THE BRITISH ARMY

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2752, 22 April 1916, Page 3

THE BRITISH ARMY

'AN ITALIAN APPRECIATION,

London correspondent of the Urnere della Sera,"-. Signor Guglielmo -Unanuel, sends to his paper an account or a .visit to the ■ British front in JJranee. He writes:— nil tho armies fighting the battles of the great war this is the youngest and the newest. ... A staff officer told me that to-day perhaps there aro not above two hundred officers in the nriflg lino who caino here with the first Expeditionary Force which fought the epic retreat from Hons. The others are not- all dead or missing, for many W havo S° uo ovor to tho General btaff to cope with the increase of work brought about by the increase bf the armies. But tho remark still has value, for the creation of this maguilicent body of officers to command and set in motion this new million of soldiers is one of the greatest miracles accomplished by English effort. . . . England has been fortunate in possessiug a caste from which it was possible to draw and mould rapidly her young officers. . The education of character as it is jiuderstood in an English college has not succeeded perhaps in creating intiustrial men and merchants capable of beating altogether the competition of ermany. But in tho moment of ciisis it furnished at once tho best possible substitute for the regular Army, nio best materials for the armies of —ngland had to begin to organise. . '-"-A army of youths—this is tho first impression one feels in visiting the magnificent army encamped in Flanders, this is an army that does not deteriorate but grows ill strength and value with every day that passes. It is like a generous wine which ago makes perfect, _ Happy aro the armies wlioso fault is youtli, far tha tinni victorr vi'iJl be theirs.'*'