war and the future-第25章

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to　unstinted　confidence　and　admiration。　　In　their　astonishment
the　British　are　apt　to　forget　the　impressive　magnitude　of　their
own　effort；　the　millions　of　soldiers；　the　innumerable　guns；　the
endless　torrent　of　supplies　that　pour　into　France　to　avenge　the
little　army　of　Mons。　　It　seems　natural　to　us　that　we　should　so
exert　ourselves　under　the　circumstances。　　I　suppose　it　is
wonderful；　but；　as　a　sample　Englishman；　I　do　not　feel　that　it　is
at　all　wonderful。　　I　did　not　feel　it　wonderful　even　when　I　saw
the　British　aeroplanes　lording　it　in　the　air　over　Martinpuich；
and　not　a　German　to　be　seen。　　Since　Michael　would　have　it　so；
there；　at　last；　they　were。

There　was　a　good　deal　of　doubt　in　France　about　the　vigour　of　the
British　effort；　until　the　Somme　offensive。　　All　that　had　been
dispelled　in　August　when　I　reached　Paris。　　There　was　not　the
shadow　of　a　doubt　remaining　anywhere　of　the　power　and　loyalty　of
the　British。　　These　preliminary　assurances　have　to　be　made；
because　it　is　in　the　nature　of　the　French　mind　to　criticise；　and
it　must　not　be　supposed　that　criticisms　of　detail　and　method
affect　the　fraternity　and　complete　mutual　confidence　which　is　the
stuff　of　the　Anglo…French　relationship。


2

Now　first　the　French　have　been　enormously　astonished　by　the
quality　of　the　ordinary　British　soldiers　in　our　new　armies。　　One
Colonial　colonel　said　something　almost　incredible　to　mealmost
incredible　as　coming　as　from　a　Frenchman；　it　was　a　matter　to
solemn　for　any　compliments　or　polite　exaggerations；　he　said　in
tones　of　wonder　and　conviction；　〃/They　are　as　good　as
ours。/〃　It　was　his　acme　of　all　possible　praise。

That　means　any　sort　of　British　soldier。　　Unless　he　is　assisted　by
a　kilt　the　ordinary　Frenchman　is　unable　to　distinguish　between
one　sort　of　British　soldier　and　another。　　He　cannot　telllet　the
ardent　nationalist　mark　the　fact！a　Cockney　from　an　Irishman　or
the　Cardiff　from　the　Essex　note。　　He　finds　them　all　extravagantly
and　unquenchably　cheerful　and　with　a　generosity〃like　good
children。〃　　There　his　praise　is　a　little　tinged　by　doubt。　　The
British　are　recklessrecklessness　in　battle　a　Frenchman　can
understand；　but　they　are　also　reckless　about　to…morrow's　bread
and　whether　the　tent　is　safe　against　a　hurricane　in　the　night。
He　is　struck　too　by　the　fact　that　they　are　much　more　vocal　than
the　French　troops；　and　that　they　seem　to　have　a　passion　for　bad
lugubrious　songs。　　There　he　smiles　and　shrugs　his　shoulders；　and
indeed　what　else　can　any　of　us　do　in　the　presence　of　that
mystery？　　At　any　rate　the　legend　of　the　〃phlegmatic〃　Englishman
has　been　scattered　to　the　four　winds　of　heaven　by　the　guns　of　the
western　front。　　The　men　are　cool　in　action；　it　is　true；　but　for
the　rest　they　are；　by　the　French　standards；　quicksilver。

But　I　will　not　expand　further　upon　the　general　impression　made　by
the　English　in　France。　　Philippe　Millet's　/En　Liaison　avec　les
Anglais/　gives　in　a　series　of　delightful　pictures　portraits　of
British　types　from　the　French　angle。　　There　can　be　little　doubt
that　the　British　quality；　genial　naive；　plucky　and　generous；　has
won　for　itself　a　real　affection　in　France　wherever　it　has　had　a
chance　to　display　itself。。。。

But　when　it　comes　to　British　methods　then　the　polite　Frenchman's
difficulties　begin。　　Translating　hints　into　statements　and
guessing　at　reservations；　I　would　say　that　the　French　fall　very
short　of　admiration　of　the　way　in　which　our　higher　officers　set
about　their　work；　they　are　disagreeably　impressed　by　a　general
want　of　sedulousness　and　close　method　in　our　leading。　　They　think
we　economise　brains　and　waste　blood。　　They　are　shocked　at　the　way
in　which　obviously　incompetent　or　inefficient　men　of　the　old　army
class　are　retained　in　their　positions　even　after　serious
failures；　and　they　were　profoundly　moved　by　the　bad　staff　work
and　needlessly　heavy　losses　of　our　opening　attacks　in　July。　　They
were　ready　to　condone　the　blunderings　and　flounderings　of　the
1915　offensive　as　the　necessary　penalties　of　an　〃amateur〃　army；
they　had　had　to　learn　their　own　lesson　in　Champagne；　but　they
were　surprised　to　find　how　much　the　British　had　still　to　learn　in
July；　1916。　　The　British　officers　excuse　themselves　because；　they
plead；　they　are　still　amateurs。　　〃That　is　no　reason；〃　says　the
Frenchman；　〃why　they　should　be　amateurish。〃

No　Frenchman　said　as　much　as　this　to　me；　but　their　meaning　was　as
plain　as　daylight。　　I　tackled　one　of　my　guides　on　this　matter；　I
said　that　it　was　the　plain　duty　of　the　French　military　people　to
criticise　British　military　methods　sharply　if　they　thought　they
were　wrong。　　〃It　is　not　easy；〃　he　said。　　〃Many　British　officers
do　not　think　they　have　anything　to　learn。　　And　English　people　do
not　like　being　told　things。　　What　could　we　do？　　We　could　hardly
send　a　French　officer　or　so　to　your　headquarters　in　a　tutorial
capacity。　　You　have　to　do　things　in　your　own　way。〃　　When　I　tried
to　draw　General　Castelnau　into　this　dangerous　question　by
suggesting　that　we　might　borrow　a　French　general　or　so；　he　would
say　only；　〃There　is　only　one　way　to　learn　war；　and　that　is　to
make　war。〃　　When　it　was　too　late；　in　the　lift；　I　thought　of　the
answer　to　that。　　There　is　only　one　way　to　make　war；　and　that　is
by　the　sacrifice　of　incapables　and　the　rapid　promotion　of　able
men。　　If　old　and　tried　types　fail　now；　new　types　must　be　sought。
But　to　do　that　we　want　a　standard　of　efficiency。　　We　want　a
conception　of　intellectual　quality　in　performance　that　is　still
lacking。。。。

M。　Joseph　Reinach；　in　whose　company　I　visited　the　French　part　of
the　Somme　front；　was　full　of　a　scheme；　which　he　has　since
published；　for　the　breaking　up　and　recomposition　of　the　French
and　British　armies　into　a　series　of　composite　armies　which　would
blend　the　magnificent　British　manhood　and　material　with　French
science　and　military　experience。　　He　pointed　out　the　endless
advantages　of　such　an　arrangement；　the　stimulus　of　emulation；　the
promotion　of　intimate　fraternal　feeling　between　the　peoples　of
the　two　countries。　　〃At　present；〃　he　said；　〃no　Frenchman　ever
sees　an　Englishman　except　at　Amiens　or　on　the　Somme。　　Many　of
them　still　have　no　idea　of　what　the　English　are　doing。。。。〃

〃Have　I　ever　told　you　the　story　of　compulsory　Greek　at　Oxford　and
Cambridge？〃　　I　asked　abruptly。

〃What　has　that　to　do　with　it？〃

〃Or　how　two　undistinguished　civil　service　commissioners　can　hold
up　the　scientific　education　of　our　entire　administrative　class？〃

M。　Reinach　protested　further。

〃Because　you　are　proposing　to　loosen　the　grip　of　a　certain　narrow
and　limited　class　upon　British　affairs；　and　you　propose　it　as
though　it　were　a　job　as　easy　as　rearranging　railway　fares　or
sending　a　van　to　Calais。　　That　is　the　problem　that　every　decent
Englishman　is　trying　to　solve　to…day；　every　man　of　that　Greater
Britain　which　has　supplied　these　five　million　volunteers；　these
magnificent　temporary　officers　and　all　this　wealth　of　munitions。
And　the　oligarchy　is　so　invincibly　fortified！　　Do　you　think　it
will　let　in　Frenchmen　to　share　its　controls？　　It　will　not　even
let　in　Englishmen。　　It　holds　the　class　schools；　the　class
universities；　the　examinations　for　our　public　services　are　its
class　shibboleths；　it　is　the　church；　the　squirearchy；　the
permanent　army　class；　permanent　officialdom；　it　makes　every
appointment；　it　is　the　fountain　of　honour；　what　it　does　not　know
is　not　knowledge；　what　it　cannot　do　must　not　be　done。　　It　rules
India　ignorantly　and　obstructively；　it　will　wreck　the　empire
rather　than　relinquish　its　ascendancy　in　Ireland。　　It　is　densely
self…satisfied　and　instinctively　monopolistic。　　It　is　on　our
backs；　and　with　it　on　our　backs　we　common　English　must　bleed　and
blunder　to　victory。。。。　　And　you　make　this　proposal！〃


3

The　antagonistic　relations　of　the　Anglican　oligarchy　with　the
greater　and　greater…spirited　Britain　that　thrust　behind　it　in
this　war　are　probably　paralleled　very　closely　in　Germany；
probably　they　are　exaggerated　in　Germany　with　a　bigger　military
oligarchy　and　a　relatively　lesser　civil　body　under　it。　　This
antagonism　is　the　oddest　outcome　of　the　tremendous　/de…
militarisation/　of　war　that　has　been　going　on。　　In　France　it
is　probably　not　so　marked　because　of　the　greater　flexibility　and
adaptability　of　the　French　culture。

All　military　peoplepeople；　that　is；　professionally　and
primarily　militaryare　inclined　to　be　conservative。　　For
thousands　of　years　the　military　tradition　has　been　a　tradition　of
discipline。　　The　conception　of　the　common　soldier　has　been　a
mechanically　obedient；　almost　dehumanised　man；　of　the　of　officer
a　highly　trained　autocrat。　　In　two　years　all　this　has　been
absolutely　reversed。　　Individual　quality；　inventive　organisation
and　industrialism　will　win　this　war。　　And　no　class　is　so　innocent
of　these　things　as　the　military　caste。　　Long　accustomed　as　they
are　to　the　importance　of　moral　effect　they　put　a　brave　face　upon
the　business；　they　save　their　faces　astonishingly；　but　they　are
no　longer　guiding　and　directing　this　war；　they　are　being　pushed
from　behind　by　forces　they　never　foresaw　and　cannot　control。　　The
aeroplanes　and　great　guns　have　bolted　with　them；　the　tanks
begotten　of　naval　and　civilian　wits；　shove　them　to　victory　in
spite　of　themselves。

Wherever　I　went　behind　the　British　lines　the　officers　were　going
about　in　spurs。　　These　spurs　at　last　got　on　my　nerves。　　They
became　symbolical。　　They　became　as　grave　an　insult　to　the　tragedy
of　the　war　as　if　they　were　false　noses。　　The　British　officers　go
for　long　automobile　rides　in　spurs。　　They　walk　about　the　trenches
in　spurs。　　Occasionally　I　would　see　a　horse；　I　do　not　wish　to　be
unfair　in　this　matter；　there　were　riding　horses　sometimes　within
two　or　three　miles　of　the　ultimate　front；　but　they　were　rarely
used。

I　do　not　say　that　the　horse　is　entirely　obsolescent　in　this　war。
In　was　nothing　is　obsolete。　　In　the　trenches　men　fight　with
sticks。　　In　the　Pasubio　battle　the　other　day　one　of　the　Alpini
silenced　a　machine　gun　by　throwing　stones。　　In　the　West　African
campaign　we　have　employed　troops　armed　with　bows　and　arrows；　and
they　have　done　very　valuable　work。　　But　these　are　exceptional
cases。　　The　military　use　of　the　horse　henceforth　will　be　such　an
exceptional　case。　　It　is　ridiculous　for　these　spurs　still　to
clink　about　the　modern　battlefield。　　What　the　gross　cost　of　the
spurs　and　horses　and　trappings　of　the　British　army　amount　to；　and
how　many　men　are　grooming　and　tending　horses　who　might　just　as
well　be　ploughing　and　milking　at　home；　I　cannot　guess；　it　must　be
a　total　so　enormous　as　seriously　to　affect　the　balance　of　the
war。

And　these　spurs　and　their　retention　are　only　the　outward　and
visible　symbol　of　the　obstinate　resistance　of　the　Anglican
intelligence　to　the　clear　logic　of　the　present　situation。　　It　is
not　only　the　external　equipment　of　our　leaders　that　falls　behind
the　times；　our　political　and　administrative　services　are　in　the
hands　of　the　same　desolatingly　inadaptable　class。　　The　British
are　still　wearing　spurs　in　Ireland；　they　are　wearing　them　in
India；　and　the　age　of　the　spur　has　passed。　　At　the　outset　of　this
war　there　was　an　absolute　cessation　of　criticism　of　the　military
and　administrative　castes；　it　is　becoming　a　question　whether　we
m