FIVE HUNDRED MILE CHORUS.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 4, Issue 69, 13 August 1915, Page 2 (Supplement)

FIVE HUNDRED MILE CHORUS.

The "United Press" (New York) publishes from Mr. William Philip Smits, its correspondent "with the French army at the front," the following graphic description of the reception of the news of Italy's entrance into the war by the soldiers in the trenches.

"A mighty chorus from 2,000,000 tliroat3 sweeping down ">OO miles from the North Sea to the Swiss border in a. thunderous refrain of 'La Marseillaise' greeted the welcome news that Italy had entered the war against Austria. King Victor signed the declaration of war in Rome at 2 o'clock on Sunday afternoon. France was immediately notified, and M. Millornnd, the Minister of War. Hashed it to General Joffre at General Headquarters. With scarcely a second's delay it went rushing down, the ranks; the telephone operators on the front line observation uosts flashed it on to the troops blazing away at the Germans in the trenches, to everybody everywhere. "Along the lino there seemed to in me a lull. Heavy guns paused as though in reverence. Suddenly the strange, almost weird silence was broken. Spontaneously the troops began •La Marseillaise.' at first singing softly, then breaking into a ringing refrain •is the word ran along the battle iront n the greatest chorus the world has • •ver heard. ''lnstinctively the Germans in the opposite trenches knew what this tluinderius chorus meant. They shouted back, 'God punish Italy,' and then from th(> German trenches came the strains of 'Die Wacbt am Rhein.' The French printed cards reading. 'Your goose is cooked,' and planted them amid a waving field of Italian flag", improvised heaven knows how, along the ramparts."