GENERAL BABINGTON

New Zealand Mail, 29 January 1902, Page 45

GENERAL BABINGTON

FORCES

THE NEW COMMANDANT OF THE FORCES. Major-General J. M. Babington. who lias been appointed Commandant of the New Zealand Forces, arrived in Wellington on the 22nd by the Monovai from Sydney. He was met at the Queen’s Wharf by the Premier, Lieut.-Colonel Owen (who lias been acting as Commandant), Sir Arthur Douglas, Lieut.-Colonels Newall, C. 8., Messenger and Collins, Major Smith, and Captain Hughes, D.S.O. A guard of honour was in attendance, comprising 38 men of the Permanent Artillery, under Lieutenant Pilkington. As the Monowai drew up to her berth, a salute was fired from the Pipitea Point battery. General Babington, who is staying at the Royal Oak Hotel, is accompanied by Mrs and Miss Babington. Captain Campbell, of the Commandant’s staff, was also a passenger by the Monowai. In the evening the Commandant accepted an invitation from Mr J. H. Witheford, M.H.R. for Auckland City, to be present at the Opera House at the performance of "La Pericnole.” There were about 200 members of the Auckland squadron of the Eighth Contingent pre- ; sent as the guests of Mr Witheford, and it was interesting that on the first evening of General Babington’s arrival in New Zealand, he should meet, under such j strangely diverse conditions, some of the. I men who have fought under him in | South Africa. .One of the Auckland ! men, a'sergeant in the present conlinI gent, who was present last night, cari ried despatches between General liabI ington and Colonel Davies when*he vas | last in South Africa. i On being interviewed in Melbourne, I while on Ins way to New Zealand, Gen- ! oral Babington said: “I Avas here in ’O7. I then spent six weeks in Sydney. I have the pleasantest recollections of Australia, or that part of it which I then visited, and I look forward to my stay in New Zealand, and I hope an occasional visit . to the Commonwealth, with great pleasure. I have some relatives in Sydney, you know; that brought me out before.” “When did you leave South Africa?” “In September last. The war, as a war, was said to be over, and practically there was a great deal of truth in that statement, but of course the guerilla warfare is not yet stamped out. But it will he. | “Reverses? Well, here and there we see annoyiug little surprises by the : Boers, but what can you expect in a 1 country of such huge dimensions? Australia, I believe (smiling), is pretty big, but the Australians have said themselves that South Africa is a tremendous place and full of tremendous difficulties. [ You can only expect it. We might j just as well try to play a game of chess ! without expecting to lose a piece as to finish the war without an occasional little set-back. But it must be remembered that whatever we lose the Boers lose too. The strain is telling on them—i depend upon it.” “How long do you give it?” ! “Well, that is a hard thing to say. | The end may come very much sooner : than, some people expect. The irregu--1 larities of the Avar may flicker here and ! there; the Boers are stubborn and j shortsighted, and England has been very i lenient. Consequently it Avould be dif- | ncult to put au immediate limit to the , fighting. It all depends on the treatment of the disease. Mild remedies, if they .fail, must be replaced by strong ones. But I think the feA r er has nearly run its course. The pext dose of medi- | cine will prove fatal to it.”