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[page 55]
107
(8).
population of Germany, Austria, Bulgaria and Turkey,are now one single controlled mass which will be worked to the last ounce of energy.
WE MUST DO THE SAME. France has already done her share of it and is ready, and we owe it to her to get a move on ourselves. Amongst the Allies, France has borne the major brunt of the fighting and, I say it without fear of contradiction, they are the master soldiers of this war. Their leadership, their staff work, their organisation and their fighting qualities are the admiration of all eyes. Their attacks show genius right from the time of their inception until the objective has been taken and consolidated. Under General Nivelle they have brought the present day type of warfare toa fine art and with the minimum of losses to themselves. We ourselves have done wonders with our Armies in France and Flanders, specially as we never prided ourselves on being a military nation, nevertheless the French held practically the whole line until such time as we got our Armies together. True we had a flutter in Gallipoli, Mesopotamia and Salonica, but for the first 18 months of the war we held no more than 50 miles on the Western Front. We must take over more of it next year, and we must set out house in order at home. A year ago we scoffed at Germany with her bread tickets and meatless days and now we admit the wisdom of the scheme and adopt them ourselves. Germany foresaw it and acted, we in our pride waited until we felt the pinch. Two years ago we had the chance to blockade Germany and starve her out but we did it in a half hearted sort of fashion and then when the blockade was tightened up it was too late, Germany had made other arrangements and was securing the bulk of her supplies locally and from occupied territories. Now we find her blockading US by means of super submarines operating on the trade routes It is idle to deny the Germans' cleverness and thoroughness: they are out to win this war and they have shown us that they will descend to any depths to do it. To beat them we (and the war is principally
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