The Wilmington morning star., 1940-06-02
Editorial Comments
From Other AnqIes
THE GREAT
New York Herald TribuIle)

In all the long, frightful but heroic history
of warfare there can be nothing to compare
with these last terrible stages of the vast Battle
of Flanders. The whole Graade Arnee was
beaten and dissolved upon the field of Waterloo;
this army, betrayed and beyond hope of any
thing save defeat, has not dissolved, has not
broken and has not failed to sell its life as dearly
as it can down every mile of its soul-shattering
retirement.
Napoleon III surrendered 50, 900 men, trapped
in a single day at Sedan; but here Leopold sur
rendered half a million, leaving perhaps 300, 900
more of his allies in the trap of iron and of fire
to which he consigned them. In the immediate
presence Of the enemy the Royal Navy took some
twelve divisions off the Gallipoli Peninsula at the
end of 1915, saving virtually every man and all
the equipment; the force at least approached in
size that here involved, but that precise and
planned. withdrawal. without menace from the
air, had nothing in common with the appalling
evacuation row going on.
There have been trapped armies, terrible re.
treats, perilous embarkatioas and heroic rear
guard actions time and again in the past, but no
The long, heart-breaking retreat of the "Old Con
temptibles' from Mons in 1914 offers it's obvious
parallels, but even they were not falling back
in ceaseless combat with an enemy in front of
them, behind them and overhead, with nothing
in their rear but the Sc, and a single port Of
embarkation, itself under merciless pounding
from heavy bombers and artillery.
Few soldiers, even, can conceive of the actual
conditions under which this retreat is being car
rled out. Yet it is being carried out, so far as
one can tell, in good order. 1t is the propaganda
outglvings in Berlin which talk of shattered and
panic-stricken flight-for the propaganda has to
prepare the German people for the terrific pride
at which this victory is being bought.
1t is the German officers on the ground who con.
graduate the captured French commander on
the superb steadiness and courage of his troops.
The Old Contemptibles,' with their allies, were
aple ultimately to halt, reverse and participate
IN the attack and victory which turned the tide;
THESE Fraaco-Brltish armies can have no hope of
that. Many will never be got off; while it will
take time to rest, reform and re-equip those who
are, Yet they are fighting on with no less logged
a courage. spending their last bullets and their
lives, though their only contribution is to permit
the lines to be rebuilt elsewhere to attract and
exhaust the enemy's force so that others can
lay the foundations for the ultimate victory in
which they may never share.
These are the final stages of a great defeat.
But defeat sustained with that fortitude is not
a disaster. Many will be saved through the cour-
age OF all; while even the whole of the trapped
force IS not great by comparison with the huge
Allied armies left in being-or in the process of
creation. And every man who may be lost in
that blazing coast will only nerve those armies
10 greater efforts by his sacrifice, speed the
training of his successors, force his country to
the more fHrl0nS nrn51 motion Of VI. ,1,,oz -1
tanks and guns to arm them. These are the
soldiers of civilization, losing their own dire bat.
tie out IN so doing enrolling themselves i'm
personally among those who will yet save by
their suffering everything which makes civilized
life of value.