February lo, 1916. 
LAND AND WATER 
treasonable. Those two words arc very strong words, 
but they are not too strong for the occasion. Airwork 
is so much the pivot upon which all the elements of sur- 
prise and of discovery (which are capital to the enemy's 
offensive or to our counter-offensive) turns that in these 
next few weeks especially it is plain duty— which the 
Government should, if necessary, enforce— to prevent 
any confusion of the air-service by political or civilian 
intrigue at home. 
Two More Examples of the Necessity for 
Fuller Official Statements. 
My readers will remember the analysis I gave of 
the statement of German losses, too briefly stated 
by IMr. Tennant in the House of Commons on the 21st 
December, and again a month later on January 17th. 
The ligures were, in the one case apparently taken 
from certain totals issued by the enemy, and in the other 
case corrected by a careful consideration of his detailed 
lists. They did not tally and in some features were self- 
contradictory. 
It is, of course, universally known by those who 
study the matter that these lists are imperfect, and the 
e\idence of this has been so often set forth in Lanu and 
NV.VTEK that the briefest of repetition is suthcient ; on 
the face of it, they arc from six weeks to two months 
late, and often contain namc^ far more belated — some 
times six months, very often three or four. They omit 
all mention of the sick (shock to the system, frostbite, lung 
diseases, laming, accident, etc., etc.), and many of the 
lighter cases of wounded. 
We pointed out how, if these modified lists had been 
soberly stated in an enlarged ofticial announcement, the 
result would have been of the greatest value to the con- 
iirming of pubhc opinion ; not to its heartening or dis- 
heartening — the time has passed for looking at news either 
way— but simply to its knowledge of facts. Those facts, 
coupled with other sources of evidence, as they would 
appear in any reasoned official statement, give a total dead 
loss (counting permanent margin of temporary losses) of 
at least more than three and a half millions. 
That is a mere commonplace for all military opinion, 
and it agrees roughly with the proportionate losses of 
all the other belligerents\ 
The very great harm done by the negative policy of 
not making such expanded and reasoned othcial announce- 
ments, may be seen in the current issue of the National 
Review. 
Here is a publication very widely read among the 
educated classes, commanding considerable influence, 
and edited by a public-spirited man, undoubtedly desirous 
of supporting opinion to the best of his abihties during 
this strain. Yet I find on pages 825 and 826 matter 
which would never have appeared if, what is common 
knowledge throughout Europe to those who are following 
these matters, it had only appeared in the form of an 
official document— as it does in France for instance. 
Mr. Maxse in the National Review, has taken the 
iokil German losses up to the end of 1915 to be " ofiicially 
stated" .by our own Government as not more than 2i 
million men ! 
Mr. Tennant did not desire, of course, to give that 
grotesque impression. But the impression has been 
given and is widely believed in this country simply because 
the German figures quoted in the House of Commons 
were cut down to the barest possible limit without any 
explanation or comment. 
In the same connection Mr. Maxse remarks that 
while Germany is only losing 500,000 killed per annum, 
her new recruits actually approximate this number. 
The idea behind this remark being that wastage is pretty 
well replaced by recruiting. 
As wc all know, the amount of German dead is very 
much more than the figure mentioned — it is, to the end 
of 1915 at least 700,000— and the total wastage of any 
army is a high multiple of its dead ; always at least five 
times as nuich, and usually nearer six. 
The whole matter is a detail which it would be hardly 
worth wasting space upon were it not for a considera i >n 
of the effect such nonsense may have on opinion. We 
have seen plenty of other nonsense ; Russians passing 
through England in whole divisions and arniy corps ; 
the " steam Kuller " ; the new short ranire German aero- 
plane making flights over the Midlands ; German sub- 
marine boats walking along the bottom of the Channel 
and coming up on the beach at Dover. (It is true that 
this was in a popular paper.) The immediate entry of the 
United States upon our side — and heaven knows what 
other rubbish. Now we have the scare that the enemy 
wastage is in some miraculous way only half of the corre- 
sponding wastage of the Allies, and involves the coming to 
life of dead men. 
It is, of course, nonsense, but it is nonsense worth 
checking at the moment of its appearance ; though it 
will be as dead as mutton when the present mood of 
depression is past. 
The second example of the same necessity, furnished 
in the past week, is to be found in connection with the 
Mesopotamian expedition. An oflicial message from 
Delhi, of the briefest, reached London Tuesday, the cjth, 
to the effect that the British force at Kut would stay 
there (they can hardly do otherwise for the moment !) 
and that General Aylnier's force is not so mUfch a relieving 
force as a " support." Now the only possible expanded 
meaning of such a statement is, that the force at Kut 
has ample supplies for a very prolonged resistance, and 
that therefore the contaiimient of it by the enemy in- 
volves it in no innnediate danger. That is excellent 
news. But with such a valuable piece of public infor- 
mation in hand of no conceivable advantage to the 
enemy, one moreover admitted by implication, why 
not publish it openly and at some length explaining the 
added strength such a situation gives to further opera- 
tions on the Tigris ? It would be all to the good and 
very little trouble. H. Belloc." 
KNOWLEDGE FOR WAR. 
We liavc received a little work from the pen of Major 
B. C. Lake, King's Own Scottish Borderers, entitled Know- 
ledge for Way (Messrs. Harrison and Sons, St. Martin's Lane.) 
This book may be mo5t heartily recommended, and that at a 
moment when the output of such elementary and practical 
text books is considerable and increasing. It is specially 
marked by an immediate i)ractical quaUty which distinguishes 
it from the greater part of similar work and includes a great 
mass of observation and experience entirely gained in tiie 
last few months of the present campaign. 
To those who 'would test the value of this frankly 
laudatory criticism we would suggest a reading of pages 47-63 
whicli deal with the practical side of trench work, or again 
()g-74, which deal with the practical work of entanglements 
and obstacles. It is rare indeed to see so muc'i uscfur state- 
ment immediately available put into so small a space, and the 
drawings which illustra,te the text are exactly what is needed 
to convey the fullest and most rapid instruction. Not only 
soldiers but civilians who desire to understand the present 
trench warfare will do well to possess themselves of the book 
and to note the points it describes. It is difficult to pick out 
individual passages from what is so good, but further praise 
may be extended to the notes upon the " hasty improvement 
of ground " on page 21, or the few very valuable notes on the 
drawing of a trench trace on page 39. 
'Hie book is ])rovidcd within the outer cover with a 
certain number <jf blank pages for notes, and wth a fairly 
sufficient list of contents at the beginning. It is a convenient 
small size for the pocket and not too thick. It is a defect that 
no price is mentioned upon the cover or within the book, so wc 
are not ourselves able in this notice to mention at what sum 
the work is sold. Author and publisiier would do well to 
remedy this. It may also be noted that the thin red card 
binding chosen will very soon go to pieces in field use, and 
those responsible for so valuable a little work may accept 
the suggestion tliat the issue of a certain number, leather 
covered, and perhaps at a sUghtly higher price, would be 
gratefully received. 
Mr. C. Arthur Pearson has started a sale of " Regimental 
Rings " on be-half of the blinded soldiers at S. Dunstan's, 
Regent's Park. Everybody wishing to help these brave 
men who have suffered so cruelly for us should buy one. 
They are made in gold shell at 2s. 6d. each, or in 9 carat gold 
at a guinea, and each one is engraved with any crest required. 
MR. ARTHUR KITSON'S ARTICLES. 
We re'^ret that owing to pressure on our space Mr. Arthur 
Kitson's current article on " The British Banking System " 
has to bj held over until next iceck. It deals with the effect 
the ~war has had on our b:inl\S. 
