BRITISH SOLDIERS PRAISED.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 January 1916, Page 2

BRITISH SOLDIERS PRAISED.

TRIBUTE FROM VOX KJvUCK. (General von Kluek, who .commanded the right wing of the German army' on the West front, lias given some interesting impressions of the war to the Berlin correspondent of the Vienna journal Die Zeit. Asked his opinion of the quality of the British troops, lie said that their bravery and tenacity must be admitted.

"And especially," he continued, "the old long-service men were very serious opponents; many of them had served 12 years. Everybody who knows British military history never under-estimates the British soldier. For he has proved his worth in all wars. Remember Waterloo. To suppose, as many did, that in the Boer war, and especially at the beginning, the British troops did not accomplish much, was very shortsighted. One under-estimated the difficulties of a colonial war."

■Speaking of the difference between a trench war and operation in the field, tlie general declared that the former was decidedly harder. "It is," he said, "a sort of siege war, on a more extended front and of unlimited duration. And this is always much more wearing than operations on the inarch. For in tlie latter there are skirmishes and battles on particular days. In between arc long intervals when, though the. troops miwt .he on the viare.li, yet they enjoy a certain rest ana -"covcry. But in the trenches constant '"' '"' tv is demanded. "There are thn ~ n*: .the first on tlie front, the seeou. '•' support, and the third in the rear. The first-line must he constantly ou 7"ard, even though tlie enemy appear "'"'Wa, for one never knows what hj:; . ...y flext. The least inattention mal wu.o oath to the soldier and his comrades. ,<;vpn when the official report nays thai \ prevails on the front it must r.o. supposed that nflw the troops arc rea* having a rest. By no means. "In former wars, moreover, winte campaigns were unknown. But «gi troops have gone through all the hard- 1 ships of one winter in the trenches, and now stand before a second. "As to the continuous strain on the men, the present war makes far greater demands than former years, and, as the troops have held out in the most wonderful manner, it is proof that, physioally, mankind is more capable oi endurance,"