WAR TALK.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 135, 10 February 1915, Page 3

WAR TALK.

THE WAR SPIRIT

■'lt took place in one of England's harbours recently. The little launch was obviously in difficulties and gradu-

ally settling down lower and lower into the water. From a few score yards away an old fisherman in his boat, the only one near, resting on his cars, watched them with evident interest, making not the least effort to go to their assistance, in a few minutes,

however, one of the crew, swimming hard, gained the boat and grasping the side, panted cut: “Quick, man! Are you deaf or blind —we’re sinking fast!" Dawning intelligence struggled into the old man’s face. “Drownin’ be yer?” he exclaimed. “Lor’ bless me soul, I thought ye wos one o’ they submarine boats!’’ THE PRUSSIAN MILITARY STEP. The military step, or tempo, or rale cr marching;, is interesting from the point of view of the rate of fatigue of troops. In the eighteenth century, the “Lancef’tells us, the step was usually reckoned as C 3. centimetres long (a centimetre is rather more than .33 cf an inch)', and 80 to the minute in ordinary marching, with 140 to the minute for the “double step." In the Prussian orders for 1847 this was altered to 1,08 steps, for the ordinary march and 120 for the baycnet charge, and each step cr 75 centimetres long. Later it was altered to 112 steps for the ordinary march. Now the step i. usually SO centimetres long, 112 per minute for (he ordinary pace, 120 for the accelerated pace, and 105 to 175 steps per minute each cf one metre in running.- What the rate of retreat is in eases of necessity is net A'dined “WRETCHED BOCHES.” The mysterious word “bodies," aj» plied contemptuously by French and Belgians to Germans, seems to be cf unknown origin even to experts in French slang. According to a French slang dictionary (says the Manchester “Guardian”) the definition of the word is “bad, ugly German.” Then there is a phrase “tete de hoche,” which means a stubborn or narrow-minded person.

But the derivation cf “boche” is a mystery. In Parisian slang there are several contemptuous words or forms of words ending in “cehe.” To French ears it has a disdainful sound. As a French writer puts it, the very look cf the word “boche” has something cf contempt in it, and it is much more

satisfying to say “wretched bodies’ than “wretched Germans.”

OLD WEAPONS REVIVED. The great war has seen the revival of many old weapons such as the catapult and the at one time obsolete mortal-. Now we hear of hand grenades being used, which gave the name to our Grenadier Guards. The original grenadiers .were a company cf picked men attached to every battalion of foot. They were distinguished by tall bearskin caps and held the place of honour—the right when in line and the front when in column.

OUR “FETCHING” SOLDIERS. Almost every French comment on the British troops speaks cf what we must call, for want of a better word, their “prettinoss.” A pathetic instance may be given of this French admiration, A German efficier at the front found on the body cf a French soldier who had been killed, a little verse written in a mixture of French and English, and headed “Wjelccme!” It was addressed to Tommy Atkins on his arrival in France. One verse may be quoted;— Les p’tiis soldats Anglais Debarquent roses ef frais, • Propres e-t coquets; A rough translation might run: The little English soldiers Are landing rosy and fresh. Trim* and “fetching.” THE KAISER'S PROCLAMATION. I, William 11., Emperor of everything over and under the Earth (now mostly under), send you my greetings (all I have left to give you). I have had to take the Eagle off the top of my head as the other birds keep dropping Bombs upon it.

Don’t blame me for the War, If the other Powers had let me have .my own way there would have been no War.

I have not come to the front myself and won the victories I do at peace when we play at manoeuvres, as I have been packing my trunk to spend a holiday in London with niy friend Keir Hardie, but as the atmosphere there is too hot just now for me, I must seek a colder climate —which may be Siberia. I have, however, watched you fight —from a distance—and you have dene excellent- You did quite right in not getting too close to he English bayonets, because they are sharp, and when they get close to you there is only one word to describe what they are, and that word I have forgotten, but it begins with a “D.” Don’t get in the way of their bullets when there are plenty of old men and women in Belgium you can put in the front. As for you, my brave Uhlans, you must he more careful who nyou charge, and not mistake the Highlanders for

women as you did the other day. It was most expensive for you. 1 am proud of you, my Artillery! Why there is not . even a village you have fired at hut what you have hit it —somewhere. What if you did fire at the Gas Works and hit the Cathedral,

il was the fault of the enemy who put the Cathedral in the wrong place. As for my Sailors, you have done quite right in keeping my ships safe in pert, ns the English bulldogs are waiting outside to bite you. So do you make for 'the “Bight” yourselves and step there. Wait your chance of winning another glorious victory over the fishing smacks; then you can pinch their fish. The English will give you the “chips” if they catch you. Imitate my brave ships the Goeben and the Breslau.-When they met the enemy they knew their time had come and, like brave Germans, they made their wills and gave three Hcclis for their Emperor and then —run like the devil, which gave me the chance lo sell the ships Ic the Turkh— at good profit - when I get the money. Don’t forget, my brave Deutchors, t have premised you shall invade England. I don’t know how you will get there, or how you 'will get back —but you shall go. 1 want to find the man at Madam Tussmul’s who put my model next dcor to Crippen and Charlie Peace. And, by [he way, -I want to go to Rath and find the railway porter that wrote a poem he called “The Day,” in which ho says nasty things about your Emperor. Given at my Court at “Gone-to-Pct’s-dam in the last year of ray "eign. WILLIAM IT