GENERAL FREYBERG WELCOMED

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 307, 29 December 1939, Page 8

GENERAL FREYBERG WELCOMED

His Tributes to New Zealand Soldiers Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Dec. 28. Rising to their feet in a burst oi spontaneous cheering, a vast and enthusiastic gathering in the Town Hall gave a fitting welcome to MajorGeneral Freyberg, whose appointment as general officer commanding the Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force has met with approbation throughout Great Britain and New Zealand. His qualities of leadership, contempt of danger, solicitude for his men and other attributes that have made his exploits In the last conflict almost legendary were extolled by representatives of the Wellington City Corporation, the Government and returned soldiers of the Dominion. In the words of the acting-Prime Minister, Mr P, Fraser, they were paying a tribute to a great leader in whom rested tha greatest confidence. Replying Major-General Freyberg, who was received with prolonged applause and musical* honours, said that he took the wonderful reception as a tribute to the Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force. He would be wanting in imagination and perception if he did not realise that 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 that 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 that the life I have been leading for the last five weeks has made me rather wish for a period of short repose,” he said. Busy Three Weeks Three weeks ago he was with General Headquarters in France with Viscount Gort, Commander-in-Chief of the British Field Forces, 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 Mr Fraser, they travelled by air over 13,000 miles to get to New Zealand before the first echelon of the division left for overseas. While in France, said Major-General Freyberg, he had the chance of speaking to his commander-in-chief, who wal I of his own regiment and younger French staff officers from Bureaus one ' and two. All expressed the greatest interest in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. General Conde said he remembered the first New Zealand division in 1918. They were the most remarkable troops he had ever seen and they had the greatest reputation with the French people for their behaviou* and universal courtesy wherever they went in France. Major-General Freyberg endorsed remarks made by the Minister of Defence. Mr F. Jones, about the excellent work done by the staff corps, and MajorGeneral Duigan in particular. Everywhere he had gone he had received the greatest help and greatest assistance by the C.O.G. home here in New Zealand. “I don’t think anybody who is outside military circles can realise how important it is to Major-General Duigan, who commands here in New Zealand, and I, who am in command ov*ir seas, that we 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 ensure that close cooperation is established, and may ) here pay a well-deserved tribute to Major-General Duigan for the assistance he has given me here.” Unreality about War. Speaking of the situation in Europa Major-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. “Well* ladies and gentlemen,” he said, “let me tell you that exactly the same feeling modified exists in England, 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 the German nation is short of food and just waiting for revolt against the Nazi leaders. He believed that the German nation was still behind its leaders and that when they were ordered to move forward against us they would attack. They might not be the same blatant; truculent, well-fed Germans who were thirsting for war as in 1914. He thought that the present-day Germans resembled the German nation we knew in 1917, but it had to be remembered thal the whole set-up of the German natior at present was bounded by propaganda of a most complete nature and control of the civil population to an extent that was immense. At the same time we were encour- * aged by a degree of success that had not been achieved hitherto. MajorGeneral Freyberg said that Germany was afraid to resort to indiscriminate bombing of open towns because hei planes and pilots were inferior to thd British and French, because her industrial areas were vulnerable, becausl her air bases were not so well favoured as thoes of the Allies and because they were also short of petrol.