BRITAIN’S SHARE IN THE WAR.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIII, Issue 19, 21 September 1915, Page 2

BRITAIN’S SHARE IN THE WAR.

- • The Chicago Daily Nows, which con. tains more special war news than any paper m America, ami has stoutly supported the cause of the Allies, although published in a town predominuutl.v German ip racial interests, contan.s a striking tribute to the part Great Britain has, played in the war r' u • sll °wing how Britain “is bending tier energies to a colossal task.” Hero *a.vs the Chicago Daily Nows are some jot the things Britain is doing:— j 1. Holding the sea s for tho ships ot her Allies as well as for her own. I Protecting the coasts of her Allies as well as her own.

I d, Struggling, 1,, co-operation with ,1110 rench, to smash the Turks and win tho Balkans for tho Allied cause 1 great aid to French ancl Uol K IaM troops in resistino- tho terrible onslaughts of the Gormans on the Allied loft wmg in the West. <3. -Making Joans and ■supplying munitions to nearly all her partners in tho war.

i 0. I ursunig „ financial policy in ■South-Eastern. Europe likely to pro- ' mote the cause of the nationalities, I I i. Putting into the field more than ten times as many men as she over promised. j j 8. Guarding her own soil and people , against an invasion, which, if it came ! —and it is believed to b e far from 1 , impossible—doubtless would bo the I , savage, the most unsparing, over known. With how many men? Well, ,"ith enough. To hear some people talk one would suppose that upon Brittain were, laid the duty of defending every land but her own.

( Britain s wealth and sea power and ! military power are the one sine safeguard against the triumph of Germany’s unparalleled war machine. - I Without. Britain’s help, France and j Russia certainly must ha ve been crushed. Without Britain’s wholehearted participation in the war, who .\\ ill say that Italy would have ven- . tured to challenge the mighty and merciless Germanic coalition? With Britain out of the struggle, would there have been any hope of the Balkan States daring to move? And Britain—never forget it—was not compelled to go to the aid of France. Come what might, the most that ever Britain promisee! France were six divisions—l2o,ooo men. She was not in honor hound to send a single soldier j more. She could have stayed out of i the war. Germany had begged her to .stay out of the war. Disgraced she might have been—if she had left Belgium and France and European liberty jto their doom. But she could have ■ done this. Few nations are without disgrace, without historical pages ( they fain would obliterate. Britain (Was not attacked. France and Russia .were attacked. Britain might have awaited the onset us America is awaiting the onset. Britain might have stood clear, might have husbanded her i resources of men and money, might swiftly have prepared, even might have loomed over the stricken adversaries in the end and claimed the [hegemony of Europe for herself. Britain diil not do so. She threw her I trident into the scale. She threw her sword into the scale. She threw her gold into the scale—and she is incalculably rich. She threw into the bal-ance-her impressive racial record, her , prestige, her unrivalled diplomatic skill. She threw—is throwing—will 'throw into the balance the whole puissance of her Empire And all for I what? For the principle—the fruits of the principle—of the liberty of the individual against the despotism of jthe State. Britain, one can believe, 'may be the author of some acts of which she is not proud—may have ! done some things to cause her, looking back upon them with full light, to wish they never had been clone. But in this war this old and proud democracy is unfolding, applying, a material strength and a moral splendour that for countless ages after this conflict is stilled will be shining undimmed amid the first glories of history.