ENEMIES ONCE.

Taihape Daily Times, 26 January 1918, Page 6

ENEMIES ONCE.

LORD FRENCH AND GENERAL

SMUTS.

It is related that the historic event of the Duke of Wellington and his o.d opponent, Marshal Soult, riding together in the streets of London excited much interest.

During the present war a still more curious event has happened. At a dinner given to General Smuts by both the Federal Houses of Parliament, Lord French, in proposing Smuts’ health, said that he did not know whether he honoured General Smuts more as a gallant and chivalrous opponent or as a comrade In arms. Lord French said that Smuts for months had eluded all his efforts to bring him to decisive action. General Smuts, after thanking Lord French, said; “On one occasion, I remember, I was surrounded in a very nasty black of mountains by Lord French. I was face to face practically with disaster. Nothing was left to mo but the most diligent scouting to find a way out. I did some of the scouting myself with a small party. I ventured into a place which looked promising, and which bore the appropriate name of “Murderer’s Gap.” I am sorry to say I was the only man who came out alive from that gap. In an account, which I saw subsequently, i saw the remark made that “One Bber escaped, but he probably had so many bullets in him, that he would be no further danger.”

“Well, Lord French, I have survived to be your guest here this evening. I was in a very tight corner there. 1 did get out, and two days afterwards I did break through —blessed words in these times. At night I came out of those mountains to the railway. It was a very dark night, and my small force was just on the point of crossing the railway when we heard that a train was coming. I allowed the train to pass and we stood alongside and looked on. You can imagine what my feelings were when I heard some time afterwards that the only freight on that train was Lord French, who was moving from one part of his front to the other to find out how I had broken through. If I had not missed that chance, Lord French would have been on that occasion my guest_ No doubt a very welcome, though a somewhat embarrassing guest. Now to-night I am his guest— I hope not embarrassing, though very much embarrassed.”