THE GREAT ADVANCE

Taranaki Daily News, 10 January 1919, Page 7

THE GREAT ADVANCE

MEW ZEALAMDEBS WIT,

TAHANJIKI OFFICER'S LETTER. A well-known Taranaki officer, writing to a friend in Stratford aay« (under date October 16th): For the past seven weeks, with the exception of two short rests, the New Zealand Division has keen fighting continuously, with great results. During this period we have moved 35 miles nearer to the Hun frontier, and have 'assisted very materially in liberating the two largest towns on this front, in addition to a tost of villages. Our boys are great in this open warfare, and the Htm is no match for them. W<j can measure our advances in miles where we had formerly to be satisfied with a few hundred yards. The change has not surprised me very much, as I always thought that when tho Americano (veifi able to enter the field in sufficient numbers to balance the opposing forces we couli not fail to boat the Germans, whose past successes arc attributed chiefly to a preponderance of man-power and the possession of mechanical devices not then known to us. Man to man they are not as srood as a trained British or French soldier.

At present we itro billeted in a recaptured town which is, fortunately, in a very good condition, although one of the most important towns on this front, oow a few mile 3 in our rear, has been practically destroyed. Our people have refrained frcm bombing and shelling the more important towns and villages, which have been taken by Hanking movements, but except in a few instances, where Our advance has been so rapid as to compel the Hun to evacuate much earlier than be anticipated, he has systematically mined all the important buildings, with tne wsult that they are a mass of ruins, beyond hope of repair. All the machinery in the sugar factories and breweries, which are fairly numerous in these parti, has been long since removed, and the houses which have misßed destruction have been looted of all valuables of a portable nature after the civilian occupants have been sent to tho German rear. The more I see of the <..'., duet of the Hun the more convinced I become of his swinish nature- The rulers of Germany may be primarily responsible for the war, but at the same time the conduct of tho German troops in tho field stamps them as being on a lower plsne of civilisation than tho great majority of tho Allied troops. In one place we came across a chateau, in the grounds of which was the family tomb. The entrance to this tomb had been forced and one of the leaden coffins was cut open, the object being to rob the corpse of the jewellery which, by French custom is buried with it. This is only one of the mony instances X could give you of Hun depravity For a time, mines on roads and concealed explosives in "boolby traps" in houses and dug-outs caused a number of casualties; but our Engineers have now got the measure of the enemy as regards these unpleasant habits, and the contrivances are Tendered harmless before anyone is allowed to enter. As an illustration of the lengths to which a German will go in theso things, I may tell you that a dead German exploded and injured some of our men when they attempted to movo his carcase for burial.

The news from all fronts is now very good indeed, and we are all looking forward to an early ending of the war on our own terms."—Post.