A MAN FROM THE WEST

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2736, 3 April 1916, Page 3

A MAN FROM THE WEST

MR. COLEMAN'S WAR TALKS | . MONS AND THE RETREAT. First in tho local field a 6 a lecturer on the great war is Mr. Frederick Coleman, F.H.G.S., a cosmopolitan journalist, who has acted as a war correspondent in moro than one campaign, and who, scenting tho battle from afar, threw up his business in London in the early stages of the war to drive a motor-car as one of a group of twentyfive members of the Royal Automobile Club, who are reputed to have done excellent work,in transferring tho British directors of the groat game from point to point as circumstances permitted, and who was attached to General de Lislo's staff on the Western front during a most interesting part of the campaign. It is hardly necessary to say that the Concert Chamber was packed on Saturday evening to hear Mr. Coleman, indeed, hundreds of people had to be refused admittance and there was no one present who did not find the lecture most illuminating on many points, and' grippingly interesting throughout. Mr. Coleman has a genial personality, an American accent, and a flow of cheerful spirits to keep pace with a glib flow of words. He is particularly happpy in the relation of hu morous incident. That part of the wai which covered the first six or- eight months lias proved to be by far tho most picturesque in the campaign, 'as there was plenty of encounters in the open, battles were clearly defined, and the campaign had not reached the monotonous stalemate on the Western front which has characterised the war for tho | past year, so that Mr. Coleman wv,s lucky in seeing what he did. Before commencing his lecture on Saturday evening the lecturer said that he could not begin his remarks without referring to the sight he had witnessed that afternoon from the portico of the Grand Hotel. Ho had no previous knowledge of the Anzacs, other than what General de Lisle had written him when that officer went out to take charge' of the 29th Division, and the wounded he had seen in London, but he could say that ho had never seen finer material than those who had marched through the streets that afternoon. They were the right age, size, and condition. Thy were not going into the business blindly, but on nearly ■every countenance could be read a .set purpose, and that was, he thought, to "carry on" in the future the good record the Anzacs made at Gallipoli. (Applause.)

Mr. Coleman said he had had war experience with the forces of eight different Powers, but in this connection most of his experiences had been gained when attached, to General de Lisle's staff as his chaffeur. His first idea in London had been to form a Icind of foreign division in London, but when it came to Lord Kitchener the idea was turned down,_ as he .was nnable to lose the tag of his own country, and as he was an 'American citizen (though resident in London for the past fifteen years) his services were not accepted. Other Americans that he knew sudden, ly remembered thdt they had fcjoen bo>\ in Edinburgh, Montreal, and perhaps . Wellington, and they got away, but ho had been unable ,to do. so. Finally they had been able to get Sir John French to accept the services of twenty, five members of the Royal Automobile Club, who offered their services and cars for nothing, and also offered to pay for their repairs. Some of them said that they spoke French when they didn't know a word, and all swore that they knew the country, though many of them hadn'.t seen it, so in a burst of economy the War Office accepted their services. He'arrived at the front the day after the Battle of Mons, and was attached as a chauffeur to Hhe General Headquarters Staff, though he was not "on the strength," as they say. Every one of tho drivers had a nickname, by which they were known more generally than by their own name. There was one they all called 'Budge," whom he found later to be the- Duke of Westminster; Colonel Seeley, M.P., was rushing round chauffered by Lord Dalmeny, son of Lord Roscbory, and someone else induced Jimmy (Lord) Rothschild to "pinch" his ' mother's Rolls-Royce laudaletto for. service at tho front. . ■

There were only 100,000 men in the first British Expeditionary Force that faced the, music at Mons, and though it was not remarkable for the number: of troops employed, it was interesting because it was the first big encounter between British and Gorman troops, and though few' in numbers, compares: with the horde of Germans that were poured in, they held them very well until the French line had to fall back, leaving the British right flank exposed. Tho lecturer drew vivid pictures of distressing scenes witnessed on tho long retreat, the stragglers along the road who had lost their companies, scraps of regiments, hungry and footsore, and demoralised, marching back, back, ever back, and by tlieir sides peasant refugees fleeing before the advancing Huns, and yet within seventy hours after the battle the whole <jf those broken forces were knitted together once more, and were ready to fight, whilst troops had poured out from Paris to assist the retreat. He was sent back along the line to direct tho men where to go, and tell them where they could find food and take rest. Everybody was depressed and despondent. General Smith-Dorrien, who had lost his oars and his horse, told him to cheer the men up, though how he was going to do it he did not know, as he could not see anything to cheer up about. He camo across a battered sergeant with a remnant of a section, who, when questioned, said ho "had been rear-guarding ever since he arrived," and when told that there was food ahead, said that "rearguards were not supposed to eat." (Laughter.) He met one tall captain on the road who Was very proud that he had two shotholes in his cap. "Are there any shotholes in you?" asked Coleman. "I don't know," he relied,. "no ona has looked yotl" Then: Coleman had a look, and found that ona of tho bullets had left a red furrow across his scalp. As ho was looking to see if the skull was injured, and talking about it being a close shave, a loud Irish voice said: "Talkin' about close shaves, phwat'd yo tink of this?" And then ho showed them where a Mauser bullet had punched a' hole right through tho lobe of _ liia ear. Referring to his ear, the Irishman in kilts said that "he never knew before that his ear was so near his face." He.passed a straggling band of the Black Watch, and met a company of the Bodfords actually singing. As many intending patrons were unable _to gain admittance on Saturday evening, tho management announces that Mr. Coleman will repeat the same lecture to-morrow evening.-.