THE CRUCIBLE TEST.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 July 1919, Page 12

THE CRUCIBLE TEST.

AN APPEAL TO AUSTRALIANS AND «EW ZEAL ANDERS. TO-DAY—AND TO-MORROW. SPEECH BY GENERAL BIRDWOOD. General Sir William Birdwood made a speech as the guest of the Australian and New Zealand Luncheon Club in London lately, in which he spoke golden opinions of the men of Anzac. Following are extracts from the speech:— There are two factors which I should like to mention. One is the close association, and, indeed intermingling of Australian and New Zealand troops for the first time on the battlefield. There they Vvere, night and day for many months, fighting shoulder to shoulder, dependant entirely ilpoii each other for support and relief, and fully realising that failure or faint-heartedness on the part of either would be the destruction of both. Is it any wonder that after fighting side by Bide like this as brothers mutual feelings of the greatest admiration and respect, such as had not formerly existed, should have been engendered? I remember when going round the trenches and stopping to talk to groups of men, as I used to do almost daily, that some New Zealander would say to me in apparently a surprise tone: "Do you know, General, we find these Australians just as good men as we are," to which I would reply: "And what else do you expec.t to find them?" While an Australian would say to me: "Do you know Mr. Birdwood, we had no idea these New Zealanders were the magnificent fighting men they arc." I would then ask if they weren't glad to find that this was the case.

And surely we must all agree that such association and mutual confidence must be entirely to good. Looking far ahead, we must realise that it is essential that Australian and New Zealander should stand shoulder to shoulder, see eye to eye, and, if I might say so, almost as one nation in all that affects their defence. As long as this is the case, we may feelconfident that there, safe behind those outposts in the Southern Seas which have been won by .their own soldiers, they will be able to face the future with confidence, which will result in the flying of the British flag for ever with honor in the uttermost parts of the earth.

The other factor which,l wished to mention was our close association with the British Navy. All of U3 had, of course, heard of the might of the British Navy, but very few of us had ever had an opportunity of witnessing it.

In his first dispatch after our landing, Sir lan Hamilton said the Navy had proved themselves to be the father and mother of the Army; and so, indeed, they were. We had to depend upon them not only for munitions of war and our daily bread, but, until, we had been able to exploit it to some extent, even for every drop of water we had ashore—and they never failed us. We may well say, too, that after looking after us all day, the Navy proceeded to tuck us in at night, for there in all weathers, night after night, we could see the evei'-watch-ful cruisers or destroyers patrolling along our ltai)Ks, with their searchlight flickering along the crenelles and their guns ever ready to wipe out any Turkish attack that might be afoot. It would be impossible to talk of the Navy without the figure of their leader coming into one's mind. In Admiral de Robeck wa had the beau ideal of a British sailorstraight as a dart and brave as a lion. We had only to know him for a short time to place complete confidence in him, while later on he entirely gained our affections, for we realised how he wa? always ready to make any self-sacrifice in order that everything should be done for the safety and well-being of those ashore. Fortunate indeed is any nation to command the services of suoli a man, who was worth a king's ransom. All we Anzae soldiers are always ready to take our hat" off -to the British Navy and their ganant leaders. I would like to say here that I believe that in the whole army in France—and in this I am sure that I will be borne out by the Commander-in-Chief—there is no better, more self-contaiued, or efficient division than that from New Zealand. It never knew what failure meant, and finished up its magnificent fighting record by the capture of Le Quesnoy on the very eve of the armistice. New Zealand, I am sure, realises how much she must owe to that very fine soldier, General Russell, who came out in command of her mounted brigade, and took command of the division as soon as it waß formed, and has commanded it throughout with such conspicuous loyalty and success.

It was a great grief ,to me when the division left my immediate command, after having served for nearly two years under me, and I think I need hardly say that I have never lost my interest in and admiration for it. By our expansion, however, we had become too big for a corps and too small for an army, so that a break-up of some sort was inevitableI fear it is impossible for me to attempt to go into the details of our fighting in France—suffice it to say that the great traditions which hart been built up on the Peninsula, and which were so jealously guarded by all, were not only maintained, but enhanced in every way, with the. result that wherever soldiers and soldierly deeds are spoken of throughout the world, no names stand higher than those of the Australian and the New Zealander. T am sure that their countries are grateful to them for. if one may say so, as a result of their bravery Australia and New Zealand have, with one stride, stepped right into the very centre of the arena of the great nations of the world, there to plant their standards bearing the Union Jack alongside that of the Old Country, to share with her for all time the burden which our great Empire must bear.

But, gen,tlemen, I have spoken to you entirely of the past, and if you will bear with me for a few moments, I would ■like'to say a few words on the future.

THE UNCERTAIN FUTURE. As you all kiV>w, we are faced with demobilisation, but I rather doubt if you realise the enormou's difficulties this entails. Personally, I cannot help thinking that this may he the mo3,t critical period we have yet had to face, but I also know from experience how confi- I dently we cau always rely upon the loyal co-operation of our men in any difficulties, provided we take them in,to our confidence and act towards th#m with perfect fairness. As you probably realise, during these last four years no one has had much leisure time—it has not been a case of knowing how ,to fill in spare moments, hut how to find a few spare j moments in which to do anything. That i is now to be entirely changed, and we must remember that "Sa.tan finds some ] Buacbief still for idle hands to do " Swab •fcjwu, 1 damay, tvmabwi <m et \

maxims of old Hafiz, in which he says, "Four things better than others are: Women and horses and power and war." Well, we all know that our lads have had their full share of the last-named commodity, and will it not therefore be but human nature if their thoughts should instinctively fly towards some of the three other allurements set forth by-old Hafiz? Remember, too, that during these years the boys have lived in a state ol' extreme high pressure, and the vast majority of them with most extraordinary, and in every way commendable, self-iv fcraint. .

Some li,ttle time ago, when some of the lads had been getting into trouble and I was cudgelling my brains (I fancy rather unnecessarily) to see what more we could do to save them from themselves, an officer in whom I have the greatest confidence said to me: "Well, General, do you think our hoys would have done so well as they did on ,the Peninsula and shown the same determination and courage, and would you 'have had equal confidence in them, had they been an army of sexless teetotallers?" For the moment I could only think of an expression used by an American colonel to me one day: "Say, General, the very idea tickles me to death"— and I ejaculated in horror at the idea of the early diminution of our race. While we can leave the discussion of this subject to the physiologists, or perhaps I should rather say the pathologists, yet it does behove us to look reality straight in the face and do all we possibly call for our men during the time before them. There are three mthods by which we fan best help them: Employment, education, and entertainment. It may be, gentlemen, that among you eome may be able to help one lame dog over a sty?e here, and another there, and everything in that way mil be a helpIt may be that others may he in the way of finding assistance for larger numbers on the lines I have indicated, and should this be tlie ease I know that we will have, not only your complete sympathy, but your whole -hearted support. Remember that the Australian and New Zealand soldier has been through the crucible of a great heat test, and emerged from it to show that the national character contains an enormous amount of pure gold. I hope that on their returning to their distant homes this will be realised, and that those young nations will be able to make full use of the wonderful material .tliey have at their disposal. /1 thank you again, gentlemen, not only for your great kindness in receiving me here Iso-day, but for your patience in listening to me.