Show BIRDWOOD OF THE AUSTRALIANS The Commander From the Antipodes and Why His Men Swear by Him Always on the Job S SOMEWHERE IN FRANCE Sept Tho of tho the Australasian Australasian Australasian Aus Aus- 30 Tuo r high hopes peoples are arc centered round rounda a Do bare room room in ono one of the numberless French chateaux where nowadays the theair theair theair air vibrates with the throbbing of the tho guns guus In that small room the furniture furni furni- furniture ture titre principally consisting of the tho simplest simplest sim sim- possible bed a n. telephone and a n map with the latest moves on the tho battle line is ia General Birdwood the idol of the An officer from Victoria received me at tho the gate of the thc chat chateau where stood on guard two t Australian giants having before them a n fluttering flag of tho the Six stars stara It was a muggy morning reminding the officer of October Oc Oc- tober in his own country in the Intosh late Into sh shearing aring time V We e c passed through one of the l balls halla of the chateau where numbers of the clerical staff were busy at nt typewriting and telephones and uI upstairs stairs to tho the generals general's room General Birdwood stands 5 feet 0 inches has not an ounce of spare fat faton faton on him and looks like a man in its hard training He has i strong but gentle voice firm mouth with a slight alight mustache mustache mus mus- tache deep set pale palo blue eyes and a cropped head He lie looks a fighter every every ev every ev- ev ery inch of him He Tic is 50 years of ago age and has hOB been engaged directly or indirectly in the business of war during most o of his adult life Always on tho the Job He eats and drink little is upland away way at daylight in winter and before before be be- fore forc 0 l in n summer Ho pushes his hiB hen headquarters g as ns near neul the front as pos possible possible possible pos pos- sible knows man many of his Ie boys ho s 's as ashe ashe ashe he calls them who fought with h Kim im in iu the tho b Gallipoli peninsula enin ula b by their Christian names and the they believe in him as ns implicitly as ho believes cs in them Birdwood erect in khaki coat cont with some somo four rows 6 df well earned ribbons rib rib- bons bous 1 cor cord 1 ri riding i lg breeches and nd ruling riding s i ti ar 1 1444 f i IF A 1 S SIF w t w r at 1 f fA Yf Il h r Sir William R. R Birdwood lieutenant general commanding the Australian army contingent fighting at the fronton frontin France boots is n not t a man to lose loso a moment of time Ho He was just jut off to tweet moot tho the boys back for rest from They were camping in somo wo woods ds to which wo we drove o in his open motor motorcar car ear which flies flics the Australian flag Seine Somo of them had already arrived Tho sun aun which had been absent blent for fora a some days clays s 's came camu out at this moment and aud never nc do I r remember seeing a n amore amore more delightful sylvan syl scene than that presented by these battle hattle worn but merry soldiers soldier with t their heir boot booty of German helmets and caps German drums and und German field glasses riding riding riding rid rid- ing and walking up to their huts and anti tents Some Somo already were boiling their tea making dampers cooking beef in the cookers extemporized from kerosene tins and eating keenly and heartily after tle l' l long long vigil igil in the hen il heavily heavily shelled t trenches enche As the general stopped out of hiscar his hiscar car he ho was instantly rc recognized by his men most of them from New South r Wales Like a a. Father a-Father to His Men 1 He n addressed his soldiers simply and truly and m drew first fiN from ono one and then from another stories stoics of tho fi fierce f fi they had just expert Some were so tired tire that we had passed them asleep just as they had hd arrived ed others were f full iI of life hind and gaiety and as DS Captain I zi zip dp of or the Salvation Army known I throughout the peninsula and in France as us I. I Mac said m many n wore alre already d anxious t to get back to the firing line and show how the the G Germans that if they were looking ng for more trouble they could het et it I accompanied Birdwood and his staff from one portion to another of tho the scattered ed rore Forest forest t scene In some come of the huts all the men were asleep and Birdwood would on on-no on no account al allow allow al al- low th them deem m to be bc disturbed but hut in others others others oth oth- ers they were merry with mouth organs ort or or- I gnus gans flutes and n a captured drum drum t The general peered in but would not uotI I allow them to Lo o desist Hero Hera and there tho they temporarily formed into line and saluted him as ns ho lw approached He had llad a n pimple speech for fot every Q group al always 5 to the soars off effect oct You have 0 suffered but you have d done ue splendidly Arc AlO you ready lundy for I I more moro when tho the time conies comos comos' comos and there always came a great groat shout of Yes Yes All tho the time timo wo we were talking the cramping and booming of great guns ns l was a reminder of our proximity ty to the terrific struggle waging at fit tho the mom moment nt Tho The risen came camo into lo lowood c wood in 9 q constant stream Having seen their general they at on once co wont went to wash and cat or 01 sleep Birdwood had always one piece of parting advice advice ad ad- vice to the boys Saya Says Write to Mother Write home Let your l' mothers know where whore what doing doing doing do do- you OU are you ou are lC ing and how you Oll are arc for if you Jou dont don't write to her she oho will rill write to me I get dozens of letters by every mail asking for ono one or other othor of or you ou I left this forest steno scene with regret but thor thaI was much to do that day dare Som in tion General General General Gen Gen- Something lhing was preparation eral Birdwood had work to attend to Ho took me lOC with him jn in n his car and we passed cd m morn morn ro and und more of tho the An- An on their way in from tho the battle All smiled EmBed a affectionately as the they saw sa their gene general al and saluted b by r a quick c eyes es right light or the raising of the tho hand to uto hat bat Mounted men dropped peel their right hands sharply to tho s side ll and cavalcade caval caI It was a n long interesting ng cade on its wa way home bome from the battle The dust as ono one of them remarked made him fairl fairly homesick All AIl were u in good spirits and in spite of Jj heavy a losses they had done dono well and their general had lead come to meet and to greet them General Birdwood is one oue of those soldiers soldierS' who thinks it his bis duty to be bein bein ben in n tho the firing lino line wherever WhelO possible but lilt his officers dont don't agho agree with him Two years years' of pi acquaintanceship ha has R Rn RI endeared n c him so to them that thew I feel they ther would be lost without him bim i hini-i I lIe He has 5 often been far too close to r j death for their sappiness happiness and they urged cl him m not to go any farther britto but brit to take m me to nearest field ambulance am am- amt t which was No 2 Australian I Cheerily a slightly wounded Aust Australian Austra Austra- i lion linn at nt the gate pate in reply to a 1 question n from irom rom Bir Birdwood wood as to Jiow how the hospi 1 pal ial was getting on replied It Oh Ohve Ob we ve weare are filling up nicely general t T They h ey All Like France Prance Wo We 0 went thence to the First Australian Au Au- straHan field ambulance Sir Anthony Anthony An An- f thony thollY y Boti Bowl by the distinguished surgeon surgeon sur sur- geon was 35 just making his inspection f fand and I passed pa the time talking with r some of the wounded lads ads Some f I were sleeping others in pain but in y general they were ready for a joke and a talk aIl and d a n cigarette How do you liko like France Francc i I asked ayoung a ft young Victorian It I I like it fine he be replied They can i ca t teach a b us ns something something something some some- thing in farming and another Zone one said 1 Not Not asp un inch of land wasted 1 i They work on the land rain min or shine J Girls are ro all uH right too oo put in I i- i young oung giant from Bathurst Yes I j j should like to take a couple of them back chipped in inn a a wounded Ade t r laider I l' was dul duly shocked but the j compliment to France was sincere I asked the general where these men were dr drawn l from The They are of all nIl ty types type clerks t clerks blacksmiths men from stations and farms farmS- Many of 1 the e officers arc are of tho the same class r. r They understand and obey each other J implicitly The They have hav exactly the 1 h r rh same rations as ns the British soldiers and draw only a 0 portion of thoU their handsome o pay 0 M t |