"HEROISM IS NOT DEAD."

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 660, 10 November 1909, Page 8

"HEROISM IS NOT DEAD."

: The "Spectator" (London) etatee t-^'The' great • manoeunes in , Wiltshire, Berkshire,. and Oxfordshire, in .which-, no fewer than .fifty thoii* .' ■ sand men'. have been, engaged, have iocussed . attention, upon our 1 soldiers. ,. A , mqst,Btriktjag;; . testimony, .to tlieir- value.: as'.oitiwns;;and„-. ■ good citizens, 16 1 to be found in the lbttota' which Mr.' Robert,- Blatchfordi the .Socialist, vu:. contributing to. thei'Daily Mail.'',, ']:■■'.>:':\',. ;"Mr. Blatchford, has just cbiiib'.'bafck'-.ffoni the German ariny , manoeuvres, -.but.--he/finds that the British infantry, soldier has nothing .- to fear-in comparison witli. thes German, -except. s in 'tho matter of numbers. .In fact,.' his cott-. ' ■ elusion is very; much ■■ like, that ofHho Diiko v of Wellington. 'Just , before 'Waterloo,'« the; Duke, who was riding w;ith Creeyey,.pointed ; to . soldier,, goipg : up. the ;Bteps> v of' : a church at' Brussels ■with-':the; ,, remar , i£: , -'lt\>aU , ! .i depends upon that article:/ '-'If there "were : ' enough ;of. him I: should- have no;doubts;'■; It" J V is very ■; satisfactory -'to * find' Mr;.. BlatcMord,; i■., in spite of his Socialistio 1 which'-'>', aften tend to make- tlieir.' holders' .pessimi6tio > as to existing ; that,.our. ■: soldiers' are'so well ttamed'and:bear.'.BO.-Rood. '■'. a' character." .' ; "■. ■"■. ' '■'. ■.'. .'■ .'■ > '.■'."■."■•'y', '■ ■' ""!;j;;' The "Observer." discussing': tliia.Qiieetion.; • says; "It is ..becauas. .w'is' are .convinced''.of' Uie ...:' reality, ,bf' the improvement, and ..believe jn-■ V the benefit which "the"'Army: has•'derived from;it, that we'notice and give full weight'to tho . 'doubt' tßat has been Hntod by. a.; correepbn-.' -, dent in a Seryice-contempornry, 'whether, these; well-educated, well-ooriductfed yonn? . fellow« would prove in a tight place to be the- equaji. of the rouWi heroes of. ■. We,, believe:- , that the officers who express '.these doubtehayt. .bnilded better than they know: Overlaid, 'ii '• ■may. be, by : materialisticj^tfaching,,. there :.ie-»v abundant.evidence'in oiviJfUiff! that the old- '. we boldly' call it, Christian—ideal' of licroism . is_not dead in.the people.-.lncdseant preacliing.'' : of rights and ignoring of-duties may obscure■'>■■. the vision, but in supreme moments duty. ro. :: :' asserts itself;' else why. do men descend infe)' ' the flttmink'.:mi'Ae or leap' into' the boilingeea to those 'Who are nought to ; them eav»' ; fellow-men m, extremity f": ."'■'.■:■, ;'..'" .■.'■,