MILITARY RHEUMATISM.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 290, 23 September 1915, Page 7

MILITARY RHEUMATISM.

WHAT SOLDIERS THINK OF THE RUMOURS. Some opinions were obtained by an Auckland "Star" reporter from soldiers who have returned from the front in regard to the question ra<3ed in Parliament by Mr Hornsby, M.P., as to the (rumours in circulation regarding ...iitary rheumatism on the patt of some of the men who returned bv <he Tahiti. Private McConnell, of the 16th Waikatos, said: Mr Hornsby is all wrong. There were no malingerers on the Tahiti. Every man was a good man. If a man didn't come hom e wounded he came home to recuperate from pneumonia, or some otiher trouble. We all had to parade before we embarked, and again before we left the ship, and there was not one case tnat could come under the heading of "Questionable." If Mr Hornsby wants something real to fuss about let him talk about the need for doctors and better hospital accommodation. I returned to Egypt on a hospital ship on vlhich there were 500 patierfts and one doctor, and my hand would not be maimed as it is if I could have found a doctor to i operate befor e blood poisoning set in, nor would my mate. Private —, of Devonpori, have been left with a shattered leg until his wounds smelt offensively and an operation failed to save his life. No, there are no malingerers. Private H. E. Cartwright, of the 3rd Aucklands, stated. "Wlhy doesn't M*,r Hornsby have a look at the hospital lists? He would soon see what is th e matter with every one. I've co.ne back with a bullet through the ankle, but J'm not nearly as badly off as some of the unfortunate fellows who never got to the Dardanelles at all. Tlae man who got a bad attack of pneumonia in Egypt, comes back worse off than a good many of vs who have wound s to show, and is noi e the less; a hero, if the word hero has any right to be used at all. No, th).*e wore no malingerers en the Ta'h'.ti. "Call it military ihe j.aatisin, a,d feet, or what you like, it exists, au/J there's no use doubting its existence. It's as unavoidable in human beings as a weak stomach or a cross-eye." Thus spoke Trooper R. R. Stevens, of tli e 3rd Auckland Mounteds. "I believe evqfry man who goes into action goes with the same thought uppermost in ihis mind —will he funk it, or won't he? 1 know I d,id. I know my mate did, and I'm glad to say that when the moment for the test came we got so excited that we clean forget everything but the need for making good. All the same, there are cold-footed men in. every army. There must be, and you can't alwaiys- blame the coward. There is one case I know of worth telling you about. There were two beys who went under fire for the first time together. They were awfully 3 >.rr.g. No sooner had they got in the tranches than one had his head blown off. The other boy no/- 1 !- s;ot over.it. He shrieked "Mother" several times and collapsed, and he was fcuc'h a nervous breakdown afterwards that he had to come home. That happens only rarely, of course, but it does happen sometimes, mostly when a fell >w's j mate goe s down. The other fellow j goes mad for Alibi, and isn't satisfied 1 until he fa as got a Turk in return. Then, again, there is the malingerer. I don't care what anyone says to the contrary, I've seen fellows 'n bosoi'al in Eg!ypt playing up to the i"

the hope of a trip to Engli.vl anion* &t the convalescents. They pr:-<'.\Kl to Le p?|ralysed, and if the doctor prjds fjhem they know when to ni.i.e zv.d when not to. One fellow wis earrbd •■on the Tahiti, and used to i lake a caricature of himself every time he tried to lift a cigarette to lm lips. Three days out. New >iea!aid bound I saw that sarae chap rae'ig upstairs with another fellow. All the yama, I'll admit the' eases thai not genuine ftrnnvg'gt the 5&0 men on the TrvMH co«Id b e almost ©ew»ie& «& afte &a«&

Private Collier, of the 3rd Aucklands, wa s one wfno supported Trooper Stevens' point of view. I can't speak for the "Tahiti's," he said, "for I came back on an earlier heat, but there is no doubt that some of the fellows are the most awful liars. I've heajrd a fellow who was absolutely lionised 'here in Auckland tell the most impossible yarns, and he always fin-j islhed up with details of his own various wounds. That fellow had never even been scratched. More than one man, in fact, has to my knowledge, come back posing as wounded, and he has never been hurt at all." Private "Scotty" Martidnale, of the 16th Waikatos, said: "I personally do not believe that there weVe any on board whfo' had. not represented their country honourably and well. Perhaps in the iNew Zealand' army, as in every other army, there are men who have found that they've mistaken their vocation, but amongst our forces I think they number migjhty few. Certainly Mr Hornsby is on the wrong track tints time. I personaly nevct* want to know a cleaner, better lot of fellows than those who had to come home on the Tahiti."