THE AUSTRALIANS.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 January 1918, Page 2

THE AUSTRALIANS.

TOUGH FIGHTERS. GE1..,-LAN EMPEROR'S TRIBUTE. ' Before the battle of Bullecourt the German Emperor exhorted his troops to break the Allies' resistance. Light is thrown on the incident by a document which has been brought to Australia ,by Private M. of Forbes, who returned to Sydney recently. The document was taken by Ptc. Doyle from the clothing of a German officer who had been killed. The translation of the German Emperor's address is as follows: — "I welcome yio individual troops of the 3rd Guards Division to the Western theatre of the war. The 3rd Guards Division has, to mv greatest delight, kept its formation and • accomplished splendid deeds in the course of the war. The severe fighting in. the Carpathians, the pre-winter campaigns themselves form a sequence of- glorious, pages in the. .history: of the different regiments. What yoa have learnt in the long years of peace you have now, to my greatest satisfaction, carried out in the field against the enemy under all sorts of conditions, and iof those deeds I, your old Brigade Commander and All Highest War Lord, give you special recognition. By my order you "have been transferred from East to West, so that you can show the enemy that the military springtime has indeed commenced for you." Evidently the "All Highest War Lord" was referring to the Australian troops, who were at the moment facing the German legions round Bullecourt, when he said:. "You will meet here a foe who fights differently. He is a tougher, more obstinate, skilful, and intelligent lighter. He is defendingevery inch of the ground, and we hold him in deep respect. .His resistance is' desperate, but it must be broken. Ma - God. Who lias stood :by you in many a dark hour, lead us oh to victory, and the peace we all desire. I shall need, your help for that." Commenting on the German Emperor's speech, .Ptc. 'Doyle said: "This document ought to inspire more eligible-? to join their fellow-Australians in France. What the German Emperor said about us is a fact, for the Australians were the roiilr soldiers who were not put cftit of Biilleeourt. Before their entrance to the village six different "British regiments tried to take the place. The Australians tried once and took it."