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Show FEB IGillCE, . YET irais Commander of Australian Forces Sheds Light and Credit on German Skill. SYDNEY, Australia, Feb. The cap-! cap-! ture of German New Guinea by the Australian naval reserves Is thus described de-scribed by Commander Beresford. who commanded the Austrajian forces:- We had taken the first line of trenches, and advanced upon the Eeo- ond line of trenches when a flag of truce appeared and a German officer with an orderly came up to ask me what terms he could get for surrender. The orderly acted as interpreter. I have since found out that the German officer understands English as well as I do myself. I had already written out the terms of surrender. It was to be an unconditional uncon-ditional surrender of all his forces and his arms. There was forty minutes parleying with altogether too much German for me. At last, my patience exhausted, X pulled out my watch and gave him five minutes to sign "surrender.1' "sur-render.1' I like that man. He's one of the coolest soldiers I've met. He talked German to his Interpreter for exactly four minutes, and then he signed "surrender." I sent Lieutenant Bond with the German officer, who undertook to order or-der his men to cease firing at once. The lieutenant was armed and I told him at the slightest sign to shoot both the German officer and his Interpreter. The second line of trenches being reached, the German officer kept his word, but the other man rushed Into the trenches, and rallied the natives, who opened fire. Lieutenant Bond . shot that man dend, and about fifteen fif-teen other natives alao died as the result re-sult of the treachery. We found that Herbertshotn was splendidly prepared for tt defense. They had had two months to g-t ready and their trenches and defenses were placed in ideai positions. |