SIR WILLIAM ROBERTSON.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 May 1917, Page 5

SIR WILLIAM ROBERTSON.

VIEWS OF BRITAIN'S GREAT SOLDIER. Wellington, May 29. Mr. C. J. Carr, 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 man-power on, the two fronts in August last, when we had the advantage in man-power on the Weßt front of about three to two. Sir William Robertson was of opinion that by April , (the month just gone toy) tho preponderance of man-power in our favor would ie raised to the proportion of two to one. Of course Sir William Robertson did not count on the Russian debacle, and that had completely altered the situation. He told me 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 1 France" by the great soldier. They threw ' back two millions of the Germans at the battle of the Mame, and there achieved a victory the results of which had been greater than those of any other battle in the history of mankind. "Sir William Robertson," said Mr. Parr, "let us see a: little into thing!) in Russia. He told us that the Russian transport was in a shocking state. 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 Fj»i(nce. Eventually they said they would i jftftte one man. They agreed to take Lord j Kitchener's advice, and Lord Kitchener > wa lS4 slis wa y to Eussia to reor g ß "' Be the : ljglssian transport when 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 pr two, but now, on human chances, s Germany could not win. In September \ last it was calculated that we were get- \ '.ing'level with the Germans' production \ of munitions, and it was hoped that in t April we should double from Britain , alone the munitions output of Germany. 3 He expected to see the Germans driven out of France and Belgium before the campaign this Bummer ends.