BRITISH VALOUR.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 20 July 1917, Page 2

BRITISH VALOUR.

TRIBUTE TO EMPIRE’S TROOPS.

ENEMY OUTGENERALLBD.

LONDON, July 6

Describing the achievements of the British armies in France, Mr. W. Perry Robinson, the Times correspondent, says:—lt is impossible to speak in adequate phrases of the Empire troop’s share in the great achievements of the year. Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders, Africans, Newfoundlanders, English, Scottish, Irish and Welsh were all glorious, talking the’ whole grim business with a curious careless earnestness, but oh! how they fight! The Australian achievement at Pozicres, for long-protacted, stout fighting, was never excelled and hardly rivalled in the whole war.

Yet even the Australians equalled their own desperate valour at Bullecourt and the irresistible advance at Messincs. In the vast confused operations all troops have not an equal chance. The enemy’s behaviour is an unknown quantity. Sometimes the Germans fight like tigers, sometimes, less fiercely than rabbits, so that the immediate success of any operation isno necessary measure of the behaviour of the troops engaged. Sometimes failure is more glorious than any victory. Fathers, mothers, and wives who have lost, loved ones may feel that they were sacrificed uselessly, but frequently in such fighting the real work of breaking the German strength has been no less than in such sudden and sweeping victories at Messines. In the enormous development of onr military machine we have outgeneralled the enemy as plainly as we have outfought him. Witness such things as Thiepval, Beaumont-Hamel, and Messines. We have learnt to strike with a fist more heavily mailed than Germany has been ever known to use. We have learnt to provide ourselves with all our mechanical aids to warfare, which are superior to Germany’s. She had the opportunity for two years, while we were feeble and never learnt to strike as wo strike her now. Th .road may be long, As yet the German tide had hardly begun visibly to turn in July and August, 1916, but the ebb is now plainly visible. However, slow, it is certain to continue. Our arijiy has perfect confidence, and both man for man and as a fighting machine is better than the German.