New-York tribune., 1920-11-21

4 volumes, The First World
War. l914-l91S (Houghton,
Mifstn Company, are an intimate and
interesting contribution to war history.
They reproduce the authors diaries
during the war period and have the
merit Of throwing light on war Incl
dents and controversies as they oc-
cured. Colonel Repington, the mill
tary correspondent of The London
Times, was recognized when the war
broke out as one of the most competent
Of British military critics. He had
served in the Military Intelligence De-
partment and enjoyed an intimate ac-
quaintance with many leading soldiers
and statesmen-in France as well as
at home. His book shows that he con-
stantly tried to influence Entente mill
tary policy as we'll as to interpret it
to the British public. He was, how
ever (and often unfortunately a
prophet without honor in the British
War Council.
Upheld the Western Theory
Colonel Repington was an extreme
exponent of the Western theory Of
strategy. He knew that it was easier
for the British army to tight in France
and he held that it oughtnt to fight
anywhere else-except possibly for the
defense Of Egypt That view-shared
by many other British soldiers-was
based on the idea that France and
Great Britain could defeat Germany in
the West, 1t underrated the military
strength of Germany and overrated the
military efficiency of Russia 1t would
have broken down in the end; for moth
ing is clearer than that the war would
have ended in a stalemate-practical
in German victory-if Germany had
not rashly forced the United States
into the Entente.
AS things stood in 1915 the main
hope Of the Western Allies was to
pose of benehting by her huge man
power. But the only way to utilize
Russian resources was to establish easy
communications With her Western
front by way Of Constantinople. Rep
ington bitterly condemned the Cali
poll expedition and an offensive war
against Turkey. Yet the opening Of
the Dardanelles became the primary
aim Of Entente strategy after Turkey
Joined the Quadruple Alliance. Church
~ l%
track Control Of the straits was lost
BY failure to press the naval attack,
and the Gallipoii campaign broke down
because of delays and bad manage
ment~
Yet the great chance was there and
this true British strategy was to grasp
it.
Repington laments the diversion Of
men, guns and ammunition from Field
Marshal French to the Gallipoli army.
The real trouble was that the diver
sion was not thoroughgoing enough.
The Germans were on the defensive
III France all through 1915. The Brit
ish ard French armies were not equal
10 an offensive there, owing to short
ages in guns and material Battles
such as Loos and Artois were only
fruitless local sacrifices, whereas the
whole face Of the war would have been
changed by the capture Of CONSTANT
nop1e. The French were pinned down
to the Western front by the German
invasion. They had much more reason
to be Westerners than the British. Yet
the French government supported the
Gallipoli expedition and but for its
insistence the Allies would never have
gcne-though too lase-to Salonica
The failure OF the Dardanelles allowed
Bulgaria to join the Teuton allies. 1t
permitted Serbia to be crushed in 1915
and Rumania to be crushed in 1916 1t
led to the great Russian retreat Of
1915, the gradual undermining Of Rus
sian morale and the debacle after the
Revolution.
The British Western strategists left
all these results out of account. They
thought they could defeat Germany in
France. Repington says that the Allied
objectives in the Somme Battle of 1916
We're Bapaume, Maubeuge, Liege ard
Luxembourg Haig said, somewhat fan
tastically, in his Somme report, that ne
had had no territorial objectives and
that ne was only waging a war Of usury.
He fought war of that sort Il through
1915 and 1917, and never got far be-
yond Bapaume. without the American
reinforcements the German lines in
France would probably never have been
broken.
Stirred Up the Government
Repington's greatest service was in
stirring up the British government to
fight. He continually criticized It's half
way measures of recruiting. He exposed
the shortage OF high explosive shells
in France and brought about formation
of the Coalition Ministry He courage
ously attacked the Lloyd George Cabi-
net for failing to keep the British divi-
sons IN France up TO sJrength--a policy
which led eventually to the destruction
Of Coughs army IN the Battle OF St
Quentin. he urged the government to
make war in the sense in which Gle
nenceau was making it, and narrowly
escaped beng sent to jail for dong so
Y ct his prejudices as & former British