GENERAL CHAYTOR

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 53, 26 November 1919, Page 7

GENERAL CHAYTOR

ENTERTAINED AT PALMERSTON NORTH

TRIALS OF CAMPAIGNING IN THE EAST

(•From Our Special Correspondent.)

Palmorston North, November 25. For some littlo time past a "Luncheon Club"- has been established at Palmerston North, with headquarters at the Y.M.C.A., at which luncheons and discussions tako place weekly. At yesterday's function General Sir Edward Chaytor, who has recently returned from lEjfyiil', was tho guest "of honour. The chairman (Mr. James Wallaco), in welcoming the guest, pointed out that ho hod left the Dominion as a .Colonel in 1911, and had come back as a MajoitGenoral, with a K.C.8., K.C.M.G., and also hnd the honour of having been appointd an aide-de-camp to the King. General Chaytor, who was loudly cheered on rising, gave a most interesting account of what ho had seen, and of tho trials and tribulations our men had gono through in Egypt. Ho said that ho took tho flattering welcome to mean appreciation for the brave men who had done so much whilo they had been associated with him. So far as they wore concerned, he wished to say that thoy had loyally supported him in all his undertakings, and they had accomplished all that was humanly possible, and some things which they had been told wero absolutely impossible. Although the men sorving in Egypt had not tho stoady shell-fire to contend with, their work was equally trying, but under all circumstances they acquitted themselves with credit, whether it was during tho trying time of uncertainty whilo waiting for, an attack which might como from any unexpected quarter, or while actually in tho fighting line. Tho brigade' under his command was first told off to oovcr a lino protecting the Suez Canal, but this the men did not like, owing to so much inactivity. .Lato in 191 C, however, they were taken oil' this and crossed tho Canal, and then faced tho Turks. Their main difficulty right through was tho scarcity of water, ana the quality of what littlo thoy could get. Added to this the heat was intense. On one day two regiments wont out with tho thermometer at 103 degrees, and no good water being available, tho men dropped off their horses as though thoy had been knocked over by shrapnel. Most of the men recovered, but many of them wero never fit to work again. In the last fight before Palestine the New Zealand Brigade wero the first British troops to cross into Palestine Tho desert was a wonderful place, fiXIl of romance, ami full of ruins, but it was a terrible place for troops to have to exist in. As they entered the region of the Jordan the cold became intense, the ground being covered with hail, and the extremes were very severe, and told on the health of the men. When they wore approaching Jericho the troops had practically to ufie a goat track round tho sido of a hill, tho whole brigade being practically In single- file. Tho Turks wore iiblo to command the position, and worried them with guns .which carried 28,000 yards, while tho sixty-pounders with which our men wero provided would not reach that distance. - The brigade, however, eventually succeeded in getting through, and r when they had succeeded the Arabs who had been assisting the Turks bolted. They w,ere told that it would be impossible for them to stay in that region, as the death rate would lo terribly heavy. The medical staff discovered that the trouble was malaria, spread by mosquitos, and by getting rid of these they succeeded in keeping the death rate down. However, the ppsls were still brought down by the night winds, and the men suffered severely. In spito of this, the men kept in good heart, and were always game when wanted. When the bur fifjht came tho Now Zealonders wero sent to tho Jordan Valley under the command of Colonel Meldrum, and (hey ornssod the river at the Finnic spot as did the 'Tsrae'ites \n the earlior centuries. About thin lime malaria broke out in earnest, and 12,000 men had to be eynmiaM from tho valley, but only 90 died. The mcdienl' staff sot up ii hospital and the disease was eventually stamped out. , The final tattle was won hv ■ the wonderful orean'Ration of the sl-»T i"i<V" Onncvnl AIVnW. I'lirniwhout all this trying time tho Now ZealliiidDis stuck to their wort- heroically, in spite of many disabilities and the absence of leave, and d'd their duty in n manner which could never bo forgotten.

General Chnytor said that, the British would still find very .grp.it problems fflciiw them in the F/nv't. From men with whom he had associated there, and who were thormightv acquainted with the subject, he found that the -Arabs were . not a-' nation, ns was generally supposed, but consisted of n lnri"> millibar of ecpnrato tribes, each of whom was anxious lo oust si 11 but themselves, and none of them would como under restraint unless compelled to do so by force. .

Sneaking of the men under' his command, General Chnytor said they were art extremely fine lot. They hail done wonders' muter very great strain, and there could be no doubt that the war had brought out the best that was in ■them. Their behaviour throughout had been of the highest character, nnd this was shown by the fact that while some other regiments found difficulty in going back to some of the places they had previously been billeted in, the New Zealanders were always welcomed with open arms at every place they had ever been, and he had never heard any complaint o.s to misbehaviour on the part of any of his troops. Naturally, the strenuous I'life they had led during the campaign I must have unsettled a large number of them, and they' would have great difficulty in falling into the old grooves. He aske'd his bearers to bear with these men nnd assist them in .every way oo>eible to settle down again. He concluded by remarking that matters in' Europe did not look like settling down, and the League of Nations wns certninlv not g n ing to have a smooth time. Personally, he would nrefer a League of British Empire. Whatever might happen— ho hoped that no further war would occur in his time—they must be prepared in ense it should come. If Britain nnd France hnd been ready at the time ho did not think the Into war would ever have occurred. Whatever little the Dominion wn.? going to do they nw»t sec that the best -provision was made in enso of their lyun? minimi to not to see that tho officers were well trained, nnd that brnve men should not be in danger of being sacrificed by incompetent control. .

On the motion of Mr. Omm, seconded bv Mr. B. J. Jacobs, the Onpr»l -"-is accorded a honrtv vote of thanks for his i'itcr"st.i«" address, and the proceedings closed with three hearty cheers for him.

It is ui'dei'stood that a deputation of busini'ss men intends to-day to wait on Mr. M. C'arr, president of tho Chamber of Commerce, and invite him to agree to nomination for-the Wellington Central scat.

A well-nttcnded meeting of the TTult Valley Branch of the Prohibition Party was held in Welch's Hall. Lower lfutt, on Jfonday evening. Speeches were giveli by Captain Morris, Mr. Skent, nivd Sergeant Hun tor (organiser for the Hutt district). At the closo of the meeting n vote oE thanks was accorded tho spcakors.