New-York tribune., 1918-04-23
100000 Troops Used Up
ON 81 Fronts, Declares
Col. Hunter
Backs Against Wall'
Shows Need Of Men
Tells Local Toronto Uni
versity Club War Won't
Be Won in France

to send to France; the 100000 mel
enrolled by her since the beginning O.
the war have fought and died on thirty
seven fronts, and when it is said tha
she has her back against the wall i
means that" These statements made
by Lieutenant Colonel F. Fraser Hun
ter, d. S. O., British Provost Marsha
in the United States, before members
Of the University of Toronto Club Great
ed sensation last night at the Yale
Club where the Toronto men were gath
cred for their annual dinner.
eve simply haven't got the men OF
we wouldn't say our backs are against
the WALL" said Colonel Hunter. 1--WE
bend but never break, but for Gods
sake get there before we die"
The much heralded army of "a mill
ion British reserves" is nothing but q
newspaper army" Colonel Hunter de-
clared. Every available British sol
dier has been utilized in India, China
Somaliland. Turkey, Persia. South AT
rica, and in more than a score of other
places which. there being Germans in
trenched, are Gust as truly battle
fronts as Northern France" he pointed
out.
France Not Only Front
ENGLAND is actually fighting world
war on no less than thirty-seven
tronts," he continued "You who sing
Over There and such songs seem to
feel that France is the only front.
''The war may be lost in France, it is
true. But it may not be won in France.
And while you are winning over there
Germany is quietly marching over this
world-with the Russians, with the
Turks, with whoever will go with her.
over in France Germany will be world
power.
"You people with the black coats are
the real general staff Of the armies
You don't want to hear me talk unless
l can give you some truths. There is
altogether too much talk anyway. Sol
diers don't want to hear about liberty
and democracy; they want to know
their task and get at it. l talk to you
in the hope that you can influence Lon
don andff Qttoawa and Washington to
do something.
"Get them to do something in Rus
Slo. WIG yNd1 dSO 1U,OOU,UUU Ol tuG
finest soldiers in the world were fight
ing for thc Allies-the Russians. Don't
forget the maximum effort of Germany
for the first years of the war was di-
rected against the Russian front. Now
there are 100000 Russian graves
along what used to be that front. But
as result the British took Bagdad,
and German influence has disappeared
from Persia and Afghanistan all on
account Of the Russians.
That ought to give you a better
idea OF the Russians than that they
are mere towards. 1t should stop you
throwing mud at them, even though
they are now Bolsheviks. They went
out OF the war because they we're beat
en-beaten by superior military
power. have travelled Russia from
one end to another and fought with
its people, and | know the one thing
they. hate is the thought of German
domination They have their hands out
to US and we should do something be-
lore Germany does"
Must Sink Personal Ambitions
The difficulties encountered by Great
Britain in repellng the German in
fuence and arms in Singapore, the
CAMERON Islands, India and South Af-
rlca were recounted by Colonel Hun
ter, Few persons in America, he said,
realize that Great Britain at one time
had more than 1000, 900 men in South
Africa. In Mesopotamia, he said, one
Of the greatest obstacles to successful
operations was personal ambition on
the part of military officials.
IF personal ambition is allowed to
enter into this war we ought to lose
it, and we will" he declared. "A short
time ago l visited Ottawa, and, as a
soldier, was perfectly disgusted with
what l found. For one thing, there
seemed to be not one army, but three
armies, each with it's particular view.
Ono wanted to go to France end the
others had their particular wants, |
forget what"
Colonel Hunter concluded with an
appeal to his hearers not to subscribe
to newspaper campaigns" for counter
time.
There are not enough men to win
IN France now, that is the plain fact"
he said. "Get it into your heads that
Germany must be stopped everywhere
not only in France. Let's stop her
in Russia. Force action in Washing
ton. London and Ottawa, and let's stop
this damn talk about Russian treach-
cry"
Sir Robert Falconer, president of the
club, said that Canada is supplying
more than 40 per cent Of the men for
the Royal Flying Corps. Toronto Uni
versity men who have entered the SER
vice number 4,5o0, he said, and of this
number BIS have been killed.
}. A: Haskell. formerly of the Du-
Pont Powder Company, but now en-
gagged in aviation motor production for
the government, said that Liberty mo-
tor production would begin in quantity
during the summer. The ordnance de-
partment this week, he also declared.
would test a new machine gun which
contains only "a pieces instead Of the
l60 component parts OF the Browning
gun.