The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1918-12-14
Outstanding Figures.

Plumer, Horne. RawlinSon and Byng,
these are the outstanding figures under
Haig, They bear the same relation to
their commander that Gouraud, Mangin,
Debeney and Berthelot bear to Petain;
for Castelnau and Fayolles, who COM
manded groups OF armies brilliantly,
the British army supplies no counter
part, since authority was not thus dele
gated.
Outside of the European field there
are two British generals who claim at
t%ention, MRude, of Bagdad, and Allenby,
of Jerusalem and Samaria. or the for
mer it Is to be said that taking the
Mesopotamian command after the sur
render Of Kut-el- Amara and following
a shocking and s%candalous failure, he
rivaled the best achievements of Kitch-
ener In the khartum campaign and
conducted a colonial campaign In a
fashion which must remain a model for
all the future, Unhappily, he died Just
after he had taken Bagdad and before
he could enjoy the fun fruits Of his
great labors, But he remains one of
the great figures of that long and
splendid succession OF British colonial
leaders. He gave Britain Mesopotamia
and he ended all apprehension as to
India, His warfare was the kind in
which Britain has always led the world
and, apart from Kitchener, he can have
no rival.
OF Allenby there is a record in the
west as well as in the east. He COM
manded a cavalry brigade in the Mons
campaign. lie held the Messines ridge
with a thin facade Of horsemen in the
critical days Of Ypres before the French
aid came. After that he commanded
tho Third British army, afterward to
go to Byng in the battle of Arras, In
which he took Vimy ridge, cleared Ar
ras and pushed down into the Flanders
plain, The success OF the spring of
1 Az --- ~. --.AA- - -
the British In the war up to that time.
Later, when the British commander
In Egypt failed at GAIA and he Pal
| estine campaign was in danger, Allenby
went east, He restored the situation
and presently the world heard OF him
in Jerusalem. This was a ray of light
In a dark period, But Allenby's great
triumph was to come, when last Sep
TENDER he crushed two Turkish armies
In Samarta, captured the bulk OF their
| forces and made the surrender of the
| Turk Inevitable. This was one of the
most complete victories in history. 1t
resulted in the clearing OF Palestine
and Syria, the fall of Damascus, Alep-
po and Beirut and the elimination OF
| Turkey from the war. II will stand side
by side with D'Esperey's success in
| Macedonia, won at the same moment
n resulting In the surrender of Bull
garia.
such, in brief, is the roster Of the
more conspicuous British generals who
finished the war commanding armies
and still holding the confidence of their
nation and the loyalty OF their troops,
! Their place In British and imperial his
tory is assured and | believe they will
gain rather than lose as time removes
| certain misrepresentation and gives
more complete evidence of their
| achievements. II remains 10 say a word
Of the armies which they commanded.
In certain things the British army was
easily first. II surpassed its allies and
its enemies in air service. British mas
terry OF the air was one of the essen
tial and potent elements in ultimate
L x.intNry