MR MASSEY AT THE FRONT

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2973, 16 January 1917, Page 3

MR MASSEY AT THE FRONT

NEW ZEALAND MINISTERS IN THE TRENCHES PRESENTATION OP RIBANDS FOR GALLANTRY (From Malcolm Ross War Correspondent with the N.Z. Forces iu the Field.) Northern Franoe, November i. . The Right Hon. W. F. Massey, Prime Mi uister of New Zealand, and Sir Joseph Ward, Minister of Finance, have just ooncluded an interesting visit to the Western, front. On arriving at the headquarters of the corps to which the New Zealand Force is attached, they were for two nights and a day tho guests of tho Corps Commander. On the morning of the day following their arrival they wero present at an ?n----[teresting ceremony of tho presentation of ribands representing decorations awarded to New Zealand officers and men for gallantry and distinguished sorvic.es in the campaigns in Gallipoli and in France. This ceremony took place in a field a short distance behind tho lines at present being held by tho New Zealand Infantry. As the name of each recipient was called he came up to the army commander and saluted. His namo and' a brief rcsumo of the act of gallantry or service that ho had performed was then read out by the A.A. and Q.M.G., and tho riband was pinned on his left breast by the Commander, a veteran! grey-haired soldier who had seen something of the services of the New Zealanders in the South African War.

At the conclusion of the presentations the Army Commander Miefly addressed the' assembled troops. He said: —"I have had very great pleasure in accepting the invitation of the Corps Commander and the Divisional Commander to come here this morning and present the ribands representing the decorations which His Majesty tne King lias been pleased to award to officers, non-commissioned officers, and men for individual acts of gallantry and devotion to duty during a period extending from Gallipoli to the present time. I was especially glad to come hero this morning because we and you are honoured by the presence of the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance of New Zealand. lam suro it must have been gratifying to them to hear of such records of gallantry and devotion to duty as have just been rtad out. Time did not admit of the full records being given, but I know a great many of them because I have seen them, and I know, and you know, that there is not a single- case in which tho decoration has not been fully earned. And what is more, you and I know that in a campaign like this only quite a small proportion of tho men who have distinguished: themselves are able to receivo such recognition. And we also know—you bettor than I—that many of thoso who are'no longer with us, and whose loss we all deplore, would, if they had survived, have been present hero to-day to receive similar* decorations to those awarded. ... I may tell you that since you came out of the lino on the Somme I have personally seen the Army and tho Corps Commanders, and that the terms in which they spoke of tho work done hy this Force were so flattering that you might all bo too conceited were I to repeat them. I congratulate your Commanding Officer, the non-com-missioned officers, and men upon tho oxcellent work they havo done . . . We of the Army with which, you aro now associated, are also proud of those eorvioes. Though in the recent fighting you were not with us, wo havo 1 watched with close interest all you have done, and wo aro glad to welcome you back amongst us. I feel sure that wherever you are you will continue to carry out your work with the samo spirit, devotion to duty, and self-sacri-fice that have marked so admirably your recent operations on the Somme.' , Visit to Other Units. The Commander of the Army having taken his departure, Mr. Massey and Sir Joseph Ward, accompanied'by the corps and divisional commanders, proceeded towards the front to visit other units of tho New Zealand Force. Motoring along the muddy roads they at length camo to a'• field marked "Paddock 56," where men from tho Canterbury and Pioneer Battalions were drawn up. Mr. Massey, in a brief address to tho former, expressed tho pleasure that it had given Sir Joseph Ward and himself to come from tho other side of tho world and find the New Zealand troops in such good heart. He congratulated them upon their splendid appearance and their cheerfulness after all the trials and troubles they had come through. Ho conveyed to them the best wishes of their relatives and friends in New Zealand. Their hearts were with them in France to-day, and they' were particularly proud of tho reputation they had built up, both in regard-to their fighting qualities and their conduct generally Sir Joseph Ward addressed tho Pioneers, who were in command of a former Maori member of tho New Zealand Parliament.. Ho expressed the keen interest with which Mr. Massey and himself had looked forward to a meeting with the -Neiv Zealand troops in the field. To the Maoris iic expressed tho pleasure it gave them all to find them associated so closely with the European troops in. this war. And lie was glad to find that' their old traditions as fighters wore being handed on to-day. The people of both races in New Zealand were deeply interested in their doings and in the fine performances in this campaign. There was ono thing that both Mr. Massey and himself were particularly struck with, and that was their cheerfulness. They were helping their kjth and kin across tho seas and their Allies in this great struggle to win out for the civilisation of the world. In the meantimo he would say to all of them: "Ilia ora, Aroha!"

At other parts of the front units from the different brigades were seen, and similar brief speeches were made. Cheers were given for Mr. Massey and Sir Joseph Ward, and tho men seemed jiisfc as pleased to sec them as they to see the men. In one of these groups was tho Prime Minister's son, who. went through the strenuous fighting in the recent Sommo advance. At times the speeches of the. Ministers were punctuated with the desultory firing of tho guns along the front.' At one point they inspected a 12-inch (*un and a field howitzer battery, passing through places in which at any time they wore liable- to bo under shell fire. But it was a had day for observation, and the guns were quiet. Mr. Massoy inspected the billets of some of the men, and both he and Sir Joseph Ward climbed into an observation post from which thoy obtained a good view of our own and tho German lines. They lunched with ono of the brigadiers. Field ambulances wero also visited.

During this day they motored through the littlo bit of Belgium Mint is left, and paid a visit to thp historic and battered city-of Ypres. This was to them a- revelation of tho destructivoness of modorn war. Tho desolation of Ypres at the present time is a subject to which only an artist with the fire of genius could do full justice. The ruins of the Cloth Hall and the Cathedral aro still striking in their broken grandeur, while the utter desolation of tenantless, shattered shops and houses

is an impression that can never be obliterated so loug as life lasts.

An Informal Meeting. Following the visit to Ypres, tho party took tea with tho Commander of tho Army, and in tho oveningthey met somo three or four hundred New Zealand troops in one of the Y.M.O.A. hulls. Hero an entertainment was in, progross. ' Both Mr. Massoy and Sir Joseph Ward received a most cordial reception from tho men, punctuated with tho familiar democratic cries for

"Bill" and "Joe." Both tho Ministers mado speeches, and the proceedings, which wero shorn of all military formality, ivere hearty and even jovial. A stranger dropping in might have imagjned himself afa friendly election meeting in Now Zealand. Cerfninly ho would never havo thought that theso cheery soldiers had only recently emerged from tho jaws of death and destruction on the battlefield of the Somrae.

"I am delighted to Bee so many o you hero and in such good spirits thi evening," said Mr. Maaeey. He addei that during tile whole of their tri] that day they had heard not ono singl word of complaint. This statomen was received with good-natured hanter and with laughter and whistling mean to express incredulity. "He's askinj for it," interjected a "Tommy." "I'n glad you agree with that statement,' quiokly retorted the Primo Minister And then lie told a story about how 01 one occasion, when he was visiting th camp at Trentham a man called out ti him: "Did you bring my boots, Bill?' The men enjoyed the joke, for tho; know—none better—that tho soldier however much you may do for him, i never quite satisfied. Mr. Massoy ex pressed the pleasure it gave him am Sir Joseph AVard to see things fo tTiemselves. No other army, Bo said was 60 well fed' and so well cared fo in regard to its health as the Britisl Army. And he was gkd to find tha in spite of the difficulties and danger they had to face thero was not one Nev Zealandprs who would say he was son , ; for coming. Ho told them that in nl 76,000 men had come forth voluntarilj and he believed they would have a difficulty in keeping np reinforcements There were, however, some families o shirkers who wore taking advantage o the war to make money for themselves but these would bo dealt with. Aβ ti tho British soldier of to-day, they hat evidence now that he was as good a he ever was, and had not degenerated As to tho soldiers that camo from un der the Southern Cross, all he woul( say was that they wero as good as th men from the United Kingdom. Hi would not say they were better —hi would leave it at that. Ho briefly tolc the men what New Zealand was doini for them and what it would do for tli< wounded and the dependants of thosi who lad fallen. Those who had joinei the Expeditionary Force and wh< had fought bo well had initiated a nov era and had given tho Empire a nev lease of life, and they could now 100 l forward to tho time when the grea company of British nations would be s< strong as to declare for peaco or to bi< deflanoe to the wholo world. (Cheers. '■ Sir Joseph Ward said .ho was delight ed ito find bo many New Zealanders ii France doing their duty so nobly. Hi felt very proud of our country and o its men, and when the war was ove they could all be euro of ono thing—i warm and loveable welcome homo. Ii Now Zealand to-day the hearts of th people were beating in unison wit] theirs. The outcome of (the war wouli be to leave tho Empire one ofj if not th most, powerful nations in the world They wero determined now to win thi war no matter how long it lasted, an< he hoped when it was all over that the would bo in a position to say that theri should be adopted some system of arbi fcr.ition by which tho greait nation: would agreo to a peaceablo Bottlemen Qf their differences,or by a combina aon, compel those nations who wantet mar to agreo to' such' a settlement Ihat was tho foundation whioh thi men of tho Empire wero laying dowi to-day on the battlefield. And tho re mlt of their efforts would bo to recon struct and regenerate the British Empire. Later on they would help to fornulato public opinion in. their -owr sountry in that direction. Voluntarilj :hey had raised five million men.from toe British Empire to help their Allies igainst an absolutely unscrupulous opxment that had taken advantage o( heir unpreparedncss. New Zealand, 'rom all 6ho had done, might well be jrond now to take her place in the lialaxy of nations that went, to form .he Empire. The result of his and Mr. tfassey's visit to the front would bo to ;ivo them a bettor knowledge of what iad been done and l what should be lone. If, he added, you can cable out o New Zealand that Mr. Massey and nysolf should be allowed to join the anks wo will do it., (Laughter; and a r oice: "Give rim a platoon 1" followed iy another burst of laughter). In conilnsion, he said they had- all made up heir minds to win, and that they did lot want to be commencing this war >ver again. If they did not win right iut now thoir unscrupulous foe would n due time be ready for a, still more

terrible, war. Mr. Massey and himself would be ablo to carry back to New

Zealand good tidings of the valour and cheerfulness of their men in the field, f'uey woukll return feeling prouder and

happier and bettor for having seen them fighting for the regeneration of ilie world- anil for the future of England and New Zealand against a nation that wished to advance under a system of militarism and brutality. (Cheers.) That evening the visitors returned to the Headquarters of the Corps Commander, and the following day motored to Amiens. On the way they paid a visit to a unit of the New Zealand forces in another part of the battle line —a unit that has been doing excellent work while' attached to several British divisions. But of this moro anon. Amiens was reached in the evening, and the visitors dined ' with tho staff, of the New Zealand Hospital there. . The Bomme Battlefield, Next day our distinguished visitors went by car from Amiens to the Sommc, and after passing through, tho partiallydestroyed town of Albert, whero the great gilded Virgin, with the Christ in her outstretched hands, hangs now head downward from the church steeple, they went along the muddy roads to La Boiselle—a corner of the Somme battlefield in which much blood was poured out. To this corner of the great battlefield had como the Prime Minister and the.Minister of Finance of New Zealand, the most distant part of our far-flung Empire. The mere fact stirred the imagination, and gave tho lie dircot to Hindenburg's statements about the ineffectiveness of tho Somme offensive. These two New Zealand visitors, who had done so much for the Empire, were able to walk unchallenged through a German position fliat. after two years of ■ strenuous labour, was thought impregnable. ' They were ablo to walk through the taken German trenches, to circle the rim of one of our enormous mine craters, the blast from which had smashed into irretrovitiblo ruin a strong point in tho German line, and hurled high in heaven its terrified defenders. They were ablo to go down into deep German dug-outs. They wcro ablo to see for themselves that British spirit cannot bo broken, and that British troops are still unconquerable, that we may have been unprepared, but that wo wore at least undaunted. British "Tommies" gathered in groups, and gave rousing cheers for the two civilians from the Antipodes. It was a sceno of historio interest, a memory to bo cherished. The Commandcroin-Cliief. ' Back from the Sommo to the General Headquarters where, amidst more peaceful surrounding, the brain of all

this vast organisation aro at work day and night. ' Sir. Massey, Sir Joseph Ward, and tlw New Zealand General in command of our organisation in England had hero the honour of lunching with Sir Douglas Haig. tho Commander-in-Chief of the British armies in the field, and mem'oers of Ills personal staff. Sir Douglas Hiiig is not a man who seeks the limelight, and of this meeting no more newt be said than, that our visitors left his hospitable roof inspired with tho calm confidence with which ho himself now views the situation. Sir Douglas endeavoured to dodgo tho photographer and the kinematographer who had accompanied us during the day, but in this he was, luckily, unsuccessful. It will interest New Zealanders to know that in duo time- they will be in possession of a realistic and permanent record of this historic meeting. The New Zealand Ministers wore able to hear at first hand the value set upon the fighting qualities and organisation of tho New Zealand Division in the recent continuation of tho Sbmme offensive, but on this point also no more need bo said.