RAID BY NEW ZEALANDERS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 14237, 3 March 1917, Page 3

RAID BY NEW ZEALANDERS.

GERMANSIKILLED AND CAPTURED.

'OUR ONLY DISEASE LS HUNGER."

(From Maloolm Ross, War Correspondent with N.Z. Forces m the Field.)

NORTHERN FRANCE, Jan. 9

On two occasions recently the New Zealand Rifles raided the German trenches. The raiders showed great dash and bravery, and both sides were eminently successful. In the first of these raids it is estimated that fifty ot the enemy were killed and wounded, and nine prisoners were brought back. The prisoners were not at all loth to come away. Tliis was not to be surprised at, for theii* trenches were m many places found to be m a deplorable condition, waist deep m water and badly shattered by our trench mortars, and artillery. In such bad condition "were- these trenches that they could be held only m isolated posts. Onr engineers blew up a pumping plant and a section of trench tramway. One section of the raiders threw 'three hundred bombs, and disposed of about twenty Germans. All this was accomplished with a loss of one man killed and four wounded.

Another raid referred to m (Sir Douglas Haig's latest communique was equally successful, and more interesting on account of the information obtained. Again the toll of killed and wounded Germans was about 50, while no fewer than 19 prisoners were brought back. Uur losses were only one killed and tkree wounded. For a considerable time past .tho report on raids m our sector has invariably been "identification normal." On- this occasion, however, there were new troops opposite us. Again the prisoners were only too glad to surrender, and not at all inclined to put up a fight. They were mostly young men of from 19 to about 25, and quite good material. They were well clothed, but they were without exception thin and hungry. They carried with them back .through No Man's l_and the uneaten portion of theii* bread ration, evidently loth to be parted from it. They stated that they had been suffering from colds, but that there was no prevalence of infiueiiza or other disease. They said the only disease, they were suffering from was hunger, and their looks did not belie the statement. Our A.P.M. at once proceeded to draw rations for them, for always the enemy prisoners are well treated, and not only well but kindly treated, by the Brtiish armies m the field. This important evidence about hunger m the ranks may explain m some degree the strenuous attempt that is being made on the part of the German authorities to obtain a premature peace and the furionsness of tlie Kaiser and of the people of Germany at the failure of the Allies to fall m with their proposals. Another important fact is that though these young soldiers complained of hunger they stated that their nations had not. been reduced m bulk. They said thjry were getting the same ration now as they were getting m the summer, but they attributed the fact of their present craving for food to the idea that m order to stave off hunger a larger ration was needed m the winter than was necessary m the summer. The chances are, however, that] what has happened is that though their i rations are the same m bulk, tliey are very different now m quality. In other words, they are lacking m the main elements of sustentation. If this is the case it would tend to confirm infoiination that is coming to hand from other sources, and would account to some extent for tli9 steadily declining morale of the German armies on the western front. At the same time, this information, valuable though it is, does hot warrant any slackening .of our efforts, for there can be little doubt that the enemy is busy with an increase of armament and of munitions, and that he will -till make /a tremendous effort to stave off ultimate and disastrous defeat. That he fears such a defeat is clearly evident. That the Allies can accomplish what the enemy now dreads is also clear. All that is needed is united and co-ordinated effort. Speaking for the New Zealanders, I can say that they, like everyone else, would bo glad to see the war ended ; but they are prepared to fight until it is satisfactorily ended. "I .believe," <____d one^ officer to me only the other day, "that if peace were declared to-morrow every man would throw his hat m the air, but most of them would be grabbing them again before they got np very far." That, 1 think, expresses the general feeling — peace as soon as possible; but not until we 'have given the enemy a bigger beating than we have already given him.