SIR JOHN FRENCH'S WIT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 204, 2 October 1909, Page 3

SIR JOHN FRENCH'S WIT.

Sir John French is a grout soldier, jut. like many other great soldiers--hi-rudin" Napoleon ami the Duke of Weiington—yes. and Lord Kitchener—lias L \ dry wit of his own that relieves the: tone of grimness which is so often associate! witl> the life of a groat militaryi ■onnnaiider. utany stories are oxtur'; ofl Sir John, lint it is liolievod that the fol-1 lowing,now given liy a friend, lias never known print liefore. During the South, African Avar ilicre was a young officer! just from Sandhurst,.' who was attached) to General French's stall*. The young] fellow has himself achieved some di>-' tiuetion since then, and shall lie nanm-! less. At that time lit l was fresh and! firgety. and was always imagining a eon-j stant menace of attack liv the Boor's, whom lie invarialilv nronounced "TSmvs." This pronunciation- Cencral French had in vain tried (o corvect. and it «railn-l ally gut on his nerves. One day the; young officer came to Ihe Cencral ti>' report that he believed he could make' out through hi-- field-ul .ss unite as iiia.lv, nn twenty "Rores" hid ill the idc';s ahove th- c.iuip. "lioiv-;. yon saw" enquired the fJeneni l . "Yes. sir. ' llnres.. Can Ido anvtliing, sir':" ''Yes, don't add to them."