A WAR ECHO

Hokitika Guardian, 9 June 1930, Page 7

A WAR ECHO

HUGHES V. MONASH

ENGLISH PRAISE FOR LATTER

.„ United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.]

LONDON, June 5

A remarkable tribute to General Sir .Joan Monasli is paid by the “Daily '] olograph’s” iniht.#ry correspondent in the course of a. lengthy reference to Sir J. Monash’s statement regarding Mr \V. M. Hughes’s attitude. The cm respondent says: There is no surprise to those who peep behind the veil covering the autumn of 1918. Sir J. AJen-as.i’s facts tally with those al.eudy known regarding Air Hughes’s constant pressui e to secure relief for the Australian forces, which began weeks before the September attack on the Hindenbur.g Line, One of the most amusing inner stories of the war relates to August- 8, 1918, The secret of the attack on the front at Amiens was so well kept that the War Council at home knew nothing before it had been launched and succeeded, During a meeting oi that assembly Mr Hughes was making a vehement speech, demfinding that the Australians should be taken out of the line, when news came that the Australians were atlacndng with brilliant success, a-ncl were already far inside the German line. Reealj yqs too kite. Air Hughes, however, did not relax lifs demand for relief, but, happily, it did not prevent the Australian line from repeating its triumph, first storming St, Quentin and then breaking the Hindenburg line. Air Hughes’s attitude seems partly to have been inspired by internal pressure in Australia and partly by his feeling that Australians were being called on to do more than the troops of the Mother Country. Certainly . tl|e Australians . phfyed the star role more often than tion jn 19}8. Although Mr Hughes’s demand began before the chief run of •iiicfiess commenced, it shouldHba remembered that the Australians had not, like others, born©' the •brunt of the German hammer blows,, 'earlier; though they came up each- time to help in bringing the German'advance to g standstill; and o,ne may question whether the. majority of the Australians would have wished to avoid the vital role that )VftS then giveiWthem. Perhaps the great part.-plas'ed by Sir John Alonosh in 1918 has, never been fu)ly appvemited. A civilian; himself, he was perhaps the ablest,.of all the Commanders on the > Western Frtant/ The War ended before he had a chance to reveal his full scope,

but he hnd done enough to bring high honour on the citizen of the Empire. The latest revelations show what pressure from the rear he had to withstand in standing by the troops of the Motherland and of the other Dominions,