The Washington herald., 1919-05-11

in that army were brilliant and able
men.
The effect Of such staff work was
apparent throughout the army. and
there was very little of that hostil-
ity between battalion officers and
the staff which was violent in ex-
preston elsewhere on the front.
Unfortunately. by tragic irony.
the staff of the Second Army had
to direct it's energy to the organi-
zation of the series of battles in
Flanders during 1917 in co-opera-
tion with the Fifth Army. under
Gen. Cough, on its left. And owing
to the state of the ground. mangled
into chaos by artillery. with hum
dreds Of brooks overfiowing their
broken banks and with incessant
rains for five months. those at
tacks were murderous to our men.
And there was the most horrible
mess of blood and mud on the way
from Ypres to Passchendaele which
has ever been seen in the history
OF war. The enemy was slaughtered
in immense numbers. and the battles
of Flanders were part of the fright
full process of breaking the German
spirit. but the cost to the youth OF
the British empire was appalling.
The Second Army organized each
battle with mastery attention to
detail-startlinE in it's contrast to
the handling of other troops-but it
was an organization OF martyrdom
to English. Scottish. Irish. Welsh.
Australian and Canadian boys, who
suffered 100000 casualties in that
black year of 1917.
In n previous article I have already
dealt with the episode OF the British
retreat in March and April, Of 1918.
and pointed out certain weaknesses
and misfortunes of the Fifth Army,
under the command of Gen. Cough
the taking Of a longer time in order
to satisfy the French at a time
when our armies had been grievously
weakened by all these losses. the alb
sence of men of our best fighting
divisions sent to the relief OF Italy
and the lack of defensive lines strong
enough to check the onrush of such
overwhelming odds as the enemy
launched against us when he attacked
with one hundred and fourteen divi-
sions TO our forty-eight. During these
bad days staff work was strained and
broken for a time. owing to the break
down Of communications between the
iShNlnS UNITS ana ntduQudTIeTS, anu
what orders were given were often
late, contradictory and Impossible OF
fulfilmert owing to a situation which
changed from hour to hour. But in
due time-in the last nick of time
the enemy was checked. and British
generalship redeemed its reputation by
the wonderful sweep back. when. in
August of last year. after Foch had
struck his deadly blow on the Marne.
with French. American and British
troops. the whole British line moved
forward and gained a series OF VIC
tories by repeated hammer strokes
which. as Marshal Foch declared
broke the enemy to bits.
Those last battles, lasting from
August S to November IL, were tine
in generalship. Gnd for the first
time Sir Douglas Haig and his army
stan were able to get the enemy
on the run by a series of strategical
and technical operations we'll de-
vised. and carried out to success
with the help of the valor of 30O.-
COO young boys who had come out
to fill up the gaps in the old ranks
and with the gallant aid of two
American divisions-the Twenty
seventh and the Thirtieth.
They Were Justified.
So, after all. in spite of all criti-
cism. British generalship was JUS
titled, and they gained the last VIC
tories over the German generals
those professional war chiefs, who
made more blunders than ours, in
spite of all their science and all
their power. In spite of what |
have said in criticism-rather
sweeping in it's scope-I must not
be thought to deny the solid ability
of many corps and divisional gen.
erals, though in my opinion they
did not possess great genius.
Sir Julian Byng. formerly command
ing the Canadian corps and afterward
the Third Army. is man of firm
will and some audacity Of imagina-
ton. and many qualities of the great
soldier. Gen. Holdane. of the Sixth
Corps, who formerly commanded the
glorious old Third Division, splendid
in a score of battles, is a man of
keen intellect, vital energy and ruth
less purpose.
Gen. Harper. of the Fourth Corps,
known affectionately as Uncle
Harper" when he commanded the
Fifty-first Highland Division, OF
deathless renown in this war, i'm
pressed me as a soldier of strong
character and decision, and had the