The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-12-27

! Napoleon once said God is always
on the side of the last reserve"
/
The Sikhs and Gurkhas are the best
OF fighting men. The former have the
title OF zion race" from their defence of
the weak and oppressed Their value as
soldiers depends upon their adherence
! to the simple life and tenets OF their
fathers. one leader OF the sect would
not allow them to cut their hair so that
they might look like giants and so
frighten their enemies on the field Of
battle!
The Gurkhas' religion is a Hinduism
OF the simplest kind. more like Bud
dhism. II Is interesting to go to the camp
and see the repast OF the Hindu. The
Gurkha and other Hindus will eat goat
and mutton provided the animal has
been killed in a special manner, but the
disgust which the strict Hindu feels at
physical contact with beef is so intense
he cannot look at IL. No beef is killed
at the front. as 1t might carry pollution
to the Hindus. For drink the army
rat.Sns Of the Indian troops includes
rum. but the Mohammedan being de-
barred by the Prophet from all intoxi-
eating liquors is given sugar and tea
instead. The Indian soldier receives
two packets OF cigarettes a week.
In Bombay, when a regiment OF
/ Gurkhas was embark!ng, the question
arose among the British officers as to
whether they would eat meat. They
decided to put the case TO the men. The
Subadar (chief native officer) was called
and after a winkng OF the eyebrow
said: Il think, Sahib. the regiment will
be willing to eat the iced sheep pro-
vided one of them is always present to
see the animal frozen 10 death"
That the men may know whether they
are eating clean or unclean flesh units
are detached to a point near the rail-
road, where each man, be he Mohamme-
dan. Sikh or Hindu, dispatches his beast
by his own peculiar sacrificial stroke.
marks II as clean and sends ~ on 70 his
comrades in the trenches.
Their camps are huge stacks Of hay
and Indian chopped straw, covered over
with green tarpaulin. and that same
chopped straw is given to their mules
and country bred horses. The latter
will not cat the English hay.
The gayety OF the French soldiers
waiting in the trenches is well Illus
trated BY a daily newspaper which is
being produced by certain colonial
regiment fighting in the Argonne. The
newspaper, which Is called lie Petit
Colonial, IS Autographed on a sheet OF
ordinary note paper. II contains the
communicates OF the day and amusing
topics OF the war. one little sketch
shows a French colonial infantrymar
Introducing a "Cipaye" CSepoy) TO q
SeneGalese with the words. "Sepoy. al
low me to introduce a son of Buddha
to a son Of Mahomet. We don't know
one another, but We are all brothers"
Another item, under the heading OF
Situations Vacant" is an offer made
TO all soldiers who have acted as wait
ers. ushers in courts, &c, OF the iot
OF announcing the arrival OF the Ger
man shells in our lines. "a strong
voice is indispensable, 1t adds.
The clock tower OF the Hotel de Vile
at Arras, that was destroyed by Ger
man fire. was the pride OF Arras. II
was begun in 1863, was 244 feet ir
height and was surmounted by a duca
crown, which in turn was topped by ar
enormous lion bearing a pennon acting
as a wind vane.
In the tower was a famous old clocl
of 1916 with a chime of ancient bells
They were known as "A Peffroy" IL
Couvre-feu." lie Guet" and "Joyeuse
which on account on its great weight
5000 kilos, was struck by q hammer.
A French officer who was badly
wounded and made prisoner was taker
before the Crown Prince OF Germany. II
a letter he wrote to his home, he said h,
was most favorably impressed by tht
, Prince. He IL slender and very refined
in bearing and speaks French like AZ
educated Frenchman without the slight
est accent. He wore helmet owe
which was cover and he had not thu
slightest badge or stripe which would be
tray his rank.
, This was tho last entry made in
German officers diary before he wa!
killed.
"For several days We have not taste
: a hot meal. The reserve rations are ex
, hausted The water bad and green MAJ
is reduced TO the level OF beast"
, During the war French soldiers arr
| paid 60 centme3 N2 cents) a day; u
time OF peace 25 centimes (5 cents) pc
, day! But. the Government aids thel
, families.
! The man who planned the flooding o
the German position on the User in Bel
GUM mas been decorated with the orde
OF King Leopold. lie was the keepc
; OF the great sluces OF Nieuport, whicl
control the water IN the canal and dykes
He pointed out TO the Belgian staff tina
! by using the railway embankment as
dyke, and by breaking the canal In Ger
tain places, most OF the region in whlcl
the German trenches and advanced Eul
positions lay would he covered wit
water. His plan was at once adopted.
/ The Germans boosted h, some prison
ers one Of whom escaped. that rhe,
had recaptured the town Of DiXmud
because tho Allies were "too soft 70
Z life in the trenches" Some Of III
, trenches even in the scenes Of tn
= shifting battles are as luxurious a
= houses. Sheltered passages lead To hacl
premises: on one side is the storchous
and kitchen, on the other the offices
The drainage and sanitation would pas
l the test OF the British factory act'
, One u: the Tommies said that II yo
had cards cigarettes and socks IN