GREAT BRITISH SOLDIER

Hokitika Guardian, 29 May 1929, Page 7

GREAT BRITISH SOLDIER

HAIG'S CAREER

LONDON, April 18

Mr John Buchan remarks m nis foreword to General Charteris’ I‘ielo .uarshai Ear I Haig” (Cassels) Published to-day, that, the “compulsion which a gteat man p’.accs upon tin. world is to umiorsiand him.” Certainlv such compulsion is upon us o, L ,ur race to know what manner of man was that Douglas Haig who in truth saved us and our Allies. ’1 hat he dh :io less by his military genius than bhis real greatness in subordimUin, himself to the French Generalissimo, leaving all petty personal feeling asid. hen--as we know he did not believe the French were in it military sense better than or even as good us tin British. lie saw clearly that without unity of command there was no hope of success.

This compulsion on us to understand Haig lies ali the more heavily on us because lie was one of those great men about whom the Press buill up no romantic figure, dug up no sentimental stories. - Instead theie was the legend of his dour, unsniilin? hardness, which did not express the real man. It is true he did not suffer fools gladly but General Charteris says: “Yet the deep underlying sympathy with humanity in all its weaknesses' and frailty was continually evident. He was ruthless in removing those whom he considered ent for the task required of them, but he would he at great pains to soften the blow by a kindly word. ‘You have done your best, none of us can do more.’ There is work elsewhere that you can do, and will do well; wherever you may he you will he helping to win the war. “There is a picture that will always remain vivid in the minds of those who were present when Haig chanced to meet, returning from the trenches in the early days of 1915, a battalion in yhieh almost every man was suffering from trench feet. They could only move a- hundred yards or so then rest for some minutes, hut with unconquerable spirit they were singing and whistling as they smuggled onwards.

“He stopped the column, and passing slowly down the ranks exchanged a few words with each man. Then mounting, ho watched the men resume their weary march. He was deeply moved. ‘What right have we,’ he said, ‘to any credit, when these men are enduring so much?’ ” It is characteristic: of the man that in his general orders to the Army he did not, as was usual, address them to officers and men but “all ranks.” Books about great soldiers do not usually interest everybody. But General Charteris has contrived to write a life, which although dealing largely with war, everyone can read. Indeed 'the four hundred pages of this bookare as engrossing as a novel. Never before has this reviewer obtained any clear idea of what the objectives of the big (battles were, how far thev were achieved or how far they fell short. The accounts of them are most lucid and easily understandable by the layman. General Charteris ts peculiarly fitted to write this life, for, as Mr John Buchan relates in his foreword, when the official history of the war was being planned Lord Haig was asked whom lie would like to go through it. The answer was “Send it to Charteris. Ho knows as muen about it as f do ”

'a convinced avesterner

There is much in this book to help us as reassuring the value of the various- campaigns. Lord Haig novel wavered in his belief that the issue would be decided on the Western Front, and while he was inarticulate in council, lie set forth his views in no uncertain language with his pen. To single out but one hotly debated point—the value of the battle of the Somme. “Lord Haig maintained,’ says General Charteris, “that althoug it had not resulted in the complete and immediate breakdown of German resistance, yet it had achieved results which had justified both the inception and the pursuance to the • uttermos of the battle. . The German fighting power had been greatly reduced. Th< wearing-out process was in full course Our own armies, both officers am men. had gained experience vhici was to be of primary service to then in their future battles. They had acquired confidence in their own poweis and they had earned for the British Army, for the first time, the complete confidence and respect of the Allied leaders.

“Apart from purely military considerations, Haig considered tliat !i broad view of the International situation proved the necessity of the batt'e. There had been an agreed plan for the year’s campaign for all the Allies. Russia, Italy and Rumania had lovollv plavod their part. France had endured tho martvrdom of A 7 erdue AVas Britain to‘fail, even when th probability of final success in tlv battle became less? Might, not an reluctance In commence the ' r rea( battle of the v-'ar or any premature breaking-off “f the battle, have* weakened the faith of the Allies in Gruß Prilnin, aurl endangered the who 1 ' 1 on|come of .Die war? Might, no* v.... nr>f . bo-solf l-1-e epe’-n wonrv e f 1i,,l sfc”.fete, in wbi'b she would hnv f nr the creator share, both o r effort and ef loss 9 ”

fir Itonl Charter's poos mi to snv • “Tills review of the battle must lw ro n,i in foniiinetion with T.wlemlorff’s remarkable statement that ‘I cannot

see as I look back how the German funeral Headquarters could have mastered the situation, if the Allies had continued their blows as they did in 1916.’ ”

Again in the beginning of 191 S, when- a smashing offensive by the Germans had to he looked for on the resumption of active warfare: “It is noteworthy that even at this early ’ate Haig advanced the opinion that Germany con’d not continue fighting 'fter the autumn of 1918, on account if the internal state of the country, 'mt nevertheless the next few months would he critical. AVAR COUNCIL BREAKS DOAVN. “Immediately on his return to Trance lie found himself involved in the perennial problem of the relative fronts. During November he had ?ome to agreement in principle with Retain that the British front should jy the conclusion of the year’s operations be extended as far south as Barisis. Haig, while he did not wish to infringe tho terms of agreement, had found it impossible to complete the extension as early as Retain desired ; and Giemenceau (who had succeeded Painlevo as Prime Minister during November) and Foch intervened with the’ demand that the extension of the British line should extend as far as Bcrry-au-Bac. Clemonceau even threatened to resign if the demands wore not met, but ultimately agreed to refer the matter to the Supreme AVar Council.

“'The War Council, after the fashion of all councils, resolved on a compromise The British line was to Lk extended to the river Ailettc. Half, at once protested, and in a letter oi January 13, asked that he might he relieved of his command rather than be forced to agree to an extension which would, in his opinion, endangei the security of his armies. (Ten days previously Ludendorff had proffered his resignation for somewhat similar reasons.) “The Supreme AVar Council was now faced with a dilemma; it had nc power on enforcing its decision, nor could it accept Haig’s resignation, even had it so desired. The machinery had in fact broken down at its inception and tho council had to direct its attention forthwith to evolving some more workable method.”

As we know the appointment of Foch as Generalissimo brought this dangerous condition to an end. Of the final battles of September. General Charteris writes: “It is difficult to appreciate the responsibility which at this stage Haig assumed. By the definite instruction 1 which he had received on April 3 h was not only authorised, but directed to decline to comply with orders from Foch. which, in Ills opinion, would imperil the army. 'Even had he wished to take refuge behind any ordei which Foch had issued or might issue he was bereft of that safeguard. Tin Government at homo and the chief of tlie Imperial General Staff, wom plainly hinting that they did not wisl him to attack the formidable entrenched line now in front of him and had hluntlv informed him tin' he was too ‘optimistic.’ Nor war Foch himself confident of success. O’ Dm dav preceding the attack he Inn visited Haig, and tumlo no secret o ! his doubts. The whole responsibility Di”« res f eel on Haig, and to him a!o" r must be ascribed the whole credit 'ViDi absolute confidence in his own judgement, with unflinching determination, and that steadfast fait-1 in God that was his mainstay. Hob reso’ved to commit his armies to Dv attack. No weightier decision ha 1 ' over fallen to the lot of any Britisl soldier; none, had f ’T r, ut°r results.’

HATG’S JUDGMENT. In summing up Tru'd Haig’s plan in histovv. General Charteris says: “AVhon the opinion of nil loaders, both civilian and military, not onlv in our own country, but, so far as is known, in all countries, anticipated a short war. Haig’s prescience and accurate o-ji , u T in rr of tho inilitaiy resources of the nations enabled him

almost alone to forsee the severity oi the struggle, and its inevitable duration through a long period of yearinstead of months. His assertion was

no kind of blind guess-work; no mar ever guessed less than Haig. It was the result- of careful and laborious study and a deliberate weighing of every known factor. “It may well be that Lord Kitchener, by a different process, arrived simultaneously at the same conclusion ; -no one can now say, blit it is at least established that it was Haig who first gave definite and responsible utterance to the view, and who urged it upon Lord Kitchener, before Kitchener had expressed his opinion. That the two greatest soldiers of their owr time in Britain should indeed arriv simultaneously at the same opinion in those early stages would be in no way remarkable. Their minds—-even though they approached every problem from a different angle, and by a very different process—again and again arrived at the same conclusion. Tim historian of the future may indeed marvel that this prescience as to the protracted course of the struggle was not shared by other soldiers of al l countries who had equal—if not in deed easier—means .of access to the available data on which they might form their considered judgments.” A cheap edition ought to be made quickly available. For this simply written, graphic biography should be within the reach of everyone who wishes to get an intimate picture, unspoiled by fulsome flattery, of on' of the greatest men of our time. Fo? certainly there can he few records of a life more single-minded in its de votion to duty, more ready to. sink self in the pursuit of his country’s good in the big job of his life, which, once accomplished, he then devoted tr the welfare of his comrades who had suffered in the titantic conflict.