New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-06-05
BRITISH LOSSES DUE I
TO LACK OF SHELLS
Thousands Sacrificed for
Lack of ForethOught,
Says Officer.
SOLDIERS CONDEMN
APATHY OF WORKERS
ASK What if BattaIions Should
Strike for a Day Off the
Firing Line?

London, May 20. The following
speech by Captain Jersey lie Knoop,
OF the Cheshire Yeomanry. emphasize
ing the thousands OF casualties in the
British forces caused directly by
shortage Of ammunition, was published
IN "The Manchester Guardian" but the
Press Bureau censors refused permits
sion to certain of the London news
papers to reproduce il.
Captain De Knoop is well known
provincial political leader and the
probable candidate OF the Unionist
party for the next vacant seat IN the
House OF Commons. lie Is AZ pres
ent home from the front. recovering
from two severe wounds. The speech
was delivered at the annual meeting
Of the Northwich UnionIst Association.
I'VE arc just about approaching the
crisis of the war" said Captain De
knoop, "and it depends upon the be
havior of the people of the country
whether the war is TO drag on into the
years.
MANY things have conduced 70 the
tone Of opinion now prevalent among
large section. BEFORE the war many
believed there could be no such thing
rs war, and that il was stupid 70 spend
money on war munitions This led
people into a comfortable frame Of
mind and they can scarcely be blamed
for not even vet realizing the state Of
affairs. But they must be told.
England Only Half Aroused.
day. There was nothing in London to
suggest that had just left. only sixty
miles away, a life-and-death struggle.
Any number Of young unmarried men
were meandering about the streets
and they certainly did not seem TO be
detained by business Of vital impor-
lance. In the country districts the only
indication Of war was the notice IN
the railway carriages TO draw down
the blinds, and this was generally as
regarded.
But the people must be made TO re-
alize the position. for every minute 5
delay is jeopardizing thousands OF
lives.
Il was sent on the wild goose chase
Of trying TO relieve Antwerp. Then
my command joined Up with the main
army, which hung on simply by the
eyelids. and kept the Germans from
breaking through to Calais. Thousands
were killed. largely through lack Of
ammunition on our side. The men were
kept in the trenches day after day,
night after night. simply because there
was nobody 10 relieve them. They
hung on and fought as well as Britons
ever fought since the world began.
They fought, and they died for want
Of forethought
I'VE in this country have got 10 see
to it that no more are thus sacrificed.
Then we were told that ammunition
was coming along and that all would
be we'll But we have seen in the pa
pers how the brilliant infantry attack
north of La Bassee was stopped and
I thousands Of casualties incurred owing
10 lack Of ammunition.
con the day | was hit We we're re-
lieving men in the trenches who were
so dog tired that they could scarcely
move. At 4 o'clock in the morning the
Smelling by the Germans began. ! had
seen certain amount of Smelling be
/ fore that. but everybody agreed with
me that there never had been anything
/ like this in the history of warfare.
/ Ten. twelve. fifteen shells at time
were bursting up and down the line.
Our gunners could do practically moth
/ ing.
1.-THE reason Of all this was that we