The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1916-02-03
TRIBUTE is PAID
TOBRAVETURKS

as any man could do. The Turks,
who are quite as well aware OF any
difficulties that there may BIO in our
position here during the winter as we
are ourselves, and who have read all
the discussions in Parliament and the
London papers as to whether we
should hold on here or leave the penin-
sula, have for the last two weeks been
constantly feeling at night to see
whether our trenches were any less
strongly held. They have tried all
along the line-and the place where
they tried first, with one exception,
was Quinns. Obviously to lead the
attempt from so deadly post as
Quinns they choose this ave man
1t is said that at one time the Turks
had to offer non-commissioned rank
to every man who went into the Tur-
kish Quinn's trenches. If ever a man
deserved honor, this man did.
"The people who have seen that
little strip of red ribbon and who have
seen the sort of deed that gained it
that is to say the only people whose.
opinion on the subject is worth any
thing-do not laugh at the Iron Cres-
cent any more than they would at the
grave of General Gordon 0r Joan OF
Arc. The war is no more likely to
be won by our sneering at Iron Cres-
cents than by the Germans making
fun of Victoria crosses; the great deed
that has been done is not in the least
altered by the fact that some people
are too ignorant to recognize it or
respect 1t. There is
Foolish Type of Criticism
which we have seen in some newspa-
pers which seems to wonder whether
we can fight the Turks as well as We
otherwise should when the troops in
the peninsula so obviously do not hate
them. One might ask these people
how much better they expect us to
fight anyway But it is sufficient to
wonder since when has 1t been i'm
possible for the British race to fight
an enemy IL it respects him.
For very assuredly the same inca
pacity, in that case, must affect the
Turks as we'll as the Australians and
New Zealanders. Some curious in
cidents which happened few weeks
ago help 10 prove this.
81 think the Turks are celebrating
either feast or fast. Anyway, near
daybreak one morning, there came out
Of their trenches at Quinns packet
tied to a string, thrown so that II
lobbed near our parapet and lay out
side between the trenches. OF course
our sentriCs waited for it to explode
or fi2z or burst into smoke or for some
such devilry. The sergeant near 1t
looked at It very carefully through a
periscope. While he was looking
Turkish hands must have come up
and waved and then a cautious head.
A head on our side went up too and
gradually line of heads on each para
pet; and before the sergeant knew
what was happening the man next
him had climbed up onto the parapet
and stepped round the netting and
into the deadly area between the
trenches and was bringing back the
And in 1t sCrawled in indelible pencil
packet.
ut was 4 small packet Of cigarets.
and in badly spelled French were the
words "A Notre Herox ennemis, To
our heroic enemies
Cigarets Given for Beef.
"Of course some return had to be
made, and so our men threw over a
tin or two or bully beef. Presently
back few piece of paper wrapped
round a stone. 1t read, Bully beef
non.' After that we threw some sweet
biscuits and a tin of jam. Other Gig
arets came back. have seen some
OF them. They had on them in the
same pencIled writing Notre cher
ennemi' or 'Femez-probably meant
for prenez-avec plesir,' that is to
our dear enemy-and-take with
pleasure; another reads, 'Envoyez
milk, send us milk Then one of
them waved down with his hands and
shouted 'Flni' and our men waved
back and down gradually went the
two lines Of smiling heads, and after
a pause Of q minute or two bombs be-
gan to fly again. They bad begun at
$3.50 and they lasted till about 9:15.
"The same courtesies repeated them
selves next morning-an officer Of
ours was on the parapet for short
time and tho Turks, believe, sent q
message to say that they were sorry
they had not the best brand Of Gig
arets, but they hoped the ones they
sent would be accepted. They also
asked not for food but for souvenirs.
Our men threw over penknife. Our
officer picked up a package which
turned out 10 be bomb, and for the
moment there was Just suspicion Of
treachery-but 1t was found to be al
bomb wrapped at the Turks do wrap
their bombs, in finanel, and with al
faulty fuse-a relic of some previous