it. With
their surprise developed a respect for British arms, reported by all
visitors to Germany.

Mr. Thomas Atkins, none other, is the hero of that retreat from Mons.
The first statue raised in London after the war ought to be of him. If
there had been five hundred thousand of him in Belgium at the end of
the second week in August, Brussels would now be under the Belgian
flag. Like many other good things in this world, including the French
army, there were not enough of him. Many a company on that retreat
simply got tired of retreating, though orders were to fall back. It dug a
trench and lay down and kept on firing--accurately, in the regular,
businesslike way, reinforced by the "stick it" British character--until
killed or engulfed. This held back the flood long enough for the
remainder of the army to retire.

Not all the generalship emanated from generals. I like best that story
of the cross-roads where, with Germans pressing hard on all sides,
two columns in retreat fell in together, uncertain which way to go. With
confusion developing for want of instructions, a lone, exhausted staff
officer who happened along took charge, and standing at the junction
in the midst of shell-fire told every doubting unit what to do, with a
one-two-three alacrity of decision. His work finished, he and his red
cap disappeared, and I never could find anyone who knew who he
was.

After the retreat and after the victory of the Marne, what was
England's position? The average Englishman had thought that
England's part in the alliance was to send a small army to France and
to take care of the German fleet. England's fleet was her first
consideration; that must be served. France's demand for rifles and
supplies must be attended to before the British demand. Serbia
needed supplies; Russia needed supplies; a rebellion threatened in
South Africa; the Turks threatened the invasion of Egypt. England
had to spread her energy out over a vast empire with an army that
had barely escaped annihilation. Every soldier who fought must be
supplied overseas. German officers put a man on a railroad train and
he detrained near the front. Every British soldier had to go on board a
train and then a ship and then disembark from the ship and go on
board another train. Every article of ordnance, engineering, medical
supply, food supply, must be handled four times, while in Germany
they need be handled but twice. Any railway traffic manager will
understand w