THE USES OF ADVERSITY

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16259, 9 July 1918, Page 5

THE USES OF ADVERSITY

PRISONERS OF WAR AND THEIR LOT. "Kindness in another's troubles; courage in your own." The whole 6tojy of the war, of course, is full of practical instances of Goi don's neatly-expressed sentiment; but here is one which, if for no other reason than its utter simplicity, deserves mcnton and remembrance (says tho "Sydney Daily Telegraph"), it is all leveaied in a letter audiessed, to Mr N. Wilkinson, of tne Globe, lioui a man wuo, up vo tiio inoiuc.it tho oommunicution was received, had been a stranger to hiin—one iSerguant Li. Jonnson, ol We Ist 13attaiion oi iJie Colustreain Guards, and at present a prisoner of war interned in Holland. Let the missive speak for itself : —

"No doubt you will be surprised to hear from me," it runs, "But 1 made the acquaintance of your sou Norui..n wliile a prisoner of war in Germany. We became tho closest of friends and comrades, and I thought perhaps you would like to hear a little of what it is to be a prisoner in tho hands of tho Hun.

"In tho first place I wish to say that when I left fcfchnoidemuhl Norman was in tho very best of health and spirits, and as happy aa could be expoctcd in the circumstances. I was to tell you that ho is quito willing to bear his imprisonment for another five years if necessary, for ho wishes to see the Gorman nation completely crushed boforo ho leaves them.

"I have learned to esteem and respect your son since I have known him, and I am sure you must be very proud to be tho father of such a son. Norman boajs his burden manfully, never grumbling, always happy and' bright. He makes the best of everything, and I remember the infection of his laugh. •Keep smiling'. is his motto, and it takes a good deal to maintain that in Germany. He was always talking of you and his mother, and so it appoars to me that I know you quite well, although I have never had tly} pleasure of meeting you. Some day I may do so. Who knows?

"Schneidemuhl Camp is one of tho best of such in Gormany, so you see Norman is fortunate. Although he has been through the mill the same as all of us, he is none the worse for it. He is at present working in the cookhouse, and is having a fairly easy time. His parcels arrive regularly from England, and of course that means everything. But if the parcels were to stop . . . then it would be God help the prisoners. The /German food is quite inadequate and very often quite unfit for human consumption. . . . "One thinp- I am positive of and that is the Germans will never break or bend the Bpirit of our boys. In fact, the Huns have already realised that. Many of those who spat in the faces of the English prisoners in 1914 and 1910 now, honour and respect them. Our boys' have given them a good lesson in civilisation, and the German soldier is beginning to realise how far he is behind the Britisher in education and experience. "1 may tell you that before I left the camp 1 had the honour of keeping up Norman's 21st birthday. _ 1 shall never forget it as long as I live. Wo had a good time, although in a prison laager. Tnanks to the bribery and corruption in tiie Geiinan auny many things can be done which are 'streng verboten.'

"I had been in Germany since 1914, and had seen everything oi which those brutes are capable. I have seen men thrashed to. death; shot for nothing; starved to death; frozen to deathyhung up to posts by their hand*; tied to takes until tney died: .kicked insensible: and made the objects of every

otiicr callous barbarity. ... I assure you tho details nave gone to the right quarter since I lmve been here (Holland). The Black Hole of Calcutta will be as nothing compared with what has been committed by tho Huns, when tiie official facta are made known.

"I hopo you will use your influence in every manner possible to make the Government toko steps to have the prisoners exchanged or interned in neutral countries. Many of the older prisoners are losing their mental balance. Their eyes are vacant when they look at you. There are the men whom the Hun can best bully, ill-treat, and make work the hardest. ...

"I expect I am boring you with this story; but believe mo everything is true. Please do not think that anything is wrong with Norman; but-try your hardest to get them away. That is why I writo_ to you. If you cannot understand this writing, teat is another thing for which the Huns aro responsible. I have partially lost the use of my right hand, through 'hunger typhus'-r-caused by starvation. . . I pray that by God's grace Norman will be returned to you safe > and sound. . . . Accept my apologies for writing this letter. . . .

It ib a letter that requires no commentary. All that remains to be said is this: It is written.on paper bearing the letter-head "The Young Men's Christian Association, with the British Prisoners of War Interned in Holland."

STILL COUGHING?

Loaaby's "Stop It," the beat, safest, and rarest cough care. made. Bemejnber this ia bo mere assertion because "Stop It" has stood the teat for years. Cough curee have come and gone, new. ones spring tip and huge sums spent on advertising them as the only cough cure worth having in the house. Yet "Stop It" goes on its way, ever, increasing ita eale«, getting friends and peraonaJ advertisers i from all who use it. It causes a warm glo* through the lungs and bronchia] tubea, eases th* cough, loosens the phlegm, and causos free expectoration, whilst at the came time it soothes the throat and inflamed tubes. It always dooa this, therefore it ilwava does : good. Price Is 6d. 2s 6d, and 4a 6d chemists and grocers (larger bottles are the cheapest). A. M. LOASBY (with W. F. McArth*r), The Only Prescribing Ch:mist £79 Colombo street, Cnriatchurch,