Evening journal., 1915-12-31
By ED L. KEEN.
ed press stan corresnondent

LONDON, Dec. 3O.-N John Bull
could see himself as others see him,
he might mend his ways. But being
constitutionally unable to apply the
reverse English to his eyesight, he
gives his friends, neighbors and enc
mics an erroneous notion of his dis
position.
Americans recently arrived in Eng
land have been astonished to find that
this country is not in a state of utter
despondency and decentralization. The
visitor soon becomes convinced that
the stories he has heard and read of
internal turmoil, dissension and lack
of interest in the successful prosecu-
tion of the war have been chiefly
made in Germany. He quickly learns
that although there has been much
grumbling about the management OF
the war in the last year, a certain
- amount of industrial unrest and
negligible pro-peace sentiment. the
great mass of Britishers is more deter
mined today than when the war started
to defeat Germany thoroughly.
John has himself to blame for the
unfavorable opinion of him that ap-
parently has been growing in the
neutral world in the last few months.
"What's the matter with England,
anyhow" constantly comes the
query from his friends in America.
Kipling says it's a certain God-given
lack of imagination which saves us
from being concerned at the Ell
feet of our appearances on others.
others call it modesty; others, stu
pidity.
The worst failure of the year-the
loss of Bulgaria to the Allied cause
might have been prevented by a prop
; er amount Of judicious self-advertis-
ing applied at the right time. where
il would have done the most good.
But Johns dignity couldn't abide the
press-agent methods as skllfully en-
ployed by Kaiser wilhelm. Bulgaria
frankly put herself up for the highest
. bidder and the safest guarantee. Ger
many having a field in the advertising
line with no effective counter meas
ures on the part of the Allies. the
\ Bulgars naturally concluded that the
Central Powers were the most likely
to be able to deliver the goods. 1t
pays to advertise, not only for recruits
but for possible allies.
The Englishman's fondness for
grumbing. which he simply can't
even curb. even in war time, is another
token of his Indifference to outside
opinion. It is the inalienable privi-
lege Of the British soldier to carry a
crouch against his officers, as it is the
right of the British civilian to de-
nounce the government But this
characteristic doesn't detract one
whit from the bravery of the one OF
the loyalty of the other. 1t would be
a great mistake to regard the recent
hot debates in Parliament, the out
spoken and at times bitter criticisms
of military miscalculations and diplo-
matte blunders, as evidences of mu
tiny or even WEAKNESS of the struggle
True, the Englishman has founC
plenty in the last year to which to ap
ply his traditional prerogative From
the grumblers' point Of view it hal
/ been a dismal chapter. The Dardan
elles disaster. the Gallpoli fiasco. tn
failure of the Big Push on the western
front in the spring and fall, the Ger
man occupation of Poland, the obliteI
.ation of Serbia and the British retrea
in MesopOtamia, against which tn
accession of Italy to the Allied caus
and her recent brilliant operations ol
the IsOnzo frcnt the British conques
of German Southwest Africa, the put
ting out of business of some SO Gel
man submarines in the Nor-h Sea an
adjacent waters, and the successful
invasion of the Baltic by British sui
marines, make comparativel
-meagre offset, in the grumblers opin
! ion.
After all. Great Britain really owe
~. N
Premier Asquith in moment of petJ
lance recently labeled them. If
hadn't been for these whimperers tn
Il country and the war would still b
4 managed by the old one-party cabine
II was the grumblers who exposed tn
II lacktof high explosives and by pei
II -sistent tdenunciation of those respoi
b sihle bfptght about the creation q
h the MiniAry Of Munitions. Il is thes
4 pestiferons naggers who are to b
4 credited with the scOtching of Oh
II German spy system in Englan
4 through the wholesale internment {
4 enemy aliens. the reduction of Ge
4 many's high-explosive resources b
4 making cotton absolute contrabanC
Il and the partial reformation of the Gel
4 sorship whereby at times the veil {
4 secrecy has been lifted from the ba
II tlefront.
II In fact. the experiences of the las
N year generally has shown the croal
II ers to have been more useful patriot
II than the checkers, although in som
II Instances their energies undoubtedl
II have given a certain amount of al
II and comfort to the enemy.
II On the threshold of the New Ne
L Britishers arc extracting considerab
II satisfaction from the old Napoleon
il maxim: "Nafs are won. not by the O
III cupation of territory. but by the smas
i ing of armies" With the exception