Taken on strength: “Aussie” [editorial, 18 January 1918]

[Editor: An editorial published in Aussie: The Australian Soldiers’ Magazine, no. 1, 18 January 1918.]

Taken on strength: “Aussie.”

Here’s AUSSIE. He comes on strength of the A.I.F. full of hope and anticipation of a useful and happy sojourn with the great and valiant Army of Aussies. He makes no claim to high literary attainments. His one object in life is to be bright and cheerful and interesting — to reflect that happy spirit and good humour so strongly evident throughout the Aussie Army.

The journalistic offspring of the Australian soldier should bear an Australian Soldier’s name. Hence AUSSIE. To the Australian soldier the name Aussie stands for his splendid, sea-girt, sun-kissed Homeland, and his cobbers are always Aussies.

Aussie belongs to you, lads, and it’s up to you to make him cheerful and attractive and worth knowing. Fill him with good stories, smart jokes and bright humour.

AUSSIE wants to have the Spirit of the A.I.F. And that can only be given by you in your own language and your own way.

That good trench incident that you know, that interesting story, that smart gag, that bright epigram — send them along. Don’t keep a good Aussie joke to yourself. Let’s all in the laugh. Tell it to AUSSIE. Don’t worry about literary style. Just jot it down and let’s have it. The Editor will soon lick it into shape. That’s his job.

And so, Aussies, let’s get together and make AUSSIE a bright light in the murky atmosphere of these dreary winter months — a cheerful storyteller, a good humourist, a clever wit, a cobber worth having.

Source:
Aussie: The Australian Soldiers’ Magazine, no. 1, 18 January 1918, page 1

Editor’s notes:
The picture of “Aussie” was drawn by Stuart Shaw (born in 1881 in Sheffield, England; died in 1950 in New South Wales), who was the art editor of Aussie magazine

References:
““Aussie” and the Anzac Bulletin”, The Murray Pioneer and Australian River Record (Renmark, SA), 7 June 1918, p. 6
“Funerals”, The Sydney Morning Herald (Sydney, NSW), 8 May 1950, p. 16
“Stuart Shaw: Biography”, Design and Art Australia Online (accessed 10 March 2014)
“Stuart Shaw: References”, Design and Art Australia Online (accessed 10 March 2014)