LETTER FROM GENERAL GODLEY

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 49, 21 November 1917, Page 4

LETTER FROM GENERAL GODLEY

"THE BOCHE IS ABSOLUTELY BEATEN." Communications recenb'y veceived in Wellington from General Sir Alexander Godley show hie high appreciation of the qualitiea of tho New Zealand Expeditionary Forces undor his command, In a letter received by Colonel G. F. C. Campbell, Coast Defence Commander, from General Godloy, hoisaye that "the troops of tho Dominion lavo done mngnificantly, and it ie not foo much to eay that, barring perhaps fcYe Guards Division, the Now Zealand Jivision is looked upon as just as good is any division in Franco." "I also hear/ he adds, "golden opinions of the Mounted Eiflo Brigade in Egypt from General who commands the cavalry cut there." Speaking of tho tHrd battle of Ypres, Goneral Godley sayf that "it began splendidly, but tho wexthcr interfered very greatly with tho operations. If it had only rained for a few days it would have been all right, >ut it was so persietent and so heavy ihat the whole country was converted iito a moraes, which made operations impossible, and gave time to tho Boche to complete his wiring, to bring up ninforcomente and guns, strengthen hi) blockhouses' strong points, etc., and generally to pull himself together. Thii meant starting afresh without all the . - oads and railways and necessary paraplernalia to give ue as good a start as first , ." . General Godley speaks in very eulogistic terms of the military service system of New Zealand, and tho methods cf oarryingit out, and expresses the opinion that Australia must follow suit. Dcaliig with the position at (he front, General Godley states that /'the whole cmesttfl! now is one of man-power; and the Bioho is absolutely beaten, and to know) it. But unless we can produce (>tiou,'h men. and keep hammering at -him "and driving him back, the war will 6 til! so on for a long time. Ihe tone of the Boche writings and speeches is witiHv different now from what it was. flie Now Zealand Artillery, he eays, wntinues to do excellent work. The rfrain is beginning to lell on a good many of the officers. Speaking of himnelf.'he ndds thnt he is just goir.tr out of the line for a little- rest, and will not bn altogether sorry, ns it will be the first time that he lias been anywhere except in the. front lines since he oft Alexandrin for Lomnos in April, 1915. In mi letter reo.oivod by Colonel Campbell from Goneral Chaytor. commanding Hip New Zealand Mounted Rifles in Pftlestiiip. ho foreo.iste tho prwont advance. Ho stntw that, when ! he Turkish front at Gaza is broken, "the cavalry wcmld lmvo the l>wt show cf ™«™ times." nlluding to .the suitability of the country for cavalry operations. The successful advance that is now, taking place «eems to affirm (he opinion expressed.