South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-01-04

"Ithln a week at the recruiting depots They
focked in from the mines in such numbers that
we became anxious for our coal supply-until
We found that the patriots who stayed at home
were able and eager to shoulder the work OF
the patriots who left the mines for Flanders.
And when the Ministry Of Munitions was
formed the other day, what was the initial step
taken? The first care was to search out and
try TO recall the skilled mechanics and
engineers in the new armies who had not al
ready fallen IN battle or been proved indispens-
able to the military forces. If that was worth
while 1t shows in what large numbers the
engineering profession must have responded
to Lord Kitchener's appeal, and there is no
reason 10 believe that the engineers have been
more specially patriotic than the other trades,
professions and classes in the country.
No. the great bulk of able-bOdied men in
Great Britain, working class and upper class,
married and unmarried. have put their lives at
their country's disposal, and are either fight
ing. or learning how to fight. at this moment.
It would be not far from the truth to say that
the vast majority of men have done their duty
and have proved their patriotism.
"Why has your great Spring offensive never
materIaIIzed on the western frontl"
Who declared officially that We were going
tn undertake such and such operations at such
and such a dateH 1t may be ascr1bed TO
section of the British press, speaking In Its
hopefulness during last Winter, when there
u,as sucb hard going. and certainly it may Dc
a+tributed TO the German press at the present
.,r,e whose transparent object is to congratu-
Lotto Itself that our hypothetical plans have
,ouad Rut In any case, is our supreme COM
mand hound 10 fulfil the scripture" of journal
,.+s and enemy journalists, to boot?
orn Kitchener never promised an offensive
&, the Spring He kept his own counsel, as
we would expect of any Minister charged Win
nuhlio trust and he is not likely 70 depart
80 that policy to crafty the curiosity of the
rorId He spoke of May a momentous
ror,od He said that the war would really
beetn in May Has it not been so? Have not
the armies OF all the belligerents greatly IN
creased since then, and have not the operations
developed enormously! II may DC sdiu 'na. i
has been Ger1nany's operations of attack which
hova so vastly increased. Granted; but so
bsve the operations of defence increased pro-
portionately ~, -. - 49,.
I'd their French and Belgian comrades have
s anuo and are doing under their appointed
faodars Between them they are holding up
and wearing down over 100000 Germans in
r1e west. and if there is little that is dramatic
- record it is because the Germans have been
civ too rough d ASOSPbiOh W OSSR ~
Demonstration In their earlier style.
The eventual strategy in the west probably
binges upon the competition in munitions; but
IT, all we are not combining our energies to
tbe trenches Of Belgium and France While
~ Germans are making their costly drives"
On poland the Turkish Empire is at bay in the
Ne rdanelles and Germany has more to lose at
The straits than she can ever gain on the
Vistula-
Ia II realized how many men and how much
munitions we have sent to the Dardanelles,
ard what the prodgious nature Of that opera
tion is? 1t has been said that entered
non II ught-heartedly. That Is not the truth
r. was a deliberate decision, in which were
token into account all the difficulties and all
tbe sacrifices which must be made We have
cont an army out there which is probably as
Iorpe as the army sent TO South Africa; we
have set it TO work in a country more trying
than south Africa, and where the natural draw
backs are greater.
Our armies have been fighting in France
peIgium. the Dardanelles. Egypt, British East
a frica. south West Africa, the Cameroons and
the Persian Gulf
FINALLY. there is the British navy.
"Why doesn't your navy get move on?
vVbv doesn't it come out and make the German
navv Noht?" we are loudly asked.