SATURDAY, JUNE 5, 1920. GENERAL BIRDWOOD

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10608, 5 June 1920, Page 6

SATURDAY, JUNE 5, 1920. GENERAL BIRDWOOD

There arc generals "whose leadership in war commands tho confidence of their men on tho field of battle only, and there are generals who, having fine human qualities as well as tho great quality of leadership, obtain not only tho confidence of their men but also their pcmonal devotion. For example, Marlborough's men hated him, but when they went into action, they always said "Jack Churchill can fight"; and Napoleon's men, who revered his military genius, repaid his frank comradeship with them and his care for their comforts, adoring him as "The Little, Corporal." General Birdwood's position in the second of these categories wan mado very clear on Thursday night in the Town Hall, where a crowd of his soldiers gave a great ovation to their indomitable commander, whom they had learned, under fire and otherwise, to love as "Birdie." Listening to that ovation, one learned many things. For instance, one realised why this commander is known as "The Soul of Anzac," and one got an understanding glimpse of the high spirit of our men in the war; of their breezy, informal discipline; of the philosophic and genial hardihood with which they faced hard fighting and harder hardships; tho coolness with which they evacuated Gallipoli; tho fierce determination with which they "went over the top" against every sort of enemy; and the thoroughness with which they did everything put before them. What better return could, bo made by a chief of such inspiration for tho ovation he had deserved so well than**the advice the General gave his men to do their part in peace;— politically, socially, industrially—as well as they had done it in war? And what better satisfaction could he have than the knowledge that tho men have themselves already taken the path of industry and manly enterprise which ho wae recommending to their patriotism ?

Being the man he is, General Birdwood, of course, did not forget to strike the note of play. He knows —none better—that play comes after work, and to the great advantage of work. After his serious, but not solemn, appeal for work, tho right kind of it, plenty of it, and in the right manner of it, ho dribbled easily, as it were, into football; became frank, anecdotal, pointed, and, above all, terse, carrying all before him. He did not say ' 'Look at me 1 I have played! I know /just how you feel about it.". He just gossiped, but all that was theie in such lively suggestion that the roars of hie men punctuated his sentences very convincingly. They were none the less pleased when he carried them back into general athletics, reminding thesi of the success of their champions in the play, time of campaigning—on the football field, on the running tracks, on the water. Tho moment was opportune, for the reputation thus gained is about to bo sustained by our New Zealand Olympian team. Those feats ho glanced at are good auguries for that team, as tho Prime Minister pointed out the other day, when, addressing that team, he gave details of the various wins our men had aunexed, to tho not small surpriso of the world, as the General corroborated. But there had been really no occasion for surprise. So, indeed, tho General hinted by referring to tho great outstanding prowess of our men on the supremo field of war, which had called for all tho great qualities which command success on the field of athletics, and the other greater qualities demanded by war. To their prowess there ho did tho ample justice to be • expected of a discerning, experienced commander, who is a. comrade as well. And thus he added hugely to the pleasure of the historic meeting with his men. Being loyal to his men, to his chiefs responsible for all the War work,, and to th o truth, the General spoke out bravely about the great Gallipoli adventure. Having with his men faced the incessant Turkish hail of iron; having gone through with them tho heat and burden of that memorable campaign; having coolly' superintended the evacuation of hia men, which ho liked as little ae they; tho General doclared emphatically that Gallipoli was no failure. In dealing with that conclusion he was loyal to all his comrades of the great adventure, for lie said no word of tho Suvlo episode, eo eagerly expected by all ranks to make the turning point towards spectacular victory. HLs reticence, so admirable, became him as well an tho easy, fluent speech ho devoted to the main issue. On that- he was content to : cite the facts, which are too prominent to be ever forgotten. These facts, as he said with simple force- of uoldierly speech, prove that the groat Gallipoli adventure which added to the laurels of tho British and Allied armies,

broke the -strength of 'the Turkish armies; destroyed the flower of thorn —some of the (intt-t fighting men in the world—in what they termed "the slaughterhou.se," and prepared the way for the great victories that saved Egypt and covered the, British arms with splendour unrivalled in war. The General's declaration meant that Gallipoli, instead of being a failure, was a strong factor in tho winning of the war. It was true, and it was a great tribute to the extraordinary valour and tenacity of tho men wUo had upheld the highest military traditions throughout-that tremendous adventure. Criticism had galled their just pride, and their General's declaration healed the wound. And thus did ho moat thoughtfully complete the enjoyment of tho eoldicry who had come to honour him, and of their rjeoplo who had joined in their effort.