A FRENCHMAN'S TRIBUTE TO TOMMY ATKINS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXII, Issue 248, 17 December 1900, Page 4

A FRENCHMAN'S TRIBUTE TO TOMMY ATKINS.

As educated Frenchman tradiag as a wholesale merohant at Port) Elizabeth . recently made the following remarks: Although- politically I am autiEaglish, I cannot in fairness refrain I from paying a tribute to the noble and magnanimous manner of yoar soldiers. -1 witnesred their entry iato Johannesburg »ton of plenty, after seven or right months' hardship on the velt, I . . Whan they entered thia town, did I see what I expected) Houses entered without permission, and women . assaulted by these young men 1 Did I see hotels and drinking places broken Into and liquor running down the streets with maddened soldiers killing •r wounding anybody who glanced wrongly at them ? Did I see all the inflamed txcecsis generally committed by a conquring soldiery! No, to my great amazement, I, with my own eyes, saw these well-bailt sturdy-locking, gtneroas, what you call Tommy Atkins, struggling with eaoh other to buy bread at double the proper price, andprofiarfog tempting prices for bad whisky. When I saw any of them inebriated, did I Bee them draw their sword or revolver f No; they only commenced to sing tongs. I tell you that in time of war they are the finest behaved soldiers * in the world; and I speak from experimy time I have been amongst all the troops of Continental Europe. But what surprises me moit is the fact , that the punishments you mete out to your soldiers are insignificant compared to the penalties for the soldiers of other armies. But now I come to diieuss it with myself, perhaps that is the reason why you English are so . successful. You don't believe in harsh treatment. Ten are confident! of being able to return harsh treatbut don't want to; and I suppose it is the same with your soldiers, j They are noble follows; and I tell you] candidly that had the enemy invading this country been a French one, I am - afraidmy oountrymen would not havoj acted in the creditable manner voursj bm.