LIFE AT THE FRONT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 1422, 10 July 1915, Page 4

LIFE AT THE FRONT.

TALKS OF “TOMMY.” DR. A. A. MARTIN’S EXPKRIENCES. An interesting address was given by Dr. A. A. Martin, of Palmerston North, at the New Zealand Club luncheon on Wednesday. on his experiences in the fighting line in France and Flanders. Mr R. H. Webb, president of the club, occupied the chair, and there were present the Hon. R. H. Rhodes (Minister of Public Health) and about 200 guests. Mr Webb in introducing the speaker said that he was a New Zealander born and bred, and for eight months gave his valued services at the front. So valuable were they that twice he was mentioned in dispatches. (Applause). Dr. Martin got a great reception on rising. In speaking about ex periences at the front, he said it was hard to form any concrete narrative, as the events there were so many and so jumbled. He enlisted from Scotland, and went with the Royal Army Medical Corps, in the first reinforcements, which left for France at the beginning of the war. When they arrived at Havre the scene was one that baffled description, for every vantage point and window was crowded with cheering French people, shouting, ive les Anglais.” Tommy shouted in reply, “Are we down hearted?” and ten thousand voices shouted back, “No.” Then the cry was, “Do we like beer?” and fifty thousand throats shouted “Yes,” (Laughter). “Tommy” was loved in France, and “Tommy” loved the French; he hugged the children, nursed the baby, and kissed the women. (Laughter.) “Shortly after their arrival, the ominous rumour came down that the British were retreating, and thousands ot Germans were advancing on Harfleur, the guarding point to the base of Havre, Fifteen thousand French troops were sent to the relief, and the Germans held off. Kitchener saw the danger the same day, and the Army was moved from the base at Havre to St. Nazaire, in the Bay of Biscay. That was a point little known in the history of the war—that the base was moved at one time. THE ORDER TO ADVANCE. “You never saw such a change in the men,” continued the doctor later, “when the news came down that the retreat was ended and we were advancing against the Germans.” They had not been downhearted before, but they had been depressed. After the battle of the Marne the march was towards the Aisne. He had here seen first evidences of the German methods, but personally he had seen no evidences of outrages. Talking of the wounded, be said it was curious to see how men acted when wounded, and instanced a case of three Germans, who crawled together to get company before they met death. All _ over the place were groups of killed Germans ; sometimes as many as a clump of twenty dead. They also saw murdered French farmers, and there was no excuse for this killing of old people. There was nothing the French liked better than to see dead Germans. “Ot course the French love us, and it is inconceivable to think ot the French and English ever again being at war,” was a statement which met with loud applause. Curiously enough the German wounded were tremendously popular with “Tommy Atkins,” and all the rancour of warfare was forgotten when the German wounded were being cared for in Fiance. The German wounded were treated the same as the English and French by the doctors in France. (Applause). “Tommy” was always a humorist and would jocularly ask the wounded Germans “How old Kaiser Bill was !” and “How that blighted Crown Prince was getting along ?”

(Laughter). The Germans, of course, did not know what the question was, but they joined in the laugh. Constantly with the columns rumours were flying about. One day it would be that the Kaiser was dead, and the next that they had buried the Crown Prince. “Tommy” loved those rumours. THE BRITISH CHARGE. “It was my privilege to see the English and French charge into the Bavarians,” said the doctor. “The Germans charge with short steps and low grunts, while the French went into the charge with great excitement. On the other hand the British were dogged, and the men for the- most part were cursing. The French said that the British charge was irresistible —that nothing could stand against the charge of the British. (Applause). FXerywhere all requests made by the English doctors to the French were readily complied with, “Yes, France is yours,” was the invariable reply for any assistance, and the French nuns rose to the occasion admirably. (Applause). So long as it was for France the people were happy to die it they were giving assistance. That was the feeling that animated the people. The Prince ot Wales, whom the doctor saw at the front, was tremendously popular. He wanted to go into the trenches, and in fact did spend two days there. The Prince knew how to get on with the soldiers. If you want to be popular with “Tommy” you must ask for a cigarette, and not give him one. The Prince asked one group lor a cigarette, and they were delighted. OUR INDIAN AI.UES. “I want to talk about our Indian allies. Rumours have been heard that they did not do very well. It is a great pity that such rumours have got about,” He was with them the day they were thrown back from La Basse. They bad been terribly cut up, and had lost their officers, and they were not then acclimatised. Since then they had found themselves, and you could not get better troops at the front than the Indians. (Applause). “In conclusion,” said Dr Marlin, “I want to say this : You are up against a very big thing in this war. Anyone who has been to the front must realise the formidable nature of the task. There is no doubt about the ultimate victory. (Applause). At the front there is a spirit of profound optimism, and that prevails right through France. There is no doubt that so long as Joffre is at the front, and France is united, there will be ultimate victory. German militarism must be crushed ; to think about compromise well, you might roll up the scroll of history, and burn the book of life.” (Loud applause). A hearty vote of thanks was passed to Dr Martin, on the motion of Mr Webb, who said that, as he had feared, Dr Martin had said much about what he had seen, but very little about what he had done.