"AN NICHT WP BURNS"

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 161, 2 April 1919, Page 7

"AN NICHT WP BURNS"

SIR lAN HAMILTON, THE POET, AND THE "SODGERS." There were many great moments at the recent Robert Burns Festival in London (says the London "Observer"). There was that when Major the Rev. Charles W. Gordon ("Ralph O'Connor") paid, in a sincere speech, a glowing tribute to "that littlo army of immortal 'Contemptibles'" that fought so splendidly from Mons to the Marne. There was that when Captain Bruce Bairnsfather, who said he would rather spend another day in the trenches than make a speech, was called to respond to a toast on behalf of "Old Bill, Bert, anci Alt'." And there was that, of coitrse, wlieu the three pipers marched gaily round the room to celebrate the arrival of tho uncontrolled haggis.

"The Immortal Memory of Tiobr-ri: Burns" was proposed by Gpneral Sir lan Hamilton. ''Were Burns," he said, "present with us in the spirit to-night at our festival, and for. all I know he may he, what would ho think of the cominilteo who had entrusted tho precious privilege of discoursing upon his memory to a 'sodger.' I believe myself his darkeyes would kindle; I fear his first impulse, might 1)0 to hurl a few broad Scots expletives about the hall. On the other hand thes sight of the Grange khaki kit might soften his heart.' For we know he had a special sympathy with old soldiers who had served in foreign parts. Burns, indeed, took the soldier as his typo of the Idealist and wrote:—

For gold the merchant ploughs the mam, The farmer ploughs tho manor, But dory ib tho sodgcr's prize, The sodger's ,'calth is honour. "Although he had written uiiguard«\' works about our war with Prance, Hums ■himself donned the 'iniform of King Georgo and joined in 17U5 the Royal Dumfries Volunteers. A book just published by Mi'. William Will on the subject of .Burns' association with the volunteers knocked on the head many calumnies.. ''Burns' verses," Sir lan added, "have entered into the vory vitals of Scotland. The Oth Division, the 15th Division, tho 51st. Division, and, last but not least, Hie 52ikV Divisions owe some of their exceeding great valour, believe me, to 'Scots wlia haV The siuno with Loral's Scouts and the Scottish Horse, -till Highland Mountain Battery, and tlioso two lino battalions who fought with the incomparable 2!) th Division at Gallipoli, the Ist K.O.S.D.'s and the sth Royal Scote. "The girdle of Scottish cameraderio cast about the world by Burns' 'Auld Lang Syne,' goes round it. faster than Shakespeare's nricl, faster than Marconi's wireless—instantaneous—just, one huge-all-rouiiid-thc-world handshake between Scotsmen." Lord' Morris proposed the "Imperial Forces," and Major-General Sir Newton Moore responded; and with the (onsf of "Scottish Literature" weri associated the namses of Mr. John Murray, Lieu-tenant-Colonel John Duelun, and Lieu-tenant-Colonel K. A. Ewart ("Boyd Cable"). At the end of the evening the liiv.l verse of "Auld Lang Syne" was sung by tho past-president, Mr. James Thomson, Uie second and third verses by Miss May Mncliio and Mr. Archie Anderson, nno' the last verse, And here's a hand, my trusty Acre, And gie's a hand o' thine, bv the whole company, with hands joined.