NEWS FROM FAR AND NEAR.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 4, Issue 14, 19 February 1915, Page 1 (Supplement)

NEWS FROM FAR AND NEAR.

Hundreds of girls aided Russian soldiers by digging trenches to keep th<Germans from crossing the Vistula.

British marines interned in Holland are receiving 10c. and non-commission-ed officers 25c. per day as pocket-money.

It is proposed that a war medal ot uniform design, and bearing the simple inscription, "1 was there," should be distribuated among all the Allied troops.

A wealthy young Englishman, before going to tlie front, insured his life for £200,000. the risk being split- amongst several offices. The first premium was £IO.OOO.

Among a batch ot- prisoners that arrived in Paris recently one atood out conspicuously by the brilliance of his uniform. He was the Bandmaster-in-Chief of the German Army.

Six cricketers who played for Lancashire are now in the Army. Spoouer and Lieutenant Brooke ar<? at the front, and H. Garnett, Dean, W. Tyldeslev. and H. Tvldesley have recently joined.

Russia is twenty times larger than France and Germany put together (8, 400,000 square miles), and her population is supposed to number 165 millions, 100 millions more than that of Germany.

The French prisoners of war at Zossen, Prussia, have started a weelny paper entitled 'Le Heraut.' Tlie journal is produced entirely within the concentration camp and is sold at o"e P® nny to the prisoners of all nationalities confined there.

While Belgian refugees are still mourning the destruction wrought by the Kaiser's Huns, a German newspaper is callously advertising " trips through devastated Belgium to view the ruined cities of Liege, Dinant, and Namur."

As a detachment of British cavalry, which had previously repulsed a German attack, was enjoying a peaceful game of water-polo in the Oise a patiol of Uhlans was signalled. Tlie British soldiers had no time to dress, so they jumped naked on their horses and charged the enemy, who fled.

\ halfpenny for a meal for five persons is being charged in Brussels. This is a tactful little act by the Ministers of Spain and the United States, who distribute bread and soup dailv to hundreds of poor families. They charge tn<? halfpenny in order to avoid the appearance of pauperism.

Heralds on foot or on horseback blowing trumpets and bugles pace the streets of Moscow in front of the caravans that collect gifts lor the wounded soldiers. This collection, initiated by the Grand Duchess Elizabeth leodorovna is carried out by tho best-known singers, painters, actors, and actresses.

The youngest soldier in the French <\rmv is a bov named Ferdinand Briquet! who si fifteen. Previous to the war Ferdinand lived with his father and brother at Yille-en-W oevre. The father rejoined his regiment at \erdun, the elder boy enlisted as a volunteer. Ferdinand attached himself to the lust reg'ment that passed.

Kill v. the pet goat of the Welsh Regiment; is, it is said, "very much alive and has marched every nule with the regiment since it landed in Fiance.

After forty years two unexyloded German shells * fired during the FrancoPrussian War have been found during digging of trenches near a fort on the outskirts of Paris.

A French army corps is made up of twenty-four battalions of rather mer 1.000 ' men each. These are sectioned into eight- regiments, each of thiee ;>attalions and these again are formed into four brigades, two of which compose a division.

"The coolest thing saw in action was that 0 f a milked a cow under rifle and she 1! W to get something for his wounded ni i o to dra'n when the water ran ou , s< Private Clarke, of the King s Ro\al R - tics, in a letter home.

"He was the Inst soldier s<M"nn£ ct c onll,sto rF°Mya e t t S A a S\t? 1 of Twickcnhanf whose name appears in S* John French's honours lis;:. SeigcnnJ lather and grandfather were also Army.

Purine the bombardment, by a com- "" Cc ' ma ii,S " & "T coast, one Butish , , djt r 1 is S tern projectiles a minute, lasted for twelve hours.

Toth sides have now. whole troops , men who have been to St ° a i " - , So°c-vclTsts simply throw their number* mo , , road. ni T1 . rsS 1 ,<***«• and pick off the struggling ma,s,

Tlivoo twenty-franc foM. piorns Jn^i,-acted from Boisscv. now l.vm? wound*. 11 ■ •-■4.

Onarterinastor-Sercoant K«;rr. of the ;V>ncl Battery Uoval I'ield ArtilleiJ. uh . wns .intoned in »/,«} from Sir John French had a un-im exoerienre in the Snti'h Afrean A\ ar H« wa-s officially reported kdl'd. and the insurance monev was v ovo '; When h> reached home at L'ttlehanmton he found a tablet erected to his memory.