THE NEW ZEALAND DIVISION

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 146, 15 March 1919, Page 7

THE NEW ZEALAND DIVISION

LETTEBS FROM GENERAL GODLEY. ■ The Minister of Defence (Sir James Allen) has received letters from General Godley containing some remarks of general interest regarding the New Zealand troops. - Writing on January 21, General Godley said: "I have just coma back from ft visit to the New Zealand Division at Cologne, and I ain glad to bo ablo to tell you that I found' them very flourishing and happy." In a, letter written at Mons on December 31, General Godley said: "This place is full of returned prisoners, and only this morning I have been seeing a lot of them; Their accounts of their treatment vary considerably, but there is no doubt that, especially at tho beginning, a great many wero disgracefully treated. On the other hand, there are others who say they were well treated. "You will be interested as an old artilleryman to know that within the last week I have inspected on one sion eight-horse batteries of heavy artillery, fr-inch howitzers and 60-pounders, and on another occasion five brigades, that is, twenty batteries, on parade, the two biggest assemblages of heavy artillery, I believe, and have been told by guinneirs, that have ever been in'the history of the Eoyal Regiinent. of Artillery." General Godley refers to Ihe cablegram fient by the Minister of Defence authorising the expenditure of .£50,000 on the education scheme for the soldiers. He says that he does not think so much money will be required. In view, of the early demobilisation and the position generally, there will be no question of spending any very large sum of money on education, but he has told General Kichardson not to stint expenditure on anything that the troops way require. "In accordance with' the instructions, and authority you gave ma when I left New Zealand," added General Godley, "1 have set up a board-of senior officers for the disposal of stores, and everything is well in train, I think. "I have the Otago Mounted Rifles, the Cyclists' Battalion, the Tunnelling Company, and the Light Railway Field Company here with the corps at present, as well as a considerable number of New Zealand clerks and others of the corps staff and Employment Company (New Zealand). Thoy are gradually passing away, and I am afraid if wil not. do long before we lose thorn all. Everyone on the corps staff is very unhappy at the prospect of losing our New Zealand clerical staff. They have been quite excellent and a great stand-by to the corps."