The sun., 1918-08-02
WHAT ENGLAND HAS DONE.
Seven Million Men on Seventeen
Fronts in -Four Years.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN--Sfr: Next
Sunday will be the fourth anniversary
OF Great Britain's entry into the war.
Let us commemorate this day as one
OF the most vitality important in the
history Of the world, for that day on
Englands ultimatum hung the fate OF
civilization and eventually the down.
fail OF the German Empire.
| Think of the great strategical move
ment of the British navy In the FIRST
three weeks OF the war which not only
saved our nation but all nations from
| that menace called Prussian militarism.
| In the beginning Of August, 1914. tho
British army consisted Of 100000 men.
On August 5 Lord Kitchener called for
| 100000 volunteers and in less than
fortnight this number had enlisted.
BY the fifth week OF the war $4,000
men had been enrolled-30,000 In n
single day--and by July 81. 1915,
100000 men had offered their SER
vices to their country.
| On May 25. 1916. King George an
nounced that 5,041, 900 had enrolled
voluntarily in the army and navy. It
was not until some months later. after
England had lost almost a million men.
that she found 1t necessary to resort
to conscription.
| The first expeditionary forces sent to
France in mid-August. 1914, consisted
OF 100000 men. and these took part in
the famous retreat and the subsequent
battle Of the Marine with decisive
effect.
Oxford and Cambridge gave thousands
OF their undergraduates the first year
of the war. Thousands of these young
men. who represented the flower OF
England, shed their blood In France.
That was part Of the price that Eng
land paid in helping to stem the In
vasion Of the world. for in that first
Contemplate little army" which did
such superb work, she lost nearly every
officer and man.
| II was stated In the House OF Com
mons on January "A, 1918, by the
Minister of the National Service, that
the provision OF men for the armed
forces of the crown" the empire had
contributed 100000 men. Many times
it has been stated that England has
spared her home army by putting her
colonial regiments in the foreground at
1
the men Of her provinces and colonies,
comparatively small in number. they
were distributed throughout tho regular
army and received full credit and glory
for all their achievements.
Britain has fought on as many as
seventeen fronts. Her troops have cen
to the fore in Belgium. France. S,rpis.
Greece, Russia. Palestine. Mesopota. "a,
China and North, East and West Africa.
and these are only the principal theatres
OF the war.
Had it not been for her timely aid in
massing her troops at these various
fronts. and thus supporting the helpless
and the smaller nations, exhausted by
internal dissensions, they would have
been wiped out of existence. and Ger
many would have been conqueror Of
the world.
At the present time there are
100000 British women working for
her country in its hour OF need. Thou
sands are employed in Government
work and others in making. munitions
who never have worked in their lives
before, They are making shells, fuses
and trench warfare supplies and have
contributed l.450 trained mocha MICS TO
the Royal Flying Corps.
| Volumes could he written eulogizing
the wonderful spirit of England and her
provinces. but the foregoing cold state
ments are nevertheless the facts Of the
glorious part she has played in this
, worlds conflict.
The magnificent fortitude with which
her men and women have borne the
great sacrifices they have been called
upon to make have shown the world that
England has dared all
GEoRGIASA HARTMAN OWEN.
NEW YORK, August |.