More about war (1916)

Post date: Jan 26, 2014 2:13:7 PM

Extract from Parish Magazine of February 1916

NOTES AND NOTICES.

This number of the Parish Magazine makes a change in its history: it has a new inside ! It was started, I believe, in 1883, with The Banner of Faith; in 1892, The Church Monthly was adopted: and now we begin again with The Sign. I think The Sign is in many respects a better Paper; but the reason that has suggested the change is economy—it is slightly cheaper. It will save us about 30/- in the year. The cost will still exceed the receipts from subscriptions and sale, and 30/- is not to a sniffed at. It is war time and the duty of thrift is always being preached by the Government. It was intended that the change should be made last month, but somehow or other the printers misunderstood the order; this cover therefore contains both the January and the February numbers of The Sign.

The matter of Thrift is worth serious consideration. The most important object to aim at is to keep our money in the Country, or at least not let it go outside the Empire. Therefore we ought not to buy anything that comes from foreign countries, if we can help it. The money must remain where the Government can borrow it, or if necessary take it by taxation, for the purpose of carrying on the war. And it must remain where the Government can borrow it, or take it, with the least trouble and delay when they want it. Therefore the next most important thing is to keep the money as widely spread out among the people of the country as possible. The way to do that is the practice of thrift. If the people are thrifty, and put by their savings week by week in the P.O. Savings Bank, they will have the money to lend the Government when it is wanted: and the Government is remarkably generous in the terms on which it borrows. If the people spend their spare money in high living, in extra pleasures or in luxuries (and I hear that the people in the manufacturing districts are spending their extra war money very freely, buying jewelry, pianos and what not), then they wont have it to lend; it will go to enrich a few peopie from whom the Government will find difficulty in getting it. There are some trades, of course, from which the Government has no difficulty in extracting a proper proportion of war-profits: but this is not the case with the the majority of trades. In most trades the Government has a difficulty in tracing and assessing war-profits; therefore they ask the people to be thrifty, and to husband their savings.

One or two statements printed in the last number of the Magazine need to be corrected or supplemented. The date of Miss Lambert's Concert is a small matter—it was held on January 4th: how November 5th got into print is a puzzle which I cannot solve.

A more important mistake was the statement that the despatch of eggs for the wounded, organized by Mrs. Leney, was "about 2 doz. weekly "—it should have "about 12 doz." In connection with the National Egg Collection, Mrs. Leney wishes me to state again that more subscribers of money (in addition to regular gifts of eggs) would be welcomed, and also that, during her absence from home for some weeks from February 1st, Mrs. Jude has kindly undertaken the collection, "and will people be good enough to send to Gransdon instead of to Orpines." Eggs are urgently needed: it is impossible to send up too many.

Supply of comforts for the troops:—The following has been sent as a supplement to the returns recently made to Lord Harris and published in last month's Magazine. The information from which it is condensed reached me too late for its inclusion in the original return.

E. 1. Boys' School.

2. Collected nearly 3 tons (value £9) of waste newspapers for National Relief Fund; and over 1/2 cwt. silver foil and lead for Daily Express Cheery Fund and sent several instruments to ditto.; sold garden produce and contributed twice to Red Cross Fund; various money collections to Y.M.C.A. Huts, Overseas Empire Day and Christmas Funds, Scouts' Ambulance Fund; eggs, sticks and games for Hospitals.

3. Mr. E. A. Smith, The School House.

The loss of H.M.S. "Natal" on December 30th suggested that the time had arrived for the holding of another Memorial Service. This was arranged, at very short notice, for the afternoon of the second Sunday in January (the 9th), when a large congregation assembled in the Church. The Service was based upon The Order of Burial in the Prayer Book. The Hymns sung were " Lead us, Heavenly Father, lead us" and " For all the Saints who from their conflict rest." In an "unpremeditated" address the Vicar tried to say "words of consolation to the mourners and of counsel to their sympathizers," and concluded the Service with some special prayers. The previous Sunday had been observed in our Church, as in all the Churches and Chapels of the Country, as a day of Special Intercession in reference to the War.

The Wateringbury Roll of Honour contains the following names :—

Stoker Bert Potter (Sept., 1914)

L.-Cpl, Robert Arthur Head (1st Nov., 1914)

Sgt. Richard Heath (May, 1915)

Pte. Ernest John Sales (18th May, 1915)

Stoker George Hearne (21st May, 1915)

2nd Lieut. Henry Francis Bingham Stevens (Sept., 1915)

Pte. Arthur Jukes (25th Sept., 1915)

L.-Cpl. William Charles Head (25th Sept., 1915)

Pte. Frederick Relf (25th Sept., 1915)

Stoker Alfred Gunner (30th Sept., 1915¹)

It is gratifying to be told that my occasional references to the progress of the war are appreciated by readers of the Magazine. One valued and friendly critic called my remarks in last month's issue "optimistic," adding "It is to be hoped they will prove true." I should like to take that word as my test. Optimism means an inclination to look upon the bright side of things, being sanguine of success. The opposite is pessimism, or a tendency to despair. Optimism is hopeful and encouraging and acts as a spur; pessimism is disheartening and serves as a drag—it never yet achieved success in any department of life. It is only because I am hopeful of the final success of our arms and diplomacy, in this great international struggle, that I feel I have any qualification or right to use the pages of this cover, for which others pay, to express my opinion. Apart from my optimism any views of mine on the progress of the war would be of little value and I should not venture to air them; but being hopeful, optimistic if you like, sir, I feel it is my duty to do my little bit in this way, in my narrow sphere of influence, to the best of my small ability.

Optimism, however, must be tempered by common sense; and it is certainly possible to look disagreeable facts fairly and squarely in the face and yet remain hopeful. We have a good example in The Times newspaper. All through the war it has not shrunk from disagreeable facts, even at the risk of diminished popularity and circulation (its political and commercial rivals have not hesitated to run it down with a gibe at "the Northcliff Press"—have you been caught in that trap, gentle reader?); but it has never wavered from its opinion that in the long run we shall win through. It has been optimistic in the best sense—common-sensibly optimistic. Let us follow its example.

The enemy have had remarkable military successes, and many of them—successes due to foresight, long preparation, wonderful organization, a concentrated command, and fighting on interior lines. As I heard it put the other day: "The fact is they have given us a jolly good licking all round."

But it is also a fact that their successes have fallen far short of their aims: apart from their conquest of brave little Serbia and Montenegro, and their defence of Gallipoli, their successes, through lack of completeness, are everywhere tantamount to failure—failure to crush France, failure to immobilize Russia, failure to invade England.

The question for the enemy now is, How long can they go on gaining merely incomplete success? The sum total of their resources is not so great as that of the Allies. Can they, before they come to the end of them, achieve something definite, either by sowing discord among the Allies, or by obtaining a crushing victory, such as will compel one or other of them to sue for peace? What are their present position and prospects? Now in the first sixteen months of the war the Germans alone had a dead loss of fully 3 1/2 million men (a German authority admits nearly 3 million), which averages a wastage of 200,000 fighting men a month. At the same rate of wastage, which means that we have simply to hang on, long before another sixteen months pass they will be quite unable to hold their present lines. That does not mean an end of the war by any means, but it does mean impossibility of victory to the enemy.

What is the internal condition of Germany at the present moment? The most hopeful sign for our cause is the appearance of incipient signs of pessimism in that country. How do I know this? Germany has indirectly held out proposals for peace—first in America, and quite recently through Chancellor in the German Parliament. What was our answer to the Chancellor? It was the the Military Service Bill. It has depressed the German moral. How do I know this? By the report of a neutral publicist (in The Times !), who has just returned from a round of visits to the chief cities of Germany and Austria. He says the deterioration of the German moral is a signal fact. They are disappointed and bewildered at the failure of their hopes of peace. The people hitherto have been boasting of their victories; now they are beginning to talk of their hardships. The richer classes are not feeling the strain, but the labouring people and the middle classes are suffering terribly, victualling of these large strata of society is grossly insufficient. The masses cannot bear the burden. That is the report. The German people will not actually starve, nor will they give up in a hurry nor agitate for a revolution; but there is wide-spread depression, which Zeppelin raids and submarine successes cannot lighten, and depression is not the spirit of victory, nor is it the stomach to fight on. Even if the enemy manage to invade Egypt and to gain control of the Canal, as the German command is now boasting they will, that will not end the war—it will only prolong it—the war will be fought to a finish on the Western Front in France, and nowhere else.

Now for the other side of the account. We have been muddling through as usual. Thousands of precious lives have been lost through our unpreparedness for war, the inability of your people to imagine its seriousness, the unwillingness of others to face the sacrifices necessary for carrying it on with the stupidity of the system of filling important posts of command by seniority instead of by ability, want of a general staff at home, and so on, and so on; but there is no doubt that the nation is waking up, that its moral is sound, its determination to continue the struggle is unflinching, and that it will submit to any sacrifices necessary to bring it to a successful issue. The Government, at length assured of national support, are tightening their grasp on the conduct of the war: they are increasing the stringency of the blockade; they are, slowly but it is believed successfully, dealing with the difficult question of the dilution of labour in the munition factories—they have even dared to suppress a Glasgow newspaper that has been systematically preaching the treason of class-selfishness; they have passed a Compulsion Bill, and Labour, assembled in Congress at Bristol, has protested indeed but by an overwhelming majority has decided not to agitate against the measure. This measure may raise nearly a million and a half of fresh troops, sufficient to complete existing divisions and supply wastage till the autumn: and if a second dose of compulsion be then found necessary it will certainly be administered and without complaint, while behind Great Britain in the Empire at large there stands ready to be enrolled a great reserve of man-power. It is impossible to enumerate here all the springs of awakening strength which will be brought into play as Germany's strength wanes. It will be a long bitter trial, even after the final issue has been placed beyond doubt. Our optimism may be a chastened optimism, but it is surely well-founded.

The Football Club has ceased to exist. The Cricket Club has played no matches since the outbreak of the war. The Working Men's Institute still lives with a diminished attendance but a balance on the right side of its annual accounts; at its Annual Meeting on the 31st ult., Mr. James Smith was re-elected Secretary, and a new treasurer in succession to the Rev. H. Crawford, who took the work over when Edward Goodwin, to everyone's regret, was unable to continue it, was found in Mr. F. C. Deveson.

The Gardeners' Society has continued its monthly shows last year, but relinquished its annual Summer Show and asked for no subscriptions, though some of the subscribers paid their usual subscriptions unsolicited. In the absence of Mr. Bert Humphrey, on Service, Mr. Rogers kindly discharged the duties of Secretary pro. tem. At its annual meeting, held on the 25th, under the presidency of the Vicar, the President and Vice-President (Mr. T. Brocklebank) were re-elected; Mr. Henry White kindly undertook the office of treasurer, vice Captain Percy Jude (who has been seriously ill, but, we are glad to hear, is making if slow recovery at Malta); Mr. J. Stow was elected chairman of Committee, Mr.G. Rogers, vice-chairman, and Mr. W. Burt, Secretary. Committee : Messrs. Hadlow, Luck, Wallace, E. Gibbs, A. Cole, J. Cronk, H. Martin, Fullager and Forster. In order to keep the Society going it was decided to continue the monthly meetings and to communicate with the regular honorary subscribers asking them kindly to give half their usual annual subscriptions for the year.

A charming Lecture on the Greek Church was given by the Rev. Lionel Lambert, in the Church Rooms, on the afternoon of Wednesday, February 2nd. The Lecture was illustrated by lantern slides many of them made from photographs taken in Athens, Montenegro and elsewhere, by the lecturer himself. About five and forty people responded to an open invitation to the lecture, and at the close a hat was sent round and collected £4 5s. 1d., which, after deducting expenses of the lantern, will be sent to the Serbian and Montenegrin Refugees Relief Fund.

G. M. L.

Rainfall in January: 1.06 inches.—A.L.

Notes:

1. Alfred Gunner's date of death is possibly a misprint for 30th December 1915.