Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1915-07-27
As seen IN ENGLAND
BY ED L. KEEN
United Press STAFF Correspondent.

LONDON. July 27.-After year at
war. the British Empire has some
what less than three-quarters of a
million troops in the field; its Allies
have approximately ten million.
The British front in the western
theatre is about forty miles in
length: the lines of the other Allies
east and west. including Serbia and
Montenegro. cover some 1000 miles.
As the ratio of troops employed Is one
TO fourteen and the ratio of mileage
is one TO forty. there appears TO be
some justification for the complaints
recently made-qute unofficially, oi
course-both in France and Russia,
that England is not doing her share
of the work
But the question as to whether
England is fulfilling her obligations
/ should be considered in the light of
her promises. On this basis. she has
delivered more than was specified In
the contract There we're two causes
IN the secret agreement made with
France long before the war started
England would take care of the seas.
She would send an expeditionary
force Of 10000 men.
That's all there was TO IT, She has
/ carried out the first clause to the let
| ter; she has sent nearly six times as
many men TO the firing line as she bar
/ gained for. and she is still sending
them as fast as they can be trained
Only the other cay, the Temps Of
Paris in an obviously inspired editor
ial commenting on recent tributes paid
to France by the British press. made
these significant remarks. "Frankness
should be mutual If on the land the
support of our British allies is still
only limited. we must not forget that
on the seas it is they who have had
much the heaviest task If at Tho be-
ginning of the war. we were able to
complete the equipment of our army
with rapidity which was not one of
1 the German staff's least surprises. we
owe it to the fleet which rendered us
masters Of the seas" The Temps then
admits that 10 this capital support on
the sea. the British Empire has brought
IT'S Industrial and financial resources
while its military effort on land has
really surpassed all forecasts"
There probably always will he some
difference of opinion as to whether il
was British valor or German blunder-
ing that saved Paris in the early days
OF the war. Perhaps it was the two
Anyhow, Paris was saved. and Brit
ishers at least always will give the
lions share of the credit to Field Mar
shall French, his generals and his sol
diers. But even if the salvation OF
Paris was not due TO the British. there
is no question that they and they alone
saved Calais and the other channel
ports. OF course, in accomplishire
this England has done herself a great.
er service than she has the French.
Since the failure of the Paris at.
tack, Germany's main effort has beer
concentrated in the direction o.
Calais, and that is the reason why
until he has received sufficient rein
forcements. General French will hi
b unable to extend his front The fat
of the British Empire rests upon tn
: holding Of those forty miles.
All idea of the "hig Spring drive
I upon which the military writer's Ia
} fed the Imagination of the Births
public for months was abandoned a
=, ! Neuve Chapelle. when at the cost o
. $4,000 men. the British barely mad
2 a dent in the German line of highl
J fortified trenches. In what was &c
z ! complishod the Neuye Chapelle Of
I fensive was in a sense a victory: il
what it failed to do. it was a defeat
: for Lille was the objective and til
t Germans are still firmly planted il
? Lille.
Then after the second battle G
fpres, in which the Germans frs
I used asphyxiating gases. came IN
battle of La Bassee. This shove
e the British public why the big drive
e had become impossible. The BIRTHS
, and French troops we're to make
Joint advance after a preliminar
? bombardment for three hours of III
S German trenches and the field q
J.. wire ENHANCEMENT intervening. I
+ that time the French fred nearl
{ 100000 high explosive projectiles I
d one hour the British had exhauste
z their supply of 10000 high explosive
d and the rest of the time used shrar
s mel. Result The French infantr
e advanced two miles into trenche
y that had been practically cleare,
r with a loss of only two thousand: In
British lost $1,000 men in attempt
= ing to take trenches that hadn't bee
It cleared
= A newspaperman witnessed thi
= battle He told the public throug
# the medium of the London Times III
# reason why the British had faile,
8, starting the scandal that disrupte
?. the British Liberal Cabinet. cause
Il the formation of a coalition ministr,
4 sheare6 Lord Kitchener's wings an
created the new Department of Nun
1 tons. with Lloyd George at its heai
n Somebody had Numbered. Lor
d Northcliffe's newspapers fastened r.
s sponsibility on Kitchener. While civ
s. ing him due credit for his magnifce,
d work in raising. organizing and traii
{. ing the largest volunteer army III
" world has ever seen, they charge
T. him with neglecting the one thin
d upon which any possible hope Of Bri
IT ish success on land could be base
e --an adequate supply OF high e,
/ plosive shells
D. The one incxplicable incident
J. Premier AsQuith's statement "upo
II the highest possible authority" thu
neither Great Britain nor her ALI,
is had been hampered by lack of nun
IL tions-a statement directly contra
n dicted by his recent frantic appea
Q 10 the workmen Of England to M
Il bilize for the supply of munitions.