The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1916-12-29
~ Ed L. kEENE
]. p. staff Correspondent

loNpoN. Dec. !. - 10y
Mall. John Bull spent
aocdly portion Of this year APP
plying the lessons he learned
last year.
The mistakes Of 1915 were
vather distressing at the time.
But they proved excellent
ssachers. Being backward
1GApupiI. AZ always, John Bull had
TO be driven. and the process
was necessarily painful.
From the pardareiles to
Mescpotannia. from Neuve
chappslle to loos, from sofia
10 Athens. he blundered along.
but. a. subsequent history has
demonstrated. all the time &C
quirine merit Out OF every
strategic failure. every unful-
hI'ed expectation. both milk
sary and political. he managed
TO learn somethln9-and the
lessons stuck.
ffrst OF all. the lesson OF central
lied power In the direction OF war,
OF internal government. OF domes
tic economy and OF efficiency. thor.
oily learned. led him TO put the man
who. above all others. has done
most for England--David Lloyd
GeorEe--into practical dictator.
shtp over all these branches OF
Brttish activity.
The Asquith cabinet. with It's
muddlins along" fell because Brit.
ish public opinion. almost solidly
aligned behind the little Welsh.
man" demanded supreme eff.
cheney In Ensland's fight for life
- was characteristic OF Lloyd
George. the breaker of precedent.
that he should sweep away nearly
all the old ministerial machinery
ana substitute for the loosely knit.
siow moving. over-officered cabinet
small. compact war council OF
fvc members-snd take this step
with the eager acquiescence OF
John Bull. And John Bull. who
usually has to be driven. and who
usually hates new-iangled things.
showed the Transformation In his
character which the war has
wrought BY standing behind Lloyd
George.
BY reason OF his early unsuccess.
ful adventures in the Near East he
gathered Invaluable knowledge in
the matter OF organization and
equipment which he has this year
applied In other quarters. As re-.
suit OF the failure OF his troops ia
the west In the spring and fall OF
1915 To attain their desired oh
tective. he made certain changes In
personnel. vastly improved his or.
ganiration behind the lines. and
above all. learned that the only
way seriously to dent the German
front was with a preponderating
supply OF shot and she'll.
AIN the field of diplomacy wherein
<ne Germans az first cut circles all
around him he is steadily improv.
ing. II. lou Bulgaria TO the allied
cause. but the experience he &C.
quired In that process enabled him
TO gather In Rumania. Just now.
by the fortunes OF war. Rumania
appears to be a doubtful military
asset. IL not liability: but at the
time nnquestionably the enlistment
OF this country with the allies was
a diplomatic stroke OF first i'm
portance.
II Was entirely characteristic OF
John that. aitho he knew Fritz had
q 40-year start OF him In this milf
tary game. he ignored Fritzs meth,
DDS until they were forced upon
him. But now. thanks to the hard
knocks OF 1915. there Is very little
more that Fritz cap teach him.
Early in 1916 he adopted con.
scr!pfion. Had II been introduced
a year before. the war might have
been over today. Englishmen have
responded IN unprecedented fash.
ion to their king and country's call
under the voluntary system. but II
was only the certainty OF ultimate
transcription that finally brought
The enrolment up TO five million
Zen. The moldinK OF this huge
lump Of human raw material into
an efficient military machine has
been a gigantic task. but its proper
equipment has been a greater.
Little less than miraculous has
been the development Of the mum
tons industry In this country dur.
ing the last year. From the start.
Britain has been the treasury OF
the allies; now II has become their
armory. When Lloyd George be
gan turning England's factories
into arsensls the Germans were
manufacturing and shooting abou,