The Washington herald., 1917-01-21
Merry England" Not Merry;
Has Winter of Discomfort
Dissatisfaction With Somme Offensive, Anger at
Allies Failure to Aid Rumania, and Disap-
pointment Over Navy's Inactivity General.

ject of a more o. less veiled agitation in
parliament, certain Liberal members de-
mandins his prosecution for divulging
military secrets. The effect of his speech
was remarkable; Englishmen have ever
since been comparing the performances
OF their own army with those of the
Russians and beating their breasts in
an agony of self-depreciation. forgetting
that Russia In 1914 had the largest army
in the world and that the British war
machine has been built up during hos
tilities.
The Somme Offensive
OF the causes which appear to con-
tribute to the present depression, the
most important are undoubtedly the
Somme offensive and the invasion of
Rumania, and public dissatisfaction
with the navy runs third to these two.
There is no doubt that to the man in
the street the failure to compel the
Germans to retreat on the western
front means that the Somme offensive
has failed. and while this is not the
military view. it is easily understand
able when the facts are known. The
British casualties on the Somme are
published in driblets, few thousand
at time, but the publication of totals
is discouraged as likely to depress the
nation and this ostrich-like policy has
the very opposite of the effect intend
ed, since the PUBLIC jumps to the con-
clusion that matters are worse than
they are.
I am able to give the Official British
losses on the Somme. The great attack
was begun on July / by the Fourth
British army, commanded by Gen. Sir
Henry Rawlinson, the whole operation
being carried out under the supervision
of the commander-in-chie Sir Douglas
Haig, and his chief OF stan. Lieut.. Gen.
Sir L. e. Kiggell. The troops which
began the action were the Seventh
Army Corps, under Lieut.. Gen. Snow;
the Eighth Corps. under Lieut.. Gen.
Hunter-Weston; the Tenth Corps, un-
der Lieut.. Gen. Morland; the Third
Corps, under Lieut.. Gen. Pultenay; the
Fifteenth Corps. under Lieut.. Gen.
Horne. and the Thirteenth Corps. un-
der Lieut.. Gen. Congreve.
These units are named in the order
in which they attacked. from CONNIE
court on the north to the junction with
the French unit of the Somme, and 1t
was the Seventh and Eighth Corps
which were unable TO hold the posi-
tions they won and were driven back
to their old lines and suffered most
severely. The original British attack
more than 100000 men. instead of 50o,-
900, as the German bulletins at the
time alleged. Since July most of the
divisions on the whole western front
have passed through what the German
troops call the blood bath of the
Somme." The British losses in France
as reported from July l to November
Is have been: 1:
Officers killed, 6.534; officers wounded or
missing, 1885; men killed, sl,7s6: men
wounded or missing. S5s.s1s; total casual
ties, 475,014
Loses Half Million Men.
At the present writing Britain has GER
tainly lost more than half a million men
on the Somme battle front. The figures
given above include casualties from other
parts OF the line as well. but there has
been no action of Importance anywhere
else since the Somme fight began, and
the normal wastage in trench warfare
would not account for more than be-
tween 5000 and 1900 dead and wounded
during five months. On the other hand
many thousands OF casualties are not
reported until months afterward, through
clerical errors and delays OF various
sorts, and the losses incurred in the drive