SIR WILLIAM ROBERTSON

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 30 May 1917, Page 4

SIR WILLIAM ROBERTSON

VIEWS OF BRITAIN’S GREAT SOLDIER.

RUSSIA’S UNSATISFACTORY

STATE

GERMANS CANNOT WIN,

WELLINGTON, May 29

Mr. C. J. Parr, M.P., who was the guest at a luncheon at the New Zealand Club, in a sketch of Sir William Robertson, said: Sir William Robertson told me many things about manpower on the two fronts in August last, when we had the advantage of about three to two. Sir Win. Robertson was of opinion that by April (the month just gone by) the preponderance of man-power in our favour would be raised to the proportion of two to one. Of course Sir Wm. Robertson did not count on the Russian debacle, and that had completely altered the situation. He told about the unpreparedness of the Empire for war. We were criminally unready. It took us two years to get ready, and in that time France saved the situation. I shall never forget the tribute paid to “la belle France” by the great soldier. They threw back Two millions of Germans at the Battle of the Marne, and there achieved a victory the results of which had been greater than those of any battle in the history of mankind. “Sir William Robertson, r ’ said Mr. Parr, “let us see a little into things in Russia. He told us that the Russian transport was in a shocking state. 1 They were actually taking munitions to the front lines in donkey carts! An extraordinary thing was that they would have no help in the matter from Britain or France. Eventually they said they said they would have one man. They agreed to take Lord Kitchener’s advice, and Lord Kitchener was on his way to Russia to reorganise the Russian transport wen he met his fate on the Hampshire.

Sir W. Robertson was quite clear on one thing. He said that according to human chances the Germans should have won the war during the last year or two, but now, on human chances, Germany could not win. In September last it was calculated that we were getting level with the Germans’ production of munitions, and it was hoped that in April we should double, from Britain alone, the munitions output of Germany. Fie expected to see the Germans .driven out of France and Belgium before the campaign this summer ends.