The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-04-28


grace to civilization. 1 know of in
stances in which Catholic officers have
written to priests in the Colony be-
secching them to. come up to the front
and minister to them and their men on
the eve of big fights. 1t was not al
ways possible to comply with these
requests, great as the efforts We're to
do so. If Irishmen at home will reck-
lessly persist in entering the British
army, let them understand the treat
mcnt they may expect. The generals
in the field, whom 1 do not wish to
blame in this matter, have as little
thought for Irish souls as Irish bodies
1 should tell you Of the extraordinary
escape of DR.. Alexander, the English
Catholic chaplain. He is at the front,
and wears khaki and lives in a tent
One morning when the Beers were
Smelling the camp, he had just stepped
outside to speak to one of the officers,
when fragment Of shell came whiz-
zing through the air, going right
through the tent, striking the camp
bed from which he had just risen, and
actually tearing in pieces his pyjamas
which lay on the bed. The priest, who
saw the tattered pyjamas, told me of
the incident. The garments will be
mementos of a wonderful escape. That
the officers are not to blame for the
neglect of the Irish and Catholic troops
is proved by an incident that occurred
at De Aar. A priest who had been en-
gagged in hearing the soldiers confess
ions had forgotten to make arrange
ments for his accommodation ut night.
Indeed there was no room anywhere
available. The officer in command, I
may say he was Major Haling, soon
solved the difiiculty-thc place being
under martial law-by sending Il note
to an obstreperous hotel keeper, sim
ply communicating Il room for the
pricst-an order which under martial
law there is no questioning nor dis
obeying. But 1t is Incredible that a
regiment like the Royal Irish-all Cath
olics--should be sent out here without
a chaplain. But Irishmen have the
remedy in their own hands. You have
no doubt received in n censored way
some inlsling Of the dreadful hardships
and sufferings of the troops out here.
l cannot give you anything like an ade-
quatc idea of them. l am daily wit
ness OF them even here, where the am
bulancc strctchcr is Il familiar sight
passing from the camp to the hospital.
a more ptiablc body Of men than the
unfortunate Dcrbyshirc Militia sta
toned here l have never seen. Utterly
unfit to stand the heat, fed mostly on
bully beef and dry biscuit, they are ex-
posed all night to the dreadful rains
and storms that overtake them down
the line which they are guarding, on
the kopjes which they are sentinclling,
and ut the bridges and culverts.
watched squad get into the trucks
to go on patrol duty the other day
tunics torn and stained, faces pcrspir-
ing, forms barely able to hold up with
the rifle, helmets all awry, battered,
roasted, tormcntcd, pitablc sight
But il that Is the state of the case hero
what must it be further north?
South Africa seems to be the Mecca
of notabilities in these sad days of
"sturm und drang." We had a visit
in Cradock the other day from Sir e.
Ashmcad Bartlett. The good baronet
was dressed like a very special war
correspondent on urgent business. He
wore a khaki suit, n white helmet, had
a pair of glasses slung round his shoul-
der, and n bundle OF manuscripts under
his arm. He stayed at his hotel and
wrote assiduously through his break
fast only taking mouthful between
the lines. The editor Of his favorite
paper will no doubt get something in
tcrcsting. I thought Of getting his
opinion on the situation, but as 1 per.
ccivcd from many little Indications
known to the trade that he was writing
for the press, thought he might con-
slider 1t inconvenicnt. After breakfast
he called for big blotting pad and
went Mt it again. He visited the
Cradocll hospital and left on his way
round to Ladysmith.
There are no fewer than twenty-four
NJ. P.'s who have forsworn the senate
for the field. Here are the names
Lord Stanley, Lord Valentian, Wis
count Milton, Lord Il. Talbot, Lord II.
Birbank, Sir Ellis Ashmead Bartlett,
Mr.. Burdett-Coutts, Sir Manuel Scott,
Sir ]. Dickson Poynder, Sir Howard
Vincent, Mr.. Garlic, Mr.. Cochranc,
Lord Alwyne Compton, Mr.. Bromley
Davenport, Mr.. Douglas Pennant, Mr..
w. II. Greene, Captain A. Hill, Mr..
Kemp, Mr.. II. M'Calmont, Mr.. Mild
may, Mr.. A. Stanley, Major Wyndham-
Quin, Captain Bagot, Captain Piric,
Mr.. Murray Guthrie, and Mr.. W. Allen.
Oh! by the way who is the "Hon.
O'Shea, one Of the Irish M. P.'sT" He
is reported in the Port Elizabeth "uer-
aid" as making "a stirring speech" at
the rejoicing there at the occupation Of
BlOemfOntcin by the British. I fancy