Letters From the Front

Dated:

An interesting letter has been received from Thomas Cogland who is with the first contingent at Salisbury Plains, England.

He had the privilege of attending a Masonic dinner in London, and reports that the capital was like some weird, haunted place, all lights being screened and only a faint glimmer lit the streets, while immense searchlights swept the sky from north to south for hostile Zeppelins, with British aircraft hovering overhead. The raid on the English coast has brought many to the colors, and all manner of devices are used to produce more to enlist. It is understood that 40,000 a week is the average recruiting number. All manner of rumours are current about camp, the latest being that Kitchener will send an army of two million to the front in April. The soldiers have left their tents for long houses which contain 40 men each. He states that there will soon be 400,000 in their camp alone. The soldiers seem to have few complaints and a six day holiday was declared at Christmas with free transportation. He descries the plains as an immense city of never-ceasing activity. At present, drilling is almost at a standstill, the majority of the men being engaged in construction work such as electric light, water works and railways.