"Next week," said General H----, "we are to have two parties of
correspondents here. The penny papers come first, and later on the
ha'pennies!"
That brought the conversation, as usual, to the feeling about the war
in America. Like all the other officers I had met, these men were
anxious to have things correctly reported in America, being satisfied
that the true story of the war would undoubtedly influence any
wavering of public opinion in favour of the Allies.
One of the officers was a Canadian, and for his benefit somebody told
the following story, possibly by now familiar to America.
Some of the Canadian troops took with them to England a bit of the
dash and impatience of discipline of the great Northwest. The story in
question is of a group of soldiers at night passing a sentry, who
challenges them:
"Halt! Who goes there?"
"Black Watch."
"Advance, Black Watch, and all's well."
The next group is similarly challenged:
"Halt! Who goes there?"
"Cameronians."
"Advance, Cameronians."
The third group comes on.
"Halt! Who goes there?"
"What the devil is that to you?"
"Advance, Canadians!"
In the burst of mirth that followed the Canadian officer joined. Then
he told an anecdote also:
"British recruits, practising passing a whispered order from one end
of a trench to the other, received this message to pass along: 'Enemy
advancing on right flank.
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