GENERAL SMUTS.

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 May 1917, Page 2

GENERAL SMUTS.

“KEEP HiM IN LONDON.”

IMPERIAL STRATEGIST.

The London Chronicle, in an editorial hist week, urges the retention of General Smut* in London for a longer period, and adds that hi s position as an Imperial soldier and states, man L unique. His help and advice would be particularly valued by the soldiers in charge of the Empire's strategy. The Chronicle believes that the representatives of the other Dominion!) would not bo offended by In's special retention.

Reuter understands that the Italian Government hasi invited General Smuts to visit the Italian front.

Arrangements have been made whereby he will receive the Freedom of the City of Manchester in London.

SOLDIER, LAWYER, STATES.

MAN. ONCE AN ENEMY—NOW A FRIEND. General Jan Christian Smuts, who isi talked of for a high command which may be with the armies in the Holy Land, F one of the young men of the war. He is only 17 year* of age. The son of an African legislator, he completed his education at Christ’s

College, -Cambridge, and secured double first in the Law Tripos. After piaetising at Capetown he moved to Johannesburg, and became State Attorney in 1898. When the Boer Mar broke out be fought with the Dutch, and liis soldierly qualities- enabled him to rise to the supreme command in Cape Colony. When the South African Cnioii was established. General Smuts became a member of Parliament, and when the Great War broke our be was Minister for Defence. Without hesitation ho announced his loyalty to Great Britain, and ho threw the whole of his; weight and influence behind his leader. General Botha, first in crushing the rebellion, then in wresting big African colonies from Germanv.

General Smifh-Dorrien, who had Gd the 2nd English Army in the retreat from Moms, was first chosen to lead the British forces that were entrusted with the conquest of German East Africa, but his health broke down, and on February 9th. 1916, Lieut.General Smuts was: appointed to the supreme command. He conducted a brilliant campaign. The Germans had 16.000 men, of whom 2000 were white, with 60 guns and 80 machineguns. They had invaded British territory. and had a strongly-entrenched camp at Taveta- General Smuts directed attention first to the re-cap-ture of this country and of the conquest before the rainy season began of the Kilimanjaro Mountain area, the richest portion of the Germain protec. torate. Smuts decided to attack with two divisions, while the Ist South African Mounted Brigade effected a turning movement. The attack had to be made through difficult bush country and over waterless plains. The advance was pushed on with wonderful rapidity. Within a. month Taveta was occupied, and before the end of March the whole of the Kilimanjaro region was in British hands. Then Smuts -swung southward, and swept the Germans from many strong positions. Their central railway through the country was taken. The Germans were driven back to their chief port and the head of the railway, Dar-es'-Salaam, was, captured on September 21st, warships, with a heavy bombardment, assisting , the land force. The German power in Fast Africa was broken, but some of the enemy troops held out in outlying portions, of the protectorate. General Smut's never let them rest, and was still driving them before him in January, when he relinquished his command to attend the Imperial War Conference aa the representative of •South Africa-

The operations were carried out under extreme difficulties. The British advance was so rapid that transport presented almost insurmountable problems.

TERRIFIC DIFFICULTIES OVERCOME.

General Smuts, in a despatch published in a siipplonieiat of the London Gazette, dereribed in detail tlie various operations.- in Fast Africa, from March till October.

As illustrating the*difficulties- of tlie campaign, he ways that General van Deventer, in an advance of some 200 miles in four weeks, lost hundreds i of # aninials from horse sickness. ‘'When the rainy season set in numerous i ivers came down im Hood and swept awav almost all our laboriously-built bridges, the roads became impassable mud tracks, and all transport became a physical impossibility. The rains fell steadily day after day, sometimes as much as four inches in one day, and the low-lying parts of the country assumed the appearance of lakes. • • •

For long distance..* the railway track was practically under water, and the attention-of thousands of laborers was constantly required to prevent its disappearance in the mud. Van Deventer’s Division in the interior was cut oil, and managed to live for weeks on such supplies as could be collected locally or could be carried by porters from Lolkissale for a distance of 12U miles.”

In another passage General Smuts says that several units were reduced to 30 per cent, of their original effectives by malaria. The troops had often to cut their way for miles through almost impenetrable bush, constantly engaging the enemy in his prepared rearguard positions. There were most serious transport and supply difficulties, and frequent shortages of water for men and horses.

Regarding tiro advance along tho eastern slopes of the UUiguru Mountains, he says that the roads passed through very difficult broken foothills, covered either with brush or grass growing from six to twelve feet high, through which any progress wasr slow, painful, and dangerous. “The bridging of the Ruvn took, several da vs, and for some distance beyond the road passes; along the face of preoipi, tons rooks, round which the enemy had constructed a gallery on piles to Afford. a trapk for hi§ transport. As

the gallerv would not carry our mechanical transport it took us some days to blast the mountain-side and construct a proper road." The General paid a tine tribute to the troops. "Their work has been done under tropical conditions which not only produce bodily weariness and unfitness, but which create mental langour and depression and finally appal the stoutest hearts. To march day by day. and week by wee!-;, / through the African jungle of high grass, in which vision is limited to a few yards, in which danger always lurk si near but seldom becomes visible, even when experienced, supplies a test to human nature often in the long run beyond the limits, of human endurance. ”