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Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 134, 30 October 1914, Page 6

FOETS CRUMPLED. The Rerlin correspondent of tilie United Press (Mv Karl von Wiegand) made a personal inspection of the Liege forts after t'hey had been captured by (lie Germans. In a message to the American newspapers lie states that one shot fired by the new 16-inch gun went through no less than ten feet of concrete. Another shot pierced twelve feet of concrete into a magazine deep under ground, which exploded and obliterated the entire fort. No:hing was left but a vast hole in the ground thirty feet deep, strewn with huge blocks of cement, the, si.eel turrets being broken and twisted like tin. This gives some idea of the .terri'ilc dcslructiveneas of modern siege artillery.

THE C.'llY OF THF BELGIAN CHILDREN.

What did we know of war, its rights and wrongs'/ We beard it named, but gave it not a thought. Gaily we sang our patriotic song 9, Ami with imaginary Germans fought; We manned our fov'ls of mud against at'acl,-,. And, childlike, revc-lled in the dust and grime, Dr'vtH r our fancied foes with fury back, Guard'ng our home?. Kaiser, was this a crime?

Nearer It drew, but little did we care; When Father left we watched him march away, Envied his uniform and marlial air, 'Th.m marched ourselves to meet tlhe foe, in play. Only the look of grief on MotherV face Caused vague unrest within our hearts to stir, And, clumsily, with kiss and fond embrace, We did our best to comfort 'her.

And then Tt came, and with it terror tense. And fire and blood, blighting with its fcul breath All that w« knew of love and innocence; Teaching us pain and death, anl worse than death. Mother and sister butchered 'ncath our eyes, Crimea that onr minds, thank God, could never guess. Screening bis firing line our childhood dies To meet the War Lord's call for "frigit. fulness."

Kaiser, when soon or liite your hour shall conic. And at God's Throne you. suppliant, bond tile knee.. Think tou those prattling voices will bs ; dumb j Which new are silenced by your dread j decree? ' When boastful pride is turned to abject dread ] What bid for mercy will you mate, I what plea? Facing the righteous wrath of Him, Who | said: , "Suffer the little ones to come to i Me." . . , —A. R. Hamilton in the Daily Hail. [ "BRAVE, UUOD KNGLISII." "The wife of a Redhill Reservist who / is with the Expeditionary Army in France, received a letter from her husband, wh'eh lind been biought across tile Channel und pasted :n Folkestone," says tin; livening 2\ r cws.

' itoicn-iug to the reception of his regiim'iit, ha says: 'The natives went ( flan tic with joy when they saw us. • 'You would have been jealous if you ' bad seen ihe women, old and young, I 'kiss us. 1 was kissed scores of times. | " 'The women screamed with joy as they hugged us, and many of them, as I .they slioutsd "Vive I'AngieteiTe!" and "urave, good English!" wept biiuerly, awl then Wrey wauld wipe away their I tears and offer us small presents. " We are in the best of spirits and health, and have plenty to eat.'" PROUD FAMILIES. The list of families supplying large numbers for service is 'being added tio every day. Particulars have just been published which show four families are contributing 28 men to the Army or Navv.* Eight, soils of Mr and Mrs Mann, of Nottingham, are wearing the King'ri uniform, an I the father's regret 13 that he is too old to fight. A Hamp-itead family named llieron provides seven stalwart soldiers or f-aii'ors, and their brave old another says: "Whilst i am sorry to see them all go, '1 am very proud of them." Ireland also furnishes another fine: fighting family in the seven brothers Klynn, of County Mayo, and the father —"who served i years—takes consolation in th o fact .(hat he is well represented, though past the age for active service himself.

The fourth family concerned in this ■proud record is the example of six brothers named Dounie, of Aberdeen. Three are in 1 lie famous Gordon lliglnian. lers, two in the Artillery, and another in the 11th llussars.

According to a Wellington paper Sir Montague' -Wlsoii (heu4 of the linu of Nelsoit ili'os.) baid to -M.t YV. Ji. Tripe, of Wellington, on the eve of lus departure frooa Loiulon: "If you see my brother IWilliam when you get 'b.iek to New Zealand, tell him there is no need ! to bo >4l!)c least bit apprehensive about this war. Britain is going to win through at all costs, and Clermany is going to be put down. It's got tj be done, and will b,; done, even 'though ii/' may take three years to do it. and even though we may have to fire 'bullets of siltcr and of gold before we reach tlu> end."

Lonvain, which was reduced to ashru l>y tiio Germans, was the Oxford of the Lott Countries. JlintoricaJly and architecturally the parallel is very exact. Like Oxford, Luurain was an old and famous centre of learning. Ka univcr- • nity was one of separate colleges, and these colleges, scattered about the city, were 'built on the quadrangular plan. The collegiate bindings of Louvain, however, were in the 17th century llenaiasance style, of which there are no eximtnles in Oxford'. There was a famous 1 library attached to tlhe university, containing 40,090 volumes and hundreds of rare mannwripts. But the narallel with. Oxford fails in one resnect. Oxford lias many (beautiful buildings but none of them have the unique architec--1 tural value of live Hotel de Ville or the Church of St. Pierre, or several otlr'r j churches of the destroyed Belgian citv. The ITotel de Ville was one 'of the 'glories of Europe—a perfect example of tho late mediaeval (Flemish style. It 1 was the work of the Flemish mastm'mason, Mathieu de Lav ens, -who laboured at it from 144S to From bb« richness and delicacy of its carving it 'has born compared with a wonderful piece of gossamer work 'that had I><nmi turned bv some speJl into etonc. Om- I dosite the Hotel de Ville. was the masmifieent old Church of St. Pierre, I noted for its altar paintings, brass-work, and rare stained sass.

■road between Boulogne and Paris, aj scene as picturesque and deeply inspiring | •as a page from Eroissart," writes a cor- 1 respondent. "Tlie two English cardinals, | Cardinal-Archbishop Bourne and the,Cardinal Abbot Gasquet, famed as an j historian, 'had left London to journey | to the Conclave at Rome. On the line I the train in which they travelled was stopped, and by a curious chance a train in which a regiment including in its ranks a large number of Irish Catholics—these men, like the Pant-agenets of old, wearing a sprig of green in their ■ head-dress—was drawn up ior a moment alongside. "The cardinals, who under the cassocks wore the red of their rank, .stepped j into the corridor, and leaning out or a window, said together: ".May Cod bless you, my children.' ! "In an instant every Catholic soldier | in the open trucks of the troop train 1 dropped to his knees to receive the ear- ! dinals' blessing. j

"it appears, maybe, a simple affair, but in its spontaneity and sincerity, its mingling of the spiritual with the grimly material, it was eloquent and moving beyond tlie comprehension of those who only read what others saw,"

KUI i

"1 iwi q:!i,e j a accord w.L's ..ir courts c-ioris o secure i'o; (l ,h irpeople," sun., the lion. i. .Mackenzie, in t.:j r :,r,.< |- I'inaiK-it-r. "..iy own opinion is t ■ a: though in soaie instances (Jennuii •/..d are q ID .tl a. a lower rate fenr.ir u-v the givat billk of the unici.s »ii : to U. 4 are of less value thai] ||„, ■■- ■ujpo: t from i,he British m-iu;.!'.'. : i,- ; Of eump, \v.- :n New Zealand l.aiv ;; v n

a ci.n-. dera'i,.- pw-fciviice on iiri j t-!( ;:ood, owr iibe foreign-Hi* t . artK'K j in giiin,. iii-,Lancus, a K nm-.-rii as ;e> pw oent. Thai is to say, oil soai • Briu.vh goods 5 pvr cent, is our tariff, whilst | upon foi'c'.gn articles 15 per ceil .. is the 1 t;;r:ll. \e--r-; ajo 1 st.Ue<! tillie- [ policy of Britain in adnwUino our pro duetis, especially foods nil's fi-v, ; l |,- cur tnk;iw goods in ivturii, was no-t limited in its national ellVels to tie nwre trade r.insactions involved; that, by 011-r people—l referred to Britons overseas—sp. ndiug tin-ir money with tlv Mother Country, wo were taking goods from our own people, w'lo wuiiid stand -shoulder ;o shoulder with us in any emeigenev that misrht threaten the Empire; wh-rcas the profits earned l.v j foreigners through our trading wi'ib | them -might some day be used for pur- i poses of the degradation of our Eiag and the humiliation and oripping of our nation. And to-day we see a practical demon-- ration of t.hah very policy of antagonism. This is, therefore a fitting opportunity for the people of t!k' Empire a« a whole to carefully studv the nation with whom tiliey 'should trade. I It'll pleased to say that with us in New Zealand it is regarded as a reflection on a person if Uin>t person, purchases an i article from a foreign country if a si-mi- j ilar quantify can be obtained from our 1 l-ioplo at a price approximately equal to that charged by tlie foreigner." j

"TEACII TIIfiM TO SHOOT " "Neviv mind whether they know any thing about drill. It does not matter if they don't know their right foot from their left. Teneli them liow to shoot and do it ijuiekly." These are the inhunci.mis Wtt.t .1 Lord Iviioiium-y gave tile ollicers w111 ; are engaged ill uie work of ge.liiig h.s second army into shape. They throw sUMng light oil the puliation. It is ii race at high speed ill 'fitting out tile second army so that it will be ready to take iU place in wluik'vcr tield of action may be necessary. From ti'e first it ha,; been evident !,hat Lord Kitchener rc.iiise.i the gigsuuie char-

iictiT of 'ln- work Great Jiriwia 1i:l• ■been called upon io do. In tho first days, after he called for half a million ifli'ii. the War Ul'lice machinery provci inadequate. Hed tape processes' hampered the enlistment. In many parts of I the eountr) men had to wave] miles in older lo reach a recruiting office, and) whui they got there thev had Lo go! through much formality. improvements I were made, but even now the War Office system of recruiting ig not perfect, j BRITAIN'S LITTLE ARMY. J A Russian paper, writing on the war, says tha imiiiediatt! offec:. of Kng'atui taking part was to give lo the vac a universal aspect. It is as yet d'l'iicul: lo gauge the full importance of the 7>art played In- Kngland in libemtiiisr Europe from German tyranny. tA; l:a t' I hp German imrrhanlmcn have, vanillic 1 from tiie face of uhe waters. Germany thus completely cut oil' frorre its ina.in ( source of food supply. Also the command ci the sea has made it .possible for ; !he Allies to transfer troops to £.ny port ■ on the European coast, thus rendering I an e.vtrx quarter of a million men avail- j able. Though Kngland has net a great Army it is highly efficient. Being no small it is naturally obliged 1,0 cornm timb.r French direction. In proportion to lur population. Kngland anight put 2vj million men in the 'field. Though every effort is being made in England, and volun'.eers are numerous, how different tlvngs might have been with an extra million .men! No European war would then have been possible.

Albert Darrington writes as follows in regard to the .operations round Antwerp early in t'lw war:—The breaking of the <lyki\i ant the consequent Hooding 0f Antwerp by the Belgians started the (ierman, infantrymen climbing lirce-r. r l here is nothing variety in war. And when lifty thousand toils of (litehwater. Next to having command of the a big gn.tunil swear word 'blew over Antwerp. It is reported that thousands *>f tbe Kaiser's crack troops were compdlcd to seek refuge in treo-topu wi:Ji lowl.-t and chickens. The onrushing water filled the Uhlana* hoots and itui'le i'lim wish for a nice dry desert to >it down in and drain oif the mud. A correspondent twlls me that the roofs of Tennondi- were ttvii'cd with wet GerU'.aw, and that a niUiinbc.r of lieairy siege guiM wore covered to tiheir throats in water. Next to having command of the K(« in tlinie of war, there is Moitlhing to .beat a few handy sluice-gates.

A nurse in one of ithe big London hospitals writes as follows to a friend in New Zealand: —"We liad a greati time last Tuesday when tliw King and Queen 1 came. My men wore full of excitement. J and Micro -was a general cleaning oi boots and a brushing of clothes. Three tremendous cheers were given as tlleiv Majesties entered the ward. The King shook hands with Dr. (Che surgeon; find I was presented to the Queen, and she s'hWlc hands with mi*. I had to tell the Queen what was idle matter witlh each patient and answer any questions slio liked to ask. She to most gracious and kind. The King looks so ill and a&ed; ho also spoke to each man, and it. was wonderful how he asked after tihe officers by namo from (fli-e men of tihe various regiments. He turned very pile ! upon being told iby a Minister Oilier, that out of JOOO men 'he reviewed at i Aldcwhqt, only 130 answered the roll tall after the b&ttlo of Oampeigne."

WHY I HISTORY GIVES THE ANSWER. Lord Kitchener's appeal for as many Scotsmen as possible to make up the 100,000 men he wants is a tribute to the bravery of the lads of the land ol the "mountain and the Hood." Why does Lord Kitchener want Scotsmen so eagerly? That question is answered by himself (says the People's Journal). In a letter "to Sir Alexander Baird, of Uric, Lord Kitchener writes: — "I am glad to know that you are going up to Scotland to do your best to raise recruits lor the army in lvinffctdineshire. I feel certain that Scotsmen have only to know that the country urgently needs their services to, oiler them with the same splendid patriotism as they l:avo always shown in tlie past. Tell them from me, please, that their services were never more needed than they are to-day, and that I can rely confidently on a splendid response to the national appeal." In Egypt and the Soudan, almost under K. of li's own eyes, the Scotsmen led the way over the'heig-lits of Tel-el-Kebir, ;lhey stemmed tlie mad charge of the dervishes at El-Teh, and Tamai', and at Atbara, they crashed with reddened bayonets through the hordes of tile jfalidi.

But long before these fights the Scottish regiments were famous. Tlie Duke of Wellington knew their mettle, and | through the. Peninsular war Hill's Brigade. of Scotsmen performed many doughty deeds. Cameron of Eassifern. with his gal'ant 92nd, could noti lie staved, and the other Scottish regiments emulated tliein. THE NOBLE ANSWER. At Quatrc Bras tlie Camcrons, tlie 42ml and the' 02nd, Scotsmen all, were prominent among other regiments in hurling back charge after charge of French horsemen.

"Ninety-second Highlanders," cried Wellington at a crisis at Quatre Bras, "prepare to charge." The Scotsmen answered nobiy. Through the deadly shower of grape-shot they rushed to victory, and tlie nature of the charge can best be brought home by stating' that in the wild rush tlie 02nd lost their gallant colonel, nineteen ollicers and 280 men.

"Scotland for ever!" was the cry of the Scots Greys as they rode into battle at Waterloo, witn many of the kilted lads clinging to their stirrups. "You have saved the day, Highlanders," said Sir Denis Pack, but you must return to your regiment; there is more work to be done."

"Make me proud of my Highland Brigade," wrote Sir Colin Campbell at the Alma, and they did it. "It was a fight of the Highland Brigade," wrote Sir Colin afterwards. "I never saw troops inarch to battle with greater sang-froid and order than my three Highland regiments." "Ninety-third! Ninety-tMrd! D n, all that eagerness!" shouted Sir Colin fiercely to his famous "Thin Red Line" at Balaclava. All the world knows 'how that "Thin Red Line tipped with steel" scattered the Russian horsemen. AN UNEXAMPLED ACTION.

Through the blood-sweltering, bulletswept streets of Lucknow the sons of Scotland fought their way. Nothing couid stop them. Men went down under the hail of bullets, but on they went, fighting hnnd-to-liand battles, and strewing the street with dead and wounded. "To tlio Residency!" was the cry, and all the world knows how they got there. They had performed a feat, which, in his despatch, the Commander-in-Chief described as "an action almost unexampled in war."

AH over India during the Mutiny, Scottish soldiers stamped their names in blood; 110 matter the odds in numbers thrown against them, they never flinched. Onward was ever the watchword of the Scottish sons, and nothing could dismay them. In an address to the troops whom Lord Roberts led to Kandahar he said:

—"Men of the 72nd and 92nd Highlanders and the ,jth Ghoorkas, you may rest assured the very last troops the Afghans want to meet in the tic til are the Scottish Iligh'anders and the Ghoorkas. You will newr li a forgotten by them, and you will never be forgotten by me."

"Don't retire! Come on, lads; follow me!" cried Lieutenant Dick Cunningham, one of the bravest of the brave, i whin the Iml'.ets from an Afghan sangar were mowing them down. The an- [ swer a ringing chcrr, and the I lads of Scotland raced forward, and their | cold steel sent many of the wild liill--1 men to their last account.

"The General says this hill must bo taken at all costs—the Gordons will take it." So said Colonel Mathias at Dargai. Over the fire-swept none, to the tune of

"Cock o 1 tlie North," played by the wounded I'iper Findlater, raced the Highbinders, and the hill was taken. At Majuba Ilill, and in the more recent Boer War, the Scotsmen were conspicuous by their gallantry. The Gordons alone throughout that campaign earned six V.C.'s. A volume would be quired to mention one half of the 'brave deeds done 011 the battlefield by the sons of Scotland. Every British General knows the ralue of a Highland Brigade in the dark hour of danger, and that ia why Lord Kitchener makes his appeal to the men of Scotland.