BRITAIN'S SPORTING ARMY.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 4, Issue 24, 26 March 1915, Page 1 (Supplement)

BRITAIN'S SPORTING ARMY.

MEN WHO ALWAYS DO THE PROPER THING."

FINE FRENCH TRIBUTE

AN AFTERNOON OFF WITH THE

HOUNDS

PARIS, February Ist. The wonderful manner in which Great Britain has risen to the occasion has evoked the greatest enthusiasm amongst the whole French nation. This is naturally reflected in the Press which is for ever endeavouring to make apparent the debt of gratitude owed by France to her Ally, both by picture and by prose. I am going to quote a typical sample from the well-known journal "Liberte." It is from the pen of a journalist who has had exceptional opportunities of witnessing what our men have been doing in the actual firing line. There can be no doubt that he has made the most of what he has to say, and the translation I offer barely suggests the vividness of the original. "The creation of the English Continental Army under the German lire (he says)—for an army only really comes into being at the front —is tne of those national feats which will he recalled with surprise in histroy. It is wonderful to have succeeded, and I ftter still to have done so with a lan»h. "It is first of all a sporting army. From the base to the front one can locate it l>y the wonderful succession of motor-cars of all sizes and of the most varied but luxurious build. There are ambulancess palaces on wheels which slip noiselessly lietween great staff limousines while swift side-cars and motor-cycles shoot along in two's and three's.

AS KIPLING WROTE. "The cheery lads in khaki march from their bases to their exercise ground—the trenches —with sounding cheers, and time their march to shrill whistling choruses. In the trenches their wonderful leather work of straps and belts and holsters gets worn and loses its pristine gloss, but the men still remain 'the five meals a day men.' the well-fed eaters of meat of whom Kipling has written. "Between two attacks, at each change of troops in the trenches, there is a 'revue' or an amateur performance. The staff officers cannot go much to the theatre, but they shoot pheasants instead. Several officers have sent for their packs, and if foxes are wanting between Bethune and Armentiers I understand there will be a special mobilisation order for them. As the captain of a Suffolk regiment said the other day 'We have plenty of fun each time we attack; we must not let ourselves bo bored between times.'

"Everywhere the British Army goes it seems' to take its gaiety with it. Wherever the khaki uniform appears vou will find the pastrycooks opening and the grocers devising schemes for obtaining stores of pickles, (the local haberdasher and general store shows •The Daily Mail' with pride in her window, and' the young girls at the postoffice show a most surprising aptitude for India/i geography. "ALL OUR LIYING FORCES."

"But we should realise fully all that this brave show of gaiety means. Despite the daily distribution of jam this campaign is most terribly hard for our brave Allies. We must remember that they were taken more by surprise than we'were by the hour of the 'great duty.' To'the accomplishment of this dut'v thev are now pouring out generously all'the living forces of their nation'with all their genius for improvisation. , , , "We can best estimate the value ot the services of our Allies by the furious hatred, by the savage perfidy "hewn them bv our German foes. At .he did o c October ' Prince Rupprecht, of Bavaria, issued, or, at any rate countenanced, an order'to the Sixth A'my which spoke of 'the little interest t ;it attached t:> information given by English prisoners.' In December this ,iJ.r. which amounl-d to a covert invitation io massacre, was renewed ■;•, i n ere explicit form. No more English ]>> 'sr.i ers were to be made. 'The m-?n or the detachments which surren.ler must be shot.' A having cbn.se svas .-ddcl cheating that Indian troops wre an exception to this ruie. . ••The order to assassinate was .it last understood, and at Christmas a convoy of twentv-five British prisoners who were being marched down a road near Lens were mowed down by a quickfirer at a distance of twenty yards.

"THEY PI.AY TIIK GAME/' ••To this unjustifiable crime our Allies ma ,ic an heroic reply. The Indians were to be spared and the English shot. Henceforward only English troops were placed in first-line trenches. ••The murderers have not ginned anyt'pin.r The Indian troops, alert GiirKhas,Tmve mapped their course in their midnight .sorties by blood-stained piles of corpse.?. iiii -And the English play hard, but tbevahays play the game. I hey main „„;„!, as thev advance or fall back, ;, IMI ns u.ey are sporting they always want to be advancing. ~•„,,. •The other week one nl omi; brigades which was acting in liaison with,a Hi kish re-jinient tnana.-ed to pudi the lui- ..' !,,,.>, forabot.l six hundred yards. Tl'e L-i'iio-l commanding the neigh|l(;iirin,r division of Allies saw .the re-

I suvl coni!!iiinic:ttiMl u to Ins stall, ; w'iio won- ju-1 orwinUina a.U'inoon i ofi v.itli tlio lu-mvK . ! .. , T1 . |.' lv r..' h tr.-o|.-« liayp P.1...uuc.l ! ' 111' Wlil. 'To-lllol- : x o will * l ' l t':• >.*llllo. 1 ilnnlv it is ! th";,,- In Tin- wxt .■von- ; ,i„x Isrili-.li lino* wore on a I< .* I 1 vii'l 11' iof i'toir Kivnrli iio-lilmmiis. • pi' t'ii> n Two in or tl:n>r- wnn wovo loii ! ;Vmv„i' l ».l.-i. woro nl.lo t«» have thon* ' . (!< ri'.d'in off \\ :'li tlio hounds. " -v: ~ f'riti-li Ani'V always dots t,;o