A FORCE IN THE MAKING.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 154, 10 March 1916, Page 2 (Supplement)

A FORCE IN THE MAKING.

Meanwh.le a great work must hare devolved upon ban in assimilating the new material which wos pouring over from Britain. It was splenditl fct-uff—-the best. I believe, that the inland has sent forth, and it had in it the making of a grand and victorious army, lint it needed working up. Manhood there was in plenty, but leadership, technical knowledge, experience all had had to be tested or supplied. In what proportion to mix tiio old with the new. and how best to weave them all together into one tough fabric—this was the great task of .Sir John French. The full result has not yer been seen, but a formidable force is in the making, as the spring campaign will show. _ b.r John French's tenure of office in Franco lias terminated with his victory of Loos. It was a battle in which we 'ost heavily and in which we attained less tli.in we had hoped, but. none tho less, we did undeniably burst into tho German iine, wo captured a considerable slice of their position, we took •3;)U0 of them prisoners, and we captured 2-3 of their guns. Uf the bi:s divisions who won those line results two were of the new formations and one was Territorial, showing that a! ready the emergency soldier is worthy to stand by the regu'ar in the hottest fight. The events at I.oos are too rocent. and in some phases too obscure, for discussion, but at least on the tangled question of the advance of the support-, we have .Sir John's own assurance that at 9.30 on the morning of the battle he had passed them on to General Haig, who in turn had put tlieni under the direction of their immediate commander, the leader of the 11th Corps. We know, therefore, that S:r John had no further responsibility in the matter. To trace the blame, or i even to allege that there is any blame, is, with our limited knowledge of the facts, invidious and unseemly. Such, .in brief outline, is the work of .Sir John French in the German war. It was thankless, ungrateful work, in which great success was impossible and great disaster was often imminent. He has brought us through it all unhurt. Under his leadership tho British soldier has shown that the freedom ol the volunteer can produce as tine a fighting machine as the iron, autocratic discipline of the Prussian system. It would have been an evil day for democracy bad the result been different. Meanwhile, .St John may enjoy his welldeserved rc-it, but tii* nation will be the easier in its mind from the knowledge that so tried and trusty a soldier is stj'l within its call. —"Daily Chronicle/' London.