ALLENBY AND THE ANZACS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 309, 25 September 1919, Page 7

ALLENBY AND THE ANZACS

NO SLIGHT-NOT FtfLLY REPORTED

London, September 23. General Allenby, iu an interview, regarding his Dover speech, in which lie is reported to have omitted'mention of tire Australians in the Palestine Army, expressed surprise' that there was no men-, tion in the. report of his. speech of tho Australians, and. also at the suggestion that such an omission, if made, could possibly havo given offence to so gallant. a..body of men as the Light Horso. "The. phrase 'Cosmopolitan Army' was used b'v the Recorder of Dover. My response was naturally a eulogy of the whole of my army, which I said consisted of maiii nationalities, including British, Australian, New. Zealand, French, Italian. West Indian, Egyptian, Arab, Jewish, Algerian, and Armenian soldiers, I find my notes' specifically mentioned tlie Australians. The good' work of the Australians and New Zealanders in Pales-, tine.was such that they can never be forgotten by me."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

TMi'. Harry Gullet, the official correSDOndent with the' A.I.F. in Palestine, writes "in the'"Sun" witli reference'to a recent statement by Viscount Allcnby, tliat his army was cosmopolitan,' in wliioli he mentioned .various nationalities. including New Zealanders, but failed to mention the Australians,, and added that towards the close of the campaign, two-thirds of the army were Mohammedans. : Mr. Gullet 6ays that the "Sun's" suggestion that the omission of. the Australians was .an unintentional slio n'.av be right, but he doubts it. "This omission is characteristic of Viscount Allenby's attitude . towards the Listlit Horse. .Without the Australians and New Zealanders ' Palatine would never havo been wop. Nobody knows this bettor than Viscount Allenby and General Murray, but neither of them is bit: enough to forgive the Australians and New Zeaianders their relative slackness in ceremonial discipline,-. although in almost every fight they gambled on tho Anzacs' fine discipline to carry them through, and it, did." Tho correspondent gives instances of proof of Viscount Allenby's failure to recognise tho work of the Australians and' New Zealanders, and of British truckling to Moslem, which he declares was carried to a stupid extreme.]