THE SAME OLD ADAM.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 231, 9 March 1915, Page 3

THE SAME OLD ADAM.

GHUMAN WARFARE OF 1870. That the spirit of Germany has changed but little for the worse, in all the years that have elapsed since the Fran-co-German war, is shown by some in. (erecting correspondence published in ".An Actor's Notebook," by Frank Archer, written to him by liis brother, who was in I'aris while the war was raging, ami during the time that the city was besieged, and entered by the Prussians. Then, as now, everyone seemed to think that it must surely be the last war and that it was the* more terrible because ' waged by the most civilised ll'owcrs. On Saturday, September 2-1, IS7O, Sydney Arnold, the brother, m I'aris, writes to his mother in England:—"You will have read with regret the result of Jules Favre mission to the l'ntesian headquarters ,their exhorbitaut mid unnatural deiAauds, which must have convinced the civilised world of the desire of the Prussians for bloodshed and massacre, anel ihe destruction of France. I have no more sympathy With them now. It is Prussia that is now making the war, and in the eyes of God must be responsible for the inevitable' horrors that must ensue. . . . They arc more than ever determined here to de_ fend Franco s'looner than accept tlie Prussian terms, which are truly unacceptable. Thus they are? urging on this cruet Avar since Franco woulil offer sueli eoiielitions as a nation could safely and honourably accept." Exaggeration and'false reports were even then one of the Prussian weapons of war and the writer warns his people against believing them. "Several reports lroiu the Prussian headepiarters will have reached you," he writes," but they are apt to publish such abominable lies ami exaggeration, which your English papers Jjfc u lo color up. ... 1 r( ,ad an extract

from a Prussian paper which said that they could see from the heights the populace; of Paris lighting in the streets. This is one of the hundreds of lies, unfortunately too soon believed by the unitmted.. ' . . Strange that no man has been found great emough to find a »nlwt:t.it« for war. Surely this must be the last of them."

On .November 20, 1870, lie writes:— l.ittle did I t!i: 11 k that such a. cruel :linl barllarons war w*as t 0 j a y a~te tins bountiful country—its towns and luii-ut to tin: ground, its Houses • irvasJaldi, men ;lm !" woit;*ru crueliv butchered, mid violated, and every con van]., horror that we, wiicn «•«' boast of civilisation, attribntw to savages, in-oLif?l)(; into practice by an unintelligent nation now replaced bv tl.'o maxim i!:at -Piiflit is might,' ut the head of ii!,r "i"'. the world. We know France declare.! tlie war, but Prussia prepared for it, and desired :t. and lias ursred condition-, tliat will ensure an eternal strile between two preat nations." Writing on January j 0 f iiow Christmas Day was spoilt, the menu -placed before a party of Kiu-iishmen in one of ■ <;r-lui)imlili! calcs Mas given. '-Woif cntiet," it reads, "eat and rat stui'liiii;, and sauce. Roast camel and plum pudl ' in| 1 -! ctu will uuderslaud from :ilis " remarks, rthat tiie Zoolotfcal

'."iU'diius arc now no more.' 5 Of f,?n» bombardment of Paris on J;uiiKivy \Z Jk> writes:—".The tears eoine into my eyes us I writes tills, for any. thin.-? ™«ro flusi:ti't'[!y ami cruel Ulan tin- fjnnthnrdiiKMi;. of" ino!rotMv<. inhabitants I cannot- conceive. They bave herd upon all Ijo hr-'oif a!s t v,hh-li :\vr '.VcM Known by tln-i]* dome.-;. and easily recognised r, dNam-e. AVe iivi! ji'-ji billed in (ln-Jr bed-- ,:md rhil,T'' n r: P'e ;ir>, s (; f f T'-e eld :i 'id V r !;• : r I '■;> • j { 'u-

WOHndt'd, ;tf(» i in l ? 1 1 T 1 ]':■ i"! M-K; ii( !!?<■•!!' cruel artii!ery,' T And 10-disv we ><"■ i! of ft v :if rn.-if cJ the suino !'n ]'e:r;;ib!o fm>r ; (.it; neii;? var ! bvd bv il.'K »;>i ioji, v."T'n-:» inlellerf li;m M>n' ; rd t.i the stars, whose ifts 1o the world of mii-dc, sfieiiee, jihilnntbvf'y ;nhl literature, will s1 nml for :ill time, but whoso lioarts belong to the d' lM , din-': ages of the world's infancy, when man was Imt feebly feeling lie was something more than animal.