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ABERGAVENNY TOWN COUNCIL.

IAbergavenny Federation of…

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WRISTLET WATCHES. I

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WRISTLET WATCHES. I Fourteen More Recipients at Abergavenny. I OVER 2120 RAISED. On Thursday evening last a smoking concert I was held at the Black Lion Hotel, for the purpose of making further presentations of luminous dial wristlet watches to soldiers home on leave from the front. There were on this occasion 14 soldiers entitled to receive a watch, but four of these had gone back, and their watches will be sent to them. The full list of names is as follows :—Sergt. J. W. Speed, Labour Corps Pte. F. Neville, xst Mons. Pte. F. Higgins, R.E.; Pte. B. Lyons, 9th Batt. Welsh Regt. Pte. R. Watkins, 1st Mons Pte. H. Ryce, 1st Mons. Signaller G. F. Gwenlan, R.E. Pte. W. P. Hughes, 1st Batt. Welsh Rgt. Rirleiuan B. Brown, 1st Mons. Pte. W. C. Abbott, 2nd Mons. Rifleman W. Davies, 1st Mons. Pte. T. R. Wiuney, 2nd Mons. Sapper R. II. Bailey, R.E. and Sapper H. Pritchard, R.E. Councillor W. J. Meale presided at the outset, and the chair was subsequently taken by the Rev. J. R. Phillips, R.D., Vicar of Holy Trinity, who made an admirable chairman. L [The Anvi! and the Hammer. I The Chairman expressed his pleasure at. being present that uiglit. All his clerical life, extend- ing over 37 years, lie had been mixed up with soldiers and sailors. He had been a chaplain for five years, and was first a Volunteer and then a Territorial. His love for the service was just the same as it ever was. (Applause). When he read the papers his blood boiled, and he wanted to get hold of a chopper or a doubled-b irrelled gun and go out to kill Germans. When he read how their boys were treated by the Germans lie could hardly contain himself. He appre- ciated the privilege of coming there to show an indication of the goodwill of the people of the town to the soldiers belonging to the town. The committee had now raised over £12<) to spend on those watches. They were beautiful little watches, and they formed a valuable present to the men who were fixed up in the trenches. lie believed that something like S2 of those watches had now been presented by the committee. (Applause). The only tiling the committee regretted was that they were not made of solid gold and studded with jewels—(applause)—so thoroughly appreciative were they of the splendid work that these men were doing. There were a lot of peopl. at home who did not grasp what this war really meant. They had not grasped the fact that but for what the men in khaki were doing and the Navy were doing we would have the Germans in this country. They did things unspeakable to the women aud children, and God forbid that they should ever set foot in these islands. Referring to the I miniature anvil and hammer which was 011 the table for the chairman to conduct the pro- ceedings with, the Chairman asked if they knew which would wear out first, the anvil or the hammer? ("The hammer.") Ves, the anvil would wear out hundreds of hammers. The anvil represented the British Empire, and the hammer represented the Germans. (Applause). They would never wear out the British Empire. The Kaiser's Perfidy. I The Chairman, having presented the watches to the recipients present, with a few appropriate remarks to each, proceeded to say that he was obsessed by the war. It was the first thing he thought of in the morning and the last thing at night, with a prayer on his lips for the boys in the trenches. This war was the result of un- preparedness. We let our Army and Navy down and we allowed the Germans to make a tremendous lot of money out of this country. Perhaps some of them knew Harwich and the place by the side of the quay, which was as large as l'addington, Before the war they would find it full of almost everything which was needed in a household. He inquired the meaning of it, and he was told that all these goods came over from Germany to be marked Made in Ger- many," and then to be sent out to flood the country in competition with the manufactures of our own working men. The Germans paid nothing whatever to bring them into this couutry. and the money went back to Germany. The first time he went abroad, about 35 years ago, he took a small afternoon tea-table for some friends. When they got into port a man with a great deal of gold lace said he must pay 1] francs for it. He supposed the table was wortli about jos., and lie said that lie was not going to sell the table but was simply going to make a present of it. That did not make any difference, and before he could take it into the country he had to pay is. 6d. Next morning he saw two brigantines and a schooner going out of the harbour, and on inquiry he was told that the brigantines were going to London full of chil- dren's toys, an d the schooner was going to Southampton with cheap clocks. He asked what they would have to pay to land the toys and clocks, and the man he questioned roared with laughter and said Nothing at all." The Germans made a tremendous lot of money that way, and that was how they were able to build the Goeben and other large war vessels. All the London hotels were staffed with German waiters. We had been feeding Germany, pampering her and keeping her going, and they built that great Navy and made those huge armaments, and now we had to fight against them. When the late Queen Victoria was dying, did they know whose arms she was suppported by P The arms of the German Emperor, who professed the greatest affection for her. All the time he was building I up his great armament and making mighty guns and getting ready to fight us. The perfidy of the thing was terrible. In the meantime we had intercepted a telegram which the Kaiser sent to Kruger during the South African War. Yet even that did not open our eyes, though Lord Roberts went round the country imploring us to realise that Germany was going to make war. Certain people laughed and said that he was suffering from senile decay and ought to be shut up in a lunatic asylum. But Lord Roberts was right, and what lie liked about him was that he never said I told you so." Let us go 011 with the great job we had taken in hand. The brave boys who were fighting for us needed all the support we could give them. Let them not forget to pray for them. He was not ashamed to say that he did, and he believed that God protected them as a result. (Applause). Helps Tbem To Carry On. I Pte. Hughes thanked the company for the reception they had given the soldiers, who appreciated it more than they thought. They felt it more when they went back than they did at home, and when they thought of the appre- ciation of the people at home it made them able to carry on when they were inclined to say Bust it." (Applause.) Pte. Neville and Pte. Lyons also responded and returned thanks for the watches. The latter said he was an old 3rd Mons., and he wished he was in their company at the front. The Welsh Regiment was a good regiment, but he would rather be with the boys of the 3rd Mons. (Applause). Councillor Meale proposed a vote of thanks to the Chairman for presiding. He had shown he had the courage of his convictions and was anxious to assist them instead of criticising them. (Applause). Mr. W. Jeffreys seconded and said it was a happy inspiration of the gentleman who pro- posed that the Rev. J. R. Phillips should be asked to preside, and he had proved an excellent chairman. Mr. W. Russell supported and said that, as one of the old 3rd Mons., he was very pleased to see their chaplain there that night, and he could assure him that it would not be the last time they would ask him. (Applause). The company sang For he's a jolly good fellow." The Vicar, in reply, said that lie had orly done what any man should be proud to do, and that was to come amongst the soldiers and show appreciation of what they were doing. He congratulated the committee on the splendid work they were doing. A vote of thanks was accorded the artistes, on the proposition of Mr. J. Carter, seconded by Mr. T. Evans, aud Mr. W. Davies responded, and promised on the next occasion to bring down his concert party from T3rynmawr and give them a real good time. The programme was entirely sustained by Bryumawr artistes, who gave some excellent songs.

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