war and the future-第18章

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blinded　enemy。　　Neither　of　them　can　advance　against　properly
aimed　big　gun　fire。　　That　has　to　be　disposed　of　before　they　make
their　entrance。　　It　remains　the　function　of　the　aeroplane　to
locate　the　hostile　big　guns　and　to　direct　the　/tir　de
demolition/　upon　them　before　the　advance　begins
possibly　even　to　bomb　them　out。　　But　hitherto；　after　the
destruction　of　driving　back　of　the　defender's　big　guns　has　been
effected；　the　dug…out　and　the　machine　gun　have　still　inflicted
heavy　losses　upon　the　advancing　infantry　until　the　fight　is　won。
So　soon　as　the　big　guns　are　out；　the　tanks　will　advance；
destroying　machine　guns；　completing　the　destruction　of　the　wire；
and　holding　prisoners　immobile。　　Then　the　infantry　will　follow　to
gather　in　the　sheaves。　　Multitudinously　produced　andI　write　it
with　a　defiant　eye　on　Colonel　Newcome/properly　handled/；
these　land　ironclads　are　going　to　do　very　great　things　in
shortening　the　war；　in　pursuit；　in　breaking　up　the　retreating
enemy。　　Given　the　air　ascendancy；　and　I　am　utterly　unable　to
imagine　any　way　of　conclusively　stopping　or　even　greatly　delaying
an　offensive　thus　equipped。


2

The　young　of　even　the　most　horrible　beasts　have　something　piquant
and　engaging　about　them；　and　so　I　suppose　it　is　in　the　way　of
things　that　the　land　ironclad　which　opens　a　new　and　more　dreadful
and　destructive　phase　in　the　human　folly　of　warfare；　should
appear　first　as　if　it　were　a　joke。　　Never　has　any　such　thing　so
completely　masked　its　wickedness　under　an　appearance　of　genial
silliness。　　The　Tank　is　a　creature　to　which　one　naturally　flings
a　pet　name；　the　five　or　six　I　was　shown　wandering；　rooting　and
climbing　over　obstacles；　round　a　large　field　near　X；　were　as
amusing　and　disarming　as　a　little　of　lively　young　pigs。

At　first　the　War　Office　prevented　the　publication　of　any　pictures
or　descriptions　of　these　contrivances　except　abroad；　then
abruptly　the　embargo　was　relaxed；　and　the　press　was　flooded　with
photographs。　　The　reader　will　be　familiar　now　with　their
appearance。　　They　resemble　large　slugs　with　an　underside　a　little
like　the　flattened　rockers　of　a　rocking…horse；　slugs　between　20
and　40　feet　long。　　They　are　like　flat…sided　slugs；　slugs　of
spirit；　who　raise　an　enquiring　snout；　like　the　snout　of　a
dogfish；　into　the　air。　　They　crawl　upon　their　bellies　in　a　way
that　would　be　tedious　to　describe　to　the　general　reader　and
unnecessary　to　describe　to　the　enquiring　specialists。　　They　go
over　the　ground　with　the　sliding　speed　of　active　snails。　　Behind
them　trail　two　wheels；　supporting　a　flimsy　tail；　wheels　that
strike　one　as　incongruous　as　if　a　monster　began　kangaroo　and
ended　doll's　perambulator。　　（These　wheels　annoy　me。）　They　are　not
steely　monsters；　they　are　painted　with　drab　and　unassuming
colours　that　are　fashionable　in　modern　warfare；　so　that　the
armour　seems　rather　like　the　integument　of　a　rhinoceros。　　At　the
sides　of　the　head　project　armoured　checks；　and　from　above　these
stick　out　guns　that　look　like　stalked　eyes。　　That　is　the　general
appearance　of　the　contemporary　tank。

It　slides　on　the　ground；　the　silly　little　wheels　that　so　detract
from　the　genial　bestiality　of　its　appearance　dandle　and　bump
behind　it。　　It　swings　about　its　axis。　　It　comes　to　an　obstacle；　a
low　wall　let　us　say；　or　a　heap　of　bricks；　and　sets　to　work　to
climb　it　with　its　snout。　　It　rears　over　the　obstacle；　it　raises
its　straining　belly；　it　overhangs　more　and　more；　and　at　last
topples　forward；　it　sways　upon　the　heap　and　then　goes　plunging
downwards；　sticking　out　the　weak　counterpoise　of　its　wheeled
tail。　　If　it　comes　to　a　house　or　a　tree　or　a　wall　or　such…like
obstruction　it　rams　against　it　so　as　to　bring　all　its　weight　to
bear　upon　itit　weighs　/some/　tonsand　then　climbs　over
the　debris。　　I　saw　it；　and　incredulous　soldiers　of　experience
watched　it　at　the　same　time；　cross　trenches　and　wallow　amazingly
through　muddy　exaggerations　of　small　holes。　　Then　I　repeated　the
tour　inside。

Again　the　Tank　is　like　a　slug。　　The　slug；　as　every　biological
student　knows；　is　unexpectedly　complicated　inside。　　The　Tank　is
as　crowded　with　inward　parts　as　a　battleship。　　It　is　filled　with
engines；　guns　and　ammunition；　and　in　the　interstices　men。

〃You　will　smash　your　hat；〃　said　Colonel　Stern。　　〃No；　keep　it　on；
or　else　you　will　smash　your　head。〃

Only　Mr。　C。　R。　W。　Nevinson　could　do　justice　to　the　interior　of　a
Tank。　　You　see　a　hand　gripping　something；　you　see　the　eyes　and
forehead　of　an　engineer's　face；　you　perceive　that　an　overall
bluishness　beyond　the　engine　is　the　back　of　another　man。　　〃Don't
hold　that；〃　says　someone；　〃it　is　too　hot。　　Hold　on　to　that。〃　　The
engines　roar；　so　loudly　that　I　doubt　whether　one　could　hear　guns
without；　the　floor　begins　to　slope　and　slopes　until　one　seems　to
be　at　forty…five　degrees　or　thereabouts；　then　the　whole　concern
swings　up　and　sways　and　slants　the　other　way。　　You　have　crossed　a
bank。　　You　heel　sideways。　　Through　the　door　which　has　been　left
open　you　see　the　little　group　of　engineers；　staff　officers　and
naval　men　receding　and　falling　away　behind　you。　　You　straighten
up　and　go　up　hill。　　You　halt　and　begin　to　rotate。　　Through　the
open　door；　the　green　field；　with　its　red　walls；　rows　of　worksheds
and　forests　of　chimneys　in　the　background；　begins　a　steady
processional　movement。　　The　group　of　engineers　and　officers　and
naval　men　appears　at　the　other　side　of　the　door　and　farther　off。
Then　comes　a　sprint　down　hill。　　You　descend　and　stretch　your
legs。

About　the　field　other　Tanks　are　doing　their　stunts。　　One　is
struggling　in　an　apoplectic　way　in　the　mud　pit　with　a　cheek　half
buried。　　It　noses　its　way　out　and　on　with　an　air　of　animal
relief。

They　are　like　jokes　by　Heath　Robinson。　　One　forgets　that　these
things　have　already　saved　the　lives　of　many　hundreds　of　our
soldiers　and　smashed　and　defeated　thousands　of　Germans。

Said　one　soldier　to　me：　〃In　the　old　attacks　you　used　to　see　the
British　dead　lying　outside　the　machine…gun　emplacements　like
birds　outside　a　butt　with　a　good　shot　inside。　　/Now/；　these
things　walk　through。〃


3

I　saw　other　things　that　day　at　X。　　The　Tank　is　only　a　beginning
in　a　new　phase　of　warfare。　　Of　these　other　things　I　may　only
write　in　the　most　general　terms。

But　though　Tanks　and　their　collaterals　are　being　made　upon　a　very
considerable　scale　in　X；　already　I　realised　as　I　walked　through
gigantic　forges　as　high　and　marvellous　as　cathedrals；　and　from
workshed　to　workshed　where　gun　carriages；　ammunition　carts　and　a
hundred　such　things　were　flowing　into　existence　with　the　swelling
abundance　of　a　river　that　flows　out　of　a　gorge；　that　as　the
demand　for　the　new　developments　grows　clear　and　strong；　the
resources　of　Britain　are　capable　still　of　a　tremendous　response。
/If　only　we　do　not　rob　these　great　factories　and　works　of　their
men。/

Upon　this　question　certain　things　need　to　be　said　very　plainly。
The　decisive　factor　in　the　sort　of　war　we　are　now　waging　is
production　and　right　use　of　mechanical　material；　victory　in　this
war　depends　now　upon　three　things：　the　aeroplane；　the　gun；　and
the　Tank　developments。　　Theseand　not　crowds　of　menare　the
prime　necessity　for　a　successful　offensive。　　Every　man　we　draw
from　munition　making　to　the　ranks　brings　our　western　condition
nearer　to　the　military　condition　of　Russia。　　In　these　things　we
may　be　easily　misled　by　military　〃experts〃　We　have　to　remember
that　the　military　〃expert〃　is　a　man　who　learnt　his　business
before　1914；　and　that　the　business　of　war　has　been　absolutely
revolutionised　since　1914；　the　military　expert　is　a　man　trained
to　think　of　war　as　essentially　an　affair　of　cavalry；　infantry　in
formation；　and　field　guns；　whereas　cavalry　is　entirely　obsolete；
infantry　no　longer　fights　in　formation；　and　the　methods　of
gunnery　have　been　entirely　changed。　　The　military　man　I　observe
still　runs　about　the　world　in　spurs；　he　travels　in　trains　in
spurs；　he　walks　in　spurs；　he　thinks　in　terms　of　spurs。　　He　has
still　to　discover　that　it　is　about　as　ridiculous　as　if　he　were　to
carry　a　crossbow。　　I　take　it　these　spurs　are　only　the　outward　and
visible　sign　of　an　inward　obsolescence。　　The　disposition　of　the
military　〃expert〃　is　still　to　think　too　little　of　machinery　and
to　demand　too　much　of　the　men。　　Behind　our　front　at　the　time　of
my　visit　there　were；　for　example；　many　thousands　of　cavalry；　men
tending　horses；　men　engaged　in　transporting　bulky　fodder　for
horses　and　the　like。　　These　men　were　doing　about　as　much　in　this
war　as　if　they　had　been　at　Timbuctoo。　　Every　man　who　is　taken
from　munition　making　at　X　to　spur…worshipping　in　khaki；　is　a　dead
loss　to　the　military　efficiency　of　the　country。　　Every　man　that
is　needed　or　is　likely　to　be　needed　for　the　actual　operations　of
modern　warfare　can　be　got　by　combing　out　the　cavalry；　the　brewing
and　distilling　industries；　the　theatres　and　music　halls；　and　the
like　unproductive　occupations。　　The　under…staffing　of　munition
works；　the　diminution　of　their　efficiency　by　the　use　of　aged　and
female　labour；　is　the　straight　course　to　failure　in　this　war。

In　X；　in　the　forges　and　machine　shops；　I　saw　already　too　large　a
proportion　of　boys　and　grey　heads。

War　is　a　thing　that　changes　very　rapidly；　and　we　have　in　the
Tanks　only　the　first　of　a　great　series　of　offensive　developments。
They　are　bound　to　be　improved；　at　a　great　pace。　　The　method　of
using　them　will　change　very　rapidly。　　Any　added　invention　will
necessitate　the　scrapping　of　old　types　and　the　production　of　the
new　patterns　in　quantity。　　It　is　of　supreme　necessity　to　the
Allies　if　they　are　to　win　this　war　outright　that　the　lead　in
inventions　and　enterprise　which　the　British　have　won　over　the
Germans　in　this　matter　should　be　retained。　　It　is　our　game　now　to
press　the　advantage　for　all　it　is　worth。　　We　have　to　keep　ahead
to　win。　　We　cannot　do　so　unless　we　have　unstinted　men　and
unstinted　material　to　produce　each　new　development　as　its　use　is
realised。

Given　that　much；　the　Tank　will　enormously　enhance　the　advantage
of　the　new　offensive　method　on　the　French　front；　the　method　that
is　of　gun　demolition　after　aerial　photography；　followed　by　an
advance；　it　is　a　huge　addition　to　our　prospect　of　decisive
victory。　　What　does　it　do？　　It　solves　two　problems。　　The　existing
Tank　affords　a　means　of　advancing　against　machine…gun　fire　and　of
destroying　wire　and　machine　guns　without　much　risk　of　loss；　so
soon　as　the　big　guns　have　done　their　duty　by　the　enemy　guns。　　And
also　behind　the　Tank　itself；　it　is　useless　to　conceal；　lies　the
possibility　of　bringing　up　big　guns　and　big　gun　ammunition；
across　nearly　any　sort　of　country；　as　fast　as　the　advance　can
press　forward。　　Hitherto　every　advance　has　paid　a　heavy　toll　to
the　machine　gun；　and　every　advance　has　had　to　halt　after　a　couple
of　miles　or　so　while　the　big　guns　（taking　five　or　six　days　for
the　job）　toiled　up　to　the　new　positions。


4

It　is　impossible　to　restrain　a　note　of　sharp　urgency　from　what
one　has　to　say　about　these　developments。　　The　Tanks　remove　the
last　technical　difficulties　in　our　way　to　decisive　victory　and　a
permanent　peace；　they　also　afford　a　reason　for　straining　every
nerve　to　bring　about　a　decision　and　peace　soon。　　At　the　risk　of
seeming　an　imaginative　alarmist　I　would　like　to　point　ou