“One dreamer, when our English soldiers trod But yesterday the welcoming fields of France, Saw war-gaunt shadows gathering stare askance Upon those levies and that alien sod— Saw Churchill’s smile and Wellington’s curt nod, Saw Harry with his Crispins, Chandos’ lance, And the Edwards on whose breasts the leopards dance: Then heard a gust of ghostly thanks to God That the most famous quarrel of all time In the most famous friendship ends at last; Such flame of friendship as God fans to forge A sword to strike the Dragon of the Slime, Bidding St. Denis with St. George stand fast Against the Worm. St. Denis and St. George!” I ought perhaps to explain that “Churchill’s smile” does not mean the smile of Mr. Winston Churchill, but of his great ancestor, the Duke of Marlborough. The Worm is of course an old name for the Dragon and stands in this case for Germany, and St. Denis is the old battle-cry of France, as St. George is that of England. In spite of what people may tell you to the contrary, never believe that a secret cannot be kept. Honourable people always keep a secret. It shows how very many honourable people there must be, both in England and in France, when I tell you that the fact that this wonderful force of 110,000 men with all their guns and stores was being taken across to France, was never publicly revealed till Lord Kitchener allowed it to be announced in the newspapers. And yet what was happening day by day and hour by hour must have been known to thousands of people in both countries. The reason for this secrecy was, as you can easily guess, to furnish a nice little surprise for the enemy. And that it was a real surprise for the enemy is proved by a German Army Order, which afterwards fell into our hands, referring to a rumour that a British force might be coming. That Army Order was dated August 21, after the whole force had landed! I want you particularly to understand also that it is a difficult job to take an army of horse and foot and guns across even so short a bit of sea as the English Channel. It takes many big ships, called transports, and they have to be most carefully guarded by warships while they are crossing. Never forget that if it had not been for the British Navy the Army could never have got across the Channel safely. Nor could the constant stream of fresh troops and horses and food and shells and cartridges and all the other hundred and one things that an army needs in the field of battle.