THE WAR.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 December 1915, Page 5

THE WAR.

NOTES FROM ENGLAND!. liondon, October St. A remarkable feature of the present war hat been the absence of anything like pomp and show. In other wars our soldiers have left their camps and barracks with bands playing, and thousands of their friends lihihg the way to station or dock. That the soldiers are all the better for,the cheers and good wishes of the people goes without saying. One can readily see that it would not be advisable to widely publish the departure of a troopship in a war like the present, but secrecy has been carried to an unnecessary length. We have hean\ of troops being taken out of a camp on a route march and railing to return. This is doing things in the dark with a vengeance, and depriving the men of a chance to say good-bye to their relatives is not a wise policy. It would not be a difficult matter to arrange for the troops in Inland camps to get a real send-off, without in any way giving away the date of their actual sailing or the route. It is to be hoped that what the boys missed on going away will be made up for on their re. turn. SOMEWHERE IN PRANCE. It is rather curious that, whilst »ol« diers in England have been denied to a great extent a proper send-oIT, it has been found possible to reiider homage to our fighters nearer the fighting line. That able war correspondent, Mr. G. V. Wiliams, writing from General Headquarters. sends a splendid account of the send-off the Guards Brigade had When leaving the Second Division, with which they have fought for 14 months. The rest of the division lined the roads as the Guards marched out of the French town in' which they were quartered, and it must have been a brave sight. In spite of their soiled uniforms there is a distinctive something about the Guards Brigade which catches the eye, and oven the stolid French villagers seem to b* conscious of it. Headed by their band, the 2nd Battalion Grenadier Guards led the way, and there was a special cheer for them from the Herts Territorials. Tills is the only non-Guards battalion which has been attached to the Guards Brigade, and, needless to say, the Terriers, known as the Herts Guards, are very proud of their name. As the Grenadiers came abreast of the point where the Herts men were lining the road, a young officer stepped forward and called for three cheers for the Grenadiers, and the manner in which they were given shows how well tho fighters of the two branches of the service have hit it off. Scotch pipers played the Irish Guards past tho saluting point, as well as performing th* office for the 2nd and 3rd Coldstreams, and if iihe Guards were sorry to leave their comrades of the Second Division, they bad the satisfaction of getting a grand send-off. They deserve it, and a brigade "which has never lost a trench" is likely to get many cheers when the people have the chance of seeing such fighters again. A HERO. One canont help contrasting the attitude of the men of fighting age who preach Christianity and those who practice it. Following a recent heavy engagement, a number of badly-wounded English soldiers were waiting their turn to be taken into a hospital for operation and treatment. (sne ytftfSJ! soldier in delirium kept J>«iing to Bee his pafc; ents before lie fled, but an old cam-' paigner at lus side never uttered a sound, thoiisw Mdly wounded. 'When the orde.iies cainf to carry him to the jperiiiing (able, the veteran said:' "I have, no one waiting at home for me. Take the youngster first." Seeing he was in earnest, his request was complied with, and the lad was successfully operated on. When tliey returned for the veteran he was past all assistance. The story of the Cross is preached by many Uion of fighting age at the present time, but it is the men who actually face death and torture, so that their women and children shall he saved, who claim ttt(> admiration of all thinking people. ON THE SAFE SIDE. Many readers of these notes are no doubt aware that "Tie streets of liondon and seaside towns are almost unlighted at night, so as to give the enemy as little target as possible. This naturally increases the dangers of the streets, and accidents are far more numerous than ' ever] Many Germans, mostly naturaUte' ed, are free to ..drive about cars tat night, and as <it fl> impossible to read the number of a car in tliPdaiit ened streets they%an drive at high without tfft usual risk of Idflhapases ofpegjple being goiiy <cn rfAavc a