Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1915-05-14
some QUEER TRUCEs
Among Most Remarkable In
stances of Warfare.
There Have Been Many Precedents
for the Fraternization of Euro
pean Soldiers That Took
Place LAST Christmas.

Al the world now knows the won
derful story of how the soldiers fight
ing in France and Flanders last
Christmas did of their own accord
what President Wilson and the pope
failed to accomplish.
How at the 1rst one or two men on
either side, greatly daring, peeped
aoove the death trenches at one an
other and smiled dumb greetings.
How then. by degrees, confidence once
established grew, until both sides were
fraternizing, helping to tend one an
others wounded, burying each others
1ead, and how when these sad and
grim tasks were accomplished, they
started playing football, shared their
little luxuries, forced cigarettes and
cigars on each other, and generally
mad a high old time" together.
1t seems passing strange in these
days. but it has often happened afore-
times. In the Crimea, for instance,
various observers have recorded how,
on several different Sundays, a SINH
lar truce by consent was arranged.
The Russians had tobacco in plenty.
which the English lacked. They gave
their enemies in exchange tallow can
Ties, which were plentiful in the Brit
lsh lines. The Russians did not want
hem for lighting. They ate them;
sucking and biting the talIow from the
wicks as children do sugar sticks.
One of the queerest informal truces
on record occurred during the first
Maori war. For three days the
Maorfs, strongly intrenched in one of
their stockaded camps. or "pahs,' had
been firing at the British, who were
similarly intrenched behind their own
lines, and who, of course. returned the
enemy's fire with interest.
On the morning of the fourth day,
which CHANGED to be a Sunday. our
soldiers were amazed to see the
Maoris, dressed in their best clothes,
come tEooping out of their pah, un-
armed, and making friendly gestures.
Thinking, naturally. that they
wished to surrender, an officer hurried
forward to meet them, carrying a
white flag. But the Maori chief ex.
planned that they had 10 intention
whatever of throwing up the sponge.
Only they did not wish to fight that
day. and hoped that the British felt
likewise.
The officer. hardly knowing what te
do, demurred at first, but eventually
fell into the suggestion, adding as
an afterthought that he was pleased
to see that they had so great a respect
for the white mans Sabbath.
"Oh, 1t is not that" promptly re
piled the chief. "The fact is that VIZ
have run out of ammunition, and 81
cannot fight today. Tomorrow VIZ
have a fresh supply coming in. Ther
we will go ahead again with the war.
Tell you what, though" he re
sumed. after a moments pause, strucl
suddenly by what he evidently con
ceived to be an exceedingly brillian'
idea. "if you will lend US some ammu
nation we can start again and the da.
won't be wasted"
Naturally the officer was obliged t.
decline this naive proposal. and o.
reporting the matter he was censurel
f0r not at nee making the whole 10
of them prisoners. His reply was tina
he would rather be cashiered tina,
take SO mean an advantage of a brav
and ehivalrous enemy. who ha
trusted him. and who. after all, a
their conduct plainly showed, were L
some things little more than grown-u
children.