Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 January 1918 — NERVE OF BOBBIES [ARTICLE]

NERVE OF BOBBIES

PoKoe Display Thoroughness That Astonishes Colonials. i ■ J I ■■ •, • •-“ - London of Today a Marvel, Forming One of the Most Important War Centers of Entire .World. A Rhodesian who has arrived In England to “join np,” after service in the three campaigns undertaken by the South Africans, assures me of his astonishment at the tact and thoroughness .exhibited In the dally work of military police, says a writer in Westminster Gazette. The London of today is, indeed, a never-ending marvel to the colonial soldier. It forms ©ne of “the most important military centers of the world. It Is Inhabited by d floating population drawn from one of the most cosmopolitan armies In history —an army, tod, that is in no way remarkable for the gentleness of its fighting methods when the game’s afoot. Yet, as my South African friend phrased it, “the whole mob goes about on its business and its pleasures like a small flock of contented sheep with a couple of welltrained dogs behind them.” Things were hot always managed that way In the early days of the forces raised by the dominions in the first year of war. My informant illustrates the contrast with an incident that came under his notice while his regiment lay intrenched at Swakopmund during the “German Southwest” campaign. One morning the men of the Union advanced posts saw approaching them from the desert three living skeletons, who staggered like drunken men as they groped their way blindly through the furnace of sand. A comrade lay helpless a mile or so behind, too far gone to walk. He was brought in later, unconscious, but still alive. The four heroes —-captives in the of the Hun —had preferred the chances of death to the grim certainty of a cruel and galling captivity, and had managed to escape from their Jailers under cover of darkness. Practically without food and, for the most part, without water, they had traveled some hundreds of miles —from one end of the vast territory to the other. Almost naked, the ice-cold winds of night had crippled them, hunger had robbed them of their strength, and thirst had all but driven them to madness. They had escaped “by the skin of their teeth” from both vengeful Hun and prowling lion. And an officious military policeman greeted them on their arrival in the British lines with the order that they were not to loiter in the streets of the town!