THE ARMY OF THE SOMME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16567, 16 June 1917, Page 8

THE ARMY OF THE SOMME.

— ♦ SIR DOUGLAS HAIG'S TRIBUTE. In view of any di m feting effect which may have been caused by the publication in some newspapers of a statement alleged to have been made by Sir Douglas Haig to the effect that he " fought the battle of the Somme with half-trained troops," Sir James Allen, New Zealand Minister for Defence, stated last evening that he has authority _ for saying that Sir Douglas Haig denies that anything he has said or written could be understood in a derogatory sense. The Minister added that Sir Douglas Haig further states that his despatch on the Somme battle contains an expression of his appreciation and great admiration of the qualities displayed by the troops, and that he has no objection to the publication of this statement. The paragraph in Sir Douglas Haig's report of December last on the Somme battle which has apparently been misunderstood in some quarters, read as follows:— far as these results are due to the action I of the British forces, they have been at-1 tained by troops the vast majority of whom | had been raised and trained during the war. I Many of them, especially amongst' the I units sent to replace wastage, counted I their service by months and gained in the l Somme battle their first experience of i war. The conditions under which we i 1 entered the war had made this unavoid- i able. We were compelled either to use hastily trained, and inexperienced officers i and men or else to defer the offensive i until we had trained them. In this latter : case wo should have failed our allies. That ', these troops should have accomplished so I much under such conditions, and against i an army and a nation whose chief concern for so many years has been preparation for war, constitutes a feat of which the < history of our nation records no equal, i The difficulties and hardships, cheerfully i overcome, and the endurance, determina- I tion, and invincible- courage shown in < meeting them, can hardly be imagined by < those who have not had personal expen- < ence of the battle, even though thev have i themselves seen something of war." t