WAR JOTTINGS

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 163, 15 March 1915, Page 2

WAR JOTTINGS

PALESTINE FOR THE JEWS. “Our temples have not left a stone, \.nd mockery sits on Salem’s throne,” n-itd the Jew in cue of Byron’s most pathetic Hebrew melodies. Perhaps at 'ast the moment has come for the restoration of Jerusalem and the other ities cf ancient Israel to their rightful aasters. As Mr H. G. Wells observes a a letter to Mr Zangwill printed in he “Daily Chronicle,” “What is there now to prevent the Jews having Palestine and Festering- a real Judaea?” What, indeed?

WHY HE WEPT. There is a pathetic touch about an which a war “special” quotes. Some days ago a wounded soldier was brought into hospital, and it was found accessary to amputate his right thumb, [t was impossible to administer an anaesthetic, yet the wounded man bore the operation without uttering i. groan. When all was over and the surgeon was about to pass on to the next case, the soldier burst into sobs. “What,” said the surgeon kindly, “you did net even wince under the knife, iml now wlran it i s all over you are jrylnjg!” “That is net the reason,” redied the patient. “I am a priest, and he amputation means that I can never say Mass again.”

SOLDIERS' PAY. The War Office gives some lute reeling information concerning how the sicklier is paid whatever the circumstances of his service. In the trenches, of course, there is not much use for money, but while he remains in the firing-line, soldier’s accounts are kept by his company officers, and he can make withdrawals ,vhen convenient. A statement of big financial position fellows him into hospital, and h;is banker is then the- medical ciffie/ep j a charge. On furlough during convalescence th'are is a special paymaster. Pay due to a soldier killed in action is dealt with as part of his estate and sent to the next-of-kin..

DENTISTS WAITED AJ THE FRONT. Mr F. Newland-Pedley, consulting dental surgeon to Guy’s Hospital, writes from Rouen to the “Lancet” appealing for a definite corps of dental surgeons. He say s that since he arrived at Rouen as a volunteer dental surgeon dearly two months ago he has received cases from all quarters, Red Cross and general hospitals and convalescent camps Included. “If the Government is prepared to send out enough dental officers, a large number of soldiers can be saved to the Army.” A Igcod supply of. “gas” is necessary, for among tha wounded, “when men are weak, they dread the dentist far more than they fear a ‘Jack Johnson’ vvhten they are well.”

ARMY DOCTOR’S SKILL. The French have published some statistics, which prove that either the fii'a weapons of to-day are extraordinarily humane, or that the army doctor possesses remarkable skill in the treatment of wounds. Taking any hundi'acl cf the French wounded, we find from the figures published' that ever 54 per cent, are able to return to tha firing line practically as socu as Licit* rounds aro dtoss'sd. that scarcely 3? er cent die from their wounds., and -hat something lass than p.er c:-nt. ; have tc be-discharged as unfit to serve main. These are very comfortin' >• fig■jiLs tc us, who have seen day after day the appallingly long lists of casual tires, and a very large percentage of the injured recover from their wounds. !

ENTHUSIASM FOR BRITAIN. Of the possible influence, of th!3 war a the Central African Protectorate of Uganda, whore English territory fcr 000 mioas runs side by side with that f the German, Rev. A. B. Fisher,who Ti s recently returned home after 22 oars’ work in the C.M.S. Uganda Misibn, says that he is perfctly easy in lia own mind that nc serious trouble will take place. As scon as the news of th'o outbreak of war arrived, the great Christian chiefs gave orders for the drums to be beaten, and in an extraordinary short space of time somewhere between twenty and fifty housand iron paraded, and these men tiered to go anywhere and do any-

.hlng iu cofence cf the flag that represented the country which first sent tiicm the Gospel.

ABYSSINIA’S GIFT. The Emperor cf Abyssinia has offered the French Government a valuable present of hers’es for the use of ‘he officers cf its army staff. The pres* • nt consists cf 250 superb black Arab ,horses of great value and 165 centimetres in height, of the same quality and size as are used by officers for Abyssinian cavalry purposes. Along with this consignment will be dispatched 200 mules suited for mountain artillery work, and the whole will be dispatched per the s.s. Melbourne for some French port, presumably Marsh les.

Th(is valuable Niew Year’s gift is regarded as so much testimony that the friendship of the monarch, of Abyssinia for France and England remains

as cordial as ever, and that there is

nothing in the rumour that he is male ing common cause with the Turks.

GERMANY’S GREATEST CRIME. The dreadful position of a soldier called upon to fight against some of the very young men put into the field by the Germans is described in the “Oven” newspaper, of Petrograd, by a Russian officer.

“To me,” ho is reported as saying, “the most terrible thing about this war is the participation of children on the German side. I am not a young man, and I have seen many campaigns. Without being accused of boasting, I think I may say I have never laxperi--enced fear,, yet whn I seh children of 13 and 14, and I have to order my men to shoot or bayonet them, I lose my nerve. Near the village of S , in Poland, we had just carried a German trench and a momentary lull had occurred. It was dusk. Suddenly in Tent of me I saw a figure silhouetted against the sky. Instinctively I grabbed my revolver, and looked more in'ently at the figure. Then I saw the dernier form cf a mere boy. He wore > sad and painful expression as he printed hi s rifle at me and took deliberate aim. For onO instant my sense of self-piiaservaticn seemed to have left me. I don’t know why, but I simply stood and smiled at him. My right hand in which I held my revolver, fell limp to my side. He also lowered hi s rifle and stared at me. I saw an evil sparkle in his eyes, and suddenly a shot rang out. HO had fired and missed me, and £}galn he raised his rifle. .Then I whipped out my revolver and pressed the trigger and the boy fell. I cannot yet rid myself of the siihjister sensation tl experienced in killing that child —for ha was little more. 'I think it is the greatest crime the Germans have yet cornmitfiad to ! allow thse young boys to fight, even I if they do voluuteisr,”