AUSTRALIA'S PART.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 August 1917, Page 6

AUSTRALIA'S PART.

IK THE GREAT OFFENSIVE. LETTER FROM GENERAL MKDWOOI) Describing the part taken by the Australian troops in the great offensive, General Birdwood says in a letter jijst received bv the Hon. Sir James Alien (Minister for Defence):—"You will have seen from the papers that we have been bavins a lot of particularly hard fighting here lately; and I am proud to think that my men have done, if possible, better than before. You will realise what it meant to light their way into the main Iliiidcnburg line and to hold on (.here unsupported for several days against from the front and both Hanks. I always think that this requires far greater courage and steadfastness than are necessary for an actual jittaelc, which is carried through by elan; though this, too, the troops displayed in their original attack on the lines.'' "From what I we can gatlioi: from prisoners," adds General Birdwood, ''Germany seems to be relying entirely upon the success of her submarine campaign. Every man tells us he has been assured that if they will only hold out for the next two or three months we must- be starved into submission."