WITH THE N.Z. TROOPS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2537, 11 August 1915, Page 6

WITH THE N.Z. TROOPS

*-■ . SPIRIT STILL UNDAUNTED LETTER FROM CENERAL CODLEY. An interesting letter, about the doings of New Zealanders and about tilings in general at the front has been received by the Hon. J. Allen from General Godley. It is in reply-to a letter from Mr. Allen, an extract from which had better be repeated:— "Wo are all very proud of you in New Zealand," Mr. Allen wrote, "but we arc sad, as you can well understand, at the increasing number ,of casualties, but on the whole parents and relatives are. extremely plucky aiid brave over it. I hope you will tell the troops so. 1 have had letter after letter from mothers who say they hope their wounded sons may soon bo well enough to get back into the fighting line agaiu, to do their duty, to King and country. _ I think this is one of tho most stirring things that have occurred to me—thoso letters that come in reply to telegrams of sympathy sent from my office—and if this kind of spirit is in tlio country and in our people, than assuredly we liavo the makings of a great nation. Pleaso tell the men wo mil fill up every g,ap, and more than fill tip every-gap, that we will see them through until victory is ours." This extract from Mr. .Allen's letter was circulated in General Orders.

A Joke About the Maoris. Following are extracts from jencral Godley's letter: — "I am glad to say that the Maoris are coming here. .1 had a communication the other day asking for their strength, and if they required any special diet. I. replied officially r.s regards the latter question that I I'oped that, during their stay hero there would be sufficient Turks taken prisoner or killed to go round, which amused Sir lan Hamilton when it reached him.. It is still noticeable that there are a good many people who do not know th& difference between Australians and Now Zealanders. and who think that tho Maoris are savages. In Ashmead Bartlctt's letter, which you road' with such interest; the words "New Zealand" and "New Zealandcr"- were not once used from start to finish by him. Fortunately before his letter was dispatched it fell into the hands of tho Admiral's Chief-of-Staff, who is a friend of mine, and he inserted tlio words wherever necessary. The New Zealand Correspondent. Bean; the Australian reporter, has been very good and lias several times been over to jne for information. He has written about our men as well as liis own. Malcolm Ross, I am glad to Bay, arrived this morning, 60 now wa shall be quite all right. He is at present engaged in reading all my reports up to date. Spirit of the Men." , "Your encampment at Trentham will soon become a second Aldershot at the rate you are going. It- will bo a great asset to the citizen army in time to come., . . "The Fourth Reinforcements continue to do excellently, and we are very pleased with them.

"The men may have been rasli on first landing, but it was this very dash and elan which enabled them to istorm theso heights in the way they did. Many small parties penetrated quite far into the country, in fact, overlooking the Dardanelles, and were of course 'scuppered,' but had there not been this spirit among the men wo should never have established ourselves in the way we did. The spirit of tlio men now is just the same, and as good as ever. When I go round the trenches the ono tiling they all ask me is, 'When are we going to advance?' and. notwithstanding being cooped up in the trenches, I am quite convinced they have lost none of their desire and determination to go .forward when the time comes.

Welcome News. • "I hear from tlie south that the French have at last made a'good push, and have come up in lino with ourselves and ouv troops there, so it may he that wo shall soon hear of the fall of Achi Baba; If this produces all the result that is hopod from it, we may then be in a position to make our push purward from* here. In any case wa all hope that we shall not have to wait much longer. It is very dull work being shelled and sniped perpetually in the confined area wo now occupy."