BRITAIN'S HELP.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 June 1916, Page 5

BRITAIN'S HELP.

THE VALUE OF FRANCE, GENEROUS APPRECIATION; •> San Francisco, April 20. In a certain section of the minority Press in America there have been frequent slurs against Britain to the effect that John Bull was not helping France to the degree which Americans considered commensurate with the heToie efforts of France.

Two stinging rejoinders have just been received in New York from Paris entirely refuting the impression that Britain Was not rendering the assistance she should.

M. Stephen Pislion, former Frencli Minister of Foreign Affairs, in the course oi an interview, said:—"England has given her resources ungrudgingly in this war, and while she has not done so much land fighting in Europe as France and Uussia have, it is not ■ because she does not want to, but because she has been putting forth stupendous efforts to create the necessary army to jtrike cri)stfmg blows in the future, "England is now not only the first sea Power in the world, biit also one of the greatest land Powers. Her entire energies are directed at this time toward defeating Germany. I have just returned from a complete tour if .England and Scotland. The whole country is a gigantic workshop, turning out mountains of war materials daily, at the snme time as her reserves arc beiug built up, Germany will soon feel the work of this formidable machine.

It cannot too often be repeated that England is showing as much de termination as France to carry the war tii a vr-torious conclusion, and while her efl'pris are necessarily slower, it seems to me, nevertheless, surpassing imagination that she knew, the first day, what it would cost to defeat "Germany, and has poured out her resources lavishly to attain that end."

The official French historian of the war, M. Joseph Renich, also interviewed in Paris by an American writer, says:-r----"There is not the slightest doubt that England has done her full share of land fighting. Of all the nations in the world the United States should meditate most deeply on the titanic efl'ort in a military way Ungland has accomplished, because America may one day be faced with the same problem. In ,Tune, 1914, while visiting Aldershot, I was able to inspect the British Army. It was by no means as contemptible as the Kaiser later said, but, small though it was, there were no better trained fighters in the world. What England has done in building up a huge army out of nothing 9ince is one of the wonders of our generation. Only last week General Joffre expressed to me his deepest admiration of the present English army. His opinion is tfcat the quality of the troops leaves nothing to be desired.

"The artillery is fine, some of their heavy guns being the best on nny battlefield, according to the French Com-mander-in-Chief. Their officers, he declares, are good. Both Field-Marshal French and General Sir Douglas Haig arc splendid men. General Haig has the advantage in years, and is thoroughly acquainted with the modern conditions of fighting. "When we consider the actual fighting the British Army has done, intelligent Frenchmen wili have to admit it is magnificent. If anything, the British infantry are too brave. Remember, the' whole weight of Britain's new armies have not yet struck Germany. The ftimy was built up from the smallest nucleus. It is only now rendy to display its fullest strength. People ask why the English have not attacked in Flanders in order to relieve the pressure on Verdun. Perhaps- Americans are not aware that General Joffre is the supreme commander of all the Allied troops fighting in France. The English Army is ready and willing to attack any day General Joffre gives the order.

"Our Commander-in-Chief, however, deeply appreciates the value of Napoleon's maxim not to play the enemy's game. Ho will attack at his own moment, and if the English have not demonstrated their strengtli in force within the ln,st two months it is because General Joffre has held them back. The question of general conscription in England must be decided by the British. Government. We in France are. convinced that when that measure becomes necessary to keep the present British Army up to strength or to add new divisions it will be taken in good time. "In any case, it is impossible when discussing England's part in this war to consider the work of the land forces alone. The work of her Navy, which makes such a tremendous drain upon her resources, is of inestimable value to all the Allies, and must not be impaired in order to strengthen her army."