Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-10-01
INCIDENTS OF THE WAR
AS TOLD in DISPATCHES

The Berlin Tageblatt says German
| regiment is especially delighted with one
trophy captured from the Royal Scots.
It's the regiments football, and two
officers and three men Of the Scots
prisoners of war--have ueen pressed into
service to teach the Germans the game.
The London papers publish an extract
| from letter written by an officer of one
of the Indian divisions going to the front
| in Europe. 1t is to the following effect:
| "I heard today, to my utter consterna-
tion, that our Government Is putting us
on English rates of pay from the day OF
| leaving India. In other words, ] shall
! lose more than go per month. Can you
| imagine anything more cruel and mean?
| Coming at time when married officers
are put to exceptional expenses in pro-
viding for the maintenance of their FAM
! lilies in this expensive country during
| their absence this order spells blank
| tragedy to many man who Is about TO
| risk his life for his country. To me the
blow is shocking enough
cable received by a London news
agency from its Montreal correspondent
read as follows when 1t came from the
censor's office: Government anticipates
early loosening of censorship" There
II stopped for, with the exception of the
signature, the censor had eliminated the
rest.
Convcts in nearly every prison In Eng
land are voluntarily working three hours
overtime to provide army requisites. Most
first offenders are begging to go to the
front A burglar spokesman pleaded to
be permitted TO work out the rest of our
q a. i Il
gng trenches"
An American, who has sent his diary
home, gives a picture of the relations
between the Germans and the people of
an unoccupied town. 1t is in interest
ing contrast to some others in its story
of almost friendly intercourse:
"At Nalenciennes the German soldiers
were most friendly with the natives.
They wandered about the streets day
and night with the utmost freedom, and
seemed to be visitors rather than con-
querors. In many of the little Side inns
on back streets they were to be seen sit
ting in the semi-darkness of poor lamp
till well into the night, laughing and
doing their best to speak French. The
people received them politely, and even
pleasantly, individually. One reason, per-
haps, why the Germans got along so
well was that they paid for everything
tney TOOK. no STORES were DTOhen inlO'
in fact, trade ran much as usual. Ger
man money passed as French, and no
notes good after the war were given,
at least in ordinary dealings"
A picture OF the human suffering which
everywhere underlies the facts of the
war is given by a correspondent descrb-
ing the trip toward Lille:
"Our own carriage, even, was full with
he E-iPhteeD Rn1piana IirftDog
of pitiless conquerors. were being driven
from their home land, they knew not
whittier. Only two days before they had
been awakened In the blackness of night
by the screeching of German shells at
Charleroi. They had time only to gather
their children before fleeing into the
darkness. Hopeless, without food, penni-
less, they were fleeing to that land OF
France which their bravery had undoubt-
edly saved. Among them were half a
dozen youngsters, three girls, and an
old woman of scared face and white ruff
fed bonnet, who must have been well
over so. For a whole day not one OF
these helpless Belgians had had food.
At last, at 4 o'clock, we came to sta
tion where French soldiers rushed glad
ly down the platform with bread II
did ones heart good to see Its effect"
"My chief need is matches" says
Corporal C. w. Cooper. OF the 18th
Lancers, in a letter home. I'VE have
about three matches left in my squadron
and when one is struck everybody
crowds around This makes a target for
the German artillery and they dropped
shell on us the other day.
I'VE have had a terrible shelling. but
II has averaged about 100 shells to kill
three Englishmon. We are in the saddle
till II p. m. and We don't have to mount
again until a m, After that you don't
feel like playing billiards at the club"
Describing a bayonet charge of the
Wiltshire regiment. Private A. n. Hop
kins, Of London, in a letter from the
front said:
I'VE got right In among them and
many of our fellows lost their rifles in
the hsnd-to-hand scrap which followed.
IT reminded me OF a riot. Those OF us
who had lost our rifles tackle the Ger
mans with our fists, while those who had
fred all their ammunition used their
rife butts. The Germans didn't like our
fists any more than our bayonsts. I
think / must have caught hold of half
a dozen Germans and hung them 10 the
ground and passed on when fell
wounded in the right foot by one OF our
own bayonets which was lying on the
ground"
Here Is a picture by a French soldier
now in hospital In Nancy. Writing TO a
friend two days after the battle of Saales
Pass CVosges). close to a spot where the
first German nag was captured, he says:
do you know why l feel strangely
moved just now? ! was thinking OF the
service at church Sunday The whole
company went inside in the early morn
ing and We found the priest there. The
church contains a beautiful organ. and
Lieutenant s., who knows l am fond
OF music, asked the priest permission for
me 10 try the instrument So / sat down,
while all my comrades ranged themselves
In the pews.
II began With the 'MsTssillaisa.' then
the Russian and British national
anthems. After that | played a move
ment from Assssnst. one OF hendels-
sohn's songs without words. a romance