NEW YORK, July 14.—'The “big
push,” which the British and French
have at last attempted along the nor
thern portion of the German line has
been viewed by at least some of the
officers in the British trenches as
likely to entail a sacrifice of life
“that no general will be prepared to
face,” according to a captain whose
letter from the British front, written
just before the big movement began,
gives some interesting light on the
present psychology of the men in the
I
trenches. Ralph L. Shaniwald, a
New York manufacturer, makes pub
lic the letter, without disclosing the
identity of the captain who wrote it.
“We talked of a ‘big push’ when
I was in London,” says the cfFicer,
“It may be attempted and I may be
in it, but the sacrifice of life will be
something in my humble opinion, no
general will be prepared to face.
Only those who have had some exper
ience of trench warfare ,cun appreci
ate the stupendous difficulties of a
great forward movement, with its at
tendant wholesale slaughter of the
very blood that England requires
most. No; in my opinion, valueless
though it may be, our policy must be
one of attrition—of wearing out the
enemy—a policy that I fully recog
nize, however, may mean the bank
ruptcy of the civilized world. Ver
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; dun is doubtless the last great effort
|of a desperate and wonderfully or
, ganized military nation, but its fail
| ure in that quarter will not render
! the task of overthrowing its well
I handled masses of troops very much
j easier, under trench circumstances.”
In other parts of his letter, the
British captain frankly discloses
what he thinks of war:
“Between you and me,” he says,
“war is the most damnable, stupid,
nonsensical thing that was ever in
vented for settling disputes, and is
carried on by brainless, well-mean
ing men, that you wouldn’t give the
office boy’s job to. Incompetence, in
efficiency, and pluck; effrontery, in
terference, red tape and ability, are
all mixed up together out here, in a
manner that would drive a business
man like you crazy.
“I have no intent of wearying you
with tales of ‘hurtling’ shells, and
the deafening roar of cannon, mak
1 ing your blood run cold with stories
| of the sights that disgust you, and
yet fill you with deep sympathy; of
shocks and hairbreadth escapes; of
tules of valor, and of trembling
knees, of the brave British officer
shaving under shell fire (although I
have done that stunt many a morn
ing, without cutting myself; of shots
that pierced the tunic to be deflected
by the small bible presented by the
blije and brown eyed njai^en of
Bloomsbury Square; of the bullying
officer being saved by the fresh-fac
ed youngster fulfilling a ‘noble re
venge.’
“Strangely enough, in my short ex
perience, I have seen many of these
I things, including the winning of a
‘military cross’ at two in the morn
ing by a blase young man somewhat
tired of life, who fortunately for me,
refused my proffered assistance, and
who, when he returned to share my
dug-out with the sweat of suppress
. ed excitement on his brow, drank
two stiff nobblers of whiskey in quick
succession that I poured out for him,
and then failed to find sleep for his
over-tired nerves. I have seen th%
shells bursting around with no op
portunity of running like the devil,
| as we all felt inclined to do. I have
■ | escaped bits of horrible shrapnel by
two and three feet, and snipers’ bul
lets by inches, and I’ve eaten bully
beef till the cows came home—the
bravest deed of all.
“It is a curious feeling the first
time one stands surrounded by shell
and machine gun fire. I was inter
ested by watching myself to see how
I took it. To my intense surprise I
wasn’t frightened, but only curious—
and. then sad. Sad at the thought of
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what it ail meant, and what I had
see A. But in spite of everything, I
have never for a moment, been de
pressed or nervous. I have had to
stand under machine gun fire for an
hour at night, so as to impress my
men, and reassure them; for I find
example is everything in war; and
yet 1 am disgusted with it all—ex
cept the spirit of the splendid fellows
with whom I am surrounded. Their
devotion to duty, their unselfishness,
fraternity, and cheerfulness, is some
thing to make one proud of one’s
race. Hard-swearing and hard-living
men they may be (officers and men
alike) but they are the finest fel
lows one can meet, and their daily
conduct is more beneficial than a
hundred sermons by the finest par
son orator living.”
mi JOTTINGS
ABOUT TOWN
Billy Murray was among the Knik
baseball rooters that witnessed the
City-Commission ball game from the
grand stand yesterday afternoon.
Jerry Murphy and Fred Martin left
on the Admiral Farragut Saturday
for Seward to attend the divisional
democratic convention of the third
district.
Mrs. Lee Foster, Mrs. Victor Blod
gett and Miss Blodgett, of Knik, came
over from Knik Saturday afternoon
on the launch Swan and returned to
Knik yesterday. The party attended
the initial dance at th^ Labor Union
hall Saturday night and were guest =
of the White House while in this city.
Harry G. Steel, one of the pioneer
newspaper men of Alaska, publisher
of the Cordova Times, who has been
editor of the Anchorage Times since
the ownership passed to Chas. E. Her
ron, will return to Cordova to look
after his own interests. Mr. Steel
■ came to Anchorage to assist Mr. Her
ron in getting the Times in fine run
ning shape, and now returns to de
vote his efforts to his own publica
tion.
ELIJAH THE SECOND
PROCLAIMS HIMSELF
LONDON, July 24.—Nigeria ha?
roubles on its hands in the person
of a negro who styles himself Elijah
he second. Ostensibly a convert tc
Christianity, he has cut adrift from
the missionaries and is running a
spurious form of Christianity on his
nvn account. According to an offi
cial from the region where his con
verts are most numerous they al
ready number more than a million
out of the 17,000,000 natives in Ni
geria.
He claims to work miracles and
does not even draw the line at rais
ing people from the dead. He finds
a particularly profitable source of
revenue in selling water which he
pretends to have endowed with magic
healing powers.
But what is causing the authori
ties most concern is the new doctrine
which the black Elijah is proclaim
ing. It is that the blacks are now the
“chosen people;” and they are des
tined to oust the whites and inherit
the choice places of the earth.
MISSING MEN.
SHOLOMA, STEINZEIG and
ROUTKOVSKY (Russian subjects).
Information desired as to their where
abouts, if living, and date and circum
i m£^s.of *N*pir death, if dead. 7-24-5t
BAXTER’S NEWS DEPOT
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■De Fuca, Barrett, Mozart, Carabana,
:La Serna, etc., etc.
-
VV^atch page 7, columns 5 and 6.
Strathcona & Co., Brokers. 7-2-tf
Fresh green goods at Sanitary
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If you want the news subscribe
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delivered at your home.
Singer Sewing Machines sold on
easy terms. C. B. Wark, manufac
facturer’s agent. 6-13tf
The Green Express has added a
pleasure car to their line and will
make a specialty of excursions to all
places of interest. Leave your or
ders In Hotel Parsons office. 7- 10-tf
9
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