ORIGIN OF THE TANKS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1652, 19 December 1916, Page 4

ORIGIN OF THE TANKS.

The London newspapers have I teen full of controversial paragraphs as to who was the real begetter of the “tank’’ idea. Mr Lloyd George may he said to have begun the controversy hy the declaration in an interview that Mr Winston Churchill originated the “tanks." The Morning Post nmkes the following comment in regard to Mr Lloyd George’s assertion: — “This is hardly correct, and no doubt the Secretary of State tor War has fallen into Ihe error of confusing the original suggestion ol Mr Churchill of the use of heavy armoured ears with which to break down the enemy’s trenches. ’I his idea, for which Mr Churchill deserves fullest credit, was tried and proved to he a failure. The idea of the ‘tanks,’ in the form in which Ihey now are, is entirely the work ol Lieutenant-Colonel E. D. Swinton, D. 5.0., One of these days it may be interesting to tell the story ol the many discouragements under which Colonel Swinton suffered, and the story of how, in spite of all, he persisted until he succeeded iu convincing everybody concerned that bis idea was a good and workable one. Ollier people have no doubt rendered great, assistance, but to Colonel Swinton, and to Colonel Swinton alone, is the credit due as the originator and persistent elahoralor of the idea of the ‘tank's.’ ’’