Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-08-04
General Sir John MonaSh, Who
Lead 10000 u, S, Soldiers
Under Him. BeStoWS Highest
Praise on Them,
DELIVERED THE GOODS,
IS TERSE STATEMENT
Expects Time to Come When
This Country and Australia
viii Have to Unite to Meet
Common Peril in Pacific.
tAssoclated Press Correspondenoe.)

American soldiers are "full-blood
brothers." in the opinion Of Lieuten-
ant General Sir John Monash. COM
forces in the war. because the Ameri-
cans were never placed in any posi-
ton, nor called upon to perform any
duty, when. as the general expressed
1t, they did not deliver the goods"
General Monash said he first
reached this conclusion in the early
| dawn of the Fourth of July, 1918,
when for the first time. Australian
troops, fighting side by side with the
Americans in the Somme sector won
the battle of Hamel. and gave to the
allied arms the first success they had
achieved since the Germans began
their memorable advance on March
21st.
! This battle was the turning point
of the war" said General Monash. at
was a brilliant and unqualified sue
cess, and its effect upon the morale,
| both of the enemy and of our own
men, was electric and startling 1t
became the model of all subsequent
achievements in France, and it paved
the way for the great counter often
sive in August
1000 Americans Engaged.
| The American troops engaged, said
! the general, were 1000 men from the
! Thirty-third division, commanded by
General John Bell. The Thirty-third
division was then undergoing training.
General Monash said he had asked
and obtained permission to employ
| ] 900 of the Americans in the battle
! of Hamel, but on the eve of the bat
| tie permission was withdrawn.
II passed n strenuous and exciting
period of two hours continued Cen
! eral Monash, 80 far as | could
| learn the order originated in some
misunderstanding at American gen
/ eral headquarters as to the state of
preparedness for battle of the divi-
/ sion.
II could not afford to have my bat
! tie plans ruined at the last moment
! by the withdrawal of large fraction
| of my assaulting infantry. so ! went
! to nv army commander and delivered
an ultimatum. If the Americans were
| not allowed to remain III the order
! of battle then the battle in the morn
! ing would be off Unless a decision
was given by o'clock that night the
| battle would go on with the Amerl-
| cans in it as planned. We managed
to intercept the commander-in-ch
/ and he gave the order to carry on
Covered Themselves With Glory.
Those 1000 Americans covered
| themselves with glory, and / can pay
them no greater compliment than by
saving that from that day our Austria
lian veterans took them to their heart
as full bloOd-brothers.
General Monash declared that the
131st American regiment of the Thir-
ty-third division, in company with the
Thirteenth Australian brigade, fought
most gallant and successful series
of actions which resulted in the cap
ture of Chipilly Spur" when the great
counter offensive was launched by the
Australians and Canadians in the
Somme sector on August s. 1918.
"This," he said, made secure my left
flank thereby enabling me to get
astride of the valley of the Somme
and hunt the enemy clean out or 1t
for 20 miles. ~
General Monash had under his com
mand in the closing days or the war
the whole Second American army
corps more than 60,0 600 men of the
27th and goth American divisions,
This army, he said, overthrew the
Hindenburg defense system at 3ui
"most strongly defended point The
share of the American divisions in
these operations was characterized by
General Monash as probably the
greatest single American feat of arms
achieved in the whole war" The
operatioTs were completed on Octo- |
ber S. he said, and it was on that
night that the Germans threw up
the sponge and declared their willing |
ness to make peace on our own
terms"
Delivered the Goods.
"I have been asked over and over |
again to express my opinion OF the |
American troops" General Monash |
continued. II am not going to be
so foolish as to attempt to do so
here and now. / am only going to
saw in your own expressive vernacu-
lar that at all times and In every
tjace where / have used them. the |
American troops delivered the goods. |
you may we'll believe that this
close association in war of such large |
bodies of Australians and Americans
has erected very real and lasting |
friendship between our two de-
mocracies. The foundations Of thai !
friendship had already been laid many |
wears before by the visit of the Amer |
ican battle fleet to Australia.
II can assure you that Australia |
attaches much Importance to secur-
ing and maintaining the friendship |
of America We look upon the Unit
cd States as our big brother in the
Pacific, and if any one Of you has
reflected on the problems of the Pa
cific, which are going to arise in the
future on the future, he will know
what mean by that observation"