THE LONG, LONG TRAIL

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 6, Issue 282, 8 June 1917, Page 4 (Supplement)

THE LONG, LONG TRAIL

THE ALLIES' RELENTLESS ADVANCE IN THE WEST.

By HOKATk. BOTTOMLEY, (Editor of "John Bull.")

In the fcilowing splendid article Mr. Bottomley, whilst refraining from definite propliecv, draws from the present great advance in the west tho moral that tho enemy u on the run, not from an;: consideration o m'litarv strength, but in consequence of the overwhelming superiority and the dread of the Hi i at the prospect of open fighting; and, incidentally, lp pays a fine tribute to the valour of our glorious troops.

A [/THOUGH I have sometimes -£*• donned the mantle of the prophetforetelling the tilings which should have happened:—l have never posed as a military expert. Indeed, 1 am almost as ignorant of military affairs as was ray Lord Haldane when he went to the War Office, and when, as he has told us with philosophical cynicism—he "scarcely knew the difference between a Battalion and a Br'gade." So do not let it bo supposed that I am about to discuss the strategy and disposition of the Allied forces in the West. I won't even saw that the war 's nearly over—whatever I may think. I will just put on my spectacles, assume a solemn a'r, and in ponderous, conventional tones warn you that "Germany intends to, and will, wear us down to the bone before she suffers us to break her." These were the words of an anonymous Expert, in one of tho (ladies, 1. si week, and he is described as "One Who Knows." I, therefore, as Ono Who Doesn't, in due humility, note with .vatitude that when we are all walking skeletons Germany will, at last, "suffer us to break her. Wherefore, let us fast. "Do it NOW, Devonport'' ! * * * But what do you think is the final conclusion of our Expert—the "One Who Knows"? Listen: "At our present rate cf understanding it woll take years to get and keep the hateful power of Germany clean under." And then he signs tue article simply with a D—which is exactly what I sa'd, when i read it. All said and done, however, I think we may well congratulate ourselves upon tho progress of the Long Trail—a phraso which leaves a loophole for tin pessimists and Jeremiahs. Surely, nothing more splendid in all the history of arms was ever enacted than the trn.nformation of our little island country ii to a great and mighty military power. Not less glorious than the valour of the old Regulars at Mom and tho Marne is the invincible courage of Kitchener's Army. Glorious Kitchener! We used to be told that tho French were disappointed with us in the West. Who will repent that calumny now? As a matter of fact, there was never the slightest feunda'on for it. Two years ago a great French Minister exclaimed : "If tho 'little British Army' could check the Germans at the gates ot Pan,; coif' drive them back over the Marne; caild 'heck them before the ruins of Ypr. s; could make it impossible for them to march on Calais; if the "little British Army' could leave nearly f quarter of a million dead Germans on the banks of the Yser, what will three mill'on British soldiers be capable of doing?"' And now wo have the tnree million men there—and ye gods! what are thev NOT doing?

If tlrs kind of thing gees on- and It IS going on-1 shall be proud again ot my prophct'c mantle. Bagdad was a "cert." and Bapaumo an "easy thing." And now ■ have run my pen round s.ich pretty name- ;s Pennine and Bcuehavesnes.' Canizy and Kstrees-en-Chaussee, wit i Cambrai and St. Qucntin as the near objectives of the Great Advance. But these soul-stirring achievements are not to be completely understood in terms of geography, a - though in these critical days Bcthnian.iHolhveg and lis colleagues must find precious little satisfaction in their favourite hobby of studying the "war map." Howecvr, the moral of the situation is greater end grander thru the oartographert can show. This thins: that has happened is id miracle, but it is & sign and a portent of superb significance. Let us see.

Tho Han are in retrer.t. They ar« beading for tho Kluno. They are the haplc.s victims of an irresistible offensive. I should have thought those ractg were ecll-evidei.t. The retreat if the enemy can in "o sense be represented as a voluntary retirement, anymore than was the British retreat from Moiis, or t! e earlier German withdrawal from the Marne. It is literally true to say that the foe ha- been shot out of nil, fortified positions in the West. What has happened to ie Ii ir.s in Picardy is what might ha;e happened to the French at Verdi i but for the incomparable gallantry tl the soldiers of Franco and the timely rel'-ef rll'orded by'the British "diversion" on the Somme. Tha was the opening scene Hi tiie Pageant of Victory. The cool, patient ttrategv of he Allied Stalls, the indomitable valour cf the Armies ot Freedom, ! .iv triumphed all along the line. The Battle of the Somme, the greatest military contest in history, has been fought and won. We will leave it to the Huns to ' explain" their defeat. Althoug'. 1 cm no military expert, I fancy I am right in saying t.at the victor in w.r is the belligerent who can impose his .vill upon tho %c. That is what has happened in Picardy. The strategy of the Germans is dictated Ie - by Hiudenburg than by Ha'g. By all means, let the Hun continue to "lure wt on." We

wore "lured on" to Bagdad, we were "lured on" to Ha;. ;nr, and presently wo shall 1.0 "hind on" to the hanks of the Rhine —lured on by the gleaming prize of Victory, beckoned by the promise o [triumph. Cn you go, then, ''Tommy,'" my boy. And God boss your valiant heart! # # * Brvo. sodien! \ whole Empire is proud of you. Our hearts are thrl!in4 with the splendour and priory of your wonderful achievements. Hindcnburj; and the U'hoio eoiorie of German liars, aided by the week-kneed, whimpering crow in Britain, may talk, until he an 1 they ho weary, of German ''strategy." and of "provoncert' ' retirements": of German troops in portions of " impreg nahle strength'' somewhere in the Back of Beycnd. -lie German lies wo can afford to laugh at; th ■ timidity of the BpinelCi's s-et in our ow.i country wo can despite—th.-y can always sec greatness in the cnor..y and cleverness in every move ho make-; they never, by any chaneo see the splendour and the dauntless d.tring of our own race. - r tho genius of our military loader.;. Every backward movement of the boaton foe is, ::i their eyes, a trap sot to catch us napping. If the Germans run to the Rhine they will still cry, n Press and on platform, that it is no victory for Brita'n—it n profound "strategy" as laid down by von Moltkc ill tho Franco-Prussian war: and oven when our grand and unbeatable Citizen Army 'uirls tho '.ul Hun further backwards and is thundering on the Brandenburg gate, whilst the accursed Kaiser quakes m his Berlin fortress, they will shriek that this is no' victory for Bnt'sh soldiers—it is Bismarckian "strategy," carried out to save the world from unnecessary bloodshed ! • # # I at/present call tjiese people pessimists, but if they are not careful the nation will find another and a truer name lor them; for it is beginning to look as though the wish were father to tho thought—this excuse niongering for our enemies has gene far enough. It irj loathsome and un-British, and the sooner it is crushed, the bettor. Wo know why tho Germans did not hold tho ground they had fortified so strongly ; wo know why they ran away from :i war area they mid sacrificed tho flower 01 their army in vain to hold, pud make impregnable. IT WAS BECAUSK THEY COULD NOT LONGER FACE OUR OVERWHELMING SUPERIOR I'JY IN GINS AND MUNITIONS OF WAR. K * *

Tommy hj..« got the measure of Fritz, and ij hill of ipleudid eagerness to get to grips with nun and pay him back tor all tho foul things lie has done to tho peasantry, male and female, of our Allien ; and no one knows better than William an ! Hmdenburg that he hasn't tlu» heait to stand and pay the price. Tiie baby butchers won't face Tommy a; he rushes forward to avenge tno rape, murder and robbery of the last two years and a half—that is the full and only reason why the Germans holted and gave up village after village to our all-eoriujcnng host. There was ;io German ''strategy" about it —it was German funk. • » * All true Britons are proud of our glorious Citizen Army who brought this Lhiiig to pas*. We saw you "Tommies'' only yeucn'.-v .it seems, quill driving in City offi.es, working in factories, toiling as mechanics, following the plough. The German Bullies laughed when five million j 01 you volunteered to go and light. They don't laugh at you to-day. Like curs they run away from you, and they call it "strategy"! Citizen soldier, yon are tl.e greatest thing this old earth has yet bred; you, in your khaki, are tea* biggest thing on this old planet. God bie-s your gallant heart, you've set all tlie world wondering. I . pposc that when it is all over, and th- hi tcry of the conflict is written Hi s'-ores of weighty tomes, wise men will tr yto toll is which was the iiKi-t, wonderful feature of the war. If I am asked the question, I shall not pniiM' for a reply. Tne most wonderful th'ng m this wonderful war is the soul of Iho Biitish soldier, the spirit of the ami m Khaki, the dauntles; Hero of this Hour of Destiny. J d;"-e say wo shall soon be having Thanksgiving Servers in the ch,imiet<; hut 1 cannot think- I speak in all earnestness— I cannot think that God will be pleased if ••Tommy" is forgotten. For it is the pleasure, of Omnipotence to work through human instruments; by the .iinds'cf 3Liin he wreaks Hii righteotw vengeance, and weaves the shining fabric of Hw glory So, in Sod's name, let ins not forger our solemn debt of gratitude to the gallant soldi rof the Kiup : re, to the men . hind the guns. Ai any rate, f want to 1)0 among the hrst to send hearty greetings to the heroes — FreiHi and British—of the Great Advance. Hats off to the Victors! Good speed th-.'ir acred task! HORATIO ROTTOMLEY.