FRENCH PRAISE ANZACS.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 160, 29 August 1916, Page 3

FRENCH PRAISE ANZACS.

REPUTATION CONFIRMED. ACHIEVEMENTS AT POZIERES. LONDON, August 16. A Paris semi-official message highly praises the Anzacs. "After participating in the memorable Dardanelles fighting," it says, "they were anxious for their debut on. the Western front. They realised their Avish to capture Pozieres. What they accomplished there confirms their reputation for courage, and shows that the martial spirit is animating these young troops who have come over-seas to fight the battle against German Imperialism. "A great spirit of camaraderie prevails among the Anzacs. I visited their positions, and saw how the officers and soldiers of these splendid troops fraternise on the battlefield, inspiring each other with mutual confidence.

"Their moral standard equals their physical vigour, which is saying much. It is because they represent finely-bal-anced minds and bodies that they havr resolved to beat down the Girmans, whom they regard as the enemy of civilisation and humanity." Router's correspondent at headquarters on the Western front relates how, at Pozieres, 500 Prussians resolved to crioss 200 yards to trenches which had not yet been linked up, and cut off the SO Australians defending the position. The latter waited till the Germans were almost through; then, mounting the parapet, and standing astride, fired with such effect that the only surviving Bodies were taken prison en. On another occasion a gunner ran out of ammunition, but, assisted by three infantrymen, bluffed 50 of the enemy. Handcuffing six captured Anzacs, the enemy used them to screen their advance. The Australians manoeuvred to defeat this move. Finally the prisoners managed to bolt towards safety, shootin"-. "Lot 'em have it, boys: nevermind us!" T he Bodies were immediately crumpled up.

Troops v-ho gainod the slope loading Pavrn into Bapanme (writes Mr Beach Thomas) (Daily Mail correspondent in

France), saw the most wonderful sight. Star-shells and rockets continually lit the battlefield, revealing the German gunners at close and gun teams furiously galloping, with innumerable shells bursting about them. Four hundred Germans, about to surrender, were caught in the fire from their own side and wiped out.

Our troops penetrated successive curtains of fire. After the battle they expressed their contempt for the German soldiers, and are convinced that it was merely pure machinery which was holding them off. General Birdwood, in the course of a letter to Commissioner Bndden, of the Australian Comforts Funds says;.—Our boys have been going through a lot of terribly hard fighting during the past three weeks, and they have done simply magnificntly. No words can half express my feelings for their courage and determination in sticking it out, as they had day after day to face the most tremendously heavy bombardments. We have not only captured Pozieres, but, going further on, have taken much more difficult high ground above and beyond the town, whereon were the main German trenches.

We have taken a lot of prisoners, and, I fancy, have killed a large number of Germans. But I am sorry to say that, as was inevitable, our casualities have also been heavy —not in taking the trenches but in holding them afterwards, because it is extremely difficult to provide cover against the

heavy guns. The Daily News correspondent at the west front headquarters gives instances of the Australians' great personal superiority as fighters over the Germans. They always win in an equal fight on open ground. The German infantry

now fears to meet them A battalion commander declared that 4000 Germans were recently engagd in an attack against the Anzacs and non e returned. These troops will even hold captured positions under a hidden enfilading fire from a hundred batteries, but the cost compels the realisation of the impotence of the most matchless human valour against artillery. It makes one curse that there should be such incquality where the best should win.