New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-15
By J. l.. GARVIN.

London, Aug. l4.-The bloody strug-
gle between the Ancre and the Somme
is already worse than Verdun, and of
more decisive significance for the war.
As France did, Britain is pouring out
her dearest blood like water. Her ef-
forts are as heroic. Her newly trained
gunners are so rapidly improving in
their handling of the increasing
masses of metal now at their disposal
that the British artillery is certain 10
prove as powerful as any single factor
in the Continental struggle. With the
sense of grim sacrifice on the one
hand and on the other a new conscious
ness Of power, England is undergoing
definite change of temper.
In that respect she adopts for sim
liar but Independent reasons the sterr
mood Of her neighbor. | have repeat
edly shown that the moral effect OF
the German operations at Verdun was
quite the opposite of what the enemy
hoped. After the wave Of depression.
toward the end Of May, France had
one Of her great reactions. She made
the final rediscovery of her strongest
temper. She not only completed the
finding Of herself. She became fell
and implacable.
Germany Must Pay
An equivalent change is unmistak-
ably happening in England as the cas-
ualties rise and so many perish who
were the flower OF a whole generation
All reckonngs about time and cost
are overpowered by another feeling.
When we remember afresh how this
war was planned, how it was made and
everything that has happened since
all speculatons on compromise, vague
as they were, are silently trampled and
extinguished. There is determine
ton to make the enemy pay in various
WAYS until the German race is SICK
forever and forever Of its own war
creed and of its traditional philosophy
of slaughter embodied in the Hohen-
zollern dynasty.
Russia. Italy, Serbia and little Bel
GUM, for reasons partly similar and
partly different, share this harder, more
definite temper. 1t is impossible to re-
turn to anything like the status quo.
Every life given now is a protest
against waste and an incentive to reso-
luton. The thought of half results,
OF unstable equilibrium IN Europe AFTER
the war, becomes more than ever IN
tolerable. There must be the sternest
waging of the war clean out to thor
ough issue. If another year does no,
finish the task there will be fourth
wear Of fighting, until the parallel with
The American Civil War becomes still
closer. Matters on the Western front
can be and will he so managed that all
German calculations on the exhaustion
Of France will be reduced to futility.
Britain's Answer to Germany.
These words are serious enough, but
I write them with full deliberation, and
they give a real glimpse into the ter
rible heart of this struggle. The Ger
mans are about to get that complete
understanding, so hard for them TO ac-
ouire. as TO what sort Of people we are.
Even in the last two weeks they have
continued to argue with extraordinary
faulty on the basis of two fallacies.
First il was contended that the British
would never have the stomach to risk
casualties on "A full Continental scale.
Then it was maintained by some Of the
ablest and most sober writers In Ger
many that when Britain had bled and
suffered TO the extent of few hundred
thousand casualties. her people would
begin to crave for peace and to think
of putting up with an inconclusIye set
Element. =,
This last error is the biggest Of all.
Ii would be almost impossible TO make
a huger mistake in estimating the
psychology of a people. So much have
the British people given, so much more
are they fated 10 give, that they are OF
the steeled will that their sacriiices
shall not be waste. In all the years
that | have been watching them | have
never known them so evenly balanced.
nor since the war began have they ever
been so absolutely confident of success.
Longer the war, worse the iefhS'
The Germans suppose that they will
get better terms by dragging out the
struggle. The present signs are all the
other way. Let the enemy, by such
agencies as are open TO him, inquire
in Paris and Petrograd as well as IN
London. The Germans will find that
what | write here expresses the truth.
The confidence in all the Allies
capitals and at all their headquarters
depends upon methodical analysis OF
the facts and upon full anticipation OF
the worst that the enemy can do. Let
us look beyond the details OF the big,
slow sweep of the war. We know
that there can be no facile issue. We
know that whatever optimism there
may be about results there can be
none about means.
The process of decision will be
stubborn and terrible. Whether the
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