BOOKS OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 287, 30 August 1919, Page 11

BOOKS OF THE DAY

"Khaki and Cassock." One of the most interesting, and,-'in its way, most valuable books yet written on (ho war, as viewed from an Australian, standpoint, is "Khaki and Cassock," by IConnebli T. Henderson, M.A., an exlecturcr in philosophy, St. Paul's College, University of Sydney, and late chaplain, 12th Infantry Brigade and Ist An&ac Corps Troops, Franco (Melbourne, Melvillo and Mullen Proprietary). The bqok, which is dedicated to the memory of tho author's two brothers, Lieutenant Ayin Dudley Henderson, mortally ■ wounde<l in the landing on Gallipoli on . April 25,- 1915, anil Captain Bupert Leonard Henderson,, killed nt Cape Holies a fortnight later, is prefaced . by a brief introduction by Liout.-General Sir Cyril White, who expresses a hope that tho splendid spirit which animated theA.I.F. at Gallipoli anil in Franco may bear good fruit in tho Commonwealth in the development of n national and individual spirit of self-sacrifice and co-operation which may be productive of untold advantage to the Australian nation. War is, and must always be, an ugly thing, and in these pages of Chaplain Henderson's, its ugliness is never disguised nor extenuated. But in what splendid contrast to tlio ugliness of :war Is that eo constantly displayed; of'-true brotherhood; of self-sacrifice, of tolerance, charity, and all the better-and nobler 'qualities in'man, to the existence of which such cCOquent testimony is paid by l - Ulie' author in many of his penetrating, studies of the psychology of the Australian soldier a a lie know him in tho fightiinir'lino, and in every phase of mili-tary-life. ■ The author tells' lis that we hhve hitherto, in Jiis opinion, "been given '"ft, very one-sided view of the Austtalian soldier. He is not merely a lusty ftninial and a- great fighter." In many war books that we havo had, ''humour and heroism havo been exalted," but little attempt has. been" made, to anailyso the psychological, tho Spiritual side of tho soldier's life. Cha-plain Henderson's book consists of a number of sketches, and-, studies . of.' tho Australian soldier's life at the front. Tho stylo is unaffected and vigorous, and a deop impression of the sincerity and truth of the narrative and all its details is croatpd in the of the reader. Tho author explains the special attitude of the Australian soldier to discipline, and. analyses the varying emotions which create feelings of fear, courage, nnil dogged determination. The attitude of the Australians towards their defeated foemen, their behaviour in base camps and hospitals, also receives attention. The author has, of course, much to **y on the much-discussed question of how far existing religious faiths and feelings are :fllTec,ted by. war, anil, in cases wliero t.hev are non-oxistoiifc or dormant, of their being created or stimulated with greater activity. In his night work at the base hospital, the author tells us lie got "to close (purlers' With spiritualrealities... . "A few words of conversation a quiet prayer and blessing:, and at the least you can leave a restless man in the loneliness- of pain with ilio senso that, there is somebody unofficial who cares—the padre, anyway, even if wo can't make real tho presence of Coil." Tho. special psychology of war, ad it affects/the 'religious* question, is put very clearly and aptly in a long chapter from which I make the following quotation:— The experiences, of war will bo a permanent montal setting, an abiding standard by, which wo judge the worth of things material and,, moral. "Whether this will distort or reveal tho truth in things that com© after I do liot know. Hut in the now, background of. their minds therp is an' awakened bciiso pf-the life of the spirit, which, aroused-in jnaiiy l for tile first time, could be made'a conscious recognition of the Presence'of .God. Where there is any religious, experience : t<>'begin with, war does sharpen and mako : very acute, .this sense of Divine comradeship—summed up in the sentence; "Ijo; I ,am- with yoii always, even unto the eAd of the world"—when the end of tho world;is "an. hourly' possibility to themi Death<td-'..(hem• all is- just 'an incident in'- .life. - , Its, absolute remoteness from the thoughts 'of: tho ordinary man is done away with. The barrier of eternity. is worn very thin and almost transparent. Dead comrodcs are spoken of as temporarily absent, on other duty. I don't think I can put clearly this frame of mind; one of; the few universal of Army psychology. It is what I mean myself when I Bay I believe In the Communion of Saints.. .In tho 'final,chapter, entitled "Tho Quest for''-Religion iii tho Army," the: author, declares that "Modern Protestantism domands far too mucli in the way of abstract thought and personal mysticism to be possible to liie'avcrage untrained miud," and.'reminds us that "Our Lord taught Uirpugli symbolism, always symbolism of wprd iuitl't.nction." After referring .'to; .the., powerful, effect oil the minds of' -nien of. all ranks ..created by a lioman Catholic chaplain iii'the brigade, who ran awful, risks "for. the. sake qf anointing tho shattered bodies' of tioiue of his flock—in some cases where there was little probability of life being still prosent,^", 'thd - ,author .says,-."tho men could understand' that." He then, pleads for a greater'reliaiice in Protestantism, "on the symbol of .action in lite and in liturgy, There is much food for useful thought in Chaplain Henderson's book alike for the soklier. the politician, and the ordinary, everyday citizen, and I ohould like to see it as widely read in New Zealand as it is sure to be in Australia.