FINE TRADITIONS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20132, 29 December 1939, Page 11

FINE TRADITIONS

DOMINION TROOPS INTEREST IN NEW FORCE TRIBUTES TO LEADER GEN. FREYBERG’S VIEWS (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. Replying at a civic welcome extended to him, Major-General Freyberg, G.O.C. the New Zealand forces overseas, who w’as received with prolonged applause and musical honours, said he took the wonderful reception as a tribute to the second New Zealand Expeditionary Force. He would be wanting in imagination and perception, he said, if he did not realise there was a deeper note to the reception than a mere formal expression of welcome to a stranger within the walls. That they remembered him and claimed him as a citizen after 25 years’ absence showed they had long memories and kind hearts. He assured them that in the time he had been away he had been a staunch and determined New Zealander. By nature New Zealanders were rather adventurous. “We like constant changes, and I assure you the life I have been leading for the last five weeks has made me rather wish for a short period of repose,” he said. Rush Tour in France Three weeks ago lie was with General Headquarters in France with General Lord Gort, Commander-In-Chief of the British Expeditionary Force, and afterwards went to stay with General Conde, a most distinguished French general commanding a group of armies in the Maginot Line. A few days after, in company with the Hon. P. Fraser, they were travelling by air over 13,000 miles to get to New Zealand before the First Echelon of the division left lor overseas. While in France lie had a chance of speaking to the Commander-m-Chief, who was of his own regiment, younger French staff officers from Bureaux I and 11. All expressed the greatest interest in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force.

General Conde said lie remembered the first New Zealand Division, 19 K 8. They were the most remarkable troops he had ever seen. They had the greatest reputation with the French people, not only for their behaviour in the line but their behaviour and universal courtesy wherever they went in France. General Duigan Praised

General Freyberg endorsed the remarks of the Minister of Defence, the Hon. F. Jones, about the excellent work done by the staff corps and Major-General J. E. Duigan in particular. Everywhere lie had gone he had received the greatest help and the greatest assistance by the G.O.C. at home here in New Zealand.

“I do not think anybody who is outside military circles can realise the importance it is that Major-General Duigan. who commands here in New Zealand and 1, who am to command overseas, should know and understand each other’s difficulties and work in close co-operation. I would go so far as to say that the most important part of my visit here is to establish those personal relationships with -the G.O.C. here and to ensure that close co-oper-ation is established, and may I here pay a well-deserved tribute to MajorGeneral Duigan for the assistance lie has given me here.”

Speaking of the situation in Europe, General Freyberg said it seemed to him that here there was a feeling of unreality about this war and that it was different from the last. Year Not Started Yet

“Well, ladies and gentlemen, let me tell you that exactly the same feeling to a modified extent exists in England and also among the troops in France. The real reason is that as far as the Allies are concerned the war has not yet started.”

He was not one of those who had the opinion so widely expressed that tiie German nation was short of food and was just waiting to revolt against the Nazi leaders. He believed the German nation was still behind the leaders and that when they were ordered to move forward against us they would attack. They might not be the blatant, truculent, well-fed Germans who were thirsting for war as in 1914. He thought the presentday Germans resembled the German nation we knew in 1917, but they must remember that the whole set-up of the German nation at present was bounded by propaganda of the most complete nature. General Freyberg said that Germany was afraid to resort to indiscriminate bombing of open towns because her planes and pilots were inferior to the British and French, because her industrial areas were vulnerable, because her air bases were not so well favoured as the Allies and because also they were short of petrol.