CHANZY J g CAMPAIGN. 
101 
strong, and then you suggest an English force of about 75,000 to 100,000 
strong. This would be about December. 
Captain Grierson— We know that the Germans were in inferior force to 
the Trench, and that the’ Trench in the north certainly gave the Germans a very 
hard job. We know that towards Le Mans the Germans had also a very hard 
job. We know that the Germans were far from their base, that the investment 
of Paris was sustained by a number of German troops much inferior to that 
of the Trench forces within the capital. I ask what the effect of a well-organised 
British force of from 75,000 to 100,000 men, landed at the most favourable 
point of the coast, would have been against the Germans. 
Dr. Maguire—I am very glad, indeed, that Captain Grierson is one of those 
Englishmen who do not believe that the traditions of England would teach us to 
efface ourselves. I have not the slightest doubt that an English force, such as 
the gallant Captain refers to, might at any moment, either in the history of the 
past, or during the history of the future, in our generation or in any future 
generation, produce a most powerful influence on any European campaign; 
and if I might be allowed to say something further—I speak with all due 
deference to the .gallant officer in the chair—I utterly despise the notion that 
England is to grow in strength or otherwise by effacing herself from continental 
politics. She did not do so in the past, from the days of William III. till 
the time when the great Emperor of the Trench died at St. Helena under 
English custody. In war after war for more than 150 years British Corps 
appeared on the Continent, and the British fleet being mistress of the sea, 
our Generals were able to turn those Corps to very good account, indeed. I 
believe if the gallant -Captain had put the question to a German speaker he 
would have received the answer that I propose to give him. That such a 
force thus landed, and England having command of the sea, would have been 
a most tremendous obstacle in the way of the successful prosecution of the 
investment of Paris. Just on the spur of the moment I would, if I may, sug¬ 
gest where they might have been put. My sympathies are not anti-German, 
but as an English officer Captain Grierson would be ready to combat anybody 
anywhere, and I would be delighted to cheer him on. I understood that he 
was referring only to strategy and not to any international question. 
Captain Grierson— Quite so. The question is purely strategical and not at 
all international. 
Dr. Maguire —Assuming, therefore, that there was some cause of annoyance 
at this particular date, and that it was a good time to cut in, if you saw any 
reason, when the Germans had all these trouble about Paris and were hampered 
from the Loire and from Amiens, supposing they had put the force at Havre at 
the time (I drop Le Mans for a second) when Taidherbe was coming down about 
the 9th or 12th of January towards Amiens, and when the Germans found it 
very hard to hold Bouen and Amiens simultaneously against Boy and Taid¬ 
herbe, 75,000 English would have compelled the Germans to evacuate all that 
part of Trance on the spot, or half 75,000 English. That admits of no discus¬ 
sion at all, I take it. 
But I will take another point. Supposing that they came in even here at the 
mouth of the Loire, I do not know exactly the navigation of that river—few of us 
do know it as well as the Seine—but supposing they went up to Angers, and sup¬ 
posing when the German 75,000 men were moving past the Loir and were fronted 
by 118,000, that they came up to St. Amand and put themselves where General 
Curten was, where would the German advance to Le Mans have been P 
Bapidly the Germans would have had to countermarch to Orleans, and as rapidly 
