The Aberdare Leader

The War. Aberdare Relief Fund. Local Accommodation for Belgian Refugees. An executive committee of the Na- tional Relief Fund (Aberdare District) was held at the Council Chamber on Friday evening. Councillor W. Thomas In the chair. There was a very large attendance.

tncreased Grants Sanctioned. The ifirst business was to have a re- report of a conference of the Soldiers and Sailors Families' Association, held at Cardiff last Tuesday. The delegates who attended were the secretary (Mr D, Llewelyn Griffiths) and Mr F. W. Man- der. The former gave an elaborate account of the business done, stating that Mr Beville Stanier M P., had addressed the meeting. Mr Stanier had attend- ed at the request of the Prince of Wales Fund Oommittee. His address was not fTVaVS ,aC y,l SaKl Mr- Griffiths, i*e,JeC.turer knew httle more thai itLf g19 rePresenting the Associ- answers, also, were rather S'o'fSS'; *t ( the con- mL j1?011,88 various principles. A.v to bonuses paid to men in e Territorial Regiment, including >ati°Bal Reserve and Yeomanry, a wide discretion was left to the local oommittees and the secretaries as to whether the full grant should be con- tinued, or whether it should be tempor- arily stopped. It was felt that on joining, a 'National Reservist was en- titled to a bonus of £10. In the case of dependents other than wives and, children a wide discretion was again vested in local committees and their secretaries, so long as the miximum of 15s. was not exceeded. With regard to motherless children, local committees were empowered to make a grant in addition to the separ- ation allowances of an amount not ex- ceeding 3s. 6d. per child. It was felt that the 3s. 7d. separation allowance for ji motherlea child was not enough, and this was now augmented to 7s. Id. Where there were two or three in the same house, however, 7s.. Id. would only be granted for one child, with lesser sums, possibly 3s. 6d. each, for the remainder. In the case of death on active ser- vice, grants would be continued to the dependents until the Government ade- quately dealt with the case. It was resolved that when a man married after enlisting a grant should be made to the wife. This was not al- lowed previously. In the case of a man living with a woman who was not his wife, the grant- ing of relief was left to the discretion of the local committee. In addition to the above recom- mendations the following resolutions were passed by the conference: (1) That the central office, Soldiers and Sailors Families Association, be asked to authorise an addition of os. per week to dependents where the sole in- come accruing to the family was mere- ly the separation allowance of the Government. (2) That the attention of the Prime Minister and Secretary for War be called to the- grave delay in granting separation allowances and the consequent acute distress caused there- by. Questions were asked by Mrs. Rose Davies and Mr Brace, and answered by Mr. Mander and Mr. Griffiths.

Deputation to War Office. 0 Assistance from Mr. Keir Hardie and Mr. Edgar Jones. The Secretary (Mr Griffiths) said that at the last Ladies Visiting Committee meeting it was reported that Merthyr had sent a deputation to the War Office to complain of the delay in granting -separation allowances. He had subse- quentlv written to the two local M.P. s pointing out that the same applied to Aberdare. He had received the follow- ing replies:— Mr. Hardie wrote:- "Dear Mr. Grifliths- T have yours of the 10th Oct. The deputation from Merthyr put their case in unanswerable fashion to the War Office authorities on Saturday last, and made such an impression that a good many reforms were either granted on the spot or consideration promised them. I presume your complaints ire on similar lines to those of the Merthyr committee, and if you will tabulate a number of points, giving one or two illustrative cases, showing the length ef time from enlistment until the claims were admitted, the delay in connection with the ring papers, and other similar natters, together with any points which may have arisen in your exper- ience not already provided for in the regulations, my colleague, Mr. Edgar Jones, and myself wofuld willingly co- operate in presenting the same to the War Office authorities. It is quite true as they allege, that they are overwhelmed with work, but the poor, helpless dependents, being farthest away, and weakest, will suffer most unless their claims are pressed with some vigour. We are all hoping that the worst is over, and that the payments beginning from Thursday next through the Post Office will relieve matters, but the trouble seems to be getting the names placed upon the official list, and the money paid within a reasonable time. If there is anything I can do in the, way of assisting you do not hesitate to let me know. Yours faithfully, J. KEIR HARDIE." Dear Mr. Griffiths,— It is the case that at my suggestion, with the concurrence of Mr. Keir Hardie, a deputation came up with concrete evidence of the muddle which is general in Aberdare as well as Mer- thyr and other parts of the country. The War Office heads were greatly impressed by the evidence, and an im- proved working will result very soon. I also had interviews myself with Mr Herbert Samuel and the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The latter asked me to hand him a precis of the complaints, which I havq done. I am confident that the Cabinet will take up the (matter, and will see that the War Office Staff is to be augment- ed as to put things right. You can assure would-be recruits that from now on there will be regular and easy pay- ment of allowances to the men. At our suggestion the War Office are also going to consider the question of illegi- timates, cohabitation, etc., in addition to the New Scale for Dependents other than wives, which will operate as from ¡ October 1st. I am glad to hear of the good work of your committee, and hope this note will encourage them in their I patriotic work. I Yours faithfully, ¡ EDGAR R. JONES."

P.D. and Miners' Levy. The Secretary reported that he had I written to Mr. E. M. Hann asking him I to remit the miners' levy towards the War Fund to the local committee and not direct to the Prince of Wales Cen- tral Fund. Mr Hann replied that there was some difficulty in doing this because the collieries were situated in various districts, and it would necessi- tate dividing the money and drawing 7 cheques out weekly instead of one. Mr Hann added that the Company had no particular wishes in. the matter. Mr. Griffiths remarked that Mr C. B. Stanton had promised to see Mr. 1 Hann. Mr. Ultyd Hopkins remarked that the P.D. workmen were beginning to complain because the money was not sent to the local fund. He did not ap- preciate the difficulty mentioned by Mr. Hann. Mr. F. W. Slander The explanation of Mr. Hann is this—there are men Mr. F. W. Slander The explanation of Mr. Hann is this-there are men from other districts working in the P.D. Collieries, and those men's levies can- not be given to Aberdare. Our town clerk likes to have as much as possible, and I think he applied for the lot. {Laughter.) Mr Illtyd Hopkins said that the ar- rangement come to between the em- ployers and the workmen was that the levies should be paid to the local fund. He moved that the P.D. be again asked to send the. money deducted from the men's wages to the local funds, the levies of the Lower Duffryn Colliery to Mountain Ash, and all the other Abcr- dare Oollieries to the Aberdare Fund. Mr T. W. Griffiths seconded, and the motion was agreed to.

Prince of Wales' Thanks. The following letter had been received from the Secretary of the Fund, ad- dressed from Buckingham Palace :— "I am desired by the Prince of Wales to acknowledge receipt of three cheques, making a total of -.el,OOO, in aid of the National Relief Fund. His Royal Highness is most grateful for this splendid addition to the Fund, which makes with the previous contribution a total of £ 3,000, and asks you to make known to all the subscribers in the ur- ban district how warmly he appreciates their kindness and generosity." Mr. Griffiths mention?;! that the total amount now collected locally was £ 3^800. Number of families depend- ent, 480.

Little Cirl's Contribution. Dorothy V. Watkins 10 Glanant St., Aberdare, wrote as follows Kind!v place the enclosed 10s. in your fund, a sum I obtained through raffling my doll's cot." (Hear, hear.")

Free Medical Attendance. The next question waR a letter from the Local Government Board suggest- ing free medical attendance to depend- ents of soldiers and sailors serving with the colours. The Chairman said he was pleased to see Dr. Martin Jones present, nd he (Mr. Thomas) moved that a small committee be formed with the doctor as chairman. Mr F. W. Mander seconded, and the motion was ca-rried.

Aberdare and Belgian Refugees. The next item on the agenda was "To consider whether assistance should be given to Belgian refugees in this dis- trict." Mrs. T. Walter Williams mentioned that Councillor T. Lewis had offered a house in the Gadlys to accommodate a family of seven refugees. The house had been put in order and ready for furnishing. She thought the furniture could be got together with very little outlay. She had communicated with Mr T. J. Hughes, Chairman of the Commissioners for Wales (Insurance Act), and he had promised to send up a Belgian family. She hoped Mr. Thomas, the chairman, would in his civic capacity give them a hearty wel- come. Mr F. W. Mander said the committee was extremely obliged to Councillor T. Lewis for his kind offer, and to Mrs. Williams for her part. But he was wondering whether something on a larger scale could be arranged. He unQerstood that the Industrial School, Trecynon, or Auxiliary Workhouse as it was now called, way nearly ready, and if the Guardians would grant the use of that about 100 could be accom- modated. Mrs. Jenkins, poor Law Guardian, remarked that that building would not be ready for a few months. Mr T. Walter Williams said he had suggested .at the Education Committee that the Open Air School at Trecynon be set aside for 30 or 40 Belgians. The suggestion was, however, not favour- ably received. He thought that would be better than billetting them with var- ious families. Mrs. Davies said she had opposed ,that idea in committee and she would like to make it cle«^r why she had op- posed it. It was her strong conviction that the open-air school was not the best place for such a purpose. They ought to aim at keeping up the family life of the Belgians instead of herding them together in a large building. Mrs T. W. Williams' suggestion was an ex- cellent one, and she hoped the Belgian family who came to Aberdare would be cordially welcomed. Rev. J. Griffiths asked what had been done in Merthyr, but no one knew definitely what had been done there. In reply to questions, Mr. A. P. Jones said that Abernant House had been promised to the Red Cross Society for wounded soldiers. With regard to Coedcae House Abernant (Lord Bute's shooting house), there were negoti- ations for purchase now going on. He suggested that a public meeting 'be called to ascertain how many people would be prepared to co-operate in find- ing room for the refugees. Mr D. P. Davies moved that a separ- ate committee be formed to deal with the refugees. Mrs. Williams' step was one in the right direction, and it might be extended. In Pontypridd a large number had been placed in a vacant house, and the town subscribed towards their maintenance and helped them to do their shopping. Eventually it was resolved to hold a public meeting and appoint a commit- tee at that meeting.

Cardigan Jackets Wanted. Dear Sl r,-T shall he so grateful to you if you will insert in the "Aberdare Leader" a notice to the effect that I shall be very glad to receive contribu- tions of grey or brown Cardigan jackets with sleeves, woollen socks, flannel shirts, cholera belts, and mittens, for the Glamorgan Yeomanry from any kind friends.—Yours faithfully, (Mrs.) GERALD BRUCE. | Lanelav, Porityclun, Glam.

Aberdare Soldier and the "Simple Life." In the current of "Y Darian" appears a letter from Quarter Master Sergt. D. D. Jones, of the Coldstream Guards, who is at the front, although not exactly in the filing line. He is a I soldier and a man of letters, a native of Penderyn, and has spent many years in Aberdare. Every evening he takes charge of two wagons that convey pro- ) visions across the valley to his battal- ion. The route is dotted with crosses marking the. last resting places of many British soldiers. He is confident that the war will be over in a few months. The Germans are no longer fighting for victory but for their fives, and will be played out ere long. He is in the bc>t of health, and enjoys the simple l ie immensely.

Lecture at Aberdare. Germany's Preparedness and England's unreadiness. in Atl!We?natt+efdf-d meeting took place in the Constitutional Club, Aberdare, on Thursday Councillor A. P. Jones in on Thursday, Councillor A. P. Jones in the chair. While introducing the lXh eWumg <Mr Rowlands, Neath), the chairman spoke in a somewhat pessimistic strain about the war. He would not be surprised to see Zeppelins over here, and could readily believe the Germans knew every inch of our coalfield. It was our duty to foster recruiting If We had ljsten(fd to Lord Roberts three or four years ago we should not now be in the state we are. As a raie wc contrived to muddle through, and he hoped the result would be satisfactory. We were fighting a clever and scientific enemy who had been exceedrngly successful. Mr Rowlands, already" known tdj Aberdare audiences as an inspiring] speaker on Church Defence, then rose to give his lecture on his personal im- pressions of the German, French, and Italian nations, gleaned while travelling through their respective countries. He was at Trieste when the bodv of the murdered Archduke was carried through on its way to burial, and was struck with the solemn reception given it by the people. The dead Archduke was anti-German and unpopular in Austria, and in the speaker's opinion his murder did not originate in Servia, Bosnia, or Serajevo, but emanated from the Roval household in Berlin. He proposed to begin with Italy. Italy was not at all popular with this country. Yet Italy had done a great service to France by keeping out of the war. She had enabled her to withdraw half a million men from the French- Italian frontier, and there were one and a half million men less in the field. Italy ent-ei-ed into the Triple Alliance in 1893, when she was at war with Tripoli, and torn by internal disagree- ments. The Alliance was confirmed in 1902, but it was not popular in Italy. Italy would join the fight later on. She would have to fight. To the north of Italy was the immense Plain of Lom- bardy, 240 by 200 miles—fertile and un- fortified. Enough food was grown on the Lombardy Plain to feed Germany and Austria for 15 months. But Italy would not fight against England. There was a strong feeling of friendliness to- wards this country on the part of the Italians. The speaker said he had gone to school at Magdeburg, Germany, at the age of fifteen. Even then and since he had noticed signs of war preparations on the part of Germany. Robert Blatchford had been called a traitor because he kept his eyes open, and Lord Roberts had been contemptuously re- ferred to because he tried to awaken his country to the need of keeping an eye on Germany. The German character had been completely spoilt by the forc- ing upon it of military ideas. Even the maxims written by children in their copybooks tended to foster the idea of arms and conquest. Between Berlin an Belgium had been constructed a road wide enough to allow" eight motor cars to pass. A railway was laid with nine sets of lines, when three were sufficient for ordinary traffic. Why? To enable mobilisation to be carried on with rapidity. Within a week of the war a million men, like a great machine, had moved to the French frontier. There was great need of a large Army for this country. The submarine had neutralised the effect of the battleship. The time had gone. when we could de- pend solely on our navy. The Frenchman was an admirable man. He was before all things else a farmer. He found his pleasure work- ing hard on his little plot of land and saving every centime. He had any amount of dash and enthusiasm, any amount of pluck. One of his weak- nesses was a want of doggedness, the sort of doggedness that made pluck effective. This want was supplied bv "Tipperarv." Bismarck was one of the greatest Empire-builders the world had ever seen. His ambition was to make a great European power of Germany. He bent his efforts towards keeping France and England, and France and Russia apart. In 1888 the Emperor Wilhelm came to the throne, and for Bismarck's idea of a great European Germany was substituted that of a great World Germany. But he had not Bismarck's genius. By mixing himself up with Asiatic politics he contrived to bi-ing about the friendship between France, Russia and England. In his opinion, whether looked upon from the point of view of population or of wealth, it was impossible for Germany to win this war. The combined numbers aid wealth of the Allies would be bound to tell. It would not be long before the Germans would be in full retreat to- wards Berlin. At the conclusion of the address. which was listened to throughout with great interest and attention, Mr R. J. Richards proposed a vote of thanks to the speaker. He complimented him upon his address, and said there was great need in the Unionist Party of more such young men. Mr. Notion briefly seconded, and then Mr Lloyd rose to voice the thanks of the meet- ing to Mr A. P. Jones for presiding. Mr Rowlands seconded while respond- ing to the vote of thanks.

Aberdare Recruits at Aldershot. In a second letter to his parents. Driver Jack Davies, son of Mr and Mrs. John Davies (attendance officer), vi rites as folloivs:- I am glad to say that I am all right. The paper and parcel were very wel- come. We (my pals and myself) went to Aldershot town yesterday. It is about six miles from' where we are stationed. It is a hole of a place. We could hardly' move, the streets being full of soldiers. There was a row in the room opposite ours last Thursday night, and the Military Police were called up. Next morning all the offenders had to parade before the offi- cers, who lectured them very severely. The Guard room and stop pay was threatened as punishment. The offi- cers are very good to us, and beg us to be clean, tidy and orderly, and above all. to be careful about drinking. They also tell the Instructors on on account to bully us, but for all to pull together, do our best, so that we may be a credit to ourselves and also to the Brigade. They would see that we had plenty of food, etc. For tea to-day we had her- ring in tomato sauce. Every thing has to be taken without complaint now, fat bacon, bread and jam, bullv beef, cheese, brawn, etc. We can't pick and choose now. It's take it or leave it. There is plenty of it, so we need not go hungry. It is a great fun to see trie parcels opened here. We all gather round, and when some nice eatables are taken out, we all cheer; • but if it is something else there are only groans. The English boys are very fond of our bakestone cakes. We give them just a few to taste. Thereeare only six Eng- lish boys out of thirty-eight in our room, all the others are Welsh. We are nine from Aberdare; our names are as follows:—Ivor Webb, 1 Godreaman Street; Ivor Price, 52 Herbert Street; Tom Edwards, 2 Ysguborwen Cottages; W. H. Owens, 43 Herbert Street; Albert Davies, 22 Gladstone Street; W C. Morris, 278 Cardiff Road; A. E. Thomson, Bridge Street, Cwmbach; and W. J. Tedstone, High Row, Cwmpen- nar. We are all happy and bright, with plenty of fresh air, plenty of food and clothing, and a good share of hard drilling. Now I conclude with love to all.—Your affectionate son, JACK DAVIES.

Church Parade at Aberdare. On Sunday last there was a very suc- cessful Church Parade of the New Aberdare Company of the (H.S.) Bat- talion of the new 5th Welsh Territor- ials, whose headquarters are at Ponty- pridd. At the invitation of the C.O. in charge of the Battalion the whole of the other organisations in the town were present. The respective units fell in at the Aberdare Drill Hall punctually at 10.30 a.m., and headed by the Aber- dare Town Band (Mr. J. Manley) pro- ceeded to St. Elvan's Church and with civilians the sacred edifice was crowded. The Te Deum was sung to Goss in F, I and the Benedictus to Woodward in E flat. The Rev. K. O. Carter, M.A., officiated. The preacher, in the course of an appropriate sermon, made a refer- I ence to the two great soldiers who were also great saints—King Louis of France and General Gordon. Loyalty, Truth- fulness, and Honour were their out- standing characteristics. In conclusion the rev. g/ntleman urged upon his hearers to be loyal to God, to their country and to their home. Then when the hour of 'danger came they would realise that they were made in the image of God, for they would be giving God the proper place in their lives. The service ended with the singing of the National Anthem, ac- companied by the Band. The hymns were sung to band accompaniment. After the service the units fell in in the same position and marched back to the Drill Hall, where Capt. G. A. Evans, J.P., Mountain Ash, the acting C.O. of the Batt. addressed the pafade and expressed his extreme thanks for the splendid turn out of the different units. There were 300 all told on parade. The following were represent- ed County Police and Special Con- stables with Supt. Rees and Inspector Nott; Aberdare Company 5th Batt. (H.S.) Territorials, Capt/G. A. Evans and Lieut. E. T. Tremellen; Red Cross Nurses, Mrs. Dr. Banks and Mrs. T. Walter Williams; Church Lads' Bri- gade, Colour Sergeant T. G. Chivers; Fire Brigade, Capt. Davies. Lieut. James, Lieut. Harris (R); St. John Ambulance Brigade, Supt. D. Evans; and a contingent of Boy Scouts. Capt. G. A. Evans, J.P., commanded the parade, while the whole of the ad- jutant's duties were entrusted to Lieut. E. T. Tremellen, who carried out his duties with the greatest success.

Aberdare Men to go Abroad. The 6th Battalion of the Welsh Regi- ment, Swansea, are ordered to prepare to sail away on Sunday next, October 25th. The Regiment contains about 60 Aberdare National Reservists who have all had 24 hours leave to wish their friends good-bye. Their destination is unknown.

Antwerp Hero's Wedding. TO ABERAMAN LADY. The nuptials of Mr. Tom Owen Jones, second son of Alderman W. Jones, J.P., and Mrs. Jones, Oakwood House, Mountain Ash, and Miss Florence Maud Manley. eldest daughter of Mrs. Eliza- beth Manley, 220 Cardiff Road, Aber- aman, were celebrated at the Register Office, Merthyr, on Monday morning last. The bridegroom is a member of the 2nd Royal Naval Brigade, and was engaged in the battle at Antwerp. The bride was given away by her brother, Mr. Arthur Albert Stanley, whilst Mr. Thomas James Manley, Gilfach Goch, aicted as best man. The bridesmaids were Miss Grace Manley, sister of the bride, and Miss May Rees, Aberdare. The bride was charm- ingly attired in a navy blue costume, with a white felt hat. The bridesmaids wore grey costumes with black hats. Mrs. T. J. Manley (sister-in-law to the bride) was also present at the wedding. After the ceremony the bridal party repaired to the bride's home, where an excellent repast was partaken of by a. large number of guests in addition to the afore-mentioned. Mr. Jones left on the following day for Deal. Dover, whence he will be transferred to the front again. >II

Private Berrell's Burial. The funeral of Private Philip William iierrell, of Aberdare, whose tragic death at Port Talbot was reported in our last issue, took place on Thursd&v at the Chapel of Ease, Port Talbot. Military honours were accorded. The coffin, wrapped in the'Union Jack, borne by the deceased's comrades, and the band of the regiment from Swansea played the Dead March. The Last Post was sounded, and a volley was fired over the grave.

Glamorgan Royal Horse Artillery. Aberdarian's Appeal. Dear Sir,—I, as a native of Aberdare, appeal to my townsfolk to assist the Officers of the above Battery in carrv- ing out an idea which exists among -1 them in doing all they can to obtain everything possible for the comfort of the men under their command. We shall be glad to receive consignments of cigarettes, tobacco, etc., also warm underclothing which will be of great value during the coming months. Cheques and Postal Orders will also be gladly received and will be put towards the Battery Fund. I am also proud to state that practi- cally every man has volunteered for Foreign Service, and I feel that one is entitled to ask Welshmen to show their t own countrymen that the friends from whom they have parted in order to serve their King and Country have not forgotten the loyalty shown by them.— Yours faithfully, W. DOUGLAS KENSHOLE. Lieut. Glamorgan Royal Horse Artillery. Oak Cottage. Mar sham, Norfolk.

War Jottings. BY "OPTIMIST." Private Alfred Perkins, of Park Street, Penrhiwceiber, has just re- turned home from France in a state of convalescence. In the course of an inter- view I had with him, I learned that Perkins has been with the Coldstream Guards from the very commencement of the war, and went through the battles of Mons and Aisne. It was at one of the encounters of the Aisne that he was wounded, receiving a bullet which made a clean hole right through his foot. He was one out of a company of over 200, out of which only 40 returned to camp. After being conveyed to England, he was taken into the St. Mark's College Temporary Hospital in Leicester Square, London, where he re- mained for several weeks, and was un- able to return home until Wednesday. Perkins tells me that no one but the soldier who is actually in the firing line can realise the horrors of war. "It was horrible, and I shall not forget what I have seen as long as I live/' said he. "We were for three solid weeks embedded in trenches in an incessant downpour of rain. Many a poor fellow got his limbs cramped and 'others suffered from rheumatism. Close by us were the famous" Royal Munster Regi- ment, and the word was given that. we were to attack the enemy from the right. We were told that close behind us were companies of French and Belgian In- fantry, who would support us in case we were weakened in numbers. I had a pal, a fellow from, Birmingham, who gave me his pipe as a souvenir. This happened during a sortie. An hour later the poor fellow was shot in the stomach. Every man in our company was in the best of spirits, and our boys' firing played havoc on the enemy. I had the misfortune to lose a number of teeth, which made matters very un- comfortable for me. I prayed many a time when in the trenches in a merciless downpour of rain, and I am right thankful that I am able to return to my wife and family." Private Perkins showed me a blood- stain on his coat. He got it by carry- ing a wounded officer on his back away from the firing line into safety. He tells me that it is Teallv remarkable to wit- ness the coolness of the Algerian Turcos (the coloured soldiers who are with the French^ in the face of the gravest dan- ger. "They know no fear, and I have seen them rolling cigarettes before the German batteries in as cool a manner as if no danger was near. They con- sider it a great honour to die on the field of battle." Perkins further says that the Prussians and not the Germans were responsible for the outrages in Bel- gium. They must not be confused. The Prussian is a great deal more brutal than the average German. It is amusing, says he, to see the amount of shells the Germans waste. They rarely strike the ground, the greater number explode in mid-air. They bang away from morning till night, and the noise is terrible. The British gunners have performed great feats of markmanship with our Howitzer guns. Among those who have joined the colours from Abernant are Lewis N. James, of Foreman's Row. who is with the Welsh Regiment, and Richard Row- bery, of Little Row, who is with the Special Reserve of the South Wales Borderers. Lewis has been at Carmar- then College, and is a popular member of the Abernant Association Football Club and of the Aberdare Church Football Club. The good people of Mountain Ash and Penrhiwceiber seem to be rather sensi- tive and suspicious just now. Every stranger seen in the streets is regarded as a possible German spy. Only the other day some women at Newtown were nearly scared out of their wits by a local wag, who wore a false beard and moustache, which gave him a foreign appearance. Mike MacCarthy, a popular Aber- aman sport, is doing useful work as a sergeant with the 3rd Welsh Regiment stationed at Cardiff Castle. He is busily engaged in training recruits. Mike is well known locally as a clever half- back. who has played with distinction in the ranks of the Aberaman Wan- derers A.F.C. He is an all-round athlete. Private Charles Bridgeman, of Mis- kin, has recently returned home from the war, having been wounded in France. He has some vivid stories to tell. He was in company with a comrade named Crompton from Penrhiwceiber during a very critical stage of the war, when they had to crawl on hands and knees to avoid the enemy. Private Bridge- man has been in hospital in this coun- try for over three weeks, and is home on furlough now. The conditions attached to the new Rhondda Battalion of the Welsh Regiment are not too restrictive. The standard of height is 5ft. 3 inches. Now then, boys, roll up and come in crowds. Frank Notton. son «f Mr. and Mrs. Notton, schoolmaster, Aberdare, has joined the ranks of the 20th London Regiment, and is stationed at Hatfield, in Berkshire. Frank is a member of the teaching profession. Another teacher in the person of Jack Price, formerly at the Town Council School, has joined the 5th Welsh Regiment. Lance-Sergeant Manning Billingham, who is well known in Aberdare, is with the 5th ebh Regiment stationed at Milford Haven. Billingham has played with distinction as right half- back with the old Aberdare Thistles A.P.C. He has now volunteered for foreign service. In the same regiment we find several other local men, viz., Lance-Corporal Tom Evans, of Abernant Road; Private Tom Davies, Sergeant D. P. Evans, of Griffith Street, and Phil Thomas, who was formerly employed as foreman shoe- maker at Mr. Halewood's. The men say they are having a good time so far. Several members of the E Company (Aberdare) of the 5th Welsh Regiment wish to, contradict a statement made to the effect that the Cardigan jackets sent by friends from Aberdare were infested with vermin. The jackets were in as clean a condition as could be wished for. I A friend of mine in Foundrytown has rpceived a post-card from Jim Williams, of Aberaman, who is still in the firing t line. to the effect that he hopes to re- turn home by Christmas, provided he will be spared. Jim has already been through some stirring battles, from Mons up to the present engagements. We wish him a safe return. A number of well-known local foot- ballers has joined the colours. Evan Hughes and Tom Probert Evans, two prominent members of the Abernant Football Club, and who come from Maesydre, are with the 9th Battalion of the Welsh Regiment stationed at Salisbury Plain. Idris Phillips, for- merly the same team's right wing; < Wyndham Jones, of Fondrytown, and Danny Storkley, of Maesydre, are in the same regiment. I hear that Wyndham Jones has been very ill. I trust he has by now recovered. I met Willie Callaghan, of Maelgwyn Terrace, last Saturday night. He looked the very acme of military smartness in his new cavalry uniform of the 2nd Dragoon Royal Scots Greys, that famous regiment who have made history. Willie is stationed at York, and is a clerk in the Quartermaster's Stores. He tells me that there is only one other local man in the same regi- ment, and he is Dr. Ellis Evans, of Cwmaman, who is a sergeant. I visited the Bristol Royal Infirmary last week in the company of an Honor- ary Lieutenant of the Royal Army Medical Corps, and was permitted to witness a minor operation on a wound- ed Highlander. The patient had a bullet in his leg. He was rested on an easy chair, and the leg was placed upon a small table. The surgeon administered a freezing solution, and the whole part around the wound was thus ren- dered numb to the sufferer. A silver tube was inserted in the wound, and inside this tube was a kind of pincers. At the back Of the tube was a clever spring-like arrangement which forced the bullet into it. Directly the bullet entered the tube it was secured by thJ pincers, and was quickly extracted. The whole thing was done quickly and well. and without any pain to the patient. The patients 'invariably recover quickly from such wounds where easy access can be made to ithe bullets. However, in more difficult cases the time taken is much longer. One can- not help being struck with admiration at the tenderness shown by the nurses and operators. Indeed everything possible is done to make the lot of the patients easy and painless. I liked to hear the men sing their Highland songs in the real Scotch fashion. They are fine soldiers to a man. Alf. Ashman, the well-known local elocutionist, is a corporal with the King's Royal Rifles, and is stationed at Winchester. Alf is better known locally as the "collier-actor." He has produced a sketch in which the leading characters were well known local sports. He served through the South African War, and holds the Royal medals for services rendered. He will, in all probability, volunteer either for active or foreign service. Alf's skill as a reciter will make him a great favourite in camp. I shall be pleased to hear from him. A young lady from the Rhondda. now on a visit to friends who keep a refreshment shop in Aberdare, has been the means of bringing many customers to the shop. Just for a bit of fun she posed as a Belgian refugee. The result was that a large number of the curious customers visited the shop to see the "refugee." Reggie Brayshaw, the well-known local footballer, has joined the Royal Field Artillery. Stanley Woodliffe, a popular member of the Abernant A.F.C., has also joined the same regiment, and has left for Salisbury Plain. Dai Pritchard, the well-known left wing of the Aber- dare Crescents A.F.C., is in the 9th Battalion of the Welsh Regiment, which is stationed at Salisbury Plain. He visited Aberdare last week, and was clad in the uniform worn by Kitchener's Army. The clothes are of navy blue serge and are very serviceable. D. Stanfield, of the Cwm, is also with the 2nd Battalion of the Welsh Regiment. and is stationed at Cardiff. Curiously enough every member of his company wears the old scarlet uniform. He says the local boys are in the best ot spirits.

BEST Clean an r N tn' Poi o Does fier Srai ii JLin e- j THE "SANiTAS"C° LTD LONDON E J j

I It is easier to suppress the first de- t;c than to satisfy all that follow it.