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Sun (Christchurch), Volume IV, Issue 964, 14 March 1917, Page 6

The most convincing fact in the very satisfactory statement made by General Smuts with regard to the East African situation is the announcement that most of the South African white troops have already left the country. All that remains to be done is to round up the remnant of the enemy's disorganised forces, and to accomplish that we must wait for the end of the rainy season. General Smuts, however, makes another very interesting statement when he speaks of "the magnificent infantry work" of the native levies. It is surely a striking testimony both to our own powers of organisation and to the quality of the natives themselves that battalions raised at such short notice, and plunged at once into such dangerous and exhausting work, should have earned such hearty praise. And of course it suggests vast possibilities. If, owing to climatic and other disadvantages, Smuts.had to depend so largely on native troops, and found them of such excellent quality, East Africa should become a factor in the Mesopctamian and Egyptian campaigns. The only hindrance to further successes there is their cost in transport and in white troops; but since East Africa is as convenient as India to both these areas, it is quite likely that our forces in Bagdad will be reinforced by Swahilis. It is true, of course, that with the exception of the Zulus in the south, the best fighting men in Africa are Mohammedans, and have at least a streak of Arab; but that docs not greatly matter. The striking loyalty of India, and Ithe no less striking disloyalty to their recent rulers on the part of Medina and Mecca, show that whatever difficulties there may be in feeding and handling Moslem troops, the ''Holy War" hopes of our enemies have proved a dismal fiasco.