The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-09-28
TO A KNOCKOUT


be paid for the time to get the army |
ready. 1t is one thing to look back
on the pounding the British soldier
took the first two years of the war,
but different thing to look forward
as he did and know the beating could
not be avoided during these. months
when it seemed the finish of the Brit
ish army might come quickly.
Germany elected to make it fin
ish fight with England. The British
soldier was ridiculed, held in contempt
Now We intend to see that Germany
has her way. The fight must be to the
finish, to knockout"
Dropping his colloquialisms, the half
smile fading from his face, Lloyd
George continued in a more serious
vein:
THE whole world, including neu-
trails of the highest purposes and hui
manitarians with the best motives,
must know that there can be no out
side interference at this stage. Britain
asked no Intervention when she was
not prepared to fight. She will toll
crate none now that she is prepared
until Prussian military despotism is
broken beyond repair. There was no
regret voiced in Germany over the use
less slaughter. There were no tears
by German sympathizers when the few
thousand British citizens who never
expected to be soldiers, whose military
d
previously, went out to be battered,
bombed and gassed, to receive ten
shells for every one they could fire.
went out, fought and died like sports
men-without even a grumble.
Can't Be Worse Than 1t Was.
repeat that there was no whimper :
ing then and the people who are now
moved to tears at the thought of what
is to come watched the early rounds
of the unequal contest dry-eyed. None
of the carnage and suffering which is
to come can be worse than the suffer-
ings of those allied dead who stood the
full shock of the Prussian war ma
chine before it began to fa1ter.
More Than Desire for Vengeance.
But in the British determination to
carry the fight to a decisive finish,
there Is something more than the nat
ural demand for vengeance. The in
humanity, the pitilessness of the fight
ing that must come before a lasting
peace is possible is not comparable
with the cruelty that would be in
volved in stopping the war while there
again being menaced from the same
quarter. Peace now, or at any time
before the final and complete eliinina-
ton of this menace, is unthinkablc.
No man and no nation with the slight
est understanding Of the temper of
this citizen army of Britons, which
took it's terrible hammering without q
whine or grumble, will attempt to call
a halt now
But how long do you figure this
can and must go on?" Lloyd George
was asked.
There's neither clock nor calendar
in the British army today" was his
quick reply. Time is the least vital
factor. Only the result counts-not
the time consumed IN achieving it. 1t
L ,rlo nd m dof
Napoleon and the first fifteen of those
years were black with British defeat
1t will not take twenty years to win
this war, but whatever time Is requir-
ed, it will be done. and say this. rec
ognizing that We have only begun to
win. There is no disposition on our
side to fix the hour of ultimate vic
tory after the first success. We have
no delusion that the war is nearing an
end. We haven't the slightest doubt
as to how it is to end"
Warm Praise for France.
But, what of France; is there the
same determination there to stick to
the end. the same idea of fighting I'M
til peace terms can be dictated by
Germanys enemies?'' Lloyd George
was asked.
The war secretary carefully matched
each finger of one hand with each fin
ger of the other, and as he turned his
chair slowly to gaze out over the
khaki-dotted throng in Whitehall, it
the flow of conversation. There was
a full moments pause and as the chair
swung around again, the reply came in
a voice and manner impressively
grave.
THE world at large has not yet be-
gun to appreciate the magnificence,
the nobility, the wonder of France"
he said. ct had the answer to your
inquiry given me a few days ago by a
noble French woman She had given
four sons-she had one left to be
given to France. In the course of
INV talk with her, I asked If she didn't
think the struggle had gone far
enough. Her reply without a mo-
ment's hesitation, was The fight will
never have gone far enough until we
have made a repetition of this horror
IMPOSSIBLE That mother was voicing
the spirit of France.
Eyes, France will stick to the end.
II suppose Americas conception of
France and the French soldier before
the war was as erroneous as the Brit
the French soldier as excitable, bril-
liant in attack, but lacking dogged
staying qualities.
Cite sVerdun as Illustration.
Nothing was more unwarranted
than the popular idea of the French
man as a poor defensive fighter. His
tory never justified this idea, but there
will be a new appraisement, new ap-
probation when the real heroism, no
bility and geniIs of the defense of
Verdun is fully understood. France
has fought the longest wars of any
nation of Europe and her history it
self is assurance enough that she will
hold to the end.
with the British it will be the
sporting spirit that will animate the
army to the last, fair play the motive
fair fight and method. With the
French it will be the fiercely burning
patriotism that will sustain the army
to the end, regardless of when the enc,
may come"