Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-12-15

warfare and provided with staff:
trained in the tasks before them
Haig had nothing; two-thirds of hi:
work was construction and it had t.
be done in the heat of battle and un
der the stress of great campaigns. II
the face of all obstacles. he brough
a victorious British army back tt
Mons on November II. and / believe
his achievement will grow rather thar
diminish in the eyes of men as hi:
real task is more clearly perceived.
Plumer Held Ypres Salient.
OF Haig's subordinates I suppose
common consent would award to Plu-
mer the first place. His army held
the old YpreS salient all the time
from the close of the second battle in
the restraining barriers and swept
down into the Flanders plain in Oc-
tober. insuring the recovery of Lille
and the liberation of the Belgian sea-
coast. At alLtimes his professional
attainments were acknowledged by
the severest critics, and I remember
an acquaintance of mine heard Jonre
assert that he was one of the two
great generals of the war
Among Plumer's achievements was
the clearing of the Messines ridge in
June. 1917. which was preliminary
step in the Flanders campaign. 1t
was one of the finest examples of a
scientific local offensive, compare BILE
only with Petain'S two thrusts at
' erdun in 1916. 1t was characterized
by a marvellous coordinate of vari-
Gus arms and marked by such a clear
evidence of accurate intelligence work
that Plumers chief intelligence officer,
won immediate promotion.
No Failures in Record.
AS result of the preparation, Plu-
merS troops advanced over the ia =
nous Observation-Disclosures ridge
with Incredibly small losses and abol-
lshed for the time the old Ypres sa-
Ilent. Later, when Cough had made
I mess of the Passchendaele offensive,
Plumer took over and brought order
out of chaos. When Italy was over
~helmed at Caporetto Plumer was
sent to command the British reserves.
which were hurried south and did ad-
work. His is a record thai
has no trace of failure, even tenn
porary.
Only less conspicuous is the record
Of Rawlinson. 1t begins with the
command of the immortal eth Divis-
on. which arrived in Flanders in Oc-
-ober and in less than month was
reduced from 10000 to 1000 Its share
IF 4pres is forever memorable AT
Aoos Rawlinson was less happy. but
ne reappearS in command of the 4th
Army at the first Somme and holds
his post of great importance through
out the battle. After that he disap-
BEARS for time, to reappear. after
Coughs defeat in March. command
ng the 4th Army again. He deals the
great stroke on August s. which was
he beginning of the long series of
blows, leading to the final scene at
Mons.
.holce. he shares with Haig criticism
n certain phases. but he shares equal
Y with his chief the credit for the
Ultimate success in which the victory
If August s and his share in the
,reaking of the Hindenburg line on
October s are brilliant details.
Horne Consistent Winner.
Another general whose fortunes
rave been steadier is Horne. who COM
handed the LIST Army from 1916 on
ward. An artillery officer. his con-
ribution tothe first Somme was very
great He was a rising soldier, from
hat moment and his army was al
he second German blow in April of
his year and his front was Temporal
lily pierced. owing to the unexpected
md complete collapse of the Portu-
,uese. But he held on; managed to
lold Givenchy and the high ground
vest of La Bassee until the great
hanger was past.
,ess in late August, when he attacked
north of the Scarpe and broke the
Drocourt- line, insuring the
Ultimate fall both of Douai and of
'ambrai. The extent of this success
vas totally unexpected. 1t was the
irst sure promise that the linden
ourg line would not stand and it was
success which held out the first
lopes of decision in 1918.
Byng's Record Brilliant.
Rather more brilliant is the record
If Byng. He was d distinguished Off
,er before he won Cambria, in 1917,
,ut this victory gave him a place
which he has held ever since. In a
sense. this victory marks a turning
point in the war. 1t was not prop
'rly followed up. which means that
3yng did not receive the support
which he needed to make his fast
success permanent. This was because
he success outran all expectations
I'D the British army had not the
necessary reserves. But Cambria
proved that by restoring the element
If surprise it was possible to break
through and that by use of tanks
surprise could be had, since they
would take the place OF long-su,-
aimed bombardment in clearing the
way for the infantry.
1t was by the use of the lessons of
irst Cambria that the allies won the
of 1918 and the war. Man.
gins great counter offensive at the
second Marine was founded upon the
Use of tanks. Each successive Brit
sh and French thrust thereafter en-
'loyed the same method. The German
lsed variation of the surprise tao
les in his earlier successes but with
tut the tank. relying upon secret
and great numbers.
But it was Byng who abolished the
ong- standing be ief that trench lines
Gould not be broken. and his discov-
Try was one of the very greatest of
he conflict.
Strong in Critical Moment.
In the spring, at critical moment,
when Coughs army had fallen. Bvng
broke the German effort to extend the
lislocation of the British front. He
,eld Arras and Vimy Ridge in the
ace of a tremendous attack. which
he Germans abandoned after forty
light hours. Still later. in August,
lie made a successful drive from the
I'D Somme line eastward to Bapaume.
which terminated German hopes of
holding the allies west of the linden
,urg line for the balance of the cam
,aign.
Plumer. Horne, Rawlinson and Byns
these are the outstanding figures
inder Haig. They bear the same re-
alton to their commander that Gou-
aud. Mangln. Debeney and Berthelot
,ear to Petaln: for CaStelnau and
rayolles, who commanded groups of
lrmies brilliantly, the British army
no counterpart, since author
ty was not thus delegated.
Victors on Other Fronts.