquaintanceship with crops and the field, ' But M. Poincare, when trouble comes and the troops of' a hostile army tread down hi•" vegetables and kill his chickens, has i le consolation of a very thorough military training. He knows the strategic points of his own coun- tryside, and is able to count the hours that must pass till the day of deliver- ance. M. Poincare did not learn his history and do his military service at Nlancy for nothing. And even as Premier he necessarily keeps abreast with modern notional of soldiering, and DIFFICULT ORDERS Iiate Sergeant (to unhappy recruit who won't "cut it short) "Silence wid your—whin ye're epakin' to a It'oificer!" is the master of his country's plan of campaign, Is Head of the Army When he visits the fighting lines: ho does not, of course, take anypart in th''direction of the movement of the allies' troops, but he might do so if ho cared to exercise the powers that go with his office, . As President, lie ranks . as the "chef agissant de se personne," or the personally respon- Bible and supreme director of the army. Nor should we forget his other powers as the head of "belligerent France. The President of the French Republic, under the constitution as It then stood and now stands, concluded the Treaty of Berlin without the rati- fication of Parliament M. Poincare was born in 1860. His boyhood wee, spent in and out of Bar- le-Duc, where, he went to school; and he learned to shoot straight and dig trenches in the same distirck M. Poincare's profession is the law. In the law courts his cases were for a long time of one kind; a leaning to- wards literature and art directed the trend of his legal studies, and his clients, when he had the choosing, where most often poets and painters. His speeches ran so smoothly that they were sometimes in danger of be- ing ineffective; they lacked the jar and jolt of certain famous oratorical efforts made by Lloyd George or Churchill. Memorized His Speeches Midnight oil made them run without effort; they were always written be- forehand and learned by heart, and his prose style was equally elaborate and finished,' even to the: point. of monotony, His _political career began in 1887, but forthree years M. Poincare was a silent member. He was deeply, en- gaged in figures. It is undoubted that M. Poincare's ability as a financier has been one of the main reasons for his high reputation as a statesman; and since modern wars are fought with minted bullets as much as, with shrapnel, it follows that the right man is at the head of the French Republic. Brave Women of India Stand end by the Empire Rich and Poor Gladly Sacrifice Their Men, Money and Religious Principles to Help the Great Raj -Caste Objection,to Crossing the Ocean Thrust Aside For Honor's Sake The part that the ladies of India are taking in the present war Is Im- portant, writes Saint Nlihil Singh, an Indian gentleman, in a London journal. The Rants are gladly giving their hus- bands, sons, brothers, and other male relatives to lead the Indian contino gents in the' firing line. Ladies of nobility and wealth, are,parting from scions of their families'who, es mem- bers of the Imperial Cadet Corps or otherwise, are (seeing action on the Continent. Indian women` cf humbler station• likewise are offering their men -folk on the altar of the Empire. Those who for one reason or another cannot contribute fightersare help- ing to fill the war -chest and give sub. scriptions to the relief funds, and or- ganize'philanthropic associations to aid and comfort the soldiers ill' er wounded in action, and ameliorate the misery- and hardships of the relatives' they leave 1 ehind them.• To a great many, • of India's soldiers the crossing of ' the "black water". means the violation ^of their most cherished principles. The Hindu re- ligion, as it is interpreted by the present-day priests and law -givers; the Brahmans, positively forbids its fol- lowers to leave the shores of Ind., All the canons of caste and all the dic- tates of custom that have been fol- lowed by the Hindus for age upon age. are opposed to permitting them to set, out on voyages. Of late years, any men and a few women from India have outraged these prejudices by go- ing abroad, but still the sentiment against' voyages is cherished by the majority of the Hindus, The women especially cling to these conventional notion. Therefore it could not -have.. been an easy thing for the women of India to: let ..their: men-foik•+.croea"fie oceans to Europe. But the women of India are ,taught, from the cradleupwards;' to obey ;.the call of duty without ,hesitancy or mur- mur.' They fulfil their obligations, no matter how dear it may cost them in trouble and agony to do so, not only without complaint, but, what is more, without any 'ado, On the present occasion the Indian ladies have responded to the call of the Em- pire with alacrity and enthusiasm. They have repressed their affections and their prejudices alike, and sent their men tb fight the battles of their King -Emperor in distant Europe. Details, of a curious, family compll; cation come from St, Gail, Switzer- land. A naturalized Swiss citizen, German by birth, is married to a Hun- garian. His brother-in-law is fighting against the Servians, and the husbalid of his sister-in-law is fighting against the Austrians. Of the man's two brothers; one is in a Prussian regi- ment and tie other is serving France under General Gallieni. 1•••••••+0.000' ®1+D0 s6wasso. 444..4ia'00@e49e'i00*N Alderson's Hobbies Fox-hunting. and War A0c00000-0044000N 040©0@9®®00@4 It was while Major-General E. A. H. Alderson, C,B., A.D.C., was stationed at Pretoria in command of the closing campaigns of the Boer war and after Lord Roberts had returned to England that he asked permission from Earl Kitchener to establish a "Bobby" pack in connection with his staff, so that the officers could in their spare mom- ents enjoy oments"enjoy a few hours of the "sport of kings," interspersed with. the hard- ships of real warfare: In his letter to Earl Kitchener General Alderson said that if be was allowed to have a hunt meet every morning at dawn not only would the spirits 'of the officers be maintained by the recreative. change, but they woud immediately increase their efficiency.. After careful consideration and hav- ingbeen. assured that the "hunt" would be over each morning before "regular hours," Kitchener gave his needed assent, and General Alderson enjoyed, the "mimic of war" with an enemy' all about him. General Alderson has only two real hobbies, war and "mimic war." If he is not in scarlet and pink he must be in khaki, and if he can be in both he is so much the ,happier- lie makes no attempt to cover up his likes, he is proud of them and in his book, Scarlet and Pink, he says so again and again. It is easy,; then,' to account for his appointment as commander of the Canadian contingent, for he is one of the real "war. dogs" of the British army. He knows."the game" .from start to finish. His record is one continual story of active service, from his first en- gagement with the mounted infantry at Tel-El-Mahuta to the close of the Boer War, There -was, perhaps, nc staff officer- with the British forces that was present at more engagements during the last Boer War titan General Alderson, He was at the relief of Kimberley, in the operations in the Orange Free State, Poplar Grove, Paardeberg, Driefontein, Vet River and the Zand River, Johannesberg, Pretoria, Diamond Hill, during the early part of 1900 and at Reit Vlei later in the.;year, Many times he has been mentioned in despatches of the Field' Marshals and Generals for con- spicuous work on the field in command of men. At the end of the war he was presented with the Queen's medal with Eve clasps and the King's medal with two clasps, which were in addition to medals he held for servile in the Son- den onden expedition, and the Transvaal in, 1884-5. For his work in Egypt he was awarded the Bronze Star. Gaperal Alderson is never too much engaged in war to forget his favorite sport—the hunt, and during the entire campaign rgainst the Boers he carried • a hunting horn at his saddle crop,, At. the same time he is never too much engrored with the catching of a fox to forget real warfare, and in riding through the fields it Is said that he is continually picking nut spots that would make ideal points againt which attacks might be directed, or from which they mightbe repulsed. ' "Hunting is the greatest : training for war in the world" is one of General Alderson's frequent sayings. "It has 100 per cent. of the interest asd the educational value and. only 26 per cent. of the danger of war." It is little wonder, then, that this soldier -hunter from his. "hunting" mind developed the moltnted infantry. MANX PRISON CAMP Britain's Enemies Uncle • Detention Have Little Reason For Complaint Beyond 'he fact that they are, not at liberty to, come and go at they please, the 3,000 Germans and Aus- trians interned at Douglas, Isle of Man,` have certainly, nothing to com- plain of.. The camp is healthily situ- ated, on high ground, and the 'build- ings include a spacious dining -hall, with accommodation for 8,000 diners, kitchens fitted with modern cooking appliances, bakehouse, a swimming bath, and the most complete sanitary arrangement. There is an abundant water supply and an electric light installation. The prisoners sleep eight in a tent. One of themis constituted corporal of each tent, and he . is responsible for those men; and there is a captain. also a prisoner, who is responsible for a company of 12 tents. Any complaints have to be made through these offi- cers. The camp is carefully inspected daily by - the commandant, Colonel Madoc. There is, an abundance of good.. food. Breakfast consists of porridge, bread;c-and ,,tea,,.,dinner. of,;meat,., po- tatoes, bread, and one; vegetable; and, tea of bread and butter and tea. The pr'ison'er' are: • given as much exercise as possible, being encouraged to 'play football and other outdoor games, while two hundred are daily sent out for a constitutional round the 'beautiful lanes neat Douglas un- der escort A concert "in held every Sunday; night, the programme being entirely furnished' by .the prisoners, many of whom are accomplished musicians. The performances of a full orchestra are exceptionally fine. 'Knitting and darning classes.. are held so that. the prisoners may be taught to supply their own socks and mend their clothes. Destitute prison- ers, who are in the .proportion .of 20 per cent., are supplied with clothes by the Government. So many hundreds of Gorman dead jammed the Nieman River that •Ger- mao sappers were ordered to dam the 'stream to keep the bodies from floats ing into the towns below. A GRAND SCRIMMAGE Highlander's Story, of Hand -to -haat.: Work With Bayonet A wounded Highlander lying on a cot in an English hospital gave a ,vivid account of some of the fighting in which he participated: "We were up somewhere Belgium way, and marching backwards and forwards without seeing anybody, till one day we were told to be ready to take a hill. ° It looked a very nice sort of hill, quite innocent -like, but when we came within about a mile it be- gan to rain cats ` and dogs; as you might say, caterwauling and barking: shells, ahrapnel, and bullets all over us. I got one in the leg, but went on a bit, but then we were all called back They wanted to send me to • the, rear and back to England, but I said no,, and nipped on to a gun -truck and was driven like a king for a day or two. After about a week I was all right again, and "we were pretty, nearly always' "scrapping." "I got put out at •Soissons in a ' bayonet charge. These Germans al- ways have two firing lines. One pre- tends to advance and fires a bit, and we . come. -on„ and, -then„, they either nun, away or hold. up their hands, and whilst we go gaily on a second time probably a dosen quick firers opa 00 "That particular occasion wo Iiatl s bit of a :hili to take with �a lot of them entrenched below. Well, we got well on to them, but Lordi just as we climbed nearthe top, whey; Dame ever like bees! What we did for the rest of the time nobody knows, and if any man tells you that he did this, that, and the other when he is in such a "mush” as we were in, he is lying, We were jumping here and jumping there and sticking one man.: in front and looking out of the corners of our eyes' for another behind till we were fair mad. Our bayonets are fine,, especially for .the rings round the muzzles of our Hiles, which catch the German bayonets and snap them like straws. Lord knows how many I stuck, whether it was two or twenty! It was a grand scrimmage, and I was real sick when a bullet ripped up my arni from elbow to thumb and stopped ,100 But we got that hill all the same!" b6 9