New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-03-07
Written for The Ner York Tribune

Written fOr The Nsr York Tribune
5y British officer.
A. the beginning OF the Napoleonic
wars II was the fashion among CONT
mental soldiers forgetting Blenheim
and Malplaquet and Fontenoy and Min
der-to despise the British army. The
war in Spain taught Napoleon's mar
shals one after another % revise this
opinion. until one Of them wrote that
the English infantry is the finest IN
the world: il is fortunate there is so
little Of IT,"
German soldiers have been going
through the same painful experience
They. too. had forgotten the lessons o.
history. The Emperor William genlally
remarked in reply 20 an inquiry
whether the military reputation o.
England had suffered Dy the South
African War. that England had no
military reputation. II the British
army had no reputation IN the eyes o.
German soldiers IN July, 1914, u rap
idlv ACQUIRED one in the course Of the
next three months. By November II.
1914. the German generals IN the north
west had cause 20 congratulate them
selves that there were few British IN
the field. Now. two years later. this
comforting consolation no longer eX-
lists.
Il is not always understood sFnonc
reutrals. and even among our allies,
how these things came about Before
1914 the established doctrine IN Eng
land was that r we ever should take
part in a European war which no one
desired and few expected. our partlcl-
patton would not 80 beyond the Work
of our feet. and the contribution OF. A.
most, six divisions OF infantry. WITH
their sponding proportion o.
guns and cavalry say, 10000 men IN
aln. Il was considered that We should
have done our share in providing the
strongest navy. while small, but
highly trained. land force might turn
the scale between the more or less
equally balanced armies OF the CONT
nent.
Expected Contribution Sent
When war actually broke out. and
the violation OF Belgian neutrality
forced US into II, this contribution 20
the common cause was promptly forth
coming. The navy did its work win
q completeness and efficiency when
left many oniookers unappreclative o.
IFS immense extent and importance.
The evolutionary force four divisions
AZ Mons. five az lie Cateau and the
Marine. six on the Aisne and seven at
Ypresl. bore the brunt OF the great
German encircling movement IN North
east France. took its part IN the de-
cisive commensurate Of the Marre, and
in the desperate battle OF Npres barred
the way 20 the ChaJnel forts IN the
face OF forces four &imes its number.
L could be claimed for that army that
10 was the most highly trained force
on the Continent. With seven year
service. as against the two or three OF
continental armies, the men could
naturally reach higher standard o.
efficiency. and in musketry m parucu-
lar. which the Continental armies mad
not had time 70 teach, they maintained
in the twentieth century the reputa
ton earned by the ancestors 10 the
fourteenth and fifteenth, the eighteenth
and the nineteenth.
To their seven visions or regu ars
ALREADY one more than had been prom
isedl there were presently added four
more. got together from various parts
Of the world. one % which. the 2eth.
earned undving fame az the Darda-
nelles. More than had ever been prom
sod or expected had been done; but a
few men. OF whom Lord Kitchener was
the most eminent and the most power
fu1. saw from the first that France and
Russia could not finish the war on land