Bisbee daily review., 1918-05-12
Soldiers

Since that detachment of American and French veterans of the Great War returned to New York to help in the final days of the Liberty Loan drive, there has been much discussion in newspaper and magazine cir cles of the respective merits and qualities of the soldiers of the various nations now engaged in this great struggle. The ten dency seems to be to award the palm to the Australian soldiers It Is wide and deep subject, and one that presents many sides and angles And the reputation of a nation fighting men cannot permanent ly rest upon one battle or one war. The supreme test requires century or two to establish. These Australians, fine soldiers that they are, are fighting in their first war as national body.
 A dependable and successful fighting man Is matter of breeding and blood and home institutions. More than one war; more than one generation are required to test and prove nation fighting powers. By this standard British and French sol diers rule supreme in the world. Ever since the decay of Rome nearly two thou sand years ago, France has been the fore most fighting nation of Europe. Under Charlemagne France conquered practically all of Europe Again and again she has fought more or less successfully against half and three-fourths of the nations of the old world Under Louis XIV she was su- preme upon the continent Frenchmen under Duke William of Normandy, prov ince of France proper, conquered England from the Saxons and established the Nor man dynasty on the tight little island that has never been overthrown since. Under Napoleon France completely dominated Europe, and the French emperor used to stable his horses in Berlin about once year as he swept across the Rhine to humble Austria and Russia by turns or both to- gether.
 IL has been generally recognized for more than a thousand years that the Frenchman, under a great leader, is the most brilliant and daring and successful soldier the world has ever known. He has fought and prevailed against odds more often than the soldier of any other nation. But he must have great leader. He is but an indifferent soldier under poor leader ship
 On the other hand the British soldier, Frances great rival ever since the Norman conquest, fights the same under all circum- stances. He IS as stubborn and unyielding and as game and deadly in defeat or out generaled or outlucked as he is in victory under a genius. British pluck under pres sure and the most unfavorable circum- stances has been proverbial in every court and camp in Europe ever since the Roman legions evacuated Briton. Hence England has meyer really lost a war since William the conquerer won the English crown at Hastings. France, on the other hand, has won greater victories and also suffered more and greater defeats than has England.
 The only other nation in Europe who has soldiers worthy to be mentioned here on the basis of their exploits in the last thousand years, IS Germany The German soldier has always been a stanch fighting man, but not to be named alongside the French or the British in the records of Eu- ropean wars the past few hundred years. The German fighting man occupied the limelight on the European war stage only during the period of the Seven Years War under Frederick the Great The rest of the time the French and the English have dom mated the stage Germany, Russia, Aus tria and Italy always playing second fiddle as allies or opponents in the major events. Not until 1870 did Germany come into her own, and then more because of French mismanagement in high places than be- cause of inferiority of French valor.
 The American soldier has always fought well. He was of the best blood of Eng land, France and Germany, and he was pioneer in new country, hence his virility and resource upon all occasions.
 An, that is the pointI That is where the Australian soldier has the advantage over