Letter from Major-General Bernard Freyberg [General Officer Commanding New Zealand Forces] (written at sea) to WSC, regretting that he could not dine with WSC on 5th January, but had already left on his way back to New Zealand, and was now with the First Echelon 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force, a day from Sydney [Australia]. Freyberg gives his impressions of New Zealand: in particular, they had not had a good response to the call for recruits, due to various causes, but he hoped that the movement of the First Echelon overseas, together with an intensive recruitment campaign would improve matters. Freyberg also comments on the unstable political situation, noting that if anything happened to the Prime Minister Michael Savage, who was very ill, there could be a left-wing revolt in the Government, bringing about a National Government. Freyberg adds that WSC must already know about their future plans, so he would not talk about them, and this was just a letter of friendship; he was particularly glad that WSC had talked to the Deputy Prime Minister, Peter Fraser, as WSC's remarks to Fraser had not been wasted, but had been quoted frequently to Freyberg's credit. In a postscript, Freyberg describes his convoy as a grand sight, and how his men felt that they were making history. Signed typescript.