The Washington herald., 1914-10-12

no limit to the number OF men India can
supply.
An Englishman who has spent some
time in India gives the following tribute
to the Indian troops: f=
| Finer fellows than the soldiers Of our
crack native corps. irrespective of caste,
race. sect, or creed, simply do not exist.
! do not differentiate between Gurkhas.
Sikhs, Rajputs, Pathans, Punjabis, or
Mahometans. There is no need to do so.
Led by British officers. they are each as
effective a fighting force as is to be
found in any British regiment
Have Fighting Record.
TT is true that the softer Madrasi can
not be classed as q fighter with his
harder brethren north of a line drawn
roughly from Poona to Calcutta, but
even granting this much in favor Of the
more brilliant north, the record Of the
Madras Sappers and Miners is one which
many a British regiment would not be
sorry to own. Well do remember a
review at BangaIore when these fellows
marched past. Their ranks were a blaze
| Of medals
'On active service there Is one reason
why. apart from his priceless fighting
qualities, Johnny Gurkha is a treasure
He will eat practically anything It has
been said that he will fight only along
side Highlanders. Those who care to
may believe this fable Johnny would
fight side by side with a battalion Of
moths-if they were British ones!
"A dead shot with his kukri,' with Its
laurel leaf-shaped blade, he cannot
only slash with 1t, but can fling it accu-
rately. One can imagine him clipping
on the bailR from cover-point with onei
The German crown prince discovered in
India that Johnny Gurkha fears neither
man nor devil He may ere long detect
that the little brown man in the green
kit is not particular even IL his opponent
Is German.
Wanted Tobacco Badly.
THE Gurkha's hardness with hIs
'kukri' reminds me of the true story Of
villager in the Rewah State. He was
a subject OF the Maharajah who has Of
fered even his jewels to our righteous
cause. This man, armed only with a
short kulhari' (Anglice: ax) was in the
line beating UP tiger through dense
Jungle.
Finding he had dropped his limited
supply of tobacco. he retraced his steps a
short way to try to find It. Friend
tiger availed himself OF this gap in the
line to break back. Our hero spotted
him Just in time. and crouching behind
a bush with his ak uplifted. hit the
tiger a crack on the skull as he was
sinking by.
"As vegetarians. the RaJputs are not
so easy to feed on active service, but
lack of flesh food does not impair their
fighting qualities. Finely built and as
sturdy as any one could wish, these men
go into battle guided by one rule. That
is: No surrender
Relieve Heaven for Heroes.
1T was never my good fortune to
meet Sir Pertab Singh, but who is there
who has lived in India who has not
heard of this courtier and sportsman
The man who is first in the field when
pig are afoot as he used to be, will not
be far behind when the quarry are Ger
mans Better even than polo Is pig-stick-
Ing a school for active mounted service
And what OF the Skhs? For physique
pluck, endurance. and character nothing
the allies can place in the field will make
these grand, bearded fellows take second
place. They have a great fondness for
wrestling. !weight-putting and sports and
games of all kinds.
Since a much better time is promised
In the hereafter to all devout Mahome-
tans who die fighting than that which
they are able to obtain on earth; the
prospects of any German regiments that
run up against those units OF our 1. E. F.,
which comprise those men, are not rosy"