Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1915-07-29
SAYS ENGLAND MUST
FORCE MEN TO FIGHT
Bishop of Pretoria Declares
Only Consumption Can
Save the Empire
PAINTS GLOOMY
|. PICTURE OF NATION
BY ED. L. KEEN,

United Press staff Correspondent.
LONDON. July l7.-CBy MaiD.-
The only way in which England can
hope to conquer Germany is by con-
scription- national service" as he
calls it-says the Rt Rev Michael
Furse bishop of Pretoria. in a let
Ter written Just after his return to
London from a months visit among
the British troops in northern France
and Flanders
He paints a gloomy picture of the
present situation. due to the lament
able lack Of munitions as we'll az
men on the British front But for
the spirit of the individual soldier
he has only words of praise
Il never doubled that the spirit
of our troops he says, was as me
as 1 had been told it was, but / never
realized what this meant until | had
lived in 1t and with it. Il is amazing,
and all the more so when you realize
that this spirit is there in spite of
the fact that the men who show Il
feel it in their bones that somehow
the nation is not backing them as the
nation could and should. The rea.
son is not far to seek.
After fighting desperately day and
night for days and weeks, with fright
full losses, the men who are left are
dog tired and need a rest When they
are pulled out to get this rest. and
after three days are sent back to the
firing line again. the only conclusion
they can draw is that here are not
enough troops available to take their
places.
when. night after night and day
after day. the men in the trenches
know that for every one hand gren.
ade or rife grenade or trench mortar
bomb which they throw at the enemy
they will get back in answer any
thing from FIVE TO ten. then the con.
clusion they draw is also obvious
namely. that the nation does moi
somehow realize the situation or. il
il does has not made it its bushes,
to supply what is necessary.
Man for man they know that the,
have nothing 10 fear either from
German infantry or cavalry; they
have proved it again and again. HUI
they know also that It is little shor
of murder for a nation to ask men
however full of the right spirit. {,
face an enemy amply equipped Will
big guns and the right kind OF am
munition unless they are al leas
equipped with equally effective mum
tons of war.
There can only be one impression
left on the minds of men in such
case. and that is, that somehow o
other the nation does not know tn
truth. does not understand and is nc
backing them, for knowing the oil
country as they do. they have n
doubt that IL Germany can prOduC
these thin gs, VIC can If we will An
yet in spite OF it all, they carry Of
they keep CHEEKY. they do their bes
they die gaily.
THE fact is that as a nation. W
are just gambling on this spirit. w
know ii TO be there: we recognize
as the finest thing In the world: W
believe it is unconquerable. whateve
happens.
so it is; but Il will not win I'll
war alone II Is this spirit. backe
by our guns AMI high explosives
legitimate munitions of war-whic
is going to smash this enemy OF our
and nothing else. Let no one thin
that we are going to do it by descend
ing to the level of the German In
perial staff by using any sort Of ga
This talk of reprisals by gas (pei
haps next we shall hear of reprisal
by poisoning water supplies) is sin
ply another method of chloroformil
the nation and binding its eyes to tn
real issue.
The British soldier might we'll asl
I Why should I be punished for r.
fusing to 90 into the trenches b,
cause my pay is not raised a penn
an hour and the other fellow b
I allowed to strike and then be CATO
ed into going back to work by III
= special visit of a cabinet ministe
n and the promise of extra pay? VIII
: should I have to stick it out. night a