Five Englishwomen of title have addressed to the London press the
following letter:
“The undersigned have all near relations serving with the colors. Most
of them have near relations who have borne and are bearing their part in
the gallant and sanguinary battle which the British army is fighting
against heavy odds on the northeast frontier of France.
“We do not know what their fate has been, or yet may be, but if it is
their fortune to die for their country we shall not show our sorrow as
for those who come to a less glorious end.
“A white band around one arm will mark both our loss and our grief. But
it will do more. It will express the pride we feel in knowing that those
who are nearest to us and dearest have given their lives to their
country’s cause.”
This letter is signed as follows: Evelyn Devonshire, Maude Lansdowne,
Beatrice Pembroke, Edith Castlereagh, Elsie Kerry.
These names stand for the Duchess of Devonshire, the Marchioness of
Lansdowne, the Countess of Pembroke, the Countess of Castlereagh and the
Countess of Kerry.
“GERMANS A BRAVE LOT”
“At times,” a French soldier declared in a letter to his home, “we could
hardly hold our rifles--they were so hot. Often we had in the trenches
no cover of any sort. We had just to dig up a heap of earth a foot high
or so, and, lying behind it, pelt away for all we were worth.
“Our shooting, I can assure you, was as steady as though our men were at
the rifle ranges, and ever so often in front of our positions we could
see the dead accumulating in great heaps. Far away on my right I saw at
one time British cavalry charging. We took the risk and looked up to see
it. Upon my word, it was a magnificent sight. I was too far off to see
what happened when they got home, which they did with magnificent dash.
I don’t think they lost heavily, at least, not very heavily, for we saw
them get back again.”
“And the Germans? What do you think of them?” I asked.
“Not a great deal as shots, but the way they came on again and again
throughout the day was great. They are a brave lot, and it took us all
our time to hold them back; they had such enormous numbers.”