SUPREMACY OF THE BRITISH SOLDIER.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 5 June 1917, Page 6

SUPREMACY OF THE BRITISH SOLDIER.

A STRIKING COMPARISON OF CAPTURES. It may be of interest to remind the public how completely, judged by every test, the British soldiers have mastered the German during the wan writes Sir Arthur Conan Doyle). 'After the foolish gibe of the Emperor and the constant sneers of the German Pncss, which made merry for so long over our attempts to raise an army, it is instructive to get down to the actual figures, which would be infinitely more favourable if it were not for the losses in the first week of actual fighting, u-hen we were in the presence of norecs which outnumbered us by five to ■one. In" prisoners we have at least double the British prisoners in Germany being sibout ‘14,000 in number, while w have upon 70 (TO Germans. On : during the T’oris retleat have the Gr mans taken any considerable number o; p r is oners tram ns. ( or losses during thac vcA otiao <’ ncriy 15,000 men. On the lane on the Mar-b f t Imos, igiiji anr* a <rin at the So on the Ancre, ani now at Arras and the

Vixny Ridge, we have made captures which run into thousands. OUR HAUL OF GUNS. The comparison of captured guns is even more remarkable. Oun losses during the MonS retreat may be put at about GO, the great majority of which avcre at the glorious defeat of Lc Gateau. Aftenvards, the guns which we have lost could have been counted upon the fingers of one’s hands. There Avere lavo at the La Bassec action in October, 1914, foun heavy guns in the poison gas action of April 23, 1915, and possibly one or lavo at different times, but the total certainly could not exceed 70. Against this, we have up to date taken about 200 in the present fighting, and 140 in the fighting on the Somme. Eight were taken in the Battery L acj tion and four by cavalry next day. Six Avere taken by the Lincolns on September 9th, and about a dozen others, mostly disabled, during the Marne retreat. Twenty-ono were taken at Loos. Altogether, our total amounts approxi matcly to 400 guns, as against 70 Avhich avo. have lost. It would be Avell if some prominence could be given to such figures 'in those little neutral countries Avhere it is not yet understood that the German soldier has found his masten. The superstition of Prussian supremacy never rested upon any very firm basis, and now it has been destroyed for ever. Giving our enemies credit for all the military virtues which they undoubtedly possess, it has none the less been clearly shoAvn that brave slaves led by clover ' fiends can and will be beaten by freemen led by gentlemen.