THE DESERT WAR.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3356, 8 December 1919, Page 6

THE DESERT WAR.

Q ».ANZAC«S’ GREAT DEEDS. LEASSONS FOR THE FUTURE. Major-General Sir Edward Chaytor was the guest of the New Zealand Club at luncheon in Weliington on Wednesday; ‘The president of the Club (Mr W. Spencer) was in the chair_ Generaliflhaytor was welcomed by the chairman as a distinguished New Zealand soldier. General Chaytor was received with generous applause. After acknowledging the compliment paid to «him, he said that his job had been an easy \ one. He did not think he was prejudiced, but he did think the Anzac Mounted Division had proved themselves -the best division in the British I army. They had always got on well together, and theyhad been exceedingly well supported by the Australian Light Horse and by their own and the British artillery. The -main difficulties of the campaign had been food and forage and water. In the end they found wells providing water -that was palatable and safe. One of the curious features about the water was that it]

Jcontained so much magnesia. that itlf 7should' have been unfit’ for e’onsnmption, but also some substance ,not .de- 5 termined, which neutraliscd the mag‘néSl.3.' This water was “un~neutralis- ‘ ed” by boiling, and could not be used 5 for cooking. It c'ould be drunk by the '1 men in the evening with safety, but it not during the heat of the day. The ‘5 heat of the day meant a temperlature ll of 123 degrees in -the shade. None of ;_ ‘their thermometers would register the 1‘ Isun temperature. This intense heat I [was endured by the men for several‘ months, but the trials were very severe, The water chargcli heavily‘ ywith-‘minerals, knocked theflmen out with-what appeared to be a severe kidney trouble, caused byall the water i evaporating by the pores of the sikn, leaving insufiicient fluid to clear the kidneys of mineral sediment. So the men developed kidney disorders, which fortunately disappeared after about a :month’s trelatmenf, leaving no ill! effects. He told something of the desert campaign, ,the interminable night and day marches when the men were almost blind for lack of sleep, and the feelings of thelmen when they i got out of the desert into cultivatedl land. When the men get there theyl declared that “It would take a good i deal better man than the Turk or German te ‘drive us back into the desert again.” In all these waterless treks he men showed the greatest care for -heir horses, and theylost ‘but very! ew of them. The New Zealanders and i ustralians proved themselves not only ood riders, but good ho.rse masters. . 0 regiment? could show in the war a etter record for loss of few horses rom causes other than wounds ‘than he record of the Anzac Division. The ost trying time of all was the summer pentin the Jordan Valley. They were he only white people who had ever i‘V€dT through a SllllllllC‘.l‘_ there in modrn times. Malaria was present, but efore the season clamei on the area as so well treated that there were‘! ew mosquitos and malaria was in con- | equence not common. But with great b requency patrols were bitten by mis- , uitos from outside the area, and these en contracted malaria.’ But notwithtanding this, the men neve.r shirked atrol duty. He paid a Very high estimony to the very excellent work f the medical people in combating alignant malaria, from which the eath was commonly very -heavy. The lasualty rate at times from this sickess was very high, as much as TOll P9l‘ nt of the men in one week from Genral Meldrum’s force. ‘ General Chaytor described also indiidual operations in the Palestine camaign, giving interesting sidelights on e Arab inhabitants’ of the region,| ndthcir fickleness in allegiance to‘ ther side. ‘ ’ ' #l} would ask you,” he said. “in! i-ew ct‘ what the men have had to go rough, that you should help them all on can to settle down. (Applause) hey deserve it, and deserve it well. herever wepwent our men earned a putation for good conduct. When e went back to any place we were reived with open arms. -This shows at the men never misbchaved themIves. You may find the men now unttled and reckless, but don ’t think at they are useless for this, because ; will take some time before they sete down. . . . These is one thing the al-does teach us, and that is every an has his very good points. A man ight have a bad record at the front, t_we have often been surprised by ts of very great goodness by such en. “We have got peace now——of a It,” said General Chaytor, in conijsioix. “But thirigs do not look‘ setd:yet_. -and I think we should make rtain that we are not -going to be aggcd again into such a war as we ye come through in the last five airs. Had we been strong before ‘the a§h;',bcgnn‘l am_ sure it never would .i'Cl_l'e..bcgun. .We must be prepared to Eitect our liberties; ‘We may not be ,to'{-afford very much——probably -we §i.ll'llove ‘to r'e’tl'cllcll——'m2t . we should

“study efiieiency, what_eVe.r is done. . . I hope after this we shall have in the Empire one Supreme Council to manage all the fighting forces of the } Empire——Navy, Army, and Aero Force. iWe have lost greatly in this war ‘-through lack lorf coordination. The ‘war has cost us enough, and we should get everything in value from it that we can. We should not lose the lessons that have been burnt into us.’ ’ He thanked the Club again for the rveleome oifered him, and he accepted is as a welcome to all the men who had served with him, and who had “done so well over there.” (Applause.) '