WAR NOTES.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 April 1916, Page 5

WAR NOTES .

THE COMING CAMPAIGN, V — ; 'A' very distinguished SwisS pro&WbE told me this week that last Auguti was at a private dinner party at wbkU e. famous German general, then acting as Chief si Staff to one of the highest commands, was present (writes ft I*»« don correspondent under' date February, 16). When pressed for his opinion About - the chances of the war, thin high Ger* man officer, even at that date, made no suggestion of tJie possibility of a victory, for tho Central Empires* But he mate one significant remark. He said: "I , think we can hold out for another yew." And the Swiss professor, on the strength of that statement, and of the news that * reaches him from Germany from all sources, insists in his belief that the war will not be protracted into another winter. A different opinion is certainly, held by Lord Kitchener and most of oi» military men. But the view of ibid well-informed Swiss publicist is at fl&j, tate worth recording.

pT TOO PROUD TO FIGHT, It is an open secret that many ricans have shown that they are not "too proud to fight" in the best of F«<y» "—namely, by joining one of our units, no doubt passing the recruiting oftafr u a Canadian. A very good story jj n*. , lated of a certain young collegian from Princeton whose ideas did not correi spond with the President of the USX He considers it the duty of all decent men to fight against an enemy who ha« 1 - violated so many rules of fair pity aas . humanity. He has had some hot fight* Ing with our boys, whom he admires greatly. Eventually he was gassed ant| wounded, and he says that When-, lie camo round lie was lying in a hospital, ! Two Tommies were standing close to the cot, and he heard one of them eay to iha nurse: "Tike good care of 'im, Min; 'a ain't too proud to fight." The Ameri.can adds that he never expects to bear more pleasing words, and that he will, temember them as long as he Uvea, A LOST HERO. What wonderful reading the many > brave deeds of the war will make whenjt is possible to make them known! Oar* ing the great fight for Ypreß word waa brought to one of v the advanced field hospitals that a big tree had fallen across tho road, consequently the ombulaooM ■ containing wounded could not rea«b tha hospital. A Canadian named Irving thereupon volunteered to go out "-"jl chop the tree in pieces go that a motor* car could drag them out of the way. ' Tho road was swept witlr artillery and rifle fire, but the gallant fellow shouldered his axo and calmly proceeded towards :] 4 the tree. Suddenly lie disappeared, and no trace of the hero has ever been found. 1 Whether he was wounded and taken ' away or buried under a mass of earth thrown up by one of the big bursting shells is not known, as all enquiries among the wounded failed to throw any ' -S light on the matter. , ■ \ '■ yt HANDY WITH HIS "DUKES." Many instances have been cited tott« lustrato that a.knowledge of .boxing comes in handy iirtreneh warfare. There ■ is now one recorded act of a man gain, ing the D.C.M. through his ability with his fists. He is Lance-corporal H. W. < Moore, of the 10th Gloucestershire ritorial*. During a trench fight he threw ■ all his bombs, and then used his flits lo i ; fight his way through a group of Ger- , mans, so as to carry an order to a party, of our men who had been cut off. A spade has also proved its worth aa a weapon in the war. During a fight in a trench one of our soldiers was cut , i.!j off, and he took' shelter in a recesi, his only weapon being a spade. He know J the Germans were approaching, and as , they drew opposite his hiding-place lie felled four in succession. The rest of « the attackers then withdrew, and tha"i| soldier was able to make his way down the trench and rejoin his comrades. 4. Mentioning strange weapons, soldier*' who have been in much fighting say that the bombs are what they moft oh" 1 ject to. One stalward Guardsman said: i, it "We are quite used to rifle fire by now, • and we always cook our breakfast, no . matter how much the Germans shell us; 5 but we never seem to get used to tho is «si horrible bombs—they are the worst of , 5 A LONELY VIGII "I had a small part to play during 1 'jj the withdrawal from Galilpoli," write# '« r modest soldier. "A few davs pr», viously word was sent through the bat talion that mechanics wero wanted ,'"J Two others and myself were sent td "-j headquarters, where it was explained to "„Jfl us by the brigade captain what was Heed* ed. The job, we were told, was forgone -j| man only, who was to remain on,, the j .jj last nitfht fill midnight, on the top'pf ft ( <js Very high and steep hill, known as Littlo 9 Tablet op, to keep a 300-c,p. lamp burn* "-jg ing, and to leave it so that it Wottl4".'\.f remain alight for three hours. Thia i; M light was of the greatest importance, A*; >4 it was by this means the Navy would i "'i| be able to direct their fire if the Turk# 'tjj attempted to advance. By this light, too, thay 'were able to locate position* '.a where we l>pd abandoned ammunition, SO da that it could be exploded by mesSs of 'A naval guns after we had said good-bye || to Johnuy Tark. Wc were asked whioh one would, volunteer. The wholo throe 'Jh of us did. After <Vrawing lots lam glad ij to say I was the lucky one. 1 ( ,M "At 5.30 p.m. I /parted on the steep ' climb. It was impossible to go up her#: in the daylight, as about sixty yard* > t was along the skyjijip, thus making an I excellent target' for the Turks, who were j Bliout 500 yards distant. This particitkir night it was a little darker than 4'] daylight, on account of tho very bright' moonlight. I could distinctly see for j half a mile our troops winding .'their■ < serpelit-like way down tho gullies saps tii the beach. At ten o'clock the vs last of these noiseless trotops moved ont •: * of sight, and I kucw the ii)ain body had reacVed the sea in the gome an<l orderM' manner. I also knew thrt,®! our wliolo ih no of severf miles of trenchea j was manned by but 1000 troops, and how valueless our lives were in the event ot "• the Tiurks clrarging. During the 1m#":: couplo of hours bullets had been jd#"' f zipping .freely round me. The Tara.'J must have noticed the strong rays the light .gave out; but tho only it at all vulnerable was the ' Bion ohamb't r, and it woiild have been fit' ■-< cvkemely Ricky sliot to hit that, that case, I had a couple of lamps ait HiaitijL. . fj "A few mimvtefl to twelve I w*m final look rmuui, and left it at WHK , ' i ! night, witli the lamp going at full pressure. I then made down the gulli«s to»the 'beach, a' joußHjfi:! of over two miles. I was rather, 'on my pat' oni 9 uoh' a night, and relieved to find, I reached WateJ son's Pier, that there* was a barge