And Did They Die in Vain?

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 190, 28 August 1937, Page 3

And Did They Die in Vain?

• H. E.

FPiE>- 1

Sir, — So ' Briga,dier ; Genpral Crozier has written- ahotho'r w&r.-bopk.. After reading liis flrst* volumn, I^'thopght a captain far,-too scathing when he publicly declarpd that the -briga'dier-general lied. It certainly .was hai'd to' belreve the statenient oi" Crozier that .a British soldier whb failed in .hi^ duty to deliver supplies was tramped into the mud and to death by his own comTades! Twenty years after the war, Crozier oh'ers the publie further horrors at so much per volume, aud in Great Britatn • ex-servicemen are demanding , a full inquiry into his belated allegations. 3f it is thought the geheral is a dopendable witness whoso miud lias uot become unbalauced by his war experiences, it is probably such an inqpiry will take place. This sliould be said: Whatever may have happened in isolated instances, never in the whole history have so many men shown the capacity of the human spirit to face with unconquerable courage tho greatest destruetivo

powers :ever invented." Ten thousand times ten thousand would not exha'ust the epic stories of brave devotioh, not confined to any.one participating race, though shining brighter in some thau in others. ' •/ . . In- oiir pleas. to deliver - other generations from such sore travail, thero has arison .a disposition to push into the backfgroxuid the .greatne'ss.,of ordinarj mcn and . women when uiider-the stress of extraordinary calamity . as in tlie years oi the Great War.' • Should we be hesitant or- ashamed to telb that, instead. of fulfilling.a dire official prophecy that the British mercantile murine would cowe'r for shelter when war turhed loose submarines and - niines as well. as enemy cruisera, our countrymen came forward to take the place of the over-mauy foreigners on British, ships, and none mado them afraid to sail the scven seaS.? .Tho dangCrs, luultiplied far ■ beypnd prcdietion, and, to .the everlastiug shame of some Gerinan, .oificers, hclpiess, , drovrn-. ing British aailors trying to escape from their torpedoed ships were subjected.to gun-fire. The men of .tlie mereantile marine did not fail. What'of the Navy? Years before Lord. Eislier had acted 'on a conyietion that : Ger'many would declare war in October, 1914, aud he ' took • measures to make our Navy fit for the death struggie. Ile seiected John Jellicoe, then a junior ofiicer, for prdmotion to the charge of the Grand Fleet. Nothing could stand iii the way of his resolve, and not many weeks before the f atef nl 'August 4, Sir J ohn Jellicoe became Admiral of the most. powerful fleet the world had known. The "'debat.e wdll never end as to whether Jellicoe should not have taken greater risks. in the Battle of. Jutland, but we .should never forget that Jellicoe had realised ihe peril-of venturiug too far, aud liis carefully thought-out . poliey had beeuapproved by Ihe 'Admirally Lord s. The offensivo tactics of'. Nelson wero the inspiration -of mcu like Beatty,. Wey.xuss, liey'es, Tyrwhitt, while the audacity of such , submarine commanders as Nasmith, Cochrae, Stock's, Bfuce, Boylo and others has never been surpassed.' The bloeking of Zeebrugge channel in tho face of heavy fortifications has likewise never been excelled, both for tlie careful preparation of every detail and i'or the grit which won the 1 required success. Every raan was a volunteer, and every man liad been told that all that could be hoped for was caplure in lieu of death, yet, when tlie block ships were grourided, as planned, in the channel their crews were larger than ordered because men had bid theinselves on board ready to do and die even to the disobedience of ordersl Everywhere it was the same. As the Inflexible slowly withdrew, after striking a mine in the Dardenelles, the cap-

tain ; ordered half tho , engine stafl! on deck to lessen the death roll if tho ship sank. A dispute aroso, for each wateh claimed the right to carryt-on, willingly f'ori'eiting . any, chance ; to escape. had the vessel sunk, ; which througii good soanjanship , it did -not. What lopg., lines .of . communication, the Navy-' had to protect and. the lives ot millioufl of men to save from • hidden peril. TJie .Na.vy did not -i'ail. No, not e.ven at Jutland. When. Beattie.'s cruisers suffered through lack of, armour in .the opening round, that intrepid , leader gave the'order to them: "Two points. nearer the enemy." .When Jellicoe 's ships ppened .fire^ we kuow now, the accuracy- far.exceeded that of the Geruians, so ihat iu 19J8,-when the German High ;Sea Fleet was- ordered out to battler the sailors dedined to face. the British guus again. The fight at Jutland proved iiiore decisive than our Adiniralty kriew while the war'waged. "What, then, of our soldiers and airn:eii|, Of their tenacity, courage, aud endurance, German generals witness iu terms of h/gnest praise. Our 'firsf hundred thousand eet an oxample which even the youth in tho ill-trained roserves rushed into the liue in March and April; 1918, worthily emulatcd. As to leadership, let this be remeuiberod: our. stjifE oificers foresaw what w;ould likely happen on the first German onrush, and the Contemptibles went. to France trained. to fight rearguard actions Not so the French. . ContrQversy will continue as to whe- ; ther the Gallipoli campaign, if 'puglved • to ' attainable succeqgj would have- ■ bfougjit an - carlier;. term.iu'ation',to_,the confliet; or whether it was uuavoidable . to fight for mastery in the 'slimy mud of Flanders .and- of France. Of this thefo.' is.*no. doubt. . Tho failure of Nivelle's pffensive brought , mutiny intlie Frencli ranks, ' tiiough ingpired- leadership led to the glorious , dei'enee of Verdun and many ariother wonderful t'eats of nrms. -Tho i'ailure of Paa>cl\eudaele did not .seriously. afEecfc. the raorale of our "trooiie. ' Haig equalle'd ' Lloyd George "iu " his faith iu ultimate victory, and his driving power,,, after tlie 'Gormans had shot their fina] . bolt and a eounter-offensive had become possible, .won Foch 's complete admiration. "The men are splendid," was the chorus of commanders, naval visitors, medieal offlcers and all wlio came in close contact with Iheni., The smal] farmers if Picardv showed their gratitude as far as it was possible for them to do so. Away in Armeuia, a youug padre whose name is now known in many lands tells of the nhivalry and compassion of Bri&'sh Tommies lo women in dire distress. There is so much to recount of Britishers from all ' tho Dominione who so worthily fought. ' On tho Western Front alone, 2,706,000 { Britishers wero oither killed, wounded^ ,

or missing or taken prisoners. * Our losses were heayier th'an those suffered by tho manhood of Belgium. * So if General Grozier can prove- all his words, such truth would still bo a gross libel on tlie manhood, the heroisni, and the leadership of all but a niiuute perceiitago of our meu who fought aud won tho fight' for the sacredness of our pledged yrord..- Had we shown their sacrifice, then Benito Mussolini Avouid not have bqen allowed to iinpcril their victory by his scorn of treaty and of law. — Yours; etc.,

Hastings, Aug. 25, 1937. .