GENERAL CRITICISED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16621, 18 August 1917, Page 6

GENERAL CRITICISED.

ALLEGED UNPOPULARITY. NEW ZEALAND COMMANDER. [BY TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.] WELLINGTON. Friday. Some very plain speaking was indulged in by Mr. C. J. Parr regarding General Godley, in his speech in Parliament this afternoon. "It is a most unfortunate thing for this country that General Godley should still command our army at the front," he said. " I knew before I went to England last year that the general was unpopular with the returned soldiers. Ninety per cent, at least of the officers and men who have returned all say hard things. . Last year I had the opportunity of talking with hundreds of men and many officers, not only at the front but in the camps and in hospitals. Everywhere I found the same feeling. The general possessed neither the regard nor the respect of his men. There was a feeling of unconcealed hostility towards him and bitter dislike among all ranks. This feeling of intense dislike was not new. It began in Egypt and grew under the experiences of G alii poll, and has become even stronger in France and England. I would not mention the subject at all, but that I am convinced that the Government ought to take notice o this thing and not ignore it. (Hear, hear.) "The feeling against the general is universal, persistent and. I think, ineradicable. It has persisted for three years. I feel sure that a difficulty of some kind might have arisen but for the fact that we have been served by twp excellent officers in Generals Russell and Richardson in England and France (hear, hear)who are immediately under General Godley, and who do all the rough spade work. One cannot speak too highly of their services. They possess not only the respect but the warm esteem of their various commands. There is much the same spirit for them as the Australians have for General Birdwood. " General Godley commands the New Zealand Army, and he ought to give a chance to promising New Zealanders to learn staff, work. The New Zealand Division is onethird of General Godley's Army Corps, and at least a third of his staff ought to be New Zealanders. Genera] Godley further

owes all his recent titles and decorations to the fact that he is the commander oS the New Zealand Army, and, in common fairness, he should give New Zealand men the first chance for these positions, instead of excluding them in favour of young Englishmen of good family connections. This is the sort of thing that galls our men. " I have heard it said that General Godley stands well with the War Office, and, must be a good soldier. "I admit General Godley has always exercised great tact and diplomacy in dealing with his superiors. If half that tact and diplomacy, were exercised in dealing with the rank and file there would be less complaint. (Hear, hear.) " The Minister ought to take steps," concluded Mr. Parr, "to have General Godley promoted to some other command, and have the Anzacs reunited under General Birdwood. (Hear, hear.) Our glorious comradeship with the Australians at Gallipoli should be perpetuated, and every New Zealander would fight with much mora satisfaction were he under the Australian general who is beloved by all ranks for his human qualities." (Hear, hear.) Mr. R. McCallum (Wairau), who visited the New Zealand Army while it was quartered in Egypt, rebuked Mr. Parr for what he described as an unwarrantable attack on a high Imperial officer. General Godley was not under the control of th& New Zealand Government, but under the Imperial Government. It was, perhaps, true that General Godley was unpopular with his officers. Mr. Parr : And with the whole army. " He is not unpopular with the whole army. That is a gross exaggeration," said Mr. McCallum, who went on to say that it was General Godley's zeal for the welfare of the men in his command that made him unpopular with some of his officers. There was occasional talk among the men about General Godley, but a lot of this was encouraged by officers who did not, like the general, and there were men who talked about General Godley who had never met him and had no chance of ever meeting him. He thought it was exceeding regrettable that this attack had been made on a very worthy officer.