The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-10-18
FIGHTING SMITH-DORRIENs
FIXING" OF SCILLY ISLES
n, y. CtNLIIEE-oN ZEN.

RTNT HGlThiN'S outpost on the
Atlantic. tho first bit of Eng
7 u.h territory that meets the
gu2. " the American visitor
TO Tyroyc Of the entrance Of the Cham
mel e 'rr.ncl by that group of islands
known I'm these modern days as the
ScUI,.. lut which are generally re-
sa,f.d 80 INC only remaining unsub-
nersod horizons OF that Lyonnesse
which w,.s the scene of so many incl
cents IN tho Arthurian romances, and
especially in the legends of Tristram
and Ispult II also PLAYED an important
part In all Cornish traditions and folk
lore. Whit early English chronicles.
such rs, for instance. those OF Florence
of Worcester, who died in Ills. describe
infinitely the fourishing state OF the
lovely country OF Lyonnesse and It's
sudden disappearance beneath the sea,
all except soln NJ the highlands and
rocky pcaly now forming the Scilly
Tsles
II seems peculiarly ft'ing that a com
mander VINO has to hls record more
deeds Of daring and of h"roism than al
most an oih,~ general officer vt the
British army aud who haH already won
lasting fame for himself in tl. present
war. namely. Sir Horec" Smith -Dorrien
should hal from these i,i.ts. from this
remaining h., " LNonnce.r. ha!lowed
BY Ar,hur.dn history and legend, should
have been reared among It's traditions
and In what may be described az the
very atmosphere of the epoch OF the
Knights Of tn Round Table and Of the
Holy Grail. and should form part OF the
sI.Hf - az 10. 80
For his cider brother. Thomas a. Dor
rien-Smlth--note the trdnsposit!on OF
the surname--is the uncrowned king OF
what is LETT OF Lyonno,sc. subject, OF
course. TO the sovereignty OF the British
Crown. and holds his .acds under an
ancient tief from the Duke of Cornwall
that is 10 say. tho Prince of Wales
He rules over his some 1000 lieges
with deSpotlc sway and in patriarcha'
and feudal fashion. True. ne no longer
enjoys the right OF lie and death. a,
did his Godo.ph!n predecessors in the
ownership OF the islands. But as @
Magistrate and as a deputy lieutenant
Of the King ne has the power OF sen.
fencing offenders to prison and OF in.
h!ct.ng upon them the punishment
which they dread even more than de
teut.on In Jail. with or without hare
labor. namely Punishment from tn,
Sicily Islands.
II Gen. Sir Horace Smith Dorrien 1.
80 much IN the public eye just at pres
en-, e s because of the mastery mannel
In which he saved the British army IL
France from virtual humiliation in th'
early stages Of the fight against IN,
Germans. Owing to some hitherto un
accountable failure Of the French I,
not fy him IN time that they had fallci
hack from tha'r positions near the Bel
gan border. the troops urd = his com
ma were left at the mercy of a Ger
man force three or four times as numer
0Js under Gen. Won kluCk. who wa
oeut on accomplishing the Ka.ser's re
Dro,'a .lad pressing brhests at all cost
70 crush and eNtermiuate what he dc
s.~.J.a as The contemplate little Eng
tsr army
When sir Horace thus found himsel
Abandoned without warning by tn
French and his right wing uu IMPORTED
and when his messages to the F'rencl
'or achievements REMAINED unan
swered he ala the only thing that wa
left FOR MIN TO do under the circum
stances # he wished To preserve hi
forces from being completely cnvelopeC
That is to say, he ordered them to IA
back and to retreat until they coul
come in touch again with the mai
French army. He conducted the retrea
in 80 mastery a manner throughout a
entire week that he avertcd any undu
loss OF life, guns and material. and pre-
served the morale and the spirits OF hi
officers and men under his orders I
such an extent that when he got int
touch once more with the French
was abe TO assume again the offensiv
with un!mpalred strength and 10 driv
the enemy back, step by step. almost I
the Belgian border
The great Field Marshal Moltke wa
wont to insist that to conduct a mas
terly retreat was even a greater man
festation OF clever generalship and {
military genius than TO make a victC
rious advance. According to the stand
ard set therefore by the celebrated Ger
man Field Marshal. perhaps the grea
est military expert In scientific warfai
Of the nineteenth century, Gen. Sir Hol
ace Smlth-Dorriens retreat prepare
tory to his resumption Of the offenFiv
has been perhaps the most brilliant fei
OF the present campaign. a view borr
out by the unstinted praise OF File
Marshal Sir John French and OF Ea
Kitchener
II may be mentioned here inciden
ally that the French General respons