IN MARSEILLES.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 May 1916, Page 3

IN MARSEILLES.

ANZACS ON THEIR WAY. BRIGHT EYES AND ANZACS. VIVID STATION CONTRAST. I (Sun Special Representative). ' Marseilles, March .10. | If Rome, was built on seven, hills, , Marseilles must boast seventy. The : city is crowded into a saucer formation, > and you must climb whichever way yon , may wish to lca\c it, except towards ' the sea. The Anzacs are having their ( hill muscles well tested in the bcautiful, thriving, vivacious old city, made , more romantic by the fabulous 'story of Mo'nte Cristo. The new thews and ! sinews begotten of much route marching . in the sands of Egypt do not help thorn much. They set out gaily in (he morning to trot round the fascinating city, . rind by sundown they are heartily glad to get back to the quiet seclusion of their camp. Several thousands of them , have already developed the muscles , which distinguish the mountaineer, and there are many thousands more to follow. ' From the moment that the fast Paris \ express pulled into the spacious statical ! we were in the midst of our sturdy soldiers. "They have been going through for u fortnight, - ' an English ' transport OiTietr told me, and hjs state- ' ment \vr.3 easily eon firmed. "They" have won golden opinions in Marseilles. ! There is something akin to the mcr- ! :\\r'.\\\ temperament of the Australian in the sunny, volatile nature of the people of tin? South of France. The South is as far removed from the North us Tiinbuetoo is from Adole Land. The : North of Friiu.-e is sombre, the South is still bubbling with irrepressible joy- ' fiiisiiess. Nothing can damp or curb the spirits of the men and women horn : and reared in these sun-steeped provinces. They remain gay despite the . war, but not frivolous. Theirs is the ' gaiety which defies pessimi-m and, which' ' eiaks steely resolution. It is the joy of living which makes .Marseilles the best hospital and convalescent centre in the Republic. WITH VERDUN VETERANS. Soldiers go there maimed in body and mauled of soul, and within a few weeks •vturh, to the front with the ardoi\of youth and the elan of kindled. Marseilles is the most vitalis- , ing city in all Europe. Our Australians respond to its tonic qualities the instcnt they are free to stroll through its streets. ■ They saunter not as single spies, but literally in battalions, though they ■ quickly break up into twos and threes. ■ They do not spend much time on the • water front, beautiful though it is, with the city like the head of a lovely wo- • man slumbering on an exquisitely curved , arm. They have come through Toulon, ] the greatest naval base in the Mediter- • raneaii, and they have seen formidable , fighting ships without, number, and the , peaceful tranquility of the harbor of • Marseilles leaves them cold, as the , Americans say. Their steps are quickly turned to the broad promenade, the , eafy boulevards, the sanded squares, the . splendid statuary, the capacious "mag- , ''.sins," the quizzical, corkscrew alleys ■ which meander with bewildering turns in all .directions, the elaborate and impelling fountains, and the shaded alcoves, where pretty girls invite to amorous dalliance as only French girls can. Wounded French soldiers limp along, making light of their infirmities, giant Serbians on crutches enwrap themselves in dense clouds of smoke drawn from monster hand-made cigarettes, black troops from Africa bare their white teeth and grin a welcome, yellow troops from Asia salute with henna stained fingers without relaxing the immobility of their lead-bitten features. The Anzacs examine the heroes of Verdun, and find that they themselves are being most critically studied. The French, white and black and yellow, shrug their shoulders, gossip vivaciously with their fellows, and leave no doubt that tliey are tremendously pleased to have the Australians in France. And the Anzacs are mighty glad to be here. "I wish I was going your way," some of them remarked when they heard I was bound to Sydney, hut they grinned in a way that belied their words, and a minute later they were congratulating themselves upon at last getting to grips with the Germans. "We wore drilled like the devil for a month before we sailed," one of them volunteered, "but we had a great old loaf coming along the Mediterranean, and we had cabins—real cabins —to sleep in! It was just all right!" Not one of them had a grievance to air, though they all regretfully remarked upon the fact that tliey had received no pay for six' weeks. Officers and men were alike :n straitened circumstances. Your sold'er, however, is as clever as Wellington's veterans in living well without money, and the. worst the men had to do was to walk when they might have travelled by electric tram. They looked very bonny as they swung along with that springy stride which eats up distances. Their eyes continually dwelt upon the dusky warriors whom France has called to her aid. The Australians' ■ latent prejudice was apparently slugging against the conviction that these men from Africa were good fighters. In the end they frankly abandoned their . preconceived notions, and, though they ! did not precisely fraternise with the , Senegainbese, the sight of a pack weighing 1501b. being carried as if it were a \ featherweight gave them an inkling of • the endurance of these hardy men, whose i natural element is unceasing war. , SMARTER THAN THE ENGLISH. [ They saw moreipf them at the station. ■ Troop trains on (adjoining tracks were ■ loaded simultaneously with Australians > and French colonial troops and with English troops. The later had voyaged ; from Egypt with the Anzacs. They : disembarked under the same conditions. 1 They reached the gare at the same time, 1 and it was impossible not to mark the 1 great difference between the two groups ' of men. The English troops were a httle ragged in personal appearance, and ' marched heavy booted and without any ' air of eagerness The Anzacs were trim 1 and natty, marched with lightsome step, 1 and were alert over the great adventure ' ?head of them. The contrast is not 1 drawn to decry the English Tommy, ' who, by the way, was mostly in kilts. 1 There are climatic differences between • the men of the mother country and those • of the overseas which nothing can alter. j When it comes to fighting both are all there. The distinction is in the method of arriving. I have heard hypocritical people comment adversely upon the average Anzac's alleged carelessness of 1 appearance. AH I can say is that the ' scene in Marseilles station put the boot ' on the. other foot. Australian transport waggons dashed ' up the station yard with stores. The Anzacs moistened their lips as case afte'r case of marmalade and jams was lovingly transferred to the .'luggage van on (heir- trains, whi'e Tommy Atkins looked on curiously. He is done very well, but

not as well as the Australians. "Our people have looked after us like fighting cocks," one of them said. "We have much to be grateful to Senator Pcarc.e for." One of them was handling cases with professional skill and zest. Having thrown the last ease into the last place left he broke the line, came across to me, and recalled an earlier acquaintance on Port Melbourne pier. He was as merry as a cricket, and sent all kinds of cheery messages to his old friend down under. There were Adelaide, Melbourne, and Sydney boys amongst them. All bad letters 'to post', None had money to purchase stamps. They reached the postal boxes just the same: If no Australian provided the necessary cash many Frenchmen would quickly do so. Coming to Alexandria, they were transported in cattle trunks. Crossing France in such rough surroundings did not appeal to them, and they were much elated when they saw they were to travel in a most 'comfortable train.VPhey have to carry five days' food with them. That will take them'to "Somewhere in France." Though the train pilled out early in the afternoon Marseilles was still filled with Anzacs. The open air cafes are much to their taste. Very dilatable ten, coffee, and delicious rolls make excellent substitute for the forbidden spirituous liquors. Sitting out of doors all the world and his wife passes in review. The glad eye is freely bestowed upon the bronzed Australians, and seldom in vain. Itinerant vendors of- postcards, sticks which conceal little phials that will hold, a nice cocktail, and strange sweets, pester them. The cinemas are in full swing, and (he theatres fire blazoned with startling posters about their evening programme. Tn Marseilles amusements are at a premium. the music-halls are of diverting quality, and the presence of English artists is proof of the cordiality of the KnCi'nte. Sprinkled about the franc fauteuils—a franc is the top price—were many Anr.acs. Not all (he Anzacs were'there by official permission. Some of them—perhaps because they were in Francehad taken French leave. They were enjoying their introduction to our Allies. HUN PRISONERS. Those of them who skirted the sea front had the good fortune to meet some of their future foes. A s»hI1 company of German prisoners captured round about Verdun were being taken to an internment camp where (hey will be usefully employed. They did not appear downhearted, though somewhat done. Without exception they were full-bodied, well set-up. muscular men, with just a. suggestion of pan itchiness. 'I he yarn about the Germans having mostly boys of miserable physique iii their front trenches must lie scrapped. The Roches in Marseilles were a particularly fine, robust body of men. Our Anzacs who looked them over voted (hem worthy foes from a physical point of view. They will still take a whole lot of beating. There are no distinctly visible evidences of Germany's declining man power. Altogether the Australians docketted their twenty-four hours in Marseilles as a red-letter day. They got close to the heart of the French people. They glimpsed the fighting spirit which has staggered the Kaiser and his ~ar Lords, And they sensed the. soul which will prevail over Teuton 'luiltur and materialism.