The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1916-03-20

There is one notice which partIcu-
larly annoys him. In enormous letters
il sprawls along the side of the build
ings, and is addressed
ITO the Young Women of London !
is your best boy wearing khaki? If
not, don't you think he should be? If
he does not think that you and your
country are worth lighting for-do you
think he Is worthy OF you? Don't pity
the girl who is alone-her young man
is probably a soldier-hghting for her
and her country-and for you!
If your young man neglects his
duty, the time may come when he will
neglect you! Remember this, and ask
him to
Enlist at Once9'
Yes, Tommy Atkins has the best Of
it-brave Tommy! Just lately, 1 wit
messed the drawing-in of a backslider
to the fold. In a little English village
in the County Of Sussex dwelt typi-
cal Stacker" The outbreak of hos
tiIities had aroused no patriotism In
his selfish heart. Eager and khaki
clad, the other men went of. But the
Stacker" stayed behind.
Ashamed? Oh, no! A &C. o." he
styled himself conscientious objector!
Il do not believe in war" he informed
sundry skeptical friends. For whom
| is war waged? Is not my life as valu-
able as any king or emperor? Who
gives these crowned heads the right to
say that I shall risk my life in defense
of their CROWN
Five dollars a week formed the slack
er's' earnings. In English villages, the
youthful bachelor can easily live on that.
But alas! up went food prices. He had
to abandon luxuries. Tobacco and cigar
cites were beyond his reach now. More
| over, as he was the only young man left
, in the village, he had TO help the women
in the heavier parts Of their work. He
didn't mind that-though digging their
garden, allotments in frosty weather and
doing all manner of mental tasks proved
scarcely fascinating. He was asked 20
become an auxiliary mail carrier, too,
and that involved miles OF muddy tramp
| ing when the days work was done. The
pinch Of poverty grew worse.
Another tribulation-the village bellies
no longer cast sweet Elances on him
They were too busy knitting for the SOL
diers and sending OF fat parcels labeled
| Somewhere in France" The address,
British Expedttionary Force rnaddened
him. He, too, needed comforts as well as
| the soldiers. But definitely he was led
to understand that sewing shirts for
| "slackers' was not in Sister Susy's line.
Cold and the pangs Of hunger grew IA
miliar.
Then a soldier returned to the village
slightly wounded. The Stacker" met
him. and they talked. Such hardshIps
as you've undergone" began the slack
err sympathetically.
But the soldier cut him short Hard
ships?' he said. DO you know that we
have ham and eggs for breakfast and
often jam and cream? Leastways II
you're near a farm you can take what
you like! And. Lordl get loads Of to-
) bacco. There isn't a woman living that
hasn't sent the boys from the village a
packet Of cigarettes a week"
But the dangsrT began the SLACK
err"
"Danger7'' said the soldier. That's the
fun Of it! No gams,is so thrilling as the
chance Of being killed. The fun we
have-the concerts at night. And the
girlsr'
"Girls?'' quoth the Stacker" amazed.
Hundreds OF Them said the soldier.
They come out from far behind the FIR
ing line and sing to us-real sporty girls!
Can You see me coming sack here to
milk COWS at eighteen bob 4 week, rising
at FIVE in the morning and leading a
slaves life when I can live like fighting
cock and be called a hero?'
The Stacker stared. I've been work
| ing eighteen hours a day, half starved,
and II anybody called me hero"
He'd be a liar said the soldier.
I"Well we're both liars, old fellow. but
somehow the lie looks good to me-
Next day the Stacker walked into the
recruiting ONCE and enlistedI For to re-
main a Stacker in these stirring times
is far from pleasant.
Khaki-clad Australians, New Zealand
Iers and Canadians are everywhere Men
| of fine physique and dauntless bravery,
Ithey are warmly welcomed. In the Eng
hsh villages the old rustiCs stand open
mouth with admiration as they swing
past. The tale Of their magnificent fight
ing in Gallipolli Is well known.
| Concerning the desperate struggle in the
peninsula. certain New Zealander troop
er, George Ross of the Otago Mounted
Rifles. had interesting experiences to re-
| late. The Turks had entrenched them
selves only 300 yards from our lines" he
said. and before We could get them out,
We had to go through the most fiendish
bayonet fighting you could imagine When
| The officer gave US the order to charge,
and We set of at full tilt, the entire
ground in front Of US rose up and ex-
DlOded with a terrific roar 1t had been
secretly mined by the wary Turks
Battered and shaken by the concus-
| sion, however, we pressed on through the
debris. under a death-dealing fusillade
from the Turkish guns At last, with loud
shouts. we stormed their parapets, and
Immediately were up to the eyes in bat
! tle-slashing. cutting, guarding, kicking,
| cUrsing, smashing-a hell Of flashing
steel and savage shrieks of hate and
! victory.
There is one incident which I distinctly
recollect in that awful time" continued
| Trooper Ross. "One Of our men-a dare
| devil cowboy he was-had run his bayo-
net almost through Turk. but was I'M
/ able TO drive his thrust home because OF
his trenChing spade, which, slung across
his shoulder, impeded his action. The