The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-10-27

ish soldier? What is the fighting
pedigree of Tommy Atkins and what
Is his possible achievement. measured
by past performance in the field?
Great Britain. having cast her lot
with France and Russia in their war
with Germany and Austria, what
standard of valorous morale and
w~hatprestige does the relocated
man of war bring to the fray? I'm
mediately the army Of John Bull is
mentioned the mind runs to Water
90. Beyond question that battle is
popularity deemed the high-water
mark of British military accomplish
ment.
These significant facts and charac-
teristics. which can scarcely be per-
centaged or tabulated, should be
borne in mind:
The soil of Great Britain proper has
never been trodden by an invading
army since the time of William the
Conqueror. France has on occasion
sent a quota of troops to aid rebel
lion in Ireland, but never has an out
and-out French army landed on Brit
iSh soil to battle with a united British
people.
Great Britain's Powers
1t was the great orator, Daniel
Webster, who pointed out in one of
his eloquent periods. that the drum
beat Of Great Britain circled the
globe. and that the sun never set on
British dominion. Hasn't this spe-
cial significance with respect to pres
tige? All over the earth the Briton
has spread himself most literally, and
always through force of arms. No
other nation has carried it's flag far
Their and more variously- to perma-
nent possession. 1t has taken power,
courage, and oft-tried endurance to
raise her banner where it flies. When
the eye lights on the British Jack
there's a picture of proweSS and pres
tige formed at once. Perhaps the
picture is much more vivid than &C
tual accomplishment warrants. but
the picture is there. This prestige
cannot be standardized with respect
to it's sure effect.
Great Britain's soldier has travelled
thousands of miles to fight. conquer
n permanently possess. Other ma
tions have sent their fighting men as
far, but after a generation of war
fare has been checked up it will be
found that she holds the most, if not
all, of what she fought for. In the
magnitude and variety Of military
operations of which he has been the
achieving agent, there is no soldier or
earth to be compared with the battleT
of the British Isles. This is a chron-
icle of feet entirely apart from praise
England Whipped But Once.
Great Britain o p has a popu
lation of 46,036,570 and yet she con
trolls territory inhabited by every race
of man, containing 37S, 739,590 hu.
mar beings. Isn't the prestige in the
air? Whenever you think of Eng.
lane you breathe prestige.
And remember this-only one ma
tion in the world ever went to battl'
with Great Britain without being IL
the end whipped completely or com
PEELED to submit to subjugating com
promise. Sooner or later a British
army has defeated it's adversary in
battle that meant finality Of the quar-
rel. During intervals the British
standard may have been trailed il
the dust at infrequent reverses, blu
when the treaty of peace was signe'
the successes of the British soldie
dictated the terms The gradual in
during three centuries of brawling
almost the only exception to Eng
and's successful fight and keep
system.
How did the British soldier be
nave at Waterloo? What sort of
man and a fighter was he? How di
he compare with the soldiers of tn
other nations fighting with him
Never vas there a better time t
weigh him than at Waterloo, for h
battled at the side of Dutch, Belgian
Prussian, Hanoverian, and Muscular
eOUS German troops.
Wellington Il Hard Master.
1t is a curious fact that Wellingto
himself did not w a very hig
opinion of the British soldiers sens
of duty or patriotism. He believe
that he could make him fight ar
that he would fight hard. Wellin:
ton believed in ~f1ogging in the arm
and many a British private was put
iShed thus for derelictions. Lette
are extant in the Iron Dukes han,
writing. in which he says he con
manded the "damnedest lot of rasca
and vagabonds unhung'' at Waterlo
In the famous Creevey apers there
evidence that Wellington did n
think the British soldier would ha'
fought so we'll had not he (the duk,
commanded them. The conversati'
W Wellington n Creevey Il
morning after Waterloo contains TIL
Lost 30 900 Men.
1.-The first thing L did, of cour.
was to put out my hand and co