OVERSEAS DELEGATES.

Taihape Daily Times, 21 August 1918, Page 5

OVERSEAS DELEGATES.

MR. MASSEY AT NEWCASTLE. LONDON, August 19. The Hon. W, F. Massey, in a speech at the Newcastle Chamber of Commerce, said that in all the war’s fluctuations, the Dominions had not lost confidence in the final success. Our first duty after victory was to punish Germany for her atrocities. The business of the Imperial Conference had been tremendously important, for which it was well worth crossing the world, because the Dominions took their place in a partnership which he believed, would continue after the war. There could then be a permanent Imperial Cabinet. The German hammer had welded the Empire into an indissoluble mass. We must think of the Empire in the future. The time will come when the Dominion will possess twenty people to the square mile, and then the Empire’s strength will be enormous. Now is the time to make such arrangements for the future as will keep the Empire in the front rank of nations for all time. Business-like, statesman-like and management can do this. Mr, Massey concluded by issuing a warning against pacifists and German peaceful penetration. AUSSIES’ PART. ' STORIES FROM THE FIELD. GERMAN GUNNER’S LAMENT. With The Australians, Aug. 11. All the morning small parties of machine gunners and artillerymen have been coming in. The prisoners have now been increased by crowds of infantry. The Australians already have gone four miles into territory which this morning was held by the Germans. I am writing this in a bivouac where this morning Germans were sleeping three miles behind their lines. Beside it are other bivouacs, some of them burning, their owners having set fire to them before they left. In the hut in which this is being written German rifles are still hanging on the walls, and there are German bayonets on every peg. Helmets, great coats and boots are lying exactly as they were hurriedly left by the occupants as our tanks and infantry came on. The Australian , guns moved almost with the infantry. ‘ ' ; TWO LUCKY DIGGERS. At the present moment I can see through the open door our field guns already trooping across the next hill. Five minutes ago there came down that same hill whole companies of German infantry hurrying towards the rear in charge of two much-amused good natured diggers. Our ’planes are wheeling over the next hill, shooting at some infantry which we cannot see. Behind we pass a battery of German guns. I asked their officer what happened. He said he saw tanks coming onon and had three shots at them, on and had three shots at them, had time to destroy the guns. An enterprising private from a New South Wales battalion, who was detailed to collect trophies for the Australian Museum, was painting his battalion number on some guns when six Germans came out of a dugout beside the guns and surrendered. While we watched four more ran out from a wood and joined a party of prisoners which was coming in. SHELLING THE TANKS.

Just then three or four tanks crossed the skyline. On the left somewhere there was a small German gun whose gunners could see these tanks. Directly a German shell hisaed like lightning into the ground six feet this side of the monsters.

It is impossible to say yet what prisoners or guns have been captured. The Germans had clearly withdrawn from the front zone in expectation of the coming attack, and most of the Germans seen in the rear zone ran faster than our troops could catch them. . 1

The Germans lately have been holding this front lightly with guns. German guns taken to-day have a switch of 180 degrees, A friend has just come in with a handful of German biscuits, which are very good eating, though not very sweet. Clearly they are largely composed of potato flour.

Some German guns are firing again, but their fire during the whole fight has been negligible.