Series 03: John Brady Nash letters, January 1914-December 1915 - Page 541
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[Page 541]
[mi]ght have chilblains on her hands and feet I sent her directions how to treat them I hope that M. M. Bertrand is long ere this in good health again, she is a dear to take so kindly an interest in me, but we have been friends for so many years that she has a sort of proprietary interest in me. Good. Good. Tell her not to worry about me, with God's help I shall pull through all right.
Many thanks for the papers dear, Jerom and I looked through them while I was taking tea, he read several of the special parts. Each of us was wondering why the Stadium crowd treated Mr Holman so badly, as we expected quite the other kind of a reception for him from such an audience. It was [t]he night that Darcy beat Mcgoorty. Good for the former bad for the latter, the victory ought to stamp the man from Maitland as of the first rank in the fighting ring. When I saw the American last he was in the first rank. It is to be hoped that Darcy will not be spoiled by popularity. Few men can stand it.
"The Mirror" has not come, it may do so later. Why should Jack Meyers start a paper, it is usually more profitable to work for another man who publishes a paper than to be a proprietor of one in the early stages, it is quite another matter when one has been established for years. It would be hard to find a more profitable business than the S.M. Herald [Sydney Morning Herald] or the D. Telegraph [Daily Telegraph], or even one of the other old papers.
In these days of depression it is hard to get tennants, however keep struggling. Mrs Fisher and Kitty must be good friends. Who could be other with our Kittens? Good Tabbie to do such neat work. The Moxham baby wil be well covered with her piece of work. Good; Good girl. Clever girl. Sox not yet here.
I hope that the Hughes and the See boys will do well at the war. Why have they come to another part of the Empire than their own to join the forces? I do not understand. Is the company of their own people not good enough. Or what?
I sent reply to Mr Roger Arnotts enquiries at once. There was no delay. Colonel Arnott was twice slightly wounded, but on neither occasion was he so seriously injured as to have to leave the peninsula, if he were wounded a third time I have not heard about it.
I must write to Mr Holman. He did not reply to my former letters.
The great strength of the German at the present moment consists in the possession of plenty of educated officers and noncommissioned officers, these are the brain and the back bone of every army and that which has the best of both is almost sure to win, no other European nation has a supply at the moment comparable to the Teuton, for the reason that his leaders alone amongst men have devoted enough years to preparing for the gigantic struggle that is now with us. The Russians have shown themselves to be the best runners of all time, champions easily.
[On Saturday 31 July 1915, William Arthur Holman (1871-1934), Premier of New South Wales, and Charles Gregory Wade (later Sir Charles; 1863-1922), Leader of the Opposition, attempted to speak in support of the recruiting campaign in front of a large crowd gathered at the Sydney Stadium to watch a boxing match between Les Darcy and Eddie Mcgoorty. While wounded returned soldiers received a good reception from the crowd Messrs Holman and Wade were "howled down by a section of the crowd" and "counted out. They left the ring without delivering their message. (Source, Sydney Morning Herald, 1 August 1915, 2 August 1915.)
James Leslie (Les) Darcy (1895-1917), born in Maitland, NSW, was a very successful boxer who lost only four professional fights and was never knocked out. He was seen as something of an example to young men and came under some pressure to enlist, but left Australia just prior to the (failed) 1916 conscription referendum to pursue his boxing career in the US. He died there in 1917 of pneumonia following septicaemia and endocarditis. After large funeral processions in San Francisco and Sydney, he was buried at East Maitland. (Source: Australian Dictionary of National Biography.)
Jack Michael Myers published The Mirror of Australia newspaper between 30 July 1915 and 19 May 1917, when it merged with the Globe and Sunday Times War Pictorial (1914-1917) to become the Mirror (Sydney; 1917-1919).]