“THE REAL THING.”

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 50, 2 March 1915, Page 8

“THE REAL THING.”

A distinguished French officer of artillery has penned a vivi.J cescnpt .on which affords glimpses of what the real thing is like. Ho is wiiting of a captain in his battery v ho v. as c.ose at his side in the acrj,.--i. “He was radiantly happy. ; We had ’been doing good worx, and had just, by means of his guns, i!e-tc«.'yc:l several of the enemy’s cannons in front of us and exploded several of their ammunition wagons. His gaiety was suddenly broken by an unexpected an-sw-v'ng lire of ta»-ci : -g arc I'acy A shell passed over my head and fell at his feet. ‘Ah, my God.!’ lie cried, while his junior said: ‘l’m finished.’ One of the gunners gave up his sould in a long-drawn sigh ; the sound of which is still in my ears. The whole happened in loss than a second in a flash of blinding thunder. I turned, thinking that.-one of our shells had best in the gun. Iho three atn lay in line side by’ side, with their hands on their hips, as if on parade, but they were stretched straight out ou their backs, their eyes were still Sparkling, and on' their faces was a calm, restful expression that I shall see to the day of my death. Other servants of the gun; loaning against the wheels or fallen on their knees, held their two hands on the patches of purple which a moment before had been their faces, clinging to eyes, noses, teeth, morsels of cruel suffering.

THE MODERN BATTLEFIELD. Tlie same writer describes the invisibility of the modern battlefield. How one secs only an occasional rush by tiny units.who seem to spnng out of the ground, and then to be swallowed up again, but leaving behind them ou the greoh, yellow, or snowwhite of the battlefield “little dark or light heaps.” These are the broken silhouettes of war, the. dead and the dying. By contrast, while the eyes see little, the ears were filled with “a develish din. composed of a continued quantity of dry cracking like, a host of whips. These are rifle shots, punctuated every second by the explosion of shells- and marmites, either screeching or lowtoned, with a noise far loss monotonous and maddening than that of the quick-firers mid rifles.”

"TERRIBLE AND GRAND.” Each pictures are terrible and grand, like all great sacrifices gladly accepted for the country’s sake which uniy become visually personified at these moments of tragic duty. I v.as w iihout a scratch. My turn was to come later. I had no time to ts.ink of the little incident that had saddened this corner of the battlefield or to spare them a regret. I had to go to my post among the soldiers, where our lines were being pressed forward; It wa k only a long time afterwards that I noticed that I had my kepi in my hand. It is curious that all the time I was carrying out mechanically the duty of my command it was especially the body of poor Captain It. and his comrades that' I had in my mind, to whom I was paying this unconscious tribute.”

IRISHMEN AND THE WAR. It would seem fairly, dear that the recruiting movement is gathering strength amongst Irishmen, both in Ireland and out of it, remarks the New Zealand Tablet. According to a recent cable,- “Viscount lUacDonncll states that 115,000 Irishmen have enlisted in the past few months in the United Kingdom” and the message adds: “Ea rlCrewe states that recruiting is proceeding in Ireland to the satisfaction of the .War Office-” The statement is confirmed by the remarks made by the Very Rev. Dean Holley. S.M., at a social tendered to him the other evening on the occasion of his return from Europe. “You hear all kinds of rumors about treason on the part of Ireland and Irishmen,” says the Press Association report of Dean Holley’s speech. “But while there are some black sheep and demented individuals in every community—and there are some in Ireland—l can say that an overwhelming majority of the people in Ireland are cordially in sympathy with the Allies, and are giving practical expression to that sympathy.” The Dean further remarked that although during the last century Ireland’s population has been reduced by one-half—from 8,000.000 to 4,000,000—it had sent a larger number of soldiers, in proportion, than any other part of the Empire. Referring to the irish-American hostility to"-Great Britain, he said that a 'few misled people who, before they left Ireland, belonged to the “physical force men,” were preaching an alliance with Germany. Their meetings were sparsely attended, and largely reported. Speaking of America’s attitude, he said that the tone of all the newspapers he had read were—with a few exceptions—in accord with the aspirations of the Allies.

EAST ROAD SHEEP DOG TRIAL CLUB’S (Affiliated with the North Island Dog Trial Association) SIXTH ANNUAL MEETING, To be held aj> Te Wera on MARCH 25th and 26th, 1915. i Programme Class I.—Hoad. Bring. Back and Hold in Ring—About a quarter of a mile.. Time, minutes. Points: Heading, 9; Bringing Back, 8; Ring, 4 ; Command. 9. First prize £o r second £2 10s, third £l, fourth 10s, Class IT—Head, Pull, Drive and Yard —About 600 yards. Time, 12 minutes. Points: Heading 8, Pull 7, Hurdles 5, Style 6, yard 4, Command 10. First prize £5, second £2 10s, third £l, fourth 10s. Class Hl.—Huntaway between Flags. —About a quarter of a mile on a zig-zag course. Time, 10 minutes. Points: Huntaway 9, Style 5, Noise 9, Command 12. The Stratford Auctioneers’ Special Prize of Silver Cup for Dog scoring highest points, to be won twice in succession or three times at intervals. First Prize £5, second £2 10s ; third £l, fourth 10s. IV.—(Local only) .—Huntaway, Head, Pull, Yard.—Time, 12 minutes. Points: Huntaway 6, noise 6, heading 4, Pull 6, Style 4. Yard 6, Command 8. First prize ,Mr P. Phelan’s £] Is, 2nd Mr Whittle’s £1 Is, 3rd 10s. Eight entries or no third prize. Farmers’ Silver Cup Special Prize for dog scoring most points, to be won twice in succession, with one dog, or three times at intervals with different dogs. Bellringer Bros’. Special Prize for runner-up to Farmers' Cup. Members’ Fee ss, Entrance Fee for Classes 1,2, 8 and 4,5 s eacli entry; Youths under 21 rears 2s 6d. FIRST RACE STARTS AT 8 a.m. A Bell will be Rung two minutes before time is called. SPECIAL PRIZES. Club’s Silver Cup for Dog scoring most points in Classes 1. and 2 to bo won twice in succession with one dog, or three times at intervals with different dogs. My A. Meredith’s Special Prize for married men scoring most points in Classes 1,2 and 3, with any one dog. Central Co-op. Store Co’s. Special Prize of Box of Tea to runner-up in Married Man’s Class. Wilson and Son’s Special Prize of Pair of Spurs for Single Man scoring most points in Classes 1,2 and 3 with Miv one dog. Stratford A. and P. Association’s Gold Medal for Man scoring' most points in Class 1 and 2 with any one dog. For men who have never won a first, second or third at any Trial. Mr W. A. Hewitt’s Gold Medal for Youth scoring most points at the meeting with any one dog. Mr TV. P. Kirkwood’s Medal (silver) for runnerup in Youths’ Class. All Trophies and Special Prizes are only for bona fide residents residing in the Stratford and Whangamomona Counties at least three months prior to date of Trial.

A SOCIAL AND DANCE Will be held in the Te Wera Hall on the concluding day of the Trial, when the Prize Money and Trophies will he presented to the winners. All Entries*close with the Secretary at 1) p.m. on SATURDAY, March 20. V. H. NOLAN, Hon Sec., Te Wera.