DEBT TO BRITAIN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 81, 7 April 1931, Page 6

DEBT TO BRITAIN.

General Dawes, the United States Ambassador in London, paid a warm tribute to the British Government and the British Army for the part they played in the war when he recently addressed members of No. 1 London Post of the American Legion.

"I found on arriving in France," he said, "that war is the oldest collective organisation of humanity. The army system of collection and distribution of food and supplies is better than any new-fangled fad or sudden business, or Government idea. The army system, as organised by modern armies, such as that of Great Britain, incorporates the best laws of human nature and business science. The acuteness of the situation and the emergencies were so great and so frequent that _we often found ourselves without adequate supplies. When I visited the front I saw a few pieces of artillery, which represented our strength in heavy armaments. It soon became evident that of every 131b of food used by the American soldiers 81b had to be supplied by Great Britain and France, particularly Great Britain.

"We brought 2,000,000 soldiers 3000 miles from their home base, which supplied them with little ammunition, no horses, few rifles and pieces of artillery, and not a single aeroplane. We turned to Great Britain for aid and supplies. It was then that I realised the greatness of the British Government and Britain's glorious army, and my admiration has never ceased. I have never found it > expedient for any reason to fail to mention the glorious deeds of the British and French armies and the other Allies, although numerous politicians and groups often ignore the greatness and the sacrifice, the tremendous efforts, and the marvellous results achieved by Great Britain — and it was all done with a smile. Politicians and groups often ignored the greatness of Great Britain in order to win minorities (votes). Really, we failed to supply practically everything, except magnificent soldiers whose deeds did great honour to tiifc United States."