NEW ZEALANDERS IN FRANCE.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 October 1916, Page 7

NEW ZEALANDERS IN FRANCE.

SOME DIVERSIONS. A HORSE SHOW AND AQUATIC SPORTS. (Prom Capt. Malcolm Ross, Official War Correspondent with N.Z. Forces). _ Northern France, August 13. It is a wise general who looks after not only the comfort of the men in war time, but their entertainment as wed. In all the armies in the held on this globe at the present time there is probably none that is better looked after than the British. Pages—indeed, a whole book—might be written about the 'way it is housed and fed and entertained. And of all the divisions in the British Army I'm sure there is none that is better cared for than the New Zealand. We have what you might call an O.C Amusements. He is a captain, and is known in his own country as a successful business man. It is'largelv owin" to his business acumen and initiative that our soldiers are so well supplied with canteens and amusements. In addition, we have the Y.M.C.A., under capable management, doing splendid work, and the padres—though they never seem to 'be able to agree amongst themselves—also lending valuable assistance in the material" as distinguished from the spiritual sense.

That the men greatly appreciate all that has been done and is being done for them there is ample evidence. In our comparatively limited area there are now no fewer than eleven canteens in working order. Three of these are as far up a s the subsidiary lines, so may be said to be well under fire. Indeed, recently one of these was hit by a German she'll that landed in the middle of it. It was re-stocked and re-opened without delay. Fortunately,' the men had just left live minutes before the shell reached it, so there were no casualties to record. The other eight canteens at times also come under the enemy's shell fire, but, do what he will, the enemy will be powerless to put them out of action altogether. The O.C. Amusements and his merry men will sec' to that. CINEMA SHOW. Also, well within reach of tne Herman shells, you may find the young Y.M.C.A. manager calmly arranging a concertj supplying newspapers and ma<>aziiics and writing material, and in various other ways looking after the amusement and comfort of the men. In another building that has had a German shell through it a cinema show, with tiie latest films, is in full swing. You can see the Tsar review. ns h'; troopshe is greeted with a burst of heartv New Zealand cheers as he appears on the film—or our own King, who is received with even greater favor. You get all the best films, from "Roses all the Way," in which Queen Alexandra figures, to Charlie Chaplin, who is greeted with howls of delight A s.'iall charge is made for admission, and the building is always crowded. It is a place where a man can come and sit for two hours, forgetting that there is such a tiling as war. It is true that every now and then you hear the report of a gun, but no one pays any attention to that so iong as the film is running', and even if a shell landed almost on top of them I believe they would go on with the entertainment until the lantern or the light was knocked out. The attendance at this cinema, in three months, has hcen just o.ver 50.000; and the monthly turnover of the canteens and the -linoma is £OOOO. Though the first consideration is not profit, yet the profit on the three months' working has been between £3.ji,o and £4OOO. And this, mind you, is with only one division. The secret of such successful management is a knowledge of business methods and keen buying. He will be a very smart merchant either in England or in France who will get the better of our O.C. Amusements. The profit is from time to time paid in to the Field Cashier, and will" all be used for the comfort and entertainment of the troops. In the winter, for instance, it is proposed to supply the men with hot soup—a luxury that will be greatly appreciated, and that will add to their lighting value. At any time, too, at a word from the New Zealand General, the O.C. Amusements is ready to supply 20,000 cups of tea and 20,000 packets of biscuits, at certain points, to men on the march. The prices are all remarkably reasonable. You can buy almost anything, from bottled ale to baking powder, from chutney to. chewing gum, and from pickles to playing cards.

There are nine recreation rooms, in any one of whi-h, at -ilmost any time of the day, you will find men reading, writing, playing chess and draughts, or passing the time with some similar form of rational amusement. We climb a stair, and enter a room reserved for prayer. There is a tiny' chapel, in which one catches the glint of sunshine on silver. The padre has been holding a communion service. In a bedroom next door there is a simple camp, bed, and a broken chair on the uncarpcted floor. Here a New Zealand archdeacon is leading the simple life, and looking after the spiritual, and as far as he can the temporal, welfare of his flock The O.C. Amusements arranges even for social gatherings and Masonic meetings. A HORSE SHOW IX THE WAR ZONE. The New Zealand General is a firm believer in interesting his soldiers in othci things besides war. If you have been living foi many days in an inadequate trench in French Flanders, ■with whizz-bang:.' and five-point-nines coming at you from the front and the Hank, and an occasional "minenwerfcr" lobbing over your parapet, you will gladly welcome any other form of mental relaxation. You may even be glad to attend and take a transitory interest in a horse show. In any case, a horse show in the war zone is a novelty, and the one arranged by the New Zealanders the other day quite; justified the expectations of its promoters. There were eight classes, into which even the unautocratic pack mule made his appearance, and for some of t ';cse classes there were over eighty entries. Among the prize-takers was the brotnei of a world's lawn tennis diampion who was killed here in this war. AQUATIC SPORTS, Another diversion was' provided in the shape of aquatic sports. They were held in a splendid swimming bath, some (Iflyds long, with a roof that had been somewhat torn by shot and shell. A sergeant who was put in charge of these baths was Rilled by a German shell soon after lie took up his duties. But the New Zealand bathers were not deterred thereby; the baths were .kept going, and the other day, under the very

noses of the enemy, aquatic sports were held. : These .sports treated'ninth interest and aroiised great enthusiasm. For the different events there were over a thousand entries, and commanders of units had to lie asked to make a selection, so as to reduce the number. Otherwise the enemy might have thought we were undertaking another evacuation! As it was, there were many competitors, and a large number of onlookers, who wildly cheered the victors as each event was decided. There was some splendid swimming and some very neat diving. The great event was the relay /race, which assumed an interprovineial importance. The cheer* that greeted the victorious Aucklanders might almost have been heard in the German trenches. One could not but admire the splendid physique of the competitors, and regret that it was being sacrificed in a cruel war, while at the same time recognising that it would play an important part in winning against the men who thought themselves the supermen.