THE HEART OF HARRY LAUDER

Taranaki Daily News, 6 November 1917, Page 7

THE HEART OF HARRY LAUDER

HIS SERVICES TO THE SOLDIERS

A TOUCHING ACCOUNT,

A most touching and intimate account of Harry Lauder, the great Scotch entertainer has recently been written by Dr. George Adam, a Staff Officer of the British Minister of Munitions, who has spent much time at General Headquarters and on HOO miles of the front, he says, a light heart and a serious mind are not incompatible. This I learned when I met Harry Lauder. All the experience of many years of friendship has not dulled, but rather brighten, ed, my first impressions. The rich resonant voice, the inimitable laugh, the quick grotesque movements. the simple unstrained human fun, make such a quaint and rare combination as to give Harry Lauder the place whiep he holds without challenge. Believe me, this is not all the real Harry Lauder by a long, long way. He is more and better. His serious-mindedness marks him to me as a man in a million. lam not prepared to attempt a psychological analysis; the personality of the man is too profound for that. • My intention is •merely to speak of some few incidents in my intimate association with my friend that will enable many of Iris admirers to know him better and to love him more.

You remember how the world wept with him when his only child died upon the field of honour and left him childless. The Sundav after the announcement of that tragedy I happened to be preaching In the City Temple, London, and Mr. ana Mrs. Lauder were in the congregation. After the service they came into the vestry to see me. My heart went out to them both, but the courage of their bearing conquered much that was sympathetic I felt like saying. Words or admiration rose to my lips instead. "Harry, we are all proud of the wonderful way in which you have borne this heavy Wow." The answer came quickly: "When a Wan has been hit as I have been, there are only three ways open to him—drink, despair, or God; and I am looking to God for the consolation and the courage I now need."

Surely an epic utterance. Would we could get it on the gramophones of the world—it would mean much to mankind. You may feel that this is one of these flashes of inspiration that come to a man once in a lifetime, but it is not so; it is simply characteristic of the man and his attitude to life. Let me tell you more.

Interest in England is in her soldier and sailor sons exclusively these days, not only because so many have their own among them, but rather that all realise that these are the men who alone stand between them and invasion and even worse. The great instrument of the expression of this interest is the Young Men's Christian Association without a doubt. This is obvious to anyone who knows how the Association's war work is supported by influence and aided by money. AH the leading personalities in the churches have enlisted for servics under the sign of the Red Triangle. Business men of every kind have now been striving for years to give the maximum of financial support. Ladies of every social grade from the Queen to the cottager are co-operating in this mighty enterprise; public entertainers vie with one another in offering help and arranging concert parties, and the Young Men's Christian Association provide the facilities for reaching the men.

Among the others Mr. Lauder has done and is doing hfs "bit" in this direction. On a recent Sunday, although not working at full pressure during the week in the play "Three Cheers" at the Shaftesbury Theatre, he gave up bin rest gladly to go down to two of the Canadian camps with me. During a visit to France, and in conversation with one in high command in the army, talk turned to the high place Lauder had in the affections of his countrymen, for we were both Scots. A strong deßire was expressed that he should be got out among the soldiers in the battle line just to give them the cheer he knows so well how to impart. I promised to endeavour to arrange it, with trepidation, you may be sure, for you know what is so often said of Lander and his money. However, with courage in both hands, I asked him to give up the week that meant so many thousands of dollars to go out to the boys.

The request seemed to stagger him, and for a minute I felt I was to fail, but it was the good fortune to receive such a request that took his breath away. "Give me a week's notice, and I will go with you, and glad to go." I replied, "I give you notice now." "Tom, I quit in a week," and he did, and off to the war zone he went. My pan is unequal to the task of describing that wonderful tour and the amazing results of it. The men went wild with enthusiasm and joy wherever he went. One great meeting was apparently seen by some German airmen, who communicated the information to one of their batteries of artillery. In the middle of a songwhizz, bang!—went a big shell very close at hand—so close, in fact, that pieces struck but a foot or two from where we both stood. There was a scatter and a scamper for cover, and for three-quarters of an hour the Huns hammered the position with 200 big ones. AVhen the bombardment ended, Lauder, of the bighearted Scottish courage, must needs finish his concert.

Do you know anything about a spirit like that? One other incident and 1 have shown the heart of Harry Lauder as it has been revealed to me.

One day during our visit I was taking Harry to sec the grave of his only child. Captain John Lauder, of the Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders, as fine a lad as ever wore a kilt, and as good and brave n son as ever father loved. As we were motoring swiftly along, we turned into the town of Albert, and the first sharp glance at, the Cathedral showed the fallins Madonna, and child. It. is a startling and arresting sight, and we got out to have a good look. The building is crowned by a statue of Mary holding out the child •Testis to the world; a Herman shell had struck its base, and it fell over, not to the ground, however, but at an acute angle over the street, While we lingered a bunch of soldiers came marching through, dusty and tired. Lauder asked the officer to.halt his men for a rest and he would sing to them. I could see that they were loath to believe it was the real Lauder untrt he began to sing. Then the doubts vanished,, and they abandoned themselves to the full enjoyment of this very unexpected pleasure. When the sing-song began the audience would number about 200; at the finish of it easily more than 2000 cheered him on his way.

Tt was a strange send-oIT on the way that led to a grave—the grave of a. father's fondest hopes—but it was so. A little wnv up the Bapaume road the

ear stopped, and we clambered over the embankment and away over the shelltorn field of Courcelette. Here and there we passed a little cross which marked the grave of some unknown hero; all that wats written was "A British Soldier."

i Ho cspoke in a low voice of the liope[liungry hearts behind all those at home. |VSfow we climbed a little ridge and here A cemetery, and in the first row facing the battlefield the cross on Lauder's boy's resting place. The father leaned over the grave to read what wa A written there. He knelt down, indeed he lay upon the grave and clutched it, the while his body shook with the grief lie felt.

When the storm had spent itself he rose and prayed: "0 God, that I could have but one request. It would be that I could embrace my laddie just this once, and thank him for what lie has done for his country and humanity." That was all, not a word of bitterness or complaint.

On the way down the hill I suggested gently that the stress of such an hour made furter song that day impossible. But Lauder's heart was big and British. Turning to me with n. flash in his eye, Hie said: "George, I must be brave; my boy is watching and all the other boys are waiting. I will sing to them this afternoon though my heart break!' Off we went again to another Division of Scottish troops.

There within the hour he sang again I the. sweet old songs of love and home nnd country, bringing all very near and helping the men to realise the deeper what victory for the enemy would mean. Grim and determined men they were that went back to their dug-outs and trenches, heartened for the task of war for human freedom by Harry Lauder. Harry's little figure came and went from the war zone, but his influence remains of a heroic heart.