New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-05-08
British Failure FuriOuSly
Exaggerated, ASSertsM.P.
Sir George Reid Flags Trib-
une Editorial and Defends
Conduct Of War-Lord
Miner Admits Truth Of
Criticism.
BY ARTHUR s. DRAPER.
ny Gable 10 Tho Tribune

pecially among persons permitted TO
see the German wireless version. |
have heard the comment Of number
Of statesmen Of different political
faiths. officially the government ig-
nores the attack, but it can be stated
that they are quite aware OF 1t. Inc
following reply by the Right Hon. SIT
George Reid. VI. p. comes unsolicited;
81 would like to reply TO The Irib-
une's editorial. have spent most oil
nv active life in Australia, where
,ras Premier Of New South Wales and
also Of Australia. For the last SIX
vears | have been Australians FIRST
Hicb Commissioner and am now in the
House Of Commons. | belong to none
OF the English political parties. having
been returned as an independent I'M
perialist. and feel able, therefore, TO
reply 20 the indictment without any
sort of prediction.
81 do not use the familiar epithet
lies in connection with many editors
statements. but must say this one Is
The Tribune's editorial are fun
Of furious exaggeration and as Ia,
from the truth as a really lntentlonal
lie could be. One Of the worst Things
about this editorial is its retusai 10
look at the things which have nap,
pened since the war IN the llght OF
the things that were before the war
No one can put into proper perspective
what England has done or failed TO 90
since the war without remembering
the history OF England for the my
years preceding the war. BRUSH
craftsmanship during those NIFTY years
has been devoted TO the foundation OF
a loyal and united empire, composed oil
units governed by all sorts OF systems
During that time British statesman
ship and British public men devoted
themselves wholly 10 peaceful Ideals.
AS Unprepared as America
Satisfied with the prominence OF
the ROYAL navy, no attempt was made
TO provide any sort OF foundation for
military development on a large scale.
Their greatest idea Of military prepa-
ration for possible fighting in Europe
was an expeditionary force OF about
10000 men. There was and can be no
lying about this; there was no decep-
ton about this. Everybody knew 1t
was so. Then our appliances for mill
tary equipment and material were on
an equally limited scale. We were as
foolish as America is to-day, because
we had no system Of compulslon IN
matters Of military training or service.
Germany, on the other hand, was "A
military nation from the crown OF her
head 10 the soles OF her feet. Every
man had been trained. and forty years
of vast preparation had been made for
war on colossal scale. When the
British declared war on Germany they
took, so far as military preparation
was concerned. one OF the most adven-
turous steps in England's checkered
history. She placed about 100000 men
in the road of Germany's splerdidly
trained. equipped and armed forces,
and what the Tribune writer calls her
failure at Mons and the Marine was
really one Of the most unparalleled
achievements in military annals.
Magnificent Retreat at Marine.
Nothing could surpass the skilful
generalship and the steadiness as well
as the consummate bravery Of the sol
diers. The retreat was magnificent, and
il stopped the slide Of the German
avalanche so thoroughly that TO call
that retreat a failure is 20 ignore the
fact that at the Marine the avalanche
was rolled back when within striking
distance of Paris and to abuse the
language which men whose minds are
sane employ.
There is one thing did relish about
the editorial, and that is that the writer
runs down England nearly as well as
the English croakers do. II is quite a
treat 10 have this editorial in front of
me for a change. A wonderful thing
about the English is that no one can
run them down as well as they can
themselves, at least ! thought so until
] saw extracts from this leading arti-
Gle.
"How can YOU forget that when Eng
land declared war on Germany she had
70 recall her peaceful citizens 10 the
colors by the million. and that millions
responded TO the call without any sort
Of compulsion. earning one shilling
/ day for the privilege of losing their
| lives and limbs? These men had 70 be
equipped and trained; enormous guam
titles Of stores Of all kinds had 70 be
procured from factories which had
/ been wholly devoted 10 peaceful arts
until August 4, 1914.
Britain Began War Well.
There was no foundation for any
! thing in the shape Of great advent
ure and a foundation had to be put IN
before anything could be done. One
would think from the abusiveness in
( this editorial that in all England's
wars before this there was better man
agement, but II is a fact. and | admit
IL, that England never was able at
first 10 manage any wsr well, even the
smallest. She had had no European
war to face for a hundred years except
the Crimean War, and we know what
horrible mess England made of that.
The fact is England started 10 conduct
/ this enormous war a hundred times
better than even the smallest before.
! am lost in amazement that there have
not been a thousand times more mis-
takes.
"No English army of $4,000 men was
+ ever proyisioned so well as the million
British soldiers abroad are provisioned
/ to-day. The worst Of this is that the
| British people have no time or appe-
tite for blowing their own trumpets,
they are so busy running themselves
down, and judging from this editorial
/ | think the writer must have a great
deal Of that sort Of feeling when he
talks about the British Cabinet as an
assemblage OF liars for years before
the war began and ever since. He
ought 20 remember that the present
Cabinet is not many months old and
that il represents Liberals. Conserva-
tives and Labor men.
IF the coalition government is COM
/ posed Of liars. as editors refer 20 il.
] IL 10. m. I.--... r.-....