Art. 2.-THE SPIRIT OF THE BRITISH SOLDIER.

1. The History of the British Army. By the Hon. J. W. Fortescue. Vols I-XI. Macmillan, 1899-1923.

2. The Life and Letters of Sir John Moore. By Beatrice Brownrigg. Oxford: Blackwell, 1923.

3. Sidney Herbert: Lord Herbert of Lea. By Lord StanTwo vols. Murray, 1906.

more.

4. The Panmure Papers. Edited by Sir George Douglas, Bt, and Sir G. D. Ramsay. Pitman, 1908.

And other works.

GENERAL SIR CHARLES HARINGTON has recently alluded, with grateful emphasis, to the valuable asset he had, when commanding the Allied Forces in Constantinople, in the exemplary conduct of the British troops while in occupation of that city. The fact that he was able to evacuate it without a single 'regrettable incident' is in itself an indication of genuine self-respect and honourable conduct on the part of the troops, for in such circumstances there is always the temptation to some excess of spirits, to pay off old scores, to celebrate the departure in roystering fashion, in the hope that with the bustle incidental to the move, and the new conditions which follow, any breach of the law will pass unnoticed, or, at worst, be leniently punished. To be able to continue doing duty, steadily and resolutely, under such conditions is not only a test of discipline, but of moral influence which goes deeper and wider. It indicates a higher level of efficiency in an army than the simple obedience to orders, it represents a response to the call of the leader, an access of strength to the whole organised body, which, combined with other matters of efficiency, contribute to make the whole more valuable as a national instrument for carrying out its purpose. As a result, this conduct enhances the value of the army in the sight of the people among whom it has been stationed, and we learn without surprise, therefore, that one effect of the good conduct of our troops in Constantinople was a friendly demonstration towards our men by the people there, apart from the extraordinary tribute of respect paid to the British general. These tributes have a reflex value in our own country, for the

nation is proud to feel that their representatives, whose duty has been to watch over the national interests, and, if necessary, give effect to them by force, have so carried out their task as to compel the respect and admiration of other nations, thereby holding high the standard of their country's integrity in the eyes of the world. This is no small matter, when, at the present time, the character of nations, as of individuals, is being weighed in the balance. The reputation for truth and justice of Englishmen in every part of the world, has long been a matter on which we pride ourselves, and it is gratifying to think that in the fighting forces, as in commercial life, our national character stands high. Its influence on the peace of the world is improved thereby, and may be reckoned as a factor of greater value than ever.

It is not only the commander of the troops who has thus testified to the high standard attained by his men ; the fact has been corroborated by the universal consensus of opinion of those residents in Constantinople who had an opportunity of observing events. That the conditions of life, and the surroundings of the soldier, were favourable to right conduct, no one would venture to assert. On the contrary, the mixture of East and West, the vicious atmosphere of centuries, have given the city a character of unenviable notoriety, and troops who have shown themselves able to come through such an ordeal with unblemished reputation have reason to be regarded with a nation's gratitude.

That the personal example of a Commander-in-Chief is of supreme value in such circumstances is universally admitted. Sir Charles Harington's 'sympathetic genius and his absolute uprightness impressed themselves on everybody,' is the testimony of Colonel Shuttleworth, one of his principal officers, and it would be confirmed -and indeed has been confirmed in other language-by every one whose opinion carries any weight. Yet Sir Charles himself would be the first to attribute to the many officers under him the personal influence with the rank and file of the army, which has achieved such excellent results. Their association with the men is a matter of continual action and reaction, and to them, therefore, praise is due.

It was, and is, the same in the Rhineland and other Vol. 241.-No. 479.

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occupied parts of Germany. Whatever may be the political disadvantages of Allied occupation, there is little doubt as to the popularity of British troops with the people, and the benefits which their presence has conferred on many a humble German household. The children, especially, have been kindly treated from the first; indeed, the only cause of complaint, from our point of view, is the frequency of matrimonial alliances between British soldiers and German lasses. A common saying was going about that if all the occupation troops had been British, the Germans would turn English; if the matter had been wholly in the hands of the Americans, the Americans would turn German; and if in the hands of the French, there would have been a bloody revolution. Whatever truth there may be in this, there is little doubt that the feeling of Gott strafe England' changed very quickly after the occupation. In the course of the advance across Belgium, one battalion of Scottish troops was billeted for a few days in a large nunnery, where the behaviour of the lads was admirable. The nuns were delighted, and showed their pleasure by kindly acts, such as mending the men's socks and tending their sore feet. On the last evening of their stay the men got up a concert for the benefit of the ladies, and treated them to various Scottish songs of the Harry Lauder type. The Lady Superior expressed her great regret to the officer commanding that her knowledge of English was so slight that she was unable to understand what was sung; but it was thought that perhaps if she had understood her regrets might have been modified.

It was the same in other theatres of war. In Syria, where at one time British troops occupied the whole land from Aleppo to Gaza, there was wailing and distress when the northern part, as far south as Galilee, was handed over to the French. Children especially, who had been petted by the kindly Tommy were distressed at his departure. And in the Holy City, where for the first time since the days of Hezekiah a proper water supply was introduced by British engineers, it was the calm and impartial British soldier who marshalled the struggling claimants to the public water-taps, and saw that among all the motley crew of Arabs and Jews,

Armenians, Greeks et hoc genus omne, every one had a fair share.

This principle of fair play and kind treatment even to those who belong to a race at war with us was shown in the Boer War in the treatment of women and children in the concentration camps. It was an evidence of the confidence which the Boers had in the character of the British, that they entrusted their women to the care of their enemies. Somewhat similar was the trust shown by the Afridi tribesmen in one of our many North-West Frontier wars, when they sent their women to Peshawar to be out of the way of the fighting. There is a grim humour about this which is characteristic.

When difficult and delicate diplomatic negotiations are on hand, the steadiness of the troops is a matter of great value. At Tientsin in 1901, for instance, the arrangements for restoring order in China after the Relief of the Foreign Legations in Peking, were not rendered more easy by the composite assembly of Allied troops in occupation. Russians were obviously endeavouring to pose as the friends of China and overlords of the Far East. Japanese, already jealous of Russia and only too ready to quarrel on the slightest pretext, were steadily preparing to come to blows. Germans were blatantly swaggering as the only recognised authorities on the art of war, exponents of the cult of the mailed fist, superior to the rest of the world, and, therefore, entitled to dictate to everybody. French susceptibilities had not yet recovered the soreness of the Fashoda incident; and, to make common cause against Albion the perfidious, they were prepared to fraternise even with the Germans. This mixture of nations-plus some Americans, Austrians, and Italians-was highly explosive, and the elements of friction, abounding on all sides, were enough to induce a violent detonation. But the British soldier was superb. Sorely tempted to retaliate against boorish Germans and excitable Frenchmen, he kept his temper, and even a German officer admitted to the writer, sie sind so ruhig.' The only pity was there were so few of them, for the majority of the troops who served there under the Union Jack were Indians. Of white Britons there were only a battalion of infantry, a battery of Royal Horse Artillery, and a

strong detachment of Australian bluejackets. From these Australians and infantry was furnished the whole police force of the Foreign Concession, and they dealt out strict impartiality to all alike, from arrogant Prussian officers to humble Chinese coolies. In their leisure hours they played football, officers and men together, to the amazement of the other nationalities, who could not understand how association of all ranks in sport is not only compatible with, but actually assists in maintaining, the strictest discipline.

One or two further instances may be quoted, out of thousands that might be adduced, from the Great War. The Second Army, under Lord Plumer, whose chief of the staff was, for some time, Sir Charles Harington, was in occupation of the same part of France and Belgium for nearly four years: yet during that time there were no complaints, by the people of the country, of the behaviour of the troops. In many a farm-house and village kindly memories linger among the peasantry of the English lads who came to their humble homes and showed a friendly, considerate appreciation of their trials and sorrows. In any of the market towns, such as St Omer and Aire, on a market day, the traffic in and out of the central square was regulated by the British police troops with exactly the same promptitude, efficiency, and scrupulous impartiality as is shown by the London policeman at Hyde Park Corner or in Trafalgar Square. The old French woman with her barrow-load of vegetables knew that she had in the British sergeant a friend who would see she had as fair a chance of passage in the crowded traffic as a general in his motor car.

One of the most pathetic memories of this kindly friendship between our troops and the people was at the village of Mazimgarbe, on the evening before the great assault at the battle of Loos. The troops billeted there belonged to the 15th (Highland) Division, one of the finest of the New Army, but alas! next day almost annihilated. In the autumn evening, though shells were shrieking continuously overhead, the friendly intercourse of the kilted soldiers and the people of the cottages was going on as peacefully as if the scene were laid, not in the Black Country of Northern France, but in some mining village on the Highland border, in Fife or Stirlingshire. Little