war and the future-第30节

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IV。　THE　RIDDLE　OF　THE　BRITISH
All　the　French　people　I　met　in　France　seemed　to　be　thinking　and
talking　about　the　English。　　The　English　bring　their　own
atmosphere　with　them；　to　begin　with　they　are　not　so　talkative；
and　I　did　not　find　among　them　anything　like　the　same　vigour　of
examination；　the　same　resolve　to　understand　the　Anglo…French
reaction；　that　I　found　among　the　French。　　In　intellectual
processes　I　will　confess　that　my　sympathies　are　undisguisedly
with　the　French；　the　English　will　never　think　nor　talk　clearly
until　the　get　clerical　〃Greek〃　and　sham　〃humanities〃　out　of　their
public　schools　and　sincere　study　and　genuine　humanities　in；　our
disingenuous　Anglican　compromise　is　like　a　cold　in　the　English
head；　and　the　higher　education　in　England　is　a　training　in
evasion。　　This　is　an　always　lamentable　state　of　affairs；　but　just
now　it　is　particularly　lamentable　because　quite　tremendous
opportunities　for　the　good　of　mankind　turn　on　the　possibility　of
a　thorough　and　entirely　frank　mutual　understanding　between
French；　Italians；　and　English。　　For　years　there　has　been　a
considerable　amount　of　systematic　study　in　France　of　English
thought　and　English　developments。　　Upon　almost　any　question　of
current　English　opinion　and　upon　most　current　English　social
questions；　the　best　studies　are　in　French。　　But　there　has　been
little　or　no　reciprocal　activity。　　The　English　in　France　seem　to
confine　their　French　studies　to　/La　Vie　Parisienne。/　　It　is
what　they　have　been　led　to　expect　of　French　literature。

There　can　be　no　doubt　in　any　reasonable　mind　that　this　war　is
binding　France　and　England　very　closely　together。　　They　dare　not
quarrel　for　the　next　fifty　years。　　They　are　bound　to　play　a
central　part　in　the　World　League　for　the　Preservation　of　Peace
that　must　follow　this　struggle。　　There　is　no　question　of　their
practical　union。　　It　is　a　thing　that　must　be。　　But　it　is
remarkable　that　while　the　French　mind　is　agog　to　apprehend　every
fact　and　detail　it　can　about　the　British；　to　make　the　wisest　and
fullest　use　of　our　binding　necessities；　that　strange　English
〃incuria〃to　use　the　new　slangattains　to　its　most　monumental
in　this　matter。

So　there　is　not　much　to　say　about　how　the　British　think　about　the
French。　　They　do　not　think。　　They　feel。　　At　the　outbreak　of　the
war；　when　the　performance　of　France　seemed　doubtful；　there　was　an
enormous　feeling　for　France　in　Great　Britain；　it　was　like　the
formless　feeling　one　has　for　a　brother。　　It　was　as　if　Britain　had
discovered　a　new　instinct。　　If　France　had　crumpled　up　like　paper；
the　English　would　have　fought　on　passionately　to　restore　her。
That　is　ancient　history　now。　　Now　the　English　still　feel
fraternal　and　fraternally　proud；　but　in　a　mute　way　they　are
dazzled。　　Since　the　German　attack　on　Verdun　began；　the　French
have　achieved　a　crescendo。　　None　of　us　could　have　imagined　it。
It　did　not　seem　possible　to　very　many　of　us　at　the　end　of　1915
that　either　France　or　Germany　could　hold　on　for　another　year。
There　was　much　secret　anxiety　for　France。　　It　has　given　place　now
to　unstinted　confidence　and　admiration。　　In　their　astonishment
the　British　are　apt　to　forget　the　impressive　magnitude　of　their
own　effort；　the　millions　of　soldiers；　the　innumerable　guns；　the
endless　torrent　of　supplies　that　pour　into　France　to　avenge　the
little　army　of　Mons。　　It　seems　natural　to　us　that　we　should　so
exert　ourselves　under　the　circumstances。　　I　suppose　it　is
wonderful；　but；　as　a　sample　Englishman；　I　do　not　feel　that　it　is
at　all　wonderful。　　I　did　not　feel　it　wonderful　even　when　I　saw
the　British　aeroplanes　lording　it　in　the　air　over　Martinpuich；
and　not　a　German　to　be　seen。　　Since　Michael　would　have　it　so；
there；　at　last；　they　were。

There　was　a　good　deal　of　doubt　in　France　about　the　vigour　of　the
British　effort；　until　the　Somme　offensive。　　All　that　had　been
dispelled　in　August　when　I　reached　Paris。　　There　was　not　the
shadow　of　a　doubt　remaining　anywhere　of　the　power　and　loyalty　of
the　British。　　These　preliminary　assurances　have　to　be　made；
because　it　is　in　the　nature　of　the　French　mind　to　criticise；　and
it　must　not　be　supposed　that　criticisms　of　detail　and　method
affect　the　fraternity　and　complete　mutual　confidence　which　is　the
stuff　of　the　Anglo…French　relationship。


2

Now　first　the　French　have　been　enormously　astonished　by　the
quality　of　the　ordinary　British　soldiers　in　our　new　armies。　　One
Colonial　colonel　said　something　almost　incredible　to　mealmost
incredible　as　coming　as　from　a　Frenchman；　it　was　a　matter　to
solemn　for　any　compliments　or　polite　exaggerations；　he　said　in
tones　of　wonder　and　conviction；　〃/They　are　as　good　as
ours。/〃　It　was　his　acme　of　all　possible　praise。

That　means　any　sort　of　British　soldier。　　Unless　he　is　assisted　by
a　kilt　the　ordinary　Frenchman　is　unable　to　distinguish　between
one　sort　of　British　soldier　and　another。　　He　cannot　telllet　the
ardent　nationalist　mark　the　fact！a　Cockney　from　an　Irishman　or
the　Cardiff　from　the　Essex　note。　　He　finds　them　all　extravagantly
and　unquenchably　cheerful　and　with　a　generosity〃like　good
children。〃　　There　his　praise　is　a　little　tinged　by　doubt。　　The
British　are　recklessrecklessness　in　battle　a　Frenchman　can
understand；　but　they　are　also　reckless　about　to…morrow's　bread
and　whether　the　tent　is　safe　against　a　hurricane　in　the　night。
He　is　struck　too　by　the　fact　that　they　are　much　more　vocal　than
the　French　troops；　and　that　they　seem　to　have　a　passion　for　bad
lugubrious　songs。　　There　he　smiles　and　shrugs　his　shoulders；　and
indeed　what　else　can　any　of　us　do　in　the　presence　of　that
mystery？　　At　any　rate　the　legend　of　the　〃phlegmatic〃　Englishman
has　been　scattered　to　the　four　winds　of　heaven　by　the　guns　of　the
western　front。　　The　men　are　cool　in　action；　it　is　true；　but　for
the　rest　they　are；　by　the　French　standards；　quicksilver。

But　I　will　not　expand　further　upon　the　general　impression　made　by
the　English　in　France。　　Philippe　Millet's　/En　Liaison　avec　les
Anglais/　gives　in　a　series　of　delightful　pictures　portraits　of
British　types　from　the　French　angle。　　There　can　be　little　doubt
that　the　British　quality；　genial　naive；　plucky　and　generous；　has
won　for　itself　a　real　affection　in　France　wherever　it　has　had　a
chance　to　display　itself。。。。

But　when　it　comes　to　British　methods　then　the　polite　Frenchman's
difficulties　begin。　　Translating　hints　into　statements　and
guessing　at　reservations；　I　would　say　that　the　French　fall　very
short　of　admiration　of　the　way　in　which　our　higher　officers　set
about　their　work；　they　are　disagreeably　impressed　by　a　general
want　of　sedulousness　and　close　method　in　our　leading。　　They　think
we　economise　brains　and　waste　blood。　　They　are　shocked　at　the　way
in　which　obviously　incompetent　or　inefficient　men　of　the　old　army
class　are　retained　in　their　positions　even　after　serious
failures；　and　they　were　profoundly　moved　by　the　bad　staff　work
and　needlessly　heavy　losses　of　our　opening　attacks　in　July。　　They
were　ready　to　condone　the　blunderings　and　flounderings　of　the
1915　offensive　as　the　necessary　penalties　of　an　〃amateur〃　army；
they　had　had　to　learn　their　own　lesson　in　Champagne；　but　they
were　surprised　to　find　how　much　the　British　had　still　to　learn　in
July；　1916。　　The　British　officers　excuse　themselves　because；　they
plead；　they　are　still　amateurs。　　〃That　is　no　reason；〃　says　the
Frenchman；　〃why　they　should　be　amateurish。〃

No　Frenchman　said　as　much　as　this　to　me；　but　their　meaning　was　as
plain　as　daylight。　　I　tackled　one　of　my　guides　on　this　matter；　I
said　that　it　was　the　plain　duty　of　the　French　military　people　to
criticise　British　military　methods　sharply　if　they　thought　they
were　wrong。　　〃It　is　not　easy；〃　he　said。　　〃Many　British　officers
do　not　think　they　have　anything　to　learn。　　And　English　people　do
not　like　being　told　things。　　What　could　we　do？　　We　could　hardly
send　a　French　officer　or　so　to　your　headquarters　in　a　tutorial
capacity。　　You　have　to　do　things　in　your　own　way。〃　　When　I　tried
to　draw　General　Castelnau　into　this　dangerous　question　by
suggesting　that　we　might　borrow　a　French　general　or　so；　he　would
say　only；　〃There　is　only　one　way　to　learn　war；　and　that　is　to
make　war。〃　　When　it　was　too　late；　in　the　lift；　I　thought　of　the
answer　to　that。　　There　is　only　one　way　to　make　war；　and　that　is
by　the　sacrifice　of　incapables　and　the　rapid　promotion　of　able
men。　　If　old　and　tried　types　fail　now；　new　types　must　be　sought。
But　to　do　that　we　want　a　standard　of　efficiency。　　We　want　a
conception　of　intellectual　quality　in　performance　that　is　still
lacking。。。。

M。　Joseph　Reinach；　in　whose　company　I　visited　the　French　part　of
the　Somme　front；　was　full　of　a　scheme；　which　he　has　since
published；　for　the　breaking　up　and　recomposition　of　the　French
and　British　armies　into　a　series　of　composite　armies　which　would
blend　the　magnificent　British　manhood　and　material　with　French
science　and　military　experience。　　He　pointed　out　the　endless
advantages　of　such　an　arrangement；　the　stimulus　of　emulation；　the
promotion　of　intimate　fraternal　feeling　between　the　peoples　of
the　two　countries。　　〃At　present；〃　he　said；　〃no　Frenchman　ever
sees　an　Englishman　except　at　Amiens　or　on　the　Somme。　　Many　of
them　still　have　no　idea　of　what　the　E