The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-03-06
INDIAN TROOPS ARE PART OF ARMIES IN FRANCE Soldiers Have WithstOOd Weather and Are Doing
 Great Service
OFFICERS KEEP UP
 CAVALRY DRILLS
War Has Grown to Be a Business and Little Heed Is Paid to Bursting German
 Shells
ny rREDERICk PALMER


 British Headquarters in France, March 5.-tVia London, March !, 3,3O ?. m)--rhe picturesaueness of the In- dian troops of the British empire breaks business Of modern war at the Britt ish front. The little mule carts of thea soldiers move about among the pow erfUI motor trucks from England. It was first feared that the Indians might not stand shell fire we'll, but they became used to it. and now they are even l cohtemptuous of it. Accustomed to d hot and dry climate, the chill and rainy weather and the miry mud of northern France has been their worst enemy. When the sun shines a smile spreads oyer the whole Indian force. Thanks to many layers of warm clothing and careful at tention the sick report of the Indian troops is normal.
 All the food of these men has to he brought from India. Speaking no word ,of English these dusky strangers have come from the other side of the world to ilsht in France for Great Britain Bill letted in barns with thick layers of straw Tor their beds, each race cooking it's rood to it's taste and according to it's casta. customs observed, they form a world of never-ceasing woudernent to the French inhabitants. This morning there were seen 5000 cavalrymen riding by on a muddy road with a background of flat and misty landscape with all the pre- clsion they would show at a royal review Occasionally among the duslxy faces under the turbans was the white countenances of lhe English officers who had trained these varied tribes and who have stood With them in the trenches in icy waters up to their waists against the enemy
 Aged Leader
 Pertab Sing, F years old, rode at tha head of his regiment.
 They told me | was too old.~ be said but I replied If you'n not let me fight ln France, l will go to Afghanistan and Tight there. do not mean to die in he'd and I cannot live much longer So they let me come"
 Although all of the cavalry is fighting as infantry in the trenches, cavalry of ficers keep up their cavalry drills and the horses are in condition. This is be- cause there may be chance for the cavalry when the expected German break
  comes. Everybody on the line speaks of the Germans going back as If this was as certain as the coming of spring
 one meets here Englishmen Irishmen aho Seotchmen from every part of the world ready to serve in any meniaI ca pacity in order to help
 Now you take this message to all my Irish friends in America for me" said an elderly Irish medical officer in charge of a hospital train. .sTell them I have been sleeping on that car seat six weeks with the harp alongside of me and the Union Jack over my head It was a fine time We had when they let me load my train with wounded right where the shells were falling, but they do not permit thai any more.''
 Shells Cause No Worry In the outskirts of village where Ger man shells fall at intervals there were seen Infantry attachments practicing at hand grenade attacks, and in the defense or trenches Nobody worries about the danger from German shells while they rent the air with their own explosions of bombs thrown at close range