Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1918-04-06
THE LIVING Church
QUOTES ARCHBISHOP +.
Military Situation Discussed BY
English Prelate In Philadel-
phia Recently.
NOTHING TO DISTRESS.
Says It Is Part Of Plan That
British Line Should Give
Way. 1t Is Elastic But
Not Brittle.

Speaking last week at the Metropoli-
tan Opera House in Philadelphia, says
The Living Church, the Archbishop of
York was very reassuring in regard to
the long continued battle on the west
ern front There had been reason to
fear he said, that with the collapse of
the cause of the Allies on the eastern
front the Franco-British forces on the
western line would have been left in
active and helpless while they saw
German power extending itself and
winning new resources elsewhere
where it was impossible for them to
follow. That" he said, would have
been the bitterest of disappointments
Instead of that, although it is stern
and desperate ordeal-instead of that
they are seeing Git is more than could
be expected that Germany intends to
settle issues on the western front.
Il don't know why that decision
should have been made; it must be
that conditions in Germany are worse
than we have been led to suppose.
1t seems to me that it must be des-
perate and violent effort to force a de-
cision now which may win something
like a tolerable peace for Germany;
but. anyhow, it is giving our men, our
generals, the chance which they
thought would have been taken from
them.
Believe me, there is nothing to
daunt or to distress in these head
lines which you read about the Brit
ish line giving way. 1t must so give
way if it is to do the work for which
il has been waiting. | am sorry to
say-most of all that it should be said
by one owing allegiance, as / do, to
One above-but war has it's ugly real
ity, and the business of that army is
to kill Germans. And if the German
power likes to provide these great
mass formations brought up against
our guns, our machine guns, and our
rife fire; if il likes TO see these great
multitudes moved down before their
eyes, then l can only say (the pity
of it cried aloud to Heaven for mercy
it is just one thing that our generals
and our soldiers desire TO achieve.
Il know what | am saying when l
say that the line is meant to hold to-
gether just sufficiently to enable it to
meet and deal with these oncoming
masses. but not with sufficient steadi-
ness to run the chance of its becom-
ing brittle and broken.
1T is kept elastic; and when you
hear of these retreats at one point and
another. you must suppose have
reason to say this-you must suppose
it is all part of an ordered plan, and
the generals of our army are only too
glad to see that the battle is not
taken out of their hands, but is to be
settled in the place where for all these
years they have been waiting for it.
Nothing has yet occurred to daunt
our faith and hope. Everything that
has happened l know is in accordance
with expectations and plans. There
is no reason why we should doubt that
the same bravery and, l will dare to
add, the same divine suffering which
in the days of the first onset of this
massed force at the Marine, and at
Ypres. resisted and held fact and Sc
cure the fortunes of a free civilization,
will still stand ready and prevail"