12 
L A .\ i) eV- W A T 1-: R 
Juno T, iqiG 
of men who have been wounded on yonr lists, and a pro- 
jiortion between 8 and Q/ loths can be put to some sort of 
work, if we include as " work " anvihinf^ whatsoever 
connected with the service of an army, but the putting 
in of the word "arduous" makes, the whole thing 
ridiculous.' The number of wounded men who can go 
back to exactly the sjime work as they left before they were 
wounded and do it as well is not q/ioths nor 8 loths. 
nor 7 loths, nor even, if we take the severest tests, tpiite 
6 lOths. And (iermany is no better off here than France 
or England or Italy or anybody else. We ail have very 
{^ood hospitals now with thorouglily efiicient and quite 
sufficientlv niuiierous staffs We are ail Europeans, and 
we are all human beings. Tiie nature of our projectiles 
is all much the same. The character, effect and duration 
f)f wounds inflicted does not in any miraculous manner 
increase in severity when the body suffering them is 
I'rench or English, nor as miraculously decrease when 
the body suffering them is souie unfortunate (ierman. 
Better Late than Never 
My readers may be interested to read the following 
seven passages. 
1. People wonder whal ix really liafipenin-j al Vc-diin. 
and lose Ihefnselves in coniectiires w!iv the German Command 
persists in BUTTING ITS HEAD AC-AINST A STONE 
WALL. 
2. Ilindenbur^ is said to have observed that the military 
situation of Germany is brilliant but without prospects. 
It is a close enoujih approximation to the truth and the 
REAL TROIHLE AT MAIN HEADOLARTERS MlSl 
BE Tt) FIND A WAV OUT OF THE IMPASSE INTO 
WHICH THE DECISION TO ATT.\CK AT VERDUN 
HAS LED THE GERMAN ARMIES. 
3. We regard the German persistence in error as sheer 
obstinacy. 
^. There has been scarcely any change in the situation 
and none, certainly, to justity the immense sacrifice of 
German life xvhich has marked this most tragic episode 
(•! the ivar. The Germans continue to exhaust their armv 
before Verdun to the point of extermination. They bring 
up divisions in reserve from every quarter where one is to 
be found, and each fresh contribution means a fresh assault 
and a fresh repulse. 
5. Our glorious .^lilies have held the cnemv at arm's length 
for the last tuv months, have punished him .severely and 
have prevented him from scoring a single point. 
6. The Germans .... cheer up their country by 
declaring that they are exhausting the French reserves, and 
there is no wonder that they should try to do so, for opinion 
in Germany is becoming enervated and depressed. The 
Trench practice has been to give divisions a rest after .serious 
fighting in order to prevent their quality from deteriorating 
and Ihev can afford to do- so because thev have .\MPLE 
RESERVES. The GERMANS ARE NOT I\ THIS 
FORTUNATE POSITION. 
7. General Pe'.ain has sold his ground, inch by inch and 
• every inch at the price of German lives. He has never been 
unreasonable, and when the Germans have been willing to 
pay the exorbitant price which he asks for ground. they have 
been allowed to have it. 
The above extracts are not taken fro;n back numbers 
of L.\ND & Water. They are quotations from the Times 
of May 23th. Apart from the use of rather extreme 
adjectives they confirm the view that has been repeatedly 
and consistently expressed in this paper in the face of a 
good deal of criticism. Its truth is proved in a remark- 
able degree by the events of the past week during which 
the enemy has secured insignificant local advance without 
as yet any strategical result, and that at a gigantic cost 
in men. H. Belloc 
It was with regret that no mention was made of Newfound- 
. land, " our oldest Colony " in the Story of the Nations, told 
in the Five Nations number of L.\nd & W.\tfr last week. 
Tlie contribution on which we were relying failed to reach us. 
Wc lia%c now received details, but too late for this number, 
riie omission will be made good in our next issue. 
Messrs. John Murray have just issued a shilling volume 
entitled Infantry Scouting, by Lieut. Cameron, a scouts' 
officer with service experience of tlie work he details. The 
book will be found a complete and concise exposition of 
.infantry scouting, and is one to be recommended, not only 
to officers specially interested in reconnaissance work, but 
also to all infantry officers, who will find it of great assistance 
in preparing lectures for their men. 
Les Jacinthes (Blue-Bells) 
By Emile Camm.aerts. ^ 
Lc ciel est toml^f par terre ! 
II y en a tant 
Sous les bouleaux blancs, 
Tant sous les frenes gris, 
Q\x ou ne voit plus le vert des tiges. 
II y en a tant et tant et tant — 
Frisson d'amour, printcmps flcuri — 
Que le vertigo 
\'ous saisit. 
11 y en a tant qu'on nc pcut plus 
Marcher sans marcher dessus. 
II y en a tant qui dansent 
Et qui rient 
Qu'on ne sait plus 
Ou le ciel commence 
Et ou la terre fmit. 
Le ciel est tombe par terre ! 
II fait si bleu 
Sous les frenes gris, 
U fait si bleu sous les grands hetres - 
FVisson d'amour, printcmps fleuri — 
Qu'on croirait etre 
En Paradis. 
II fait plus bleu cjue les crevasses 
De la Mer de Glace. 
Plus bleu que les lacs d' Italic, 
Plus bleu cjue les yeux 
Des Bienheureux ... 
Un bonne est tonibe par terre ! 
Tl est couche 
Parmi les jacintjics, les bras en croix ; 
Son kepi a roule 
A quelques pas de lit. 
II a un i^ctit trou rond 
Au milieu du front. 
II dort d'un profond sommeil! 
F-t sa fete, sur la mousse, 
Dans son aureole rousse, 
Luit comme un soleil. . . 
Mai, 19 16. 
[.\i,L Rights Rhservkd] 
Garden lovers will find much to awaken tlieir interest in The 
Well-Considered Garden, by L. V. King (B. T. Batsford, Ltd., 
8s. 6d. net.). Mrs. King is American, and she writes of 
American flora and .American gardens, but the root principle 
of successful gardening is the same throughout all the world, 
and the chief charm in this book lies in the fact that its author 
loves her subject, and had lived with and studied it in no 
common degree. The series of photographs with wliich the 
work is illustrated adds greatly to its value, but all devotees 
of the garden will find that the text will keep them interested. 
THE NINETEENTH CENTURY 
AND AFTER 
JUXF.. 
"The Empire on th« Anvil" Ity Sir CH4RL|;s lcc,«s, K.C.B.. K.C.M 0. 
Sea Power in its Dual Relation. Uj Commander K. Hamilto.s Cikrey, R X 
Tlie Iritti Enigma AKam: 
<1) What is Wrong in Ireland? nv .Tosei'H R, Msher. 
(2) An Appeal tor an Iriili Entente: a Le«ton from South Africa, 
Hy J, tlKRC XIIERIIIAN u'ommiifioiier lor llerfiiiie tn the Vnion 
<•/ s„„l', Mrirn). 
(J) The Sinn Fein Retiollion. By the Upv. Koin.iiT IT. Mirr VY I,ilt D. 
Thp Future ct Asiatic Turkey. liv .1 I'mi^ ' lUiiKK't 
Demociacy and Diplomacy. H> the Itioht Hon. the Etirl of CkomVr' G C II O M 
Shakespeare and the French Mind. By Jom;i'H liEicoiin (I'roletsor al Knnlhh 
nt Miintitellirr I iiirirullf . 
Some Caueee ol Misconception: the Imprenioiw of an Englith Rtsidenl In 
,.. .'."■ .. .,. ... , "V CHARI.F..S !>\WHARN. 
Education after the War. Ity Arthur C. Bensos, C.V.O., LL I), (i/aslcr or 
Mtnuiiilt'tte I'ttUfi,'. <'amhridfle). 
Benedetto Croce and his Activities, Bv Doroi.AS AixsiIR. 
The^Blble 01 the Jap..ne88 Soldier. By Professor J. H. I-o.wtord Uormerly 
N»"onal Railways after the Warr a Reply to Mr. HytKlman. By Alfred 
By linHERT M.ACHRIT. 
Th< Resurgence of Russia. 
Trials to Com« : 
O) Preparation for Peace By Arthpr Paterson iSecrtlary Social Wellart 
.\^.<"r}rtl,n,t I'tr l.nmloH). ' ■•' 
(2) Our Soldiers after the War: a Suggettion. i 
By C«pt.ain OEORCE S, C. SwiXTON. 
I.oikIuh: .Spottiswoode. Balbntyne A Co.. Ltd.. 1, Xew-.rtrcet SqiLxre. 
