BRITISH COLOURS.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 70, 21 November 1914, Page 2

BRITISH COLOURS.

NO LONGER BORNE ON BATTLEFIELD. PRACTICE STOPPED BY LORD WOLSELEY. While German regimental fiagv: er.pproudly exhibited in Paris, and French tin as trophies of Teuton victories, and although scores ef Austrian regimental standards have been conveyed in triumph to the Tsar at Petrograd. there has been no instance yet of -lie capture of any Eugikh colours on (ho battlefields of France and Belgium. This is attributable, net to the absence of any British reverses—there have been a nunrsar of them—hut because the English soldiers when on active sciwi ■■■ leave their colours at home (wries "Ex-Attache in the Chicago Tribune.'*). True, the while ensign ft ill proudly flutters from the masthead of English warships when going into action, and its hauling down is construed in the light of surrender. But for sixteen or seventeen years no flat; has been carried by any English regiment when campaigning. Germans Resent Flag Absence. This peculiarity attracted little or no notice during the war in South Africa. Rut it is exciting a good deal of attention on the continent of Europe, especially in Germany, where the failure of the English troops to bring their regimental colours with them and thus afford the Kaiser's soldiers an opportunity of capturing them, is construed there in the lig3v< of a British injury, and as " another illustration cf English unfairness." It is to Feild-Marshal Lord Wolseley that the British Army is indebted for the absence of English regimental colours from the scene of hostilities in the present Avar. He secured the sanction of Queen Victoria and the Government .to this departure from time honoured custom during his term as commander-in-chief in 1897, not without opposition. The argument ho put forward in favour of the innovation was sufikienfly striking to be worthy of reproduce ion:•—- ,: li would bo madness and a crime 1.0 order any soldier to carry colours into action in the future. You might qv.ilQ :-s well order him to he u'-:.^^:\-- " All war has been transformed by the invention cf the fav-rt,aching and fate-dealing rifie and automatic gun, with which an enemy kins, whose face is not even seen." Criticised by Oom-ades, But Wolseley's action was condemned by military men everywhere abroad, and even by many of his own comrades in the English Army. No cue opposed the measure mere strongly than the new veteran Fc-ild-Marshal Sir Evelyn Wood, who, iike the octogenarian Lord Roberts, is a Victoria Cross hero. Speaking in London in 1897, he passionately pleaded for the retention of the colours in action. "Colours are potent to check disaster, to rally fugitives, to inspire attack. Whatever other armies may do, I hope we will not give up this powerful incentive to hang together. It is to my mind a moral question interesting ail Britons and involving some of the brightest aspects cf the gloom of warfare." No Place for Sentiment. To this Lord Wolseley loplied that, while Sir Evelyn's eloquent words found an echo in his breast, lie considered sentiment out of place in the modern battlefield. The flag stands for so much in the eyes of the soldier, all of whose most chivalvoug and exalted feelings centre in the colours of his regiment, that it is a subject for congratulation in England that its absence from the scene of action should in nowise have impaired the spirit, enthusiasm, and bravery of the British troops in the present war. Marshal Turenne, m reporting to his Sovereign the most daring act at the siege of Etampes, in 1052, declares it " would have been impossible if the colours bad not been constantly exposed to view," thus indicating that it was the sight of the regimental flag that spurred the soldiers under his command to heroism.