WAR TALK.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 185, 15 April 1915, Page 7

WAR TALK.

BY ALBEET DORRINGTON.) POISONING OUR TF.OOPS. The poison-man has been allowed to deliver the goods to many of the young men attached to the New Zealand and Australian Expeditionary Forces stationed in Egypt. The shandy-gaff and the pale yellow drink that looks to eontain a lemon squash were found to contain Cannabis indica (Indian hemp), the plant from which bhang and hashish are derived. The whisky sold in Cairo proved to contain fusel oil Tn abundance, together with coperas ana other Oriental pick-me-nps. Many of the colonial troops who arrived in Cairo in December last took their poison early owing to the fact that "wet canteens" were tabooed in deference to prohibitionist sentiment. I am not going to say anything' about regimental canteens, but it bettor for t-. man to moisten up on regimental liquors" than to absorb the liquid abominations dispensed in Egyptian hote!». Prompt steps have been taken to cope with the evil, otherwise it would have been left to the promoters of the Cairo grog-shops to deliver the finishing blow to our troops. It is very difficult to deal with the keepers of these Oriental whisky bars, or to lynch them wher« they live, for once the authorities attempt to abolish this- parasitical element, a cry goes up that the ". noble Egyptian drink vendor is being sacrificed on the altar of another acenrsecs prejudice.

WHAT RUSSIA WANTS

Many Russian -officers arc of'opmton that the war will last until the end of 19.16. Neither are,tliey anxious to get to Berlin. "Berlin!" exclaims one. "Who wants to get there? Three hundred miles out of our way; and out of yours too! Besides, the only people who' deserve a day there are the Belgian's. We, you and-the French, have suffered no injury to our national pride. We leave theatricals to William! For us Allies —business. "Each of us is after something. You want their fleet; Franco wants security and Alsace-Lorraine; and Russia—well, we're really more interested in Vienna than Berlin —but we shall not get there for o long, long time yet. But you English are dreamers. You think the j German heart, is easy-to break. Mitchvo! We shall see. This Kaiser has t'.io I heart of a devil. He will see his !n«* ! army oorp3 butchered and broken bc- ' fo'i'e he ".'ill throw UP his hands. Bi!t Iwe shall Hay t.ci..,3ii-m by and by, ".Nov:, I Mr. Kaiser, if you. insist on dragging ! out. this business, '•?'<! ki'.ii.ig Ihous- ! A !!'■••;-. !-n*i V-oi sjimll iv! .(-.(..v. lied Jo reI i ,;., s "■■'•. ;•■ ■■ <?> -. Vv T ■•«*"••'■: ■•!'r: .*■■ '.".rnvnn I ''-: - ]y 't-j b:l ree our 'fin-cr? to Berbn.""" ■ j: , .' JAPANESE'" IN J ENGLAND.. r. ore goes on.e meets the '] !<!;•'■:'•'•] .Tap. Hv fills the skating rinks j ai'd —'sic linVi.s -'.T. he ;* «i.v ( >v ••• jscii! from the big military pa^adon i which are of daily occurrence ..throngV j'ont the P.r'rish Isles. People are isk- ! irg v. hat the*>o .T a v-«:o>:.-3 fu-bllovs ?-.-» : n England. It i? ; :• -• '"1 : " ■ they : - re here-to.take part i : ; i scrunch when .Jo.ffre gives the long- ! wished-for order -to advance. These i Japs ?re very reticent.• and one seeks I for information in the clnb rooms a tic. 'daily Tress without success. Question j the average military man, and he will j favour you with a lingering side-glanec-that puts further speech beyond Vac pale. We know that* France wouic welcome half v million Japanese-troops I to clear the ground for the last grand assault. But-British statesmen, up to I date, have professed to lend only a j thick ear to such suggestions, although (Asiatic and Algerian troops are heir?;; jfreely employed against the Kaiser's horses. ';■■ '■ - - ■

THE INDIAN SOLDIER. '■ Tills, brings".one to the question 'of ! Indian sold,iers ,in Die trenches, v.v.ft j their adaptibiljtyjto. European methods I of warfare. '■ Rettsracd officers tell t~ I that Indian native troops practically | refuse to remain quiesecnt t vun,der cm- : tinned shell-fire, and that no amount of i training or argument will steady their j wild to leave the trenches and

charge across the open. All the same

Chundra Lai is a great fighting man. He has been brought from his own spicy bree/.es to face a horrible climax where the wind and slush would sap the courage of an Eskimo. For maiiv reasons, it is gratifying to know tlu.i the Australasian Expeditionary Forces have been spared the useless torture ..t a winter campaign in Flanders, whero even the ice-hardened Brititsher has been frozen in his sheepskins.

"FAKED" WAR LITERATURE

A blight of "letters from the trenches' 'has fallen upon the country. Each day the papers print columns or ghastly "stodge" sent by men who are supposed to be in the firing-line. Thero is the never-varying yarn of how Bill and his pal nearly got blown up by a shell, nad how Bill went on a midnight expedition by himself, and walked right into the German lines unnoticed. Sometimes the awful Bill returns trundling a wheelbarrow laden with German gramophones, iron helmets, and crosses. Stories like "How Bill Stole his Christmas Pig" are labelled "humorous" and are palpably written by one of the editor's poor relations who lives in a garden suburb'not far from Hampstead. The true story of how Bill got a gun butt on his neck always arrives too late for print.