September 21, igi6 
LAND & WATER 
LAND & WATER 
EMPIRE HOUSE, KINGSWAY, LONDON, W.C 
Telephone: HOLBORN 2828 
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21. 1916 
CONTENTS 
i'AGE 
I 
The Old Poilu. By Louis Raemaekers 
Inexorable Facts. (Leading Article) 3 
Success on the Somme: By Hilaire Belloc ^ 4 
Analogy of the Revolutionary Wars. By Hilaire Belloc 9 
Captain Sims' Critique. By Arthur Pollen lo 
Mr. Raymond Asquith. By the Editor ' ii 
Another Verdun Theory. By Colonel Feyler 12 
" Sharks of the Air." By Lewis R. Freeman 13 
Mountain Tarns. By William T. Palmer 16 
Greeninantle. By John Buchan 17 
The West End 22 
Town and Country 24 
Kit and Equipment xiii. 
INEXORABLE FACTS 
HIS MAJESTY'S ■" Tanks " have surprised and 
disgusted the German Army ; they moved for- 
ward slowly and persistently over the most 
broken ground and refused to be baulked by any 
obstacle. Now these unwieldy iron centipedes, in a way, 
symbolise facts. Captured Huns spoke of them as damn- 
able machines, contrary to the ethics of war, and it seem^ 
to us that the German General Staff regards facts much 
in the same light. They appear to think that reality 
can be moulded to suit the political necessities of the 
hour, and truths can be twisted and distorted so as to 
render any position secure against public opinion, over- 
looking the inexorable march of events which, sooner or 
later, must render these efforts vain. This mental 
attitude is well illustrated b}' a sentence in the report of 
the war correspondent oi the Lokalanzeiger on ^the Western 
Front, who in writing of the Somme advance obsei-ved : 
" We have no interest in the few miles of ground we have 
left in the enemy's hands." 
This remark is so foolish on the face of it that it would 
not be worth repeating were it not typical of the false- 
hoods and misrepresentations with which Germany 
continues to poison the general mind of her own people, 
and so far as it is possible the general mind of neutral 
countries. We know that the German people are suffering. 
from depression owing to the absence of military successes, 
and that there is also a feeling of uneasiness due to con- 
tinuous heavy losses. In order to counteract such de- 
pression, as Colonel Feyler points out to-day, was 
possibly one reason why the Verdun offensive was 
initiated. The remedy was transient, in that it failed, and 
though failure was partially concealed for several weeks, 
still at the last facts proved too strong, and in the end 
the remedy only aggravated the disease. Throughout the 
world Verdun is to-day recognised to be as decisive a 
defeat for the German armies as was the battle of the 
Marne, and not all the oak-leaves in Gemiany can 
conceal it. For as we write, the report comes from Berlin 
that the Kaiser has bestowed on the Crown Prince the 
Oak Leaves which are the decoration Pour le Merite " as 
an'expression of thanks for what the army has achieved 
in the fighting before Verdun." 
The same logic of falsehood is being pursued by Ger- 
man pubHcists, from the Kaiser downwards, in regard to 
the battle of the Somme. Orders are issued that positions 
must be held at all costs by German entrenched batta- 
lions ; the positions are lost ; then it is .bruited abroad 
that the German army " Jias no interest in the few miles 
of ground it has lett m the enemy's hands." The in- 
exorable fact of course is that neither side is lighting 
for territory ; it is siege warfare, and the principle object 
the attrition of the enemy's armies. Division after 
division is thrown into the lighting line and withdrawn, 
crippled and exhausted, having totally failed in its 
primary object which was to hold up the Allied advance. 
The various processes through which a German division 
passes, from preparation for attack to attack, defeat, and 
withdrawal in order to renew efficiency, were graphically 
described by Mr. Belloc some weeks ago in, his story of the 
Brandenburg Army Corps, an Army Corps which came into 
special prominence before Verdun. The same processes 
are in operation at the battle of the Somme. Ever since 
July ist the progress of British and French troops has 
been steady and inexorable. Every forward movement 
has succeeded ; the advance has been maintained and 
the losses inflicted upon the enemy both in men and 
material have been enormous. The Allies have suflcred, 
but to a far less extent ; but just as at Verdun the German 
General Staff flashed the lie round the world that France 
was being bled white, and it was only a matter of hours 
before Verdun would fall into their hands, because there 
were not men left to defend it,' so now the story is be- 
ginning to be spread that the British losses have been 
so severe, their gains so slight, that it is only a matter 
of days before the offensive must stop. 
We have put our hand to the plough, and we will not 
turn back. Why should we ? We have counted the cost 
and are prepared to meet it. The Germany Army is 
not yet defeated. The victories of July, August and 
September must be continued, and we are strong enough 
to continue them, for the Alhes' strength is on the upward 
curve while the enemy's strength descpnds. Contrast 
the position to-day with what it was a year ago or even 
three months ago, and it is obvious that with resolution 
and perseverance the end is assured. But we look for 
no miracles. The German Army is not yet defeated. 
That immense military machine, which has been so care- 
fully and scientifically constructed and tested for forty 
years and more, will not crumble to pieces of a sudden. 
It has to be destroyed methodically by repeated hammer 
blows. But until it is destroyed there can be no certain 
peace for Europe. That is a fact ne.ver to be lost sight of for 
an instant. The decisive phase of the war only began 
with the offensive on the Somme, because until then no 
systematic attempt to smash Germany'swar machine was 
possible, owing to several causes. But at last the Allies 
were ready and all that has happened since July gives most 
cheering encouragement for a successful accomplishment 
of the heavy task. Until the German war machine is 
shattered into pieces, .the German nation, whatever may 
be their trials, wants or necessities, will endure them. It 
is idle to look for an internal revolution as long as that 
one god stands in which they have been taught from 
childhood to put their trust — the Armed Might of Ger- 
many. The work before the Alhes is the annihilation 
of this Armed Might. There can be no other ending to 
the war, if victory is to be worth the heavy sacrifices we 
have already paid, to say nothing of those which we 
shall yet be called upon to pay. 
These facts we have not only to recognise but to. keep 
clearly and steadfastly before our minds. They are 
patent to our fighting-men on land and sea, for they 
realise definitely that their one duty is to destroy the 
fighting machine which enabled Germany for years to 
hold the peace of Europe in the hollow of her hand and 
to feed fat the ambition of world dominion, until she 
could choose the hour, to let loose the horror of war. 
Leave that machine in existence, damaged may be, 
but not broken beyond repair, and the terrible work 
we are now engaged in will have to be done oVer again 
by our children. From this fact there is no escape. 
