EX-ENEMY AS GUEST

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 3 January 1931, Page 3

EX-ENEMY AS GUEST

LEADER OF THE TURKS GERMAN GENERAL HONOURED LORD ALLENBY’S DISAPPROVAL General Freiherr Kress von Kressenslein, who eoninnincled liie Turkish army against which the 53rd Welsh Division fought in Palestine, was the guest of honour at the twelfth annual dinner of the officers of the division in London on Bth November. About 120 officers were present. Wearing the Iron Cross and the insignia. of the German Order of Merit, General Kress was given a rousing reception. Prefacing his speech with a few words in hesitant English, he delivered the speech itself in German. The reading of a translation afterwards was freely punctuated with applause, and at the end the officers rose to their feet, sang ‘Tor lie’s a jolly good fellow,” and toasted their ex-enemy guest to the accompaniment of loud cheers. Major-General S. F. Mott, president of the 53rd Welsh Divisional Club, extended the invitation to Gceral Kress von Kressenstein at the request of a number of officers who admired the fair and soldierly way in which their former enemy had fought against them.

The “Daily Telegraph” stated however, that it understood that strong opposition had been voiced in certain quarters against what is described as “fraternising” with ex-enemies, and that Viscount Allenby, who commanded the Imperial Forces in Palestine, was among those who expressed disapproval of the invitation. SPEECH BY GENERAL KRESS “To me,” said General Kress in his speech, “it was always a great satisfaction that my opponents conducted the war in a thoroughly chivalrous manner, and that we were spared those disagreeable incidents which provoked so much bitterness in other theatres of war. I did my best to preserve tlio chivalrous character of the campaign, and I always found the Turkish generals to be in the fullest sympathy with this ideal. “It is due to our mutual efforts that men who a comparatively few years ago fought each other strenuously can sit down together at the same table this evening, and that to-day I can shake hands with my former enemy in the fullest recognition of his brilliant generalship.” Remarking that he always regarded the 53rd Welsh as among his bravest, most tenacious, and dangerous adversaries, General Kress said he perceived' in the invitation that had been extended to him “a desire on your part to express your appreciation of the exploits of an adversary weak both in numbers and material, and to recognise the fact that when wo went down we went down with honour.”

“TRYING TO BURY THE HATCHET”

“Perhaps/ ’the general continued, “I might perceive also in your invitation a new and happy sign of the gradual disappearance of the war mentality, a new and happy symptom both of the need and of the effort to bring about a resumption of amicable relations between our two great nations, which, neither by reason of their historical past nor on any ground of racial differences, should be on other than friendly terms. “Like the invitation which last year was extended to and accepted by General Let tow von Vorbeck, I regard tlio invitation which you have similarly extended to me as an extremely valuable building-stone in the reconstruction of friendly relations between our two countries. That we soldiers, who are so often unjustly described as enemies of peace, should be trying to bury the hatchet and humanly approach one another as friends, attaches to your invitation a value and importance which far transcend personal considerations and makes it nothing less than a matter of the very greatest public interest. The whole German army and the overwhelming majority of the German people gladly and gratefully grasp the hand which their former enemy extends to them.”

CROSSES OH THE CENOTAPH Major-General Mott and General Kress together placed crosses at the foot of tiie Cenotaph on the afternoon before the dinner. The crosses, about oft high and composed of crimson rosebuds, were identical in design. Attached to General Kress’ cross was a card inscribed with his own hand: —“In honour, and in sincere admiration, a former enemy pays homage to those who, with their lives, paid for their devotion to their country. —Erlir. Kress von Kressentein, Gen. dor Artillerie a D.” About fifty oflicers of the division were present, and stood bareheaded round the Cenotaph while the crosses were deposited. The 53rd Welsh Division took part in some very severe engagements with the Turkish troops commanded by General Kress during Allenby’s attack on the Gaza-Beerslieba line in November, 1017.

Differences of opinion similar to those which have now arisen over entertaining ex-enemies were voiced in December last, when General Lottow von Vorbeek was a guest at the East African Expeditionary Force dinner in London. General Smuts, who presided, paid a tribute to the “brave and clean fighter” and the “great commander” of the German forces which had fought against him in East Africa.