The Dominion. TUESDAY, APRIL 27, 1915. "WORTH THE SACRIFICE"

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2446, 27 April 1915, Page 4

The Dominion. TUESDAY, APRIL 27, 1915. "WORTH THE SACRIFICE"

The accounts of the desperate struggle between the British and Ger- ! man troops _at Hill 60 give some idea of the terriblcness of modern warfare. Wo get a thrilling glimpse of the battle clash in 'which full play is given to all the destructive forces which the men of science have placed at the disposal of the men of war. We are told of the capture and recapture of trenches, the hail of shrapnel, the asphyxiating fumes, the explosions, the enormous expenditure of ammunition, and the weird manoeuvres of the airmen with their bombs. The fighting went on amid clouds of dust and smoke and .deafening noise. There has never been anything like it in the history of the world. One correspondent declares that by nightfall Hill 60' was an indescribable spectacle. Any man who has gone through such an experience is not likely to forget it tc his dying day. Yet many of those who have been in -the.,thick of the fighting, state that in spite of it; perils, its discomforts, its hardships, and its terrors, the war has a wonderful fascination. It makes everyday life seem tame - and uninteresting. It upsets many ideas as to the comparative worth of things, and crowds the excitement® of an eventful lifetime into a few days, Bui those who .thrown themselves, body and soul, into this epoch-mak ing confljot assure us that it is wort! all the sacrifices it entails, In t letter to his friends at "home, a British officer gives us a vivid descrip turn of the new way of Idoking ai things which he has acquired as a re [suit of his life in the' fightint .ranks:— ( ! I may come home (lie writes) for niy 16 o°urs leave, and the very thought o civilised life again amuses me. There ar 80' many "necessary" things I have no done forlong time, I fervently hop there will be no sheets on my bed an' the bath water won't be -hot. It wouli take a very low temperature to burn m ?•?«" 1 1 Bll all live away in sgm little_ corner where I cannot see an khaki. I haven't been up a flight o stairs, seen a carpet or armchair, or tast ed fresh fish for three months. I haven' looked in a "real" shop, or seen a smai woman, or heard musio, or walked in am thing harder than mua for three month: L haven't tasted fresh water ' or evei fizz' since I have been away. I haven' seen an evening paper, I haven't drim] out of a china cup, I haven't eaten off i china plate. But the experience I havi been through has been w.orth tho sacrificof all these things, and I wouldn't sell i moment of it.

It is experiences like these that test a man's real worth. They appeal to | the imagination and tho desire for adventure, and provide that thrill of danger which acts as a tonie on'tho healthy mind in the early stages of manhood. The fact that hundreds of thousands of young Britishers are eager to serve Kino and Empire on the battlefield is an impressive sign of vigorous national life.

The Germans no longer speak disdainfully of Sir Johx Eiienoh's "contemptible little army." The British troops have shown magnificent courage and endurance, and the Germans now realise and confess that the British Army, is going to be one of the principal deciding factors in the struggle. The.v discovered long ago that it was b,v lio means contemptible, and they are n6w seriously alarmed-at its ever-increasing size. The fighting at Hill 60 will certainly increase the enemy's rpspect for our fltiri Mi« TuMFtv.-j 50Jriifpp «r« at p.i'wut towßg an unjjlwjiwt,

taste of the courage and dash of the Canadians, the first of the fighters from the Overseas Dominions to appear on the European battle-grounds. The Germans now admit that Britain is their_ "chief enemy." In a recent article in the Hamburger Nachrichten some interesting references are made to the part which the British Empire is playing in the war. It is pointed out that Germans must keep clearly before them the fact that Britain is the "chief enemy." The article, which is generally regarded as a semi-official statement, goes on to say that German military commanders "have repeatedly declared that the English long-service soldier is an adversary to bo taken very seriously, and the result of naval engagements up to the present has proved that the English Navy fully realises the extent of its duties and responsibilities. It therefore follows that the conflict with England will demand fresh exertions and sacrifices." The people of Germany are urged to conduct the war against England with the .utmost energy, and to be ready to sacrifice the highest and best they have. The writer does notfexa.j;gcrate the vital importance of the issues at stake when he says that "the country which goes under in'this struggle will lose beyond all words in the estimation of the ,whole world, while its fall will add power and'pres'tige to the victor." In this tremendous fight to a finish every part of the British Empire must be ready to make sacrifices quite as great as those whioh the enemy is called-upon to bear, New [ Zealand has so far done all that it lias been asked to do, and muoh more, The Minister of Defence is now asking for nuwe men. He says it is necessary that at least six thousand should register within the next six weeks. We are quite confident that the number .required will be forthcoming within the period fixed, but our duty will not be .finished when the new battalions and the 7th Reinforcements are completed. It is impossible to fix any limit to the sacrifices wc may have to make, except the limit of our capafiity. We must simply go on sending men as long as they are wanted.