Human Nature In The War

Horowhenua Chronicle, 19 August 1916, Page 3

Human Nature In The War

* "IAA ft A V'' ON HI.S cOAlltAliii* OF THE .\'iuX\ AIWIY. Lon-dou. July t. A few "disconnected observations showing the effect of war upon the most unmilitary unwarlike) per,son in

the worid. the British working-man,

and particularly on the first instalment, the men did not pause to reason why or to count- the cost —this was the description given by Mr "lan Hay," author of the "First Hundred 'lliousand," of hi,- lecture on "Human -Nature at the Front-," delivered yesterday afternoon to a wounded audience in the. Caxton Hall. Tragic-comic illustrations of types m his own platoon were given by Mr Tfay. There, was Private A., who joined in the full regalia of a waiter his dicky succumbed early to the rigours of military training and who bowed Irom the waist when he ought to have stood at attention, and who finally was wounded in action, and once more a waiter: Riivate H (representative of hundreds in Kitchener's Army), who regarded the officers as rapacious capita lists, and tin' sergeant, whom he always called the "foreman." as a hired bully, and who, as a life-long trade unionist, considered it his duty to assert- his independence at all times and seasons. He began bv taking -18 hours off. expecting

that he would lose a couple of days' pay. and then embarked on a course of dissipation, which mortgagedi bis income for weeks ahead. At last bo was in formed that lie owed the King os. The mention of the King's name shed new light on military discipline for Private B. who shouted to the officer. ":lhe King getoit? Dae ye not get it vessel ? ' (l.aughter). r.ventually lie in rued out to be one of the best soldiers and disciplinarians. Amusing stories cf the Army. inwhich one "could find all. tlie talentexcept soldiering." were given bv the lecturer. It wa- not sale to air knowledge of a subjefC. "| sent a man out to do a little scoutine." lie -said, "and gave liini a few preliminary hints on tiie point- ol the compass and how to read the map. lie tinned out to lie a land surveyor!" The Gei man infantry private was a sociable creature, pathetically eager to make friends. "Are you dere. called out one from a water-lilled trench "Have you any whiskey" We have plenty water here." The outstanding characteristics of this wonderful Army the lecturer .summed ii)) as follow: "(1) The cheerful endurance of the ranks in every liind of danger, discomfort, and hardship: (2)their extraordinary good behaviour in a foreign country when, so to speak they had an opportunity of nnbendinsr

tlip how : (3) the perfect spirit of -ym|i:itiiv and nf nnrlnfst-anrlin.tr whicli exish>i| hotwoon officers nnd men.