ARMS AND THE MAN

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 117, 4 February 1918, Page 3

ARMS AND THE MAN

TRIED OUT IN THE GREAT CAUSE. The following extracts are taken from a letter written by Private Wallace, of the A.1.F., to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. A. Wallace, of Naraeoorte, 5.A.,? who are visiting Sydney:—' As one of our fellows said, everything in the world is engulfed in the bigness of this war. He did not actually use those words, for what ho did say was: 'There does not seem to bo anythsng to live for but the war, does there?' Of course, ho did not mean that all else should be forgotten. But over here we are so close to it—we talk every day with men just out of the firing-line a few days—men who laugh, at death and.talk about 'going over the top' as they would talk of going to an evening until we learn a sort of contempt—even though it be a theoretical coutemptH-for all their bullets and shells. And then, when one gets into fours and stens out with the hand in front—left, right, left, right—in col 7 limn of route, that's the time one feels that one could march on for ever with theso bravo'laughing lads, whether it were to heaven or hell. The rat, tat, tat, too, that has inspired soldiers sinco ever war was is the best tonic in the world. We don't worry about war or what it may bring. That's only for yon poor folk who are out of this great world "stunt. For me, I would not'be anything but a soldier now for worlds. I pity those poor misguided weaklings who shelter at homo behind a woman s skirt. They don't know what they miss. They are out of it; they are beings apart from'the soldiers. Let them have their easy chairs, their peaceful three meals a day, and feather beds at night. They are out of it altogether. The men of Australia and the Empire aro fighting together in tho grand eauso, and laughing as they go, whilst those others hang round, scorned and despised of all. Mother and father, if over I thank you for anything m my life it is for giving me tho chance to stand up with those gallant heroes of our dear old land and provo myself a man."