We are all called upon to make sacrifices, both public and personal.
No one can assert that we do not make them willingly, and for the most
part uncomplainingly. But our Dictators appear blind to the fact that
in many cases their orders and “restrictions” are ruining British
trades, while affording the greatest possible relief and satisfaction
to the Boches. The well-fed Huns heard with malicious glee the
admission of Mr. Bonar Law that we were at one time short of fighting
men by a hundred thousand--an undiplomatic avowal which for sheer bad
tact ranks alongside of Lord Devonport’s “grave” warnings of “food
shortage,” and Captain Bathurst’s advertised appetite for “pickled
herrings.” If “shortage” of any kind exists, why “give it away” to the
enemy? It is of a nature to be dealt with “in secret Session,” not in
the open House, where prominent members themselves admit that whatever
is said is at once taken to Germany. Is it surprising, then, that with
the crazy exaggerations and falsehoods of the German Press, our foes
assert that “England is starving!” and that “there are not enough men
left to us to fight with!” How much wiser and more dignified it would
be to let them clearly understand that, honestly, we are not suffering
at all from any real food hardships, and that we shall have more
than a hundred thousand extra men ready to fight them should occasion
arise. Mr. Bonar Law may be a Scottish “man of iron,” but he is also
very guileless if he does not realise the derision and delight of the
Boche over the statements he made in the House--statements repeated
throughout Germany, just as Mr. Lloyd George’s unfortunate phrase, “the
horrible danger of the submarine,” was caught up by Bethmann-Hollweg,
and repeated with devilish laughter at every street corner in Berlin.
When we are at grips with a foe it is not advisable to show him the
loose joints in our armour. To us British there should be never a
thought or a word of “horrible danger,” especially as we know we can
grow our own necessary food if we make up our minds to do it; nor
should we ever publicly admit any “shortage” of any kind, whether in
men or supplies. To admit weakness is to court attack.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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