WINNING OF THE WAR.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 27 July 1927, Page 8

WINNING OF THE WAR.

BEARERS OF MAIN BURDEN

SPEECH BY EARL HAIG

LONDON. June 15

A notable speech was made by FieldMarshal Earl Haig at the opening meeting ot the British Empire Service League Conference. This was in the form of a spirited protest against the tendency, wiiich he described as a national one, to .belittle the part Britain played in winning the war

The ex-Commander-in-Chief of the British Armies, than whom there should be no greater authority, asserted that for the: last 18 months of the struggle the British Armies in I'ranee, the armies of the Empire, carried on their shoulders and carried to victory, the main burden of the war. "I think it is sometimes forgotten," said Earl Haig, ‘‘indeed, 1 doubt if it has vet been fully realised by the general public, bow truly great was the work of the armies of the British Empire in the war. A national tendency to belitle our own achievements, fostered and encouraged by consideration of policy, wltyioh. 1 forbear to criticise, has led us as a nation to ascribe our victory in the Great War to fortunate destiny of our country, to the military genius of allied nations to the mistakes of the enemy, to the intervention of America, to anything rather than to the true cause—namely, the inherent fighting qualities of nil ranks of the British Armies, and the endurance, loyally and discipline of the British peoples in all quarters of the world. “If America had not ‘-omc in we might not perhaps have- forced the enemy to surrender in 1918, for without the American reserves in existence it would have been unwise for us to risk throwing the whole force of the British Army, ill France and Flanders into the tremendous series of battles which brought the war to a sudden, and by many politicians, unexpected end. But we should have won in the end all the same.

“As for the Allies, but for them and the sacrifices which they made in the opening year of the war, we might never have been given time to mobilise the armies of the Empire, and for that we owe a great debt of gratitude to our Alies. and perhaps also to the special providence which over the destinies of the improvident and which wo can never sufficiently acknowledge. “We raised the finest fighting force the world has yet seen,” added the field-marshal. “I am presently and keenly concerned for the honour and reputation of the gallant officers and men of the Empire of whom that splendid army was composed. lam concerned that they at least should be given full credit that i s their due. “It is a question of far deeper importance than many people realise. It is a matter which may yet decide the fate of our Empire and of these islands. I do not like to think what may be the effect upon the next great call which will one day have to be made upon the Dominions oversea, if the accepted version ol the Empire s part in the war should he that we owed our successful issue from that great trial not to our own qualities, or our own efforts, hut to the mercy of Providence and the assistance of other nations. ’