WAR BOOK CONDEMNED

Grey River Argus, 13 June 1931, Page 3

WAR BOOK CONDEMNED

LORD YPRES’ WORK DENOUNCED. LONDON, May 26. “I have never encountered such a lamentable work »s ,tho Earl of Ypres’ ‘1914.’ The most charitable view is that it is the work or a monomaniac ” says Sir John Fortescue, in an article in Blackwood’s Magazine. Sir John says: “During the battle of Mons Sir John French (as Lord Ypres then was) was strangely inert, and for long passive. Although he was aware of the imminent danger he simply abdicated his functions a? Commander-in-Chief and told his corps commanders. Sir Douglas Haig and Sir 11. Smith-Dorrien, to settle the details, he himself retiring 21 miles to Saint Quentin, where he could not be found and from thence to Noyon, from which a French liaison of- • fleer reported ;that the battle had been lost by the British Army, which seemed deprived of all cohesion. “The battle was Le Cateau, and it was not Ivst. Generifl Smith-Dorrien

was openly rebuked for his over-cheer-fulness in reporting that he had broken , off the action and secured a retreat. “After a short perusal of the book I. fell back aghast, saying, ‘The man must be mad! ” ’ Sir John Fortescue continues:—“lts chief object seemed to be to attack General Smith-Dorrien, but the malignity of the attack was outdone by iits clumsiness and stupidity. Lord Ypres made the wildest statements and uttered downright falsehoods so eagerly and of so defamatory a character that they were frequently contiadictory. General Smith-Dorrie n suffered silently, because he was a good soldier and a great gentleman, who was infinitely better qualified, in the critical hours of 1914, for the post of Command-er-in-Chief than Sir John French.” Sir John Fortescue was librarian at Windsor Cast el from 1905 to 1926. He is the author of many military works, including “History of .the British Army 1899-1929 t.” The Earl of Ypres’ book, “ 1914,” was published in 1919. The Earl died in 1925.