Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-05-23
TIiE DEcADENCE or GisisiT
BRITAIN.

BRITAIN.
Great Britain III last has been
Jared out Of her attitude Of SNUG In
difference. The war has rot been so-
ina won for her. slr John French. 10
be- aurc. has conducted the campaign
Ia France and Flanders with eon-
suinmatc hkili and Tommy Atkins
has handled himself up 10 the best
standards of the eoldiera Of the
British empire. he has fought stub
bornly on The defense. has showed
admirable dash and daring In az.
tack. has lived through the winter IN
muddy trenches uncomplalnnaly, and
has laughed at the horrible Jack
.lphnaons" hurled az him by the Ger
mans Even when aasailcd by shells
filled with poisonous gases, he has not
ninehod. and whom sprayed with
burning Oh, he has stood his ground.
Hut, strange to say, General French
has had Il large part OF his force
armed with the archaic Martini rifle,
weapon discarded long ago by the
regulars beeause It's rance was not
sufficient aud new cartridge had to
he placed in the breeeh each time II
was fircd. In this respect the British
ARMIES are Ia the Same fix the Ameri-
cnn volunteers, armed with single
shot old sprlnghelds, were In the ciyll
war only the Brltlsher has the ad-
vantage OF a smokeless.powder cart
ridge, whereas the American volun-
teers had 10 disclose their positions
because OF the smoke from black
powder
Hut The worst Of all with the Britt
ish forces has been lack of ammunl-
tlon-an insuifclcncy Of shells for
their guns ana OF bullets for the MAJ
chine guns,
over and oyer again, Sir John
French has vainly appealed for am
munition. While his men We're handi-
capped by lack OF shells, and being
slaughtered by their aasoilants, Brit
ish working men We're striking for
higher wages and carousng 10 the
saloons. Even dock workers struck,
holding up, sometimes for DAYS, ships
loaded with ammunition.
As the months 10 on and Great
Britain shows her roitenness on the
inside. Il becomes more and more APP
parent that the war came none too
soon. The country needed the shock,
needed the savage surgery of war to
cure Il Of It's decadenee and check its
rapid deterioration.
Ten years ago Matthew Arnold de-
elafed the people Of England were
divided into three classes. an upper
class. mutcrialiged middle class,
vulgarzcd, lower class brutalzed.
The condemnation was too sweeping,
but not without an element Of truth
Ia it,
Sow. the HrltIshers, once aroused.
have fallen to quarreling among
themselves as to who shall be tho
seapegoat The hmmc is upon the
British nation 40 whole. 1t had be-
come soft ana fabhy and lazy and
Indifferent lie school system was ana
Is inadequate. little attention helnr
paid q the education 81 the masses
aud the great universities belong sole
~ 10 the sens Of the rich.
British capital has drawn It's divi-
dends and its interest from the ends
Of the earth. London. as the ex-
change center has takent ioll OF the
International commerce Of the
worn pehauchcd By this golden
stream. the moral fber was allowed
to rot
This war. while II will cost Great
Britain billions ana sap thc nation %
hundreds Of thousands OF younp
men. rwiil ealvanize tie nation into
life again. as Il was galvanized into
life BY The long struggle with Ma
poieon ~.