The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. MONDAY, JANUARY 16, 1928. OFFICIAL WAR HISTORY.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 January 1928, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. MONDAY, JANUARY 16, 1928. OFFICIAL WAR HISTORY.

The official history of the Great War, relating in particular to the operations of the Britsh forces, i.s being published gradually. To enable accuracy to be ensured delay must occur as there must be time to examine all sources of information likely to be uselul in the full and true revelation of actual happenings. The third volume of the official record hits been issued at Home, and it review notice in t lie Daily Mail praises it highly. Briga-dier-General J. E. Edmond*, assisted by Captain G. Wynne. J responsible for the publication. The Daily Mail writer says: It is difficult to praise too highly the third volume ot the British official military history. As every student of the Great War knows, the two previous volumes of this work, are far ill advance ot any official history that bits yet been punlished abroad, and set up a standard of which the nation and its army may well be proud. General Edmonds is at once accurate and interesting, while be never fails to point out mistakes or to render honour to courage and devotion. The volume is mainly concerned with the lighting of early 1915 and covers the terrible battle of Ypres. “Its very misfortunes, says the preface, make 1915 particularly worthy of study. Tn remembrance of the final victory, we are apt to forget the painful and weary stages bv which it was reached, and the heavy cost in our best lives during these stages. . . .Too many of the bravest and best perished, seeking to compensate by valour for lack of experience and the shortage of munitions.” In the matter of casualties, the public

is wiirnod that the Germans in thenreturns often did not count the slightly wounded, whereas the British Army ill ways included them. This may help .to explain the fact that at Second Ypros the British lost 59,275 officers and men, against it German loss returned as 34,933. Of this battle the new volatile says: ‘"lt was drawn out over 33 d ays and nights, and accompanied by the over-whelming employment by the enemy of high explosive shell from heavy artillery, field artillery, and Mincn wer for, and poison gas. It was indeed the first of the new nature of battle. . . .in which man was not pitted against man hut against material. *’ No signs of the imminent German gas attack were detected by air reconnaisaneo, carried out “for the express purpose of verifying the presence of any special apparatus,” and though warnings came from intelligence agents, no special precautions were taken. 'When the attack came, the sudden silence of the French artillery proved “that some-

thing very serious had happened.” but the steadiness of the Canadians and Brii'ish infantry prevented disaster. The second gas attack “came on like a fog hank 1.5 feet high," and the wonder is that the Germans, with its help did not carry Ypros. At that date the precise ammunition allotment per gnn per day in the Second British Army was: 13-pdr.. 2; 18-pdr.. 3 (ho explosive available) ; 4.5-in. howitzer. 3 (1 may he lyddite); 1.7-in. 10 (no lyddite available): fi-in. howitzer, 3 (1 may Is l high explosive). I Truly in the British Army men were pitted against material for want of

munitions. And General Edmonds reveals the startling fact that the reserve of small arms ammunition in Great Britain at tin* end of the first eight months of war had fallen 2.000,000 rounds. These faets emphasise the position as already known vaguely. The British troops performed wonders in that extremely trying time. The prestige of the nation was maintained in the highest degree, and its traditions enhanced. Tt is well, therefore, to have the full history of those days adequately recorded so that in the time to c-ome those responsible may he judged fairly and with full appreciation for the wonderful service they gave their country and civilisation. The winning of the war meant everything to the world at large, and it is clear that in that task Great Britain played a foremost hand, and never faltered nor wilted, he the test what it may. Whatever the demands of the hour, the men were there to face and endure the situation’—yerjtabjy super. men. ‘

Foil the first lour or five years after the Groat War closed the British Government was being constantly adjured by friends and foes alike to “get out of Mesopotamia.” It lias taken some considerable time to perform this feat successfully, but the conclusion of a formal treaty with King Feisal the week before Christmas, and the recognition of Iraq as an independent sovereign State, may Ik; regarded as formally marking the close of Britain’s official responsibility for “the land of the two rivers.” As a matter of fact, the British Government lias reason to be well pleased with this solution •>f iis difficulties ill the Middle East. For not only was Britain anxious to “wash her bauds of Mesopotamia,” but she was also desirous of making some reasonable compensation to King Feisal for the very shabby treatment be bad received alter the war. Tn 'pite of In's splendid services against the Turks, and the pledges given by Colonel Lawrence on behalf of Britain, the British Government allowed Feisal to be expelled from Syria to conciliate France, and bis election to the throne of Iraq by an almost unanimous vote ■if lie 1 people provided a very convenient way out of a rather unpleasant situation. But though King Feisal is now safely installed in Iraq, anil by all accounts is managing bis unruly little kingdom with remarkable success, b(> lias a great deal of trouble with bis neighbours. For the western frontier of Mesopotamia marks the eastern limit of Arabia, and the wild tribes of the desert who live by plunder are not likely to accept the now order of things peacefully and tamely. The greater part of Arabia is now nominally controlled by Ilui Sand, the Wahabi chief who is titular Sultan of the Ncjd—life great desert area in the noi tli of the Arabian peninsula—and has been for the past three or four years King of Heinz as well. The revolt of the Hcjaz against the Turks placed Hussein. Feisal's father, on the throne of Mecca. But. as readers of Lawrence's great bonk will remember, Hussein was an obstinate and impassible old man, and his son. Ali, wlio succeeded to .the throne after Hussein’s abdication, could not bold bis own against Ibn Sand. The Sultan of the Nejd speedily overran Northern and Western Arabia, drove Ali from Mecca and assumed the tite of T\ing of the Heinz, and. as one seemed likely to supersede him. and Feisal was well bestowed iii Iraq, Britain acquiesced in the new succession. But Ibn Sand, thong'll an able guerilla leader, seems quite unable to keep bis ttil'btlleut Bednwins in order, alld tile ferocious raids dial they have been perpetrating along the frontiers of Iraq recently may compel Fcisul to appeal for help, and mav tlius firing about the active intervention of Britain in the Middle East once Inure,