UNKNOWN

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 123, 26 January 1915, Page 3

UNKNOWN

• . WHAT OUR RUSSIAN ALLIES , is. M-::“• •;• THINK- OF US. j r (By Ha Hamilton ’ Fyfe, hi 'London •w ouT 7-4 "Bally Mail.) ‘ ■ h-j ?::■-' PETROGRAD, Nov. 10. ■Wlille I was in Prance, during the first-ten weeks-of the war, I used often to , hear the question petulently asked, " Why are the Russians not making more rapid progress? ” It was qu odd experience when I came to Russia to rmd'.tpeople' saying here: "How slow • -tlie.l’reneh' and English-'aVe in driving • Alia •-. Germans out of France and Bolj.giiiralW 'i • “ •:■ " ' ;. •

| •s■©.*> one'. can • noty ohafe'at tile >jmovc; vWtliJit 1 . of. 'the campaign in Poland, in (Eastern- Prussia, and in Galicia. The RussianvArm’w.ha.s broken with its tradition of taking a long time to got to . w.oric,. It -thus been handled'’ with bril-liant-skill .The plans of 4ts, General - Staff-have been carried out by all ranks, with magnificent' vigour aiul self-sacrifice. Irresistible in its sweep, it lias driven the Germans and the Austrians back -across their frontiers broken and disheartened. It has gained, the first great victory of the y, r ar. Wifh all my heart I hope that by the time this reaches England the Allies on the Western Front will have been equally .successful. I know too well that nature of their task. I am too grateful for the splendid pluck and persistence of the troops engaged, British., French, and Belgian, to be impatient because their struggle is so long. drawn out. But I have been asked to say how the campaign in the west strikes Russians, and I can only answer: They think it is making very slow progress. Of course, the mass of Russians have formed no impression of it at all. For the very good reason that they do not know it is going on. Nor do the mass of the better educated, the more widely informed, follow the campaign on the other side of Europe with much closer attention. The Russian newspapers are full of "our” war. The other campaign receives little notice. Daily official reports are printed,: but "they are so much alike day aftef day!” One cannot be surprised at readers who know none of the places named in' them passing them over quickly and saying, "Nothing ever seems to change over there.” I am speaking of the mass of newspaper readers. Among those who travel, among diplomats and politicians, among staff officers, among the more intelligent who fall into none of these categories, the fighting in Flanders, in Champagne, along the Eastern French frontier, is watched with attention and discussed with knowledge. Yet . even among these 1 have detected a feeling of disappointment. They cannot understand why the French have not put more men into the field. “ Where is the French Army?” a highly placed official asked. "We were told France could mobilise 4,000,000 men. We heard that she did

actually assemble sonto 2J millions. So far as we can understand the position she has only 1 million actually engaged! Where are the rest?”

I explained the French system of filling up gaps. I showed ho,w a very large reserve was kept In the background, from which men were drafted continually to step into the places of those who had fallen. He admitted the wisdom of this, but still he was not satisfied. "Even so,” he protested, "a million in the fighting lino is too few. The great blow should be struck now.” The resources of Russia are so inexhaustible that she can afford to strike the great blow and at the same time keep an immense reserve. Russians do not, perhaps, make enough allowance for a country with a population so smaller. .

Nor do they profess to be able to understand the British method of raising an Army by voluntary enlistment after war has broken out. "You knew what your obligations were, ’’ they say. "You know tliat Germany was preparing to fight you, always drinking to ‘The Day,’ sending her busy spies among you, building ships and Zeppelins to take from you the mastery of the sea. How could you be content with your little Army?” "And how,” several thoughtful Russians have asked me, "how was it you did not, immediately war was forced upon you, make military service an obligation? Surely every Briton would have voted for that if it had been put before him? You do not love youf country less than we, or the French, or the Germans, do you? You once had the reputation, you English and Scotch and Irish, of being braver than any nation in the world. Have you changed?. How is it that after three months you have not got as many men as you need?” Thirty-eight Englishmen are going from Petrograd to join the Army. It is known here that an urgent suggestion came from the British Foreign Office to hold a meeting and appeal for recruits. A circular in very strong terms has been sent round the British colony, pointing out the need for more volunteers. I am sure no such measures as the, meeting and the circular would have been required if the impres sion had not prevailed that the "vVar Office did not .want offers of service. "All who came out in August and told us” ( Iqnote one of the l}omeward-bound volunteers) "that

S'.-*** TT ~ t’nvo-jd y ~L o riming up and ciu>> n . eountry at homo and being refused.’ There is very likely some, siinpie explanation, such as the explanation.tlui-t the Cabinet Minister who said "1 amounted men preferred' ’ for service in South Africa did not know the nature of the' country. But thoughtful Russians arc puzzled by the mooting ami the circular, while, thoughtless ones make sarcastic remarks.

Another thing which makes Russians: ask questions is the assertion that much of our khaki, is poor stuff, made of rags, which will not keep our soldier's cither warm or dry. The Russian soldier's coat is made of a material so solid and strong that people -buy it and use it ua a floor covering; "because" it 'never wears out. ’ y A general officer said to me: "I-have oftfen'seen in your .Eng--llsh newspaper's' scathing remarks abcijt bribery -and 1 ©eruption in Russia. Who L re been taking bribes in this ease? And will anyone be punished^’

I was net there.:when the campaign in defence of Belgium began so disastrously with the .battle of Mens and the retreat which followed, bringing the British force within danger of "annihilation," as General French said in his report. I am told the feeling in Russia, especialy among soldiers, was one of blank astonishment and alarm. How General Jo lire came'to miscalculate the strength of the Germans at Mons may be explained some day, but it seemed, and still seems, an inexplicable error here. &o profound a doubt did it show as to conduct of the campaign that one of the most prominent newspaper writers in Petrograd asked me as soon as he heard I came from the French battlefields; "Is there any fear of another Sedan?" I hope I reassured him. But the query showed how far inquietude affected even one who should be - position to know.