Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-11-14
Churchill Goes to Fight

Churchill Goes to Fight
| was not TO be expected that the adyen-
turous spirit of Winston Spencer Churchill
would be content with minor part in the
conduct OF the great war in which his coun-
try is engaged Whatever faults of judg-
ment he has committed this son of an Ameri-
can mother is every inch a man-bold, in
trepid, proud-and that "well-paid inactiv-
ity TO which he alluded in his letter Of
resignation is repugnant TO his whole cnar-
acter
fervent patriotism is of the very essence
of his being. If he cannot serve Britain in
the counsels Of the government, or if polti-
ca eSigencies require that he be kept in the
background of these counsels, it is like him
TO demand the commission he has and
take his place with the nation defenders on
the field of battle
Outside the British government, nobody
knows just what share of responsibility prop
erlE Is imputable to Churchill for the two al
legged plumbers with which his recent career
has been assoca ted. The utterly Inadequate
expedition sent to the assistance Of the Ant
werp garrison and the unassisted naval at
tack on the Dardanelles have been assumed
TO have been of his devising, and to have
been undertaken against the advice of the
sea lords Of the admralty-the professional
advisers OF his department, with whom il was
his duty to confer. Both of these adventures
resulted in disaster. The British contingent
played hopeless role in the defense of Ant
"erp' adding little or nothing to the Belgian
strength and the attack on the Darda-
nelles forts was not only mpotent in itself
resulting in the loss of several vessels of war
and many lives, but it prepared the Turks
for the combined and land attack which
followed, and which has never been able to
win its way home
Mr. Churchill has not essayed to avoid re-
sponsltility for these mshaps. but his gem
erous chief. the Prime Minister has declared
in Parliament that the enterprises from which
they resulted had the full approval of the
Cabinet. From this safe distance even the
noneHpert is capable of perceiving that failure
was certain in both instances but that was
not the view prevailing at the time-cer-
tainly. not as 10 the expedition to the OAR
daneles.
Moreover. the wisdom OF military policies
Is not TO be decided always on strictly mill
tary considerations. There is much TO sup
port the contention that Britain was required
TO give Belgium every help in its power
however limited that help may have been
and everybody knows that at the outbreak
OF the war The British land strength was ex-
haasted practically IL me dispatch of the first
evolutionary army 70 France. AS to the
DaTdane.!es. Win Russia icebound and
menaced by new German attacks while the
oalt OF a separate peace was dangled constant
nave dictated an attempt TO force the defenses
OF ConstantiAople and open the Black Sea
70 allied commerce. even though it may have
peea realized that the attempt gave no great
promise of success. At the worst it assured
Russia OF the reality of British friendship and
that Britain sympathized with the Russian
ambition 10 obtain unrestricted access to the
Mediterranean
Leaving aside these unfortunate under
takings, IT is not possible TO withhold from
Mr.. Churchill the grea, credit that is his due
Tor the preparedness of the British feet
which enabled it in the first few months of
the war TO win practically unchallengcd con-
tro OF the sea. This result was a triumph
oil ms president imagination and notable
Vigor in forcing construction and armament.
me time is not yet 10 write Success" or
failure after Churchills name; only the
impartial award OF history is capable OF say
ing whether his services outweighcd his
bunders and TO fix his rightful place among
those who served their country in the hour
OF its greatest need.