+ THE DAILY mili BRITISH WHIG, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1915 ITALY'S HIGH SPIRIT ; WHOLE NATION STEADY Military Position is Improved by Calm Resolve and Firm Support of People--Wonderful Alpine Fighters--S8ituation as Review- ed is Hopeful. Alexander Oldriri, of th; Gartbaldi Volunteers in 1366, of the French Ar tillery, 1870-71, writes: 1 first inquired about prices; while certain delicacies have Increased 10 to 15 per cent abov ordinary prices in the first class restaurants and cafes, a most palat- able meal can stil' be served for a dollar, and this, notwithstanding the fact that forestalling. meat scarcity, the Government andthe municipal ities have taken strict measures to- ward cattly raising afd selling-- marking every animal for 'he slaugh- ter-house, and protecting bearing cows and their calves. The call to the flag scarcely involves § per cent. oi the total population of the country. Trans- portalord is easy within aid without cities, and trains run on schedule time with some ccolay north, on the Swiss boundary. Most noticeable and inspiring is the attitude of the Italian women of all classes, which appears to the observer most calm. . But while this is so the Italian na: tion, stirred in the very depth of their sentimentality, so vivid with Latin peoples, so impulsive and expressive, from the Quirinal down to the most modest household, a decis'on, & de- termination, manifests itself to see this aational war to a finish, as never in Italy, even in Garibaldi times. The territorfal militia starting for the front recalls the impression noted by Kipling, that gives the man from 30 to 49: the paterfamilias, the poise of the yreaded foe, not of the bold young soldier flinging his youth and life into4 battle almost merrily, but the one who, when at it, will aim calmly and deadly every time, remembering what to the enemy of his country he owes If he has left behind, far away from the war zone, in the care of his na- tion, his wife and children. Twenty thousand Catholic priests have joined the army. . National wconomy, is well under way; the masses realize in their con- science their duty to co-operate with the men in the fleld and the country In the line of providence and have volunteered a diminished consump- tion, well knowing that excessive im- portation brings a scarcity, hence a de- preciation of their national money standard. The banks and credit nsti- tutions run regularly. As to army operations themselves directed by an efficiently prepared staff under General Cadorna, Italians are everywhere on the offensive and advance through difficult mountain ranges steadily day by day, clock work like, the very character of this mountain war preventing the display of large masses. The King of Italy, showing himself on every contested point, brings to the combatunts the full sense that this is for Italy a war where there shall be no retreat, even If the advance has to be made thiough regions stling with m.dern fort- resses on the heights of tactic van- tage, natural barriers seemingly im- pregnable and all kinds of intrench- - ments on which the enémy has spent for many years, in preparation of an invasion into Italy, their ingenuity and best military skill. , Talking to a wounded Alpine cap tain of hardly thirty years 1 . cs im- 'pressed by the vivid and simple way he put the thing: "We act like moun- tain goat hunters, locating first the spot where the Austrians are massed or entrenched and there we must go, even if their mumber is not well known, bringing up often by night or 4 Some- mountaineer boys refusing to go back , a8 it happened to when I was ed. - Almost all our men ad- the Tyrol range were born and have the sense love of these mountains. So among them the leaders are in 1 fell a sergeant took most naturally, mayhap hat 1 would have done." e Austrian Tyrollan army, sacrificed their best Alpine ele- the Carpathians early in the , seems to be made up of hetero if gic i i i Hi Italian Alpines. Another officer, also , told me that when they got . In the enemy's trench, the captured Austrian officer asked him: "How did vil engineer in private to the famous Italian tarn I could read: 'Verboten!'" are still kept from the pub ut 1 have it from a naval officer board a d 48255] re <£ £.05 Heh 2s i i : ; : Hi | No SCOTTISH SHIRKERS In "Caledonia, stern and wild" every fit man has joined the army. That is, possibly a compliment to Scot- land at the expense of the other parts of the country, but it is true all the same tha Scotsmen have given a splendid answer to the call of country. "Not awa' yet!" addressed to a lag- gard, has driven the last of the fit men out of many a Northern village, according to the testimony of a Scot- tish lady, who recited and spoke at a recruiting meeting in the Strand, says the Daily Chronicle. "1 know," she said, "villages in Scot- land where big, well grown lads of fifteen have had to be dragged away from the recruiting officers after their elder brothers had enlisted. They were not eligible, but they overstated their age, and might have been ac- cepted if their parents had not inter- vened. That shows the spirit of the boys, and ther. are thousands like them in the country districts and provincial towns from Land's End to John o' Groats; and yet we have in the streets of London many young fellows lounging abou: doing woman's work when they ought te be in khaki." HUNS UPHOLD MASSACRE Fiendish Coolness of Von Reventiow Over Armenian Atrocities Count Ernst von Reventlow, mili- tary writer for the Tageszeitung, de- clares flatly that it is Turkey's own affair how she deals with Armenian uprisings. Count von Reventlow ex- presses the hope that Turkey will not allow herself to be frightened. He continues: "If Turkey considers it necessary that Armenian uprisings and other ° intrigues, be suppressed with all -fheans possible) So that a repetition will be impossible, that does not constitute massacres or at- rocities, but simply a measure of a justified and nece._sary character, the more justified and the more neces- sary from the fact that the Turkish em, isin ite shardest fight for existence and 'has enough foreign enemies. To demand that it shall also nourish an internal enemy on its bos- om, because that would suit the Brit- ish and Americans, is to demand a great deal. "The Turkish Empire has long had to endure that all the great powers who pleased and who wished to de- stroy, plunder or rob the Turks, should mix in their affairs. Now we should think that these times were finally passed. And they will indeed be passed as soon as the German Em- pire determinedly takes the stand- point that what Turkish ally dves with his revolut Armenians is an internal affair which concerns him alone." The writer expressed indignation at a report that German Consuls had endeavored to modify the hardships, and declared that this standpoint was incomprehensible to him and that he considered it politically false. "We Germans have to give an account neither to enemies nor neutrals of what the Turks do with their Armen- ians or what the German Consuls say about It," he:'declares. "The place of the German Empire and of every in- dividual German is at the side of our Turkish aWg, and that without critic: ism." NEW ZEALAND BRAVERY Hero Displeased Over Dying Without Enough Time to Fight The "London Telegrs says: The fine examplé manifested by the New 4 hospital. He writes: for people to worry and weep for their friends and relations who go down in the fight. I am sure from what 1 saw and felt, they die happy. When 3 Sot my Saind | thought the amount head | remain in a perpetual state of tute- TESST Germans SOOO P90 M. E Pottier, a member of. the French Institute and professor a'ithe Louvre in Paris answers the German charge that the world had "encircled" Germany with a countercharge and proofs that Germany had penetrated and invaded the w.rld. The French publicist writes as follows: This is the thesis maintained by Germany: . "My enemies have wished to en- circle me; but with my iron fist I have broken the barrier aad 1 have regained my liberty. I have not wish- ed. war. 1 have been forced to fit. 1 do not attack, I*defend myself." We shall not seek to discover wheth- er these words are indeed in full agreement with what was said in the German press at the beginning of the month; of August, 1914, and whether this attitude does not date from a time more recent and has for its pur- pose the throwing upon others of the too heavy, responsibility for such a bloody war. Others already have answered fhis assertion by abundant proofs drawn | from diplomatic documents. Let us, | however, accept fit as the opinion which prevails to-day throughout Ger- many, which has the value of a word of command, to be faithfully obeyed. From the Emperor and the Chancellor down to the humblest prisoner, it is upon the lips of every German. What is meant by this "encircling" in time of peace? Where a great country, organized like Germany, is AAA AA AAA AAA But No Fai PONV oe SOOO l concerned, it can only be a question of some effort made by its enemies to paralyze its commerce and its in- dustries. Were there any commercial treaties which were imposed upon Germany to her disadvantage? It would be in vain to search for such treaties among the nations surround- ing powerful Germany. Were there any obstacles to block the full ex- pansion of the work of her citizens competing for foreign markets? The role of the German commercial travel er is but too well known--everywhere at home, everywhere triumphant, a veritable missionary of force and of German riches. : Were there any limitations set to her merchant marine? What the Ger- man Emperor has made of it in twen- ty-five years is well known; with what affection he has brooded over it, how he has protected it with the strength of his warships, how it has been al- ways increasing and quickly passed to the second rank of the great mer | chant marines of the world. Was there any hindrance placed in the way of the emigration- of Ger- many's prolific population? The Unit- ed States has no need of being told in how short a time there has been established in its midst a "State with- in a State," with some ten million Ger- mans or people of German extraction. Whichever way one turns, only profits are discovered in Germany's ledger, profits acquired with unbelievable rapidity. "ONWARD, CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS" ~-Norman Lindsay, in Sydney Bulletin Indians Are. Ambitious id] For Military Honors x: great & great civilisation--would have political aspirations or be content, to lage, writes Sir Krishna Grupta, M.P. Indian - national congress was many years ago, and in fits annual sessions it has done much to focus the political Indian minds and to ifdicate in what direction reforms and advances are desired. The iit: bigs ii hil Hn A i i: i gi i i ErERAS » ? PPP PTTIIIIINNNINNNNNNIYYYNTE Wail "We Are Encircled" r Ambition Was Thwarted ALLL Let us say, rather, that foreign na- tions were little aware of the im- mense invasion, of this gigantic effort which assured to our neighbors a startling superiority over all competi tors, so that war was necessary--their war--to make them see it, to tear the bandages from all eyes. It was stupefying to find that there were in Belgium, in France, in England, in Italy, German business firms either of naturalized Germans or of German residents, and German banks, not to mention the swarms of "uhdesirables," who were: employed in the equivocal task of the spy. The German peril was known oaly when it was laid bare by the German war. Everfthing was Germanized, or nearly so. At this moment, in Paris, you cannot go to your hardware shop, to your chemists, to your perfumer's, to your lamp shop, to ydur photo grapher's, to your statiomner's, without being told that such and such an article . is no longer to be had "be cause it came from Germany." 1 can- not say whether our neighbors were "encircled," but 1 do know that we were invaded--we, and many others. What I am now saying of material evidences 1 could say also of afticles necessary to science, to medicine, to chemistry, to mechanics, to book pub- lishing, to geography, to archmology, to the decorative arts, and to innumer- able other activities. It was an im- mense drop of oll which spread ou over the entire world. : | Louroes purine war | "For the first time.in the half cen- tury that Lourdes has bee. the mir acle working capital of the world no rilgrimages come to her from any quarter of the globe," sa¥s a Paris correspondent in the Catholic News. "The innumerable processions have given place to the individual pilgrim, who has come to pray for the one miracle that engages the French mind that the dear ones shall pass through the dangers of war unscathed. "Lourdes, however," continues the writer, "has not ceased to be a city of healing. Its marvellous organization is devoted to caring for those it has named the 'pilgrims from the front' Lourdes is used to receiving trainloads of sick. So wounded soldiers, cn ar "riving, find perfectly trained bearers and expert service With what may appear a want of confidence in the healiig powers of their grotto's water, every modern sclentific, medieal and surgical resource is provided by the authorities of the 'city. Those who have been to Lourdes will not be sur- prised to hear that twenty-two hos. pitals were fitted up in a very short time in the city and its immediate vicinity, and that they can accommo- date twenty-seven hundred wounded." Movies Show Unknown Side of Fam- ous Warrior -- A remarkable film, recording the movements of Lord Kitchener and Gen. Joffre in the trenches, has been exhibited . privately in London. The Londou Chronicle says: "At one point Lord Kitchener entered a first line trench to observe the German position through his glasses, and he hecame so interested that, indifferent to dirt, he leaned against the earthen parapet to steady his view. It is a memorable i § Tgp fgasit § 85 tli J i} 8REF } : g | qj hii | epil litt erly Hts HAMLET AT THE FRONT ~~ WITH SOLDIER-AGTORS Battle Speech Arouses a Critical Audience--"Not by Billy Beef Alone" do Tommies Live--Improvised and Laughable But Inspiring Performance Behind the Lnes The trench scene in "Under Fire" shows a group of soldiers engrossed in a game of poker, and here i8'a story of a Shakespearean production made within sound of the German guns. How the soldiers gave "Ham- let," with themselves as costumers, scene painters, and actors, is told in| this account, sent by a special corres-| pondent to The London Times: It is difficult to realize that before leaving France I saw "Hamlet" performed by | company of actors and stagehanas might be called on duty any minute, for most of them were standing by waiting to go to the firing line The curtains were drawn and. in- stead of the usual respectful silence that greets the opening of a scene wn Hamlet, .there were yells of tull- throaied applause. Hamlet was em- barrassed by the cheers of the gods at the splendid fresh colors in the scenery, for many of these men had not seen stage colors since the; lef soldiers of the British Expeditionary | home, and for the time being Lamiet's Force within a few hours' distance of | scenery outshone hamlet. An officer of high] the firing line. standing who saw the play hit off the! situation: bully beef alone; they need some food | for the mind, and there is nothing better for them than the great thoughts of cur great writers." The play was performed in costume, with scenery painted in camp, and with not a word misplaced or forgotten in the rendering. Four scenes were chosen--the Ghost scene, the room in the castlc where Hamlet decides on revenge, the great soliloquy, and' the graveyard. The cast was chosen on the spot, neighbor ing towns and libraries were scoured for copies of the play, as there was no time to send to England. Luck turned our way, copies were secured, and in a town close by was =-branch of a Paric theatrical costumer. Scenery ? Of Course The Colonel eommanding the base was informed of what was in pFogress on the Saturday evening; he suggest- ed scenery. Imagine the burst of joy when we discovered a Sergeant-Major who had been stage carpenter. At the Y.M.C.A,, where the play was to be performed we found two A.S.C. mén working at the stage, and actually preparing footlights. The thrilling moment in the preparations came when two privates of the London Scot- tish offered to paint the scenery if we could find paint and brushed. Just before the play began the last scene was carefully slung up, still wet Long before the time of starting, a great queue bled. The colonel and officers of the battalions repre sented homore¢ the production by their presence; also the matrons and nursing staff of the hospitals, ané over a thousand men gained admission. The doors and. windows of the hut were' opened so that the crowd out- side could hear. Yet during this growing excitement we were shutting out the thought that any one of our HEROES AND GENTLEMEN British Officer and Tommy Praised by a "Neutral" Soldier The following letter, which is quot- ed in the London "Spectator," is by & young citizen of the United States fighting with the allies: "I've been mixed up with the British soldiers for some time now," he says, "and I tell you there is not a cleaner fighter nor better gentleman in the world than the .verage Britisher. They know how to win and they know how to lose. They never forget they are gentlemen no matter what they do, and they have the courage that knows no ending. Napoleon said, 'The Brit ish nation is a race of lions led by asses,' and he was quite right about the nation. They are thought to be snobs, but I admire them: I have seen the 'snobs' out in France, and braver men nor truer gentlemen never lived. They share the hard- ships with the men, and never ask them to do what they wouldn't do themselves. The men worship them, and will follow them anywhere. I have yet to witness a German officer leading his men in a charge., They follow. after. But the British o icer always leads his men, and so does the French. v "For an example of the average British officer let me tell you of my company commander, Lieut. Scott. He was only a boy of twenty, and a direct Before the play was aalf through we breathed €. sily and knéw the experiment t be "Our men do not live by | justified. A careless gunner smud ged out of existence 'a whole tower of Elsinore with his shirt sleeve. Men accustomed for many months to whey suddenly found themselves in com- mand. One was told to stitch ap a hole in silk hosc with a darning needle; another wanted a belt; "Give him a puttee." Got the Scenes Across The company got itself together in an hour; it learneu its parts from two books in the spare time allowed in three days; it painted and erected its scenery in less than twelve hours, and acted, in 3 way that baffled the keen- est critics, to an audience whose vo- ciferous approval would make any ac- tor--Shakespearean or varietv--green with envy. The proceedings were brought to a close by Henry V., _oth- €d in all his shining accoutrements before Harfleur. Flashing his great sword he cried ou. the famous speech before the battle: Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more, Or close the wall up with your English dead-- and so on, right through breathlessly to The game's afoot, follow your spirit And upon this charge, Cry God for Harry, England, and St. George! The effect was electrical. Had the bugle ded th. charge every man would have rushed out of that build ing, on the instant, as he was Ali the latent warrior spirit of our race seemed to leap to a flame. "As we went out into the still night our hearts were stronger, our minds brighter, our courage high, and in the Quiet stars above brgoded the certain promise of victorious and lasting peace. descendant of Sir Walter Scoit He Was an only son of one of the proud- est families in Scciland. When thers was any risky work to be dome he would not shift .t off on to a sergeant or corporal, but would ask for volun- teers, and when he had those he want- ed would lead himgelf. His unflinch- ing devotion to what he considered his duty and quiet courage in the per formance of that duty was something beautiful to witness." > Old Warfare Renewed Very interesting is the reversion to ancient conditions of wacfare. -In Spain's recent ws. with the Moors, stones were slung very much in the same way as the Romans them at the Ca 2000 year+ before. And now, in the trench warfare. the French have found that knives are much more handy weapons at lose quarters than bajonets, and, going still further along the same pat. have fe-introduced the casgue or steel hel- met, the morion endeared to us all by "Marmion" and many a dashing tale of wars fought long ago. Shialds, too, have for some months pist play- ed their part in irenches, while on the Italia. frontier recourse has been had to that oldest of all wea- pons--the teeth. There are over 13,000 Jews serving in the British army and nary. One has already won the V.C.--the first Jew ever to do so. BRITISH NAVAL LIFE-BELT FOR FORTY-FIVE iy . SA LR SR