SIDELIGHTS ON THE GREAT WAR.

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

SIDELIGHTS ON THE GREAT WAR.

Mr. Kennerley Rumford, tho popular singer, is noting as a chauffeur ut the front.

The 12-inch K»n <>f a Dreadnought is 50ft. long. The cost is about £IO,OOO, while each time it is fired £IOO vanishes into the air.

German soldiers carry in their knapsacks a stick of liqutffiee with which \o check a cough when on outpost duty or sentry-go.

It is stated that a new cartridge, devised for the French Army, will propel a bullet half a mile without any perceptible rise or fall.

Every Frenchman not in uniform wears a brassard on his arm to show he is on special duty, for it is a mark of shame not to he in service.

The Government have acquired four acres of Uorsell Common, Wokinp;, for ihe purposes of a burial ground for Mohammedan soldiers who die in England.

The Welsh Regiment rejoices in the possession of a mascot in the shape of a raven, which takes his morning hath with the troops and cries "Halt!" with all the vigour of a seasoned sentry.

Mrs. Francos Parker, Lord Kitchener's sister, says Lord Kitchener is trying to get every public-house in tho country closed at eight o'clock to minimize the temptations to recruits to drink.

The whole of the Fleet is now provided with "wireless," from the biggest battleships to submarines, although the range of torpedo-boats and submarines is only some twenty or thirty miles.

Figures compiled by the Austro-Hun-gtirian and Gorman Consulates in New York sliow that 550,000 reservists of their countries who registered themselves for service aic unable to obtain transoortation.

One civilian, and one only, has n right to pass through marching troops —namely, a Court physician on his way to a Royal residence. Ho can make even the Household Cavalry open their ranks to him.

With the German Eighth Army in Galicia there are said to be more than a thousand automobiles. Large numbers of sledges were bought in readiness for the Russian winter, and specially large snow ploughs with a span of 17ft. were also made.

A remarkable Bible revival is in progress among the soldiers quartered on Salisbury ''Plain and elsewhere. Already more than 10,000 of the troops on Salisbury Plain alone have joined the Pocket Testament League, and have agreed to carry a Testament with them and to read a chanter daily.

The French military authorities have up to date sent the following articles nf winter rlotliintr to the troops in the field; Blankets, 1,97fff100: knitted articles 2,050,000 j Inns body helts of wool or flannel, 2,170,000; pairs of socks, 2.280,000; woollen headgear, 3,500,000; pairs of gloves, 1,250,000. * * *

An impressive and touching sight at many a church today is the ceremony of "blessing the sword," which takes place after usual service. The young officers who are ordered to the front walk to the altar and tender their swords to the pastor, who performs the ancient ceremony of benediction over them.

The new Egyptian flag consists of three white crescents with their backs to the staff, each with a five-pointed white star lief ween the horns on a red field. This flag was the personal standard of the Khedive, and now takes the place of the former national flag, wliieli was distinguished from the Turkish by having a star of five instead ef six point-.

Private Barat, of the 237 th Territorial Regiment of the [''tench Army, is known as tire "human sieve." He was wounded on August 25th at Courpcsseaux liy the discharge of a German machine* gun, and the surgeon who operated on him has already extracted from th ' left leg alone exactly fortyone bullets. And there arc still more in his body.

An interesting point in connection v,ith the Garter that was recently conferred upon King Albert nf the Belgians is the fact that it was held by his enele, the late King Leopold, for forty years, and previously by his grandfather fur hail' a eentun. In the whole history of the Order there is no instance of two occupants holding the dignity successively for so long a period.

One of the most distinctive parte of iin officer's uniform in these days of khaki is the hroad leather Sam Browne ! H .lt round tlie waist, with a strap over one or both shoulders, by winch he carries hi< svord, revolver, ammunition poach, and sometimes his greatcoat and water-bottle. It is, in fact, rather too distinctive, and there sr-eins to bo some probability that the War Office will abolish it!

Replying to a correspondent, the Financial Secretary to the War Office [ s (f,tes that n wife married after her ; husband's enlistment is not debarred [' K im separation allowance, provided a dolnvloarramremenl to marry existed previ.nidv. "Tl is, of course, desirable," ,!.,, j,,[,,.';■ ;1 (ld-;, "to exclude those who I lu'irry for the sake of obtaining separation allowance. " j<. * » An extended search for inissins; Brit--1 ;..',, '.tiers is bein» undertaken throiiph- : |>.|t (lennanv. Relsciuin, and (ierman- : |-v,nr.\ io the effort to definitely locate Hie several hundreds of prisoners of ~.,,. , '.,, ~]• - leOieved I" be still unreported A special courier service is nn- ;.!,... ;,,■,;.„.-,■ mi. .tit by Mr. K<lward Pa ire (h-ston F.R.G.S., a well-known Ameri- ,..'■„, whose address is »t l.'U, Salisbury . S' : iiP.re, London, F.C.