Teutonic reasoning was wrong. The British character is too simple or too complex for the Hun. It may be that no other nation brings so much froth to the top as ours; that none extends such tolerance to cranks, nor gives so much rope to little cliques of shrieking egoists, nor shows such stolid indifference when the few, claiming to speak on behalf of the nation, so egregiously misrepresent her. On August 5, 1914, it was seen that practically every man, woman and child approved what the Government had done, and felt instinctively that their country would have been shamed had there been a day’s hesitation. England had found her soul, not lost it. A nation supposed to consist largely of pleasure seekers, of lovers of compromise, conciliation and tolerance, of comfort and luxury, had decided that all it held most dear would be as dust and ashes if it stood aside, a passive spectator of the agony of France and Belgium. Practically without a dissentient voice the nation prepared to sacrifice its all. Unhappily, the politicians, unaccustomed to realities, were not ready to make the most of this spirit of sacrifice. Unable to leave their grooves of finesse, intrigue, and opportunism, they knew not how to appeal simply to the noblest instincts; so they talked of “business as usual,” and attempted to cajole the nation into giving a part when the whole was ready to be offered. [Sidenote: _Composition of the Division_] This is the story of the part played in the most appalling of human tragedies by the East Lancashire Territorial Division, which, on leaving England, was composed of the following units— Cavalry: “A” Squadron, Duke of Lancaster’s Own Yeomanry—6 officers, 132 men. R.F.A.: The 1st (Blackburn) and the 3rd (Bolton) East Lancashire Brigades—55 officers, 1289 men. R.E.: 1st and 2nd Field Companies and Signal Company—19 officers, 568 men. Infantry: The 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th Battalions, the Lancashire Fusiliers—120 officers, 3962 men. The 4th and 5th Battalions, the East Lancashire Regiment—60 officers, 1990 men. The 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th Battalions, the Manchester Regiment—180 officers, 5966 men. A.S.C.: Three Companies and the Transport and Supply Column—16 officers, 276 men. R.A.M.C.: Three Field Ambulances—30 officers, 665 men. Total (including Divisional and Brigade Headquarters): 511 officers, 14,966 men. The twelve battalions of infantry were brigaded as follows— The Lancashire Fusiliers Brigade—the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th Battalions, Lancashire Fusiliers. The East Lancashire Brigade—the 4th and 5th Battalions, East Lancs Regiment, and the 9th and 10th Battalions, Manchester Regiment. The Manchester Brigade—the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th Battalions, Manchester Regiment.