WHO HELD THE GERMANS?

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17533, 27 January 1919, Page 7

WHO HELD THE GERMANS?

BTGHTIKG AT AMIENS.

FRENCH PRAISE THE AUSTRALIANS. Clos© readem of tho war news over tho past year must at times have felt con- * lused at the various reports which camethrough to Now Zealand regarding ths - particular armies which stood beforff Ami&ns and foeajfc off tho German attack* One leading American claimed in tho n©w*£ Papons that it was the American army thai saved Amiens; th© French say' it was the Australians, and our New Zealand soldiers played no unimportant part in the fighting round Amiens, being hurriedly brought by tram from Ypres. . Under these ciraocmstances it is interesting to read that Sir Henry Lefroy, Premier of Western Australia, has received from Chaplain Captain 1. J. ODoxmell, of the 11th Battalion, tho following interestmg account of the fichting on the western front daring the German onslaught in March last. "You have not been toW all tho truth; concerning those days, bat I venture to . say that in a very great measure our boja have saved tho situation this year. The * days of March and April were indeed dark days, and we were very near disaster then, for after all it takes only a littlo thing to turn the tide. Had Paris or the coastal ports fallen, who can eay what would hare been the result, and tho Australians sa*ed i the situation then.

•When the Germans broke through. in- , 1 March there was an absolute rout. Our*' men were 25 miles away. General Sir John Momash telegraphed for them, anct had the first lot through by lorries in ths morning, tho remainder arriving later vz tho day. They marched out to meet tha , Germans, and as they went they marched' through miles of retreating soldiers and officers. At last they cam© in contact with -' the enemy and held him. From that snot ' he never moved one inch further toward Amiens or Paris.

'In the first days of the attack and retreat General Foch said: 'Amiens is uk grave danger'; on the second and third days'' , he said: The danger is greater.' He eaid the same on the fourth because the Germans were then only 11 miles from it, but on the fifth day he said that Amiens was' saved, and that was because the Australians had gone out and held the advancing enemy. Tho Cri do Paris, a well-known Paris paper, came out a day or two later with a picture of tho city of Amiens. Standing over it was an 'Aussie' with his well-known hat and rifle, and underneath were th© words, 'Amiens saved, and its saviour.' Surely this was Va magnificent triumph for the ' Aus-„ tralian army, and surely it is a fin© reply'' to the reply to th© croakers' in Australia J who asked: What could a few greenhorns from Australia do in th© armies of mil-- - lions?"