cisdain for Greece and sigh for a more
THR HONGKONG DAILY PRESS, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14th, 1916,
GERMANY'S CARE FOR ITS HARDEN'S AMAZING TIHADE, PRUSSIAN GUARD WORSTED.
ARMY.
SOLDIERS LIVES.
BEFORE BRITISH”””
--[BY PHILIP QIODS. 1.
exciting life in France. The fresh faced PRECAUTIONS TAKEN FOR RETREAT remembered, allusion was made in our lad who, during a hurried day's leave to Halonika, strolls into Floca's and eate with a blase and detached air half a
In the minute details of organization, dozen of the best fancy enkes in Europe and in the driving machinery behind it, masterly, is just as fed up as the other who the German High command
A COURAGEOUS RESISTANCE.
A SUBALTERN IN GREECE,
"The Times special correspondent, writ- Fow subalterns in the Salonika force ato really bored with their existence, but ARRANGEMENTS FOR SAVING OF ng from Rotterdam, comments upon the. latest number of Maximilian Harden's
The impurtance of the capture of Ovil i is the correct thing to affect a lofty
review, The Zukunft, to which, it will be lurs, despite continuous rain and dens
this sector our adversaries have display. fog, can hardly be overestimated, for in cable columns a mouth ngo. The reviewed the grotest tenacity tis acpture has says tto l'ammes correspondent, contains been a tough job. On July 7th it was the most remarkable article since the was omially reported that Bero fighting was began of Germany's most powerful, most in progress for the possession of the vil Government-feared publicist. More than fuge Our troops, on attempting to enter that, it is the most striking proof of many the place and believing that it contained in the last few days of the chastened mood only enemy corpses, were met by furious in the ruined houses. To avoid losses," on the third year of war.
which would have been considerable, the attackers momentarily abandoned the plan of rushing the village and decided to lay siege to it in methodic fashion,
Surrounding it on three sides, our artillery kept up an effective curtain tre with the object of isolating the defenders and preventing the arrival of reinforce ments and supplies by the only side open to accour. The cnircling forces then gradually closed round the doomed garri son. For ten days tae Homeric struggle ent on, the battalion of the Prussian Guard imprisoned in Ovillers being daily stimulated by exhortations from the High Command to show the English what the Prussians were made of.
has seen nothing but mountains and his and there is not a soldier in the Kaiser's a wh'ch our chief enemy is embarking mahine-gun fire from defenders concated
fait
80
armies who is not well equipped and platoon for months. He shares Tommy's well fed, unless the British guns do not after Two Years" is the title of Har
permit supplies, to come up. Enormous don's article, which monopolises the whole Conviction that Greece is no bou, it is high time we began to strafe the attention is paid to the morale of the number Roughly stated, his conchision Bolgars, and that the first five years men by organizing concerts, religious ot a war are always the worst. But he services and beer parties behind the lures, that Germany is fighting for her exist has his tongan in his cheek all the time that they shall be kept cheerful, and Snce, that the end is not within the field 13 he is, young he is probably having the the news of the world is expecially edited of vision, that there lice ahead a period time of his life; it his age is creeping for then. With that point of view in of untold hardship and struggle This, down mind, the German high command is care-bit remembered, is from the pen of the over the precipice that lets you with a bump into the forties, he realises ful of the lives of its men until the day man who, in the days before the reality that he is renewing his youth and storing comes when they have to be flung ruth dawned, boldly declared this was Ger a health and energy for the good dayslessly forward in wave after wave against many's way that Germany did will war because Germany's kultur was destined the guns of the Allies,
to dominate the universe. Let me tell your dimething of soy own
ELABORATE DEG OUTS.
Holding out is now his note. This is experience during the last two months,
Again and again I have described the A say little of the preceding winter, for Irantios write anything in the lens spaciously and depth and comfort of struck in the text of the article, consist, polite about it. It treated us with the the German dug-outs. This is a parting of four lines of poetry, of which the utmost rudeness. Un our arrival there of the system of life saving, and the following is a rough, anmctrical transla were snow and mist; then rain, the more divisional commanders set their men to
Long is one night, longer still are rain, and after that wind as unsparing work and keep them at work in a way. as a bayonet ebarge, then rain again, and which the British would call slave-driv- two how shall I last through three ? so on to the end. item, those days was ing. At Ovillers some of them had six
to coine
tion:
"Even a month appears to me less log
BHATTERING GERMANY'S HOPES. /
as miserable as a wet Bunday afternoon or eight rooms communicating we than half of night of holding out."
The. in Glasgow. But the joy of the last few other, and two separate stories. weeks has almost wiped out the niemeryroonis were as large as fifteen by thirty of that wretchedness. In a couple offest, furnished with spring beds, carpets,
It is impossible within the space avail- months, in much less, the corn has sprung washing arrangements with water laid up and ripened. The mountains have on. electric lights, tapestries to keep out able to give more than isolated pages from the brochure. Even in reading changel colour, the fig trees have become the, draughts, and other luxuries.
One at the dugouts at Ovillers these it must be remembered that nearly heavy with fruit, ni the voice of the bullfrog has incressed from a Scarlattie entrances, with beds for 110 men, every one of Harden's sentences means quanes to a Richard Strms fortis-hirty feet below the surface and with more than appears on the surface; that If you come here straight from a cookhouse containing three big boilers by metaphor and suggestion he tries to But it is not only in the trenches, and convey to the reader what he dare not you call the weather tophols " Engla Vallipoli the inevitable word is in places like Ovillers that the Germans say openly. But bearing this in mind, push" if from Egypt, it is the weather did so industriously thing age there will be found Harden's realization of the very rich, Tammy is content lines, wherever the British long range of the shattering of Germany's dront of to satirise the native orange-seller and gas can reach then, they have these
domination, Russia's unconquerability; chill very good, very a-ice, very elaborate subterranean shelters, deeper Englerd's untouched power, and France's chee-eep
and stronger than most of the British, During the winter we built fortifica and with much greater accommodation. broken fares of resistance. On the first have been means incessual work, but it is work head there is the confession" Only from tions, but since April we almost continually on the move. Where that saves life, and the Gernians do not disappointment after having imagined we have gone and why we have gone we begrudge it, and have no special pride the desired object close at hand have we at home become cross and have had to have not always known, but it would be in taking risks.
That is good generalship and good turn our faces aside in shame from the hard to persuade some of us that we
“This war,” he continues, “is not a
T
and marched round every lake and continuous artillery fire such as the Bri
Not siner the Somma offensive began have men in a tight corner borne them- selver more courageously. They asked no quarter and expected none. Every inch of ground had to be won at heavy cost. Every street was the arena of gladia torial contests, every house a citadel. But British tenacity eventually triumphed. The last fortified position was carried by the men whom the Kaiser affected to de- spise, and Ovillers was ours.
When the fight begun 800 Prussians prepared to repulse the besieging force, but when at last the attackers, with a British cheer, proclaimed their victory, two officers and 14 men of the Prussian Guard were all that remained: The futile defence of the village had cost the Gor- mans 674 of their finest soldiers
BRITISH CHIVALEX.
In one subterranean shelter our men caba upon 25 men who had not eaten or drank for two days Near here the Tom- mies laid siege to a half-ruined building from which steady machine-gun fire was kept up. An officer charging at the bead bullet, but he kept on with the helpless
have not scaled overy; mountain in Greece soldiering, but it does not save them. A questioning. lips of our warriors.” of men ha I his Jeft arm badly hit by a paddled into the of by his and did not stop swamp. We are told that we are being fally destructive of human life, and no and is not to be paid for with a heap of until the house was taken.
anunt of digging will safeguard il
PROBLEM OF "DEAD."
gold. It is a question of power or impot ence, perhaps of deciding to be or not to be. Every nation will fight until the last, rattling in the throat paralyses its limbs. What pressure could force the
taught mountani warfare, but long nga we decided that we and jeu taught all there was to learn about this exoctic
The German mind is busy with the pro form of activity. My own ideas about picketing heights do not always coincide blem of its dead. It goes to great risk with the (.0%, bat when my platou and trouble to remove its dead from the and 1 hare picketed a few more scie fields, because the living men who follow quick conclusion of peace! If Russia mountains we shall, no doubt, eventually are disheartened and terrified by the whose army is encamped deep in Galicia, win the approving smile of Han Who sight of so many corpses on their way; lost all fer Polish territories, she would Search parties are sent out under shell go back and invite the conqueror to fol Must Be Obeyed, mida t
The start in the morning is always fire to collect them, even though inany low her, even perhaps to Yukatsek and early reveille 5.30, breakfast 6. parade Marchers any join the dead, and tacir Vladivostock.
I said Francy hur bad to lodge bodies are put into mortuary, chambers By the time we arch off the sun ko the one found by the British road and fead our armies of millions, to suffer
16 already biting at the back of our necks:
at Pozières.
It was alled with dead
From one end to the other the village was strewn with German dead, and at the. entrance to the Bapaume road between two forts defending access to the village corpses piled high on one another formed a sinister barrier Tite prisoners taken were literally dying of hunger and thirst, German non-commissioned officer stated stagnant pool died almost immediately! that some of his men who drank from from poisoning. Others went ad owing to the frightful bombardment
When the garrison surrendered the Bri
the prisoners passed through their ranks,
ante.
by noon it is blistered the new skin on bodies, waiting to be taken away on a German authority, and send its gold tigh formed up and presented. arus as.. our knees that grew overnight (we wear cotton shorts), mind by three thick light railway which runs up to the pince, across Channel. But you say there are we have learned to loathe the music of but the German artery fired upon this her colonies. Take them if you can get
at them, and you can only do that when a chivalrous compliment to the men the water in our boitler the water that mortuary and set it on fire,
The Germans keep their best brains you have deprived England of her who had made such a courageous resist must ever, for any conceivable reason
In is very land of her strength? The favour of By the capture of Ovillers we get rid be drunk on the march. At ve we halt of danger. This is true even when strength, But how can you deprive Eng for the night and think desperately of the brains are recond best. food. It is just at the moment when our seldom that any officer over the rank of Heaves and accident might help. Revo of an awkward German reentrant in company cook, having lit a fire, tells us captain is found in the front line lution in India, Turkish invasion, dain-dentation) in our lings.
sea battle which would not leave 80 that a cup of tea will be ready in five trenches, and the officers of higher rankage by fire, muss strikes in Great Britain, minutes, and just at the mument when remain well in the background.
Lately, during a British attack, orders much to England that she would be able we see a dozen eggs. being put into had been given that the officers and non with the ships of France and Japan to saucepan. that my company commander calls out my name, points to an inacces commissioned officers commanding con- patch up something like the fleet of a sible height on the horizon, and tells are panies and plations should visit their to march off at once, with my platoon, trenches at night, so that the men may That is one of the moments when realise most poignantly how rotten the
or hear their commanders." It is all native and reveals that curious lack man-War- Lurd -
Great Power."
WILD DREAMS
war, really--is--A longtime after (say of amour which characterizes the Gerciated with the knowledge of Harden's armies Jack nothing they desire. This
QRUGS FOR COURAGE.
This last passage can only be appre- methods. It is sheer irony directed at those of his countrymen who entertain such wild dreams, He knows himself
ENGLAND UNASBAILABLE.
Here again a little explanation is necessary. Warsaw is in German pos session, and Paris not. The coupling of the two in this way is Harden's subtle method of telling his fellow-countrymen, even if Paris were taken, the and would mo nearer; in other words, England, the defeat of whom is necessary to effect decision, would still be there unassail
Concluding with the amazing confes sion af Germany's internal sufferings, Harden writes: The war is not sport; It is nor is it murder, according to certain ra gulations of the game-at-arms.
follow. Either empty boasting or con sciousness of power. No; the earth is not to be divided yet. We are not yet at the goal. Hindrances of all kinds may face our armies. That is not to be prevented by anybody. All we can do is to see our is not all. We shall see more nakod three years), when I have reached the
misery and hard need in the third year height and picketed my plato., I bene,
than in many ordinary years, notwith- the gende sarcasm of my lads from the
To give their mes courage in the hudthat all (even the mildest of these events) standing all the benevolence and all the North.As-tat got any sponge-vanke, Jud?" "No I'm aving tripe it when the German soldiers, who are brave onions to-neet. The missis as just gone men, might well give way to terror, the are outside the realm of passibility individual help. Resign yourselves early out for th beer," They eat their bully German chemists manufactured tablords Hence his coupling with them suca abte the difficult times. Do not expect be with which they drug them. There is no surdities as great fires and the favour of fore every meal news of a new victory, beef and hard biscuits while Sudanibt of this, because many of the rugs Heaven. He hopes they will see his mean- and if you do not get it do not let your. drops, darkness falls, and the friendly
have been found by a friend of mine, aing when ho continues: But Great Bri-heads hang. Do not imagine to your- Impartial selves that you are alrendy at the begiu- stars come out.
medical officer of the Kentish me Hetain is not suffering yet. Well, it is a gorgeous life, hardship not helped to take some trenches north of people report to us London's face has ning or nearly at the beginning of the withstanding. So gorgeous, indeed, that Pozieres a few days ago. They contained shown no fear. Her ships sail regularly end and joyfully commence dividing apv wo Frequently feel ashamed of being so ether and opium in sufficient quantities to and from America English traders the earth. Paris, Vilna, Warsaw-won- contented and happy when "so many of to intoxicate the strongest man. To the are still serving part of our clients, and derful; but no decision. This can only our countrymen and women are going Germans, it is good stuff before n counter are looking forward to the idea that to be secured by challenging the tough skin through hell. Our shame changes attack.
morrow they will have them all. England of cold-blooded Englishmen." laughable kind of exasperation when we The German organization is remarkably fixes the price of goods, and is gathering receive letters from female relatives who good. It does not neglect the spiritual in large sums. England does aut need write as though we were heroes enduring or physical side of their sodliers. It to give up anything. It can arm itself antohi agonies for the sake of hearth and provides them with song books and for the exploitation of Russia, and it home. They refuse to believe anything prayer books, as well as with food and barricades all the roads by which we we fell them of te, good times we enjoy drink. It has never revealed a shortage fetch raw materials for our industries." They have raised us on a pedestal. and of shells. Its gunners are wonderfully Writing about the absence of any indr there, I suppose we must reamin until quick to get on the targets when called on we return home and disclose the astound for help by the sending up of signals of cation of peace, Harden says:Within our field of vision there nowhere a sign ing fact that we are only ourselves after distress. nl..
In all the machines of war, and in the giving us hope that from the murmuring I am writing this ia by bivonne by, the fine art of keeping up the pride of their brook will spring the lovely boy who will light of a candle. The bivouac is erected men, the German war lords and high smilingly disarm the nations before theed, unassailable. un a ledge which I dug out on the steep officere show a real genius, but they can gate of the year has draped itself in white side of a donga. In a quarter of an hour to bring the dead men back to life nor and glittering frost.
BRITAIN'S I shall be asleep, and as I close my eyes bide the agonies of their death. I shall think of the good time that awaits blink at the fact that British troops have
four there broken their second line, and hammered "Even peace which would be the fruit e to-morrow, I shall rise will be a cool wind and a Mediterranean-them with terrific blows and reached out of a modest understanding does not ripen pain and happiness. War without suf blue sky; & few birds will he singing. Iwith their long range guns to destroy in an hour. Russia's armies stand again fering common to all would never same- In Galfer and in Bukovina, close to the sify a people. That our war should saxe- shall slip on any boots, and my pyjama then behind their lines.
Carpathians. Even if they are beaten into a second retreat, who will guarantee tily afresh each day should be the prou✈ I know that on the eve of the British that the rivers, once more freed from ice, wish of every German heart. How can we otherwise get through the darkness of that tambles, musically down the moun attack all instructions were prepared for will not fow in a third wave still stronger the approaching winter? Not in the tail-side. There is a pool with a bottom a general retreat, with every detail ready than the two which have been held back of fine sand. The sun will be rising, and in ease the British troops should break with so much difficulty, and again food frame of mind of one who chatters of the whose face shows painful lines when the I don': know will be nodding and beckonfession of deep apprehension. It blood? Will the admirable upward swing corpse which has a thousand times been the jolly little blue flowers whose name through on a wide front. This is a con-over the country, manuring it with noble complete rolling up of the enemy, and ing to me. And, as 1 am taking off my that they were expecting defeat and pre- boots. I shall hear, voices approaching paring for it, It is a state of mind ex- the French power of resistance be para called dead suddenly proves able to de- and I shall see a group of my fellow pressed in an order of the day sued by lysed shortly? Wait and not indulge in fend itself. We must go through with officers hurrying over the rocks to the the German Emperor and found on ore vain prophecies. That torn country still
stories, but more closely linked to those) pool we found last night. Then the thrill of his own officers captured to the forth carries the colours of a nunbending and it not anhand as in children's fairy angry decision. Great Britain, after who are trong, acting as a staff to the of the first plunge, the exhilaration the of Pozières :-
To the leaders of the troops of the its serious loss of blood, is not so gay as weak. Then only can this stupendous long sit was the shelf of rock that the san fra army ways the Kaiser, I express in the second summer of the war, but it thing come to pass. This we owe to the gasping for breath, the idle floating, the has already warned; and, finally the front the bottom of y heart my deep has great embattled armies in the field fighters, who never shring from the hard-
All appreciation and my imperial gratitude Both Western Powers have said that swinging march back to breakfast.
the morass and in the frost never envy this is tothe mine to morrow-all this and for the splendid achievement in the ward their present offensive is not their bighest est and most terrible tasks, and who in much more Rut the question we "keeping off of the Anglo-French muss attacks effort, and that, taking careful advantus. They are allowed to be active and
When shall on July 30th. They have accomplished age of their experiences of what has gone asking ourselves is this:
with them the burden of care under we be allowed to take our turn in with German faithfuluess what I and before, a still more furious offensive will in their daily work do not have to drag
Cumberland, in their countrymen expected from them. rance." (Gerald
(Continued on next Columin.) which we sigh from morn fill eve." God help them further." hester Guardian.)
clad form will creep on hands and knees out of my tamboo and then rush like the
wind to the clear strenin half a mile away!
·་
!!
DEER APPREHENSION.
They
EMBATTLED ARMIES
Hello! Did you think over that business about the Bonds? Yes, it's pretty certain now that an UNREMITTING
on all PRESSURE fronts will lead straight
actory, and you
some mea
help sure by lending money to the Government.
The least you can do is to convert all avail- able
le cash into EXCHE-
The
QUER BONDS. HONGKONG BANK will buy them.
us
What do you say? Only 5 per cent.? Well, I don't think any of should mind whether it's 5 per cent. or 6 per cent, so long as we get through with the War.
What's that? Oh, you're writing a chit the Bank now. Alright! I'll ring off.
to
Good-bye, old man.
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