"TANKS NOT WANTED."

Taranaki Daily News, 6 March 1920, Page 10

"TANKS NOT WANTED."

A EOBERTSON, CHURCHILL A3JD I KITCHENER STORY. , • j KEMARRABLE REVELATIONS. The more truth we learn about the management of the war the more miraculous does it seem that we -were not beaten, writes Hamilton Fyffe, in the London Daily Mail. Fortunately, as we know now, the management on the enemy's side was fumbling and blundersome also. This circumstance, added to tile stubborn courage and endurance of our troops in the field, saved us from paying the penalty which our War Office courted. But that is no excuse for them, and such plain tales of their efforts to lose the war as Sir Albert Stern tails in Ma book "Tanks" (Hodden and Stoughton) are bound to stimf.late the general feeling that piercing public inquiry ought to be made into their crimes. "Crimes" may sound to some ears a term too strong. Yet, knowing how largely the German generals attributed their defeat to tanks, knowinsr that the tank was the one and only addition of first-class importance made during the war to military equipment, knowing the number, of lives that tank tactics enabled us to save, how can we use any milder term? It is no exaggeration to sasr that if it had not been for the patience and persistence of two men, Sir Albert Stern -and Sir Eustace Tennyson d'Eyncourt, we should never have had tanks at all. Do not think that Sir Albert claims any credit- He is modest and unassuming all through. But what he tells us, added to what we knew before, makes it plain that all who were working hard over tanks had every possible difficulty put in their way. From the beginning they had a hard job to find any place to work in. "No Government Department would provide any office accommodation for us, so I took an office at my own expense. i ... .A controversy ragiid on this Bubject for six months between the Admiralty, the Ministry of Munitions and the Office of Works. The Admiralty referred to it as a troublesome case, and complained that Temporary Lieutenant Stern apparently did not understand the subtleties of the procedure in the Civil Service." More tlian a year later Sir Albert, on the point of leaving for France, where tanks had already arr'vert. was told by a "Civil Servant, an assistant secretary," that his offices were wanted and that all papers and drawings would be at once moved out. "There was no time to argue; my train left in a few minutes. I told him that the Department could not move, as it was concerned in matters of the greatest national importance and would require before long a very large, building on its own. This had no effect on him, so I gave instructions to one of my officers in his presence to put an armed guard on my office while I was away and to resist any attack. Should he make an attempt ho was to be arrested, taken to headquarters, tied to a stake for twenty-four horns, and the reason explained to all and sundry, especially newspaper reporters." Some excuse might be foim.l for that f* 1 in the secrecy which tnveloped the Tank Department. Its very name was a puzzle. First the new 'engines of War were called Landships. This was to be changed to Water-Carriers for security's sake. But "in Government Offices committees and departments are always known by their rnrtials. For this reason I. as secretary, considered the proposed title wholly unwritable. In our search for a synonymous term we changed the word 'WaterCarrier* to 'Tank.' That is how these weapons came to be called tanks, and the name has now been adopted by all countries in the world."

But there could be no excuse for the war Office refusing the services of any men of military age; for the attempt to disband the famous Squadron 20, which was the embryo of the Tank Corps; for the repeated efforts made by the Army Council to stop tank production and to overrule expert advice. At one point "three military members of the Tank Committee, who a p;onth before had never seen a tank, laid down all rulings even with regard to design and production." Later Mr. Churchill, who at first had helped with energy and intelligence, weakened under pressure, us he raid himself, "from generals at the War Office" and dismissed Sir Albert Stern, by this time lieutenant-colonel, Appointing in his place Admiral Moore, who up to the date of his appointment had never set eyes upon a tank! The strangest feature of the whole affair was that while the War Office demanded Sir Albert Stern's removal and trieil to cut down the orders for tanks, G.H.Q. in BVanee assured him of their support and gratitude, and wanted him to send more and more. Lord Kitchener's disbelief in tanks must hare infected nearly everyone in authority at the War Office. Twice the tankers came Up against Sir William Robertson. The first time was after the Army Council had cancelled an order for a thousand tanks in October, 1916. "I immediately went to see Mr. Lloyd George, the Secretary of- State for War. lie eaid he had heard nothing of the instructions. , . I told him he could cancel my appointment, but he could not possibly get me to cancel the orders I had placed. (Sir William Robertson then appeared, and Mr. Lloyd George said he could not understand how this order could be cancelled without his knowledge, since he was President of the Army Council. He asked me to tell Sir William Robertson what I had told him. This I did. Excusing myself owing to pressure of work, I then left the room. "The order for the production of WOO tanks was reinstated next day." Later Sir Albert "caused a sensation among the chiefs at the War Office" 6y submitting a memorandum to the Prime Minister putting forward his views against theirs. Sir William Eobertson then sent a general to him asking for the withdrawal of the memorandum and promising "that all the things which I had criticised would be attended to and altered. In consequence of this, although the memorandum had been circulated to all the Ministers concerned, I withdrew it, with the result that nothing was done towards making the alterations which I had suggested." It was lucky that Sir Albert happened to be a banker, the son of a man very well-known, and with power in the City. He could stand up to the mandarins wjere a man without influence would have been "sunk without trace." It was lucky, too. that he was a man of resource and humor. When the War Office pressed him to let Russia have plans of our tanks in 1016 he opposed this strongly. "I was convinced bv tn'p nature of the questions asked that the request reallv came from Gerjnany. However, the Intelligence Department of the War Office was very insistent, so it was de«tdfd to give 'the War child's

drawing and. incorrect details, iam convinced they found their way into the hands of the German General Staff." To all who helped tanks- on Eir Albert gives generous recognition- He puts on record the magnificent patriotism and unselfishness of the industrial workers, who were ready to labor night and day. To Colonel Swinton, he says, "it was largely owing that the Army took up tanks and developed the tactics rapidly enough to make it impossible for the German Army ever to catch us up." He gives credit to the Labor Ministers in the Coalition for getting a War Cabinet called in order that more tanks might be put in hand. It was characteristic of Mr. Lloyd George that when he was told the War Office were not doing enough, he said ho would call a War Office meeting "if any group of Ministers would support it." This story of the triumph of British inventive ingenuity which, in despite of the War Office, made Britain the pioneer for the new mechanical warfare loses nothing in the hands of its author. He tells it straightforwardly with geniality as well as occasional indignation, with a pleasant appreciation of any humor that came in his way. Some very diverting letters are quoted, one from the sort of inventor who claimed to have first suggested tanks; one from a soldier at the front, giving a comical description of them, which is quite delightful. "They can do up prisoners In bundles like straw-binders, and, in addition, have an adaptation of a printing machine which enables them to catch the Huns, fold, count, and deliver them :'n quires, every thirteenth man being thrown out a little further than the others. . . . They can chew up barbed wire and turn it into munitions. As they run they slash their tails- They turn over on their backs and catch live shells on their caterpillar feet."