GENERAL GODLEY.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 216, 16 October 1914, Page 4

GENERAL GODLEY.

MESSAGE TO DOMINION. Press Association. WELLINGTON, October 15. General Godley sent the following message to the Press: — "On leaving the Dominion in command of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, I wish on its behalf to thank all ranks of the citizens' army, both permanent and Territorial, for the loyal support and assistance they have given in its formation. It must be a great satisfaction to the regiment of the Royal New Zealand Artillery, the officers of the New Zealand Staff Corps, the warrant and non-commis-sioned officers of the NeAV Zealand Staff Corps, the warrant and non-commis-sioned officers of the New Zealand Permanent Staff, the clerical and stores staffs, and the ranks of the Territorials' force to realise that their hard work and devotion to duty during past years have succeeded in producing so tine and well organised a body of men as the Expeditionary Force which I have the honour to command. I feel also that we owe the deepest gratitude to the old volunteers and their organisation upon which the Territorial scheme was based. Not only they, but also the other branches of the citizen army, the rifle clubs and cadets, may feel that they have an important share in the result that has been obtained.. _To all the Eoyal NeAv Zealand Artillery, New Zeai land Staff Corps, New Zealand Permanent Staff, clerical and stores staffs, the Territorial Force, the volunteers, rifle clubs and cadets, I wish to express on behalf of the Expeditionary Force our deep sense of gratitude and thanks for the services and spirit which have made possible the preparation and dispatch of a force so worthy to represent New Zealand, and so well fitted to do valuable service for the Empire. "I would impress upon all ranks and upon all branches of the service the vital necessity of continuing to maintain in the absence of the Expeditionary. Force the same high standard of effort, not only in order that drafts of equal value shall be dispatched to reinforce it, but also that the scheme of universal training for the defence j of the Dominion shall in no way suffer Iby our absence. To all citizens and ! all classes of. the community , I wish also to express the gratitude of the j Expeditionary Force for the support and assistance they have given us. To the ladies who have worked so hard to provide.comforts and necessaries for the troops," to the business community who have helped materialy and financially, to the farmers who have given us of their best in the way of horses and forage, to the professional classes who have ungrudgingly and as a rule gratuitously given us their skilled assistance, to all classes of labour who have worked with a will and at high pressure to meet our requirements at short notice, to all branches of the Government service, to municipal and other public bodies, and to all. who have subscribed so liberally to the various patriotic, funds we owe our most graeful j thanks. I wish especially to acknowledge the way in which the Press of the Dominion as a whole has loyally obi served the restrictions rendered necessary by the state of war. It is oniy another instance of the help and. sup- | port which practically all the newsj papers of the country have given to j the military authorities during the past i four years of work in connection with the inception of the scheme of universal training. "Thanks to the efforts of the conii munity with respect to the Expedi- ! tionary Force and the support of the people in the cause of universal training we leave the shores of New Zea-land-well armed and well equipped, and it will be the aim and endeavour . of every man in the Force to prove worthy to represent the Dominion when he finds himself ranged in Europe alongside the other forces of the Empire. For myself I feel I cannot adequately express to the people of the country my gratitude for all the;kindness and sympathetic support I have received from them throughout my tenure of command of the New Zealand citizen army. I can only say that in return for it all I will do my best for the Expeditionary Force, which they have entrusted to my care, and that it is my earnest hope that I may return with it to the Dominion and so revisit the | many good friends I haA-e made in the country with which I am proud to be so thoroughly identified, and of which I hope I may be allowed to feel myself almost a citizen. I wish- also to express to the people my heartfelt thanks for the valuable gift of a sword of honour, which they have presented to me on my departure in command of the Expeditionary Force. I shall value it particularly because it comes from the people, and if such a thing were needed it will always be a delightful reminder to mo of the happy days I have spent in the formation of the citizen army of the eountry. Lady Godley wishes me .to add how sorry she is to be leaving the Dominion and that she hopes very much to return with me to see it and all her friends again. "(Signed ALEX. J. GODLEY, Major-General. "General Officer Commanding N.Z. Expeditionary Force." Send your photo, tiken now by Steffano Webb, to your friends as a Xmas greeting "across the sea." Bates moderate. Petersen's Buildings, High Street, Christchurch. Telephone 1989. The blowing of guards' whistles at wrong times at Basle railway station caused some disorganisation and danger, and a police watch was set. It was found that the culprit was a blackbird, which had learned to imitate the guards' whistle, and it has been shot.