ASHMEAD BARTLETT.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17099, 23 February 1916, Page 5

ASHMEAD BARTLETT.

OPTIMISTIC SPEECH. EFFECT OF THE ECONOMIC j PRESSURE. . "I do believe that the Allies mist win a decisive victory, either in the held, or economically because of the pressure of our fleet. i '"' Germany is in an extremely bad way. She is simply .in inflated balloon, holding on to territory which she cannot possibly hang on to for good. And I tremble for the future of the Hohenaollern family when the German poop's get to know the truth about their enormous losses in this war; when they know that at least 2.500,000 of her soldiers have been killed, and not 1,500.000, or so, as they have been told. " I believe you will see the greatest social revolution in Germany that the world lias ever known directly public opinion is given a chance of expressing itself. And when there is a rise of democratic feeling and indignation in Germany it will be the-' greatest safeguard wo could have, better even than if we utterly crushed Germany by the force of our arms." (Cheers.)

There paragraphs are quoted by the "Sydney Morning Herald" from a fine speech delivered to members of the New South Wales Institute of Journalists by Mr E. Ashmead Bartlett, who was entertained by that body at luncheon. ABSURD CENSORSHIP. "When the history of this war comes to be written," said Air Ashmead Bartlett, in reply to his .reception, ' one of the most interesting topics in it will be the relationship between the Government and the Press. Especially in England, and I have no doubt you have found it equally so here, it has been a difficult question to liandle." But at the present time, he went on, there was very, very little censorship in England. The only thing now insisted upon is that you shall not say anything that is likely to be of assistance to the enemy, and in that respect the newspapers of England had always been willing and anxious to stand loyally behind the Government, And for this very reason it is only just lately that>the mass of the English people have wakened up to the necessities of the occasion.

" It was therefore a surprise to me to find." "he continued, "that when T came here after an experience of what was nfecessary to break down the absurd ideas of the earlier English censorship, to find that I am handicapped here, far more, by the censorship than in England. At. the start in England no one. would ever take the trouble to think out a working arrangement between the Government and the Press. There, was no thinking department to arrange a plan whereby the Press should be handicapped as little as possible, and thus allow the Press "in the early stages of the war to breathe into the reports of the war and articles on the war that intense human interest that has now been awakened throughout the British Empire." Everybody, he 'said, was convinced that the war would be over before Christmas, 1914, and so nobody bothered much about it. Ho told how the English papers were invited to nominate war correspondents, and to equip them elaborately before starting for the front" The nomination and equipping were attended to with great enthusiasm, but the only trouble was the war correspondents were never allowed to start. In vain did the newspapers complain., and in vain were letters written to Lord Kitchener, which 11 do him justice, the Secretary for War never bothered to answer. (Laughter.) At last, although the papers were extremely anxious to assist the Government and stand loyally behind it. they were compelled to explode the self-satisfying notion which bad gained so much ground that Ave were winning the war really bv retreating. When the war started had the Government gone about the matter properly, and allowed tire newspapers reasonable latitude to tell the true facts to the people, he believed that every single Englishman of military age would have enlisted. There was great spontaneous enthusiasm at that time, and every volunteer was cheered as a hero, as indeed he was. But they knew nothing of the dangers of war. The result of all this absurd, censorship was that the public of England remained absolutely in ignorance. They all believed the war was going on all right, and that ten Germans were being killed for every oneof the Allied troops every day. They beh'ev- ; ed in the invincibility of the Allies. j The general public feeling was corI rectly hit off by Mr Harry Grahame, ' who wrote some verses, as follows : I was playing golf one day, ■When the Germans landed, All our troops had run away, And all our ships were stranded. And the thought of England's shame 2sa«lx r~*X me off my game.

(Laughter.) On another occasion a London newsboy, whore solicitations .Mr Bartlett had repulsed, said.. "Oh, do buy one to-day: there are only two 'Germans left, I counted them up myself.'' (Laughter.) The Press alone in England seemed to be in touch with public opinion, and those newspapers, esneciallv the Lord Xorthcliffe papers—- " Times'" and " Daily Mail "--which incurred hostility' because of their determination to wake the nation up. had done a distinct, service "to the Empire. (Cheers.) What was wanted from the start was strong men with ideas. They might think ahead of public opinion, and become unpopular, but thev would do a great work-. The Anstra.litin soldier had a palpably leavening effect when mixed with Imperial and other dominion troops, and every Australian soldier that could be got was badly needed.

WAR PROBLEMS. Dealing with the prospects of the conclusion of the war ill favour oftho \llies Mr Bartlett showed how .Britain's' output of arms, munitions and general equipment was now able to cope with any number of recruits. A measure of compulsion in England had become necessary because, while it was impossible to equip the troops _ who rushed to the colours early, the industrial population of England soon found themselves earning up to three tunes as much as tliey ever did bciwe, "'}<} at the same time they were being told that thev were patriotically doing their dutv to the Empire by sticking to their work, as nearly all work had some connection with the manufacture of supplies or equipment, for the armies in the field. But now the organisation and' equipment had got ahead of the recruits offering, and the need for more recruits had become pressing. _ Apart from any great battle casualties, the average number of reinforcements required to make np Britain's wastage at the front was 30.000 per .month. At the same time, ho regretted that while Britain was about it, she did not conscript the country all round—industries as well as men. (Cheers.) The financial problem was also a very serious one. Britain's daily rate ot cxpenditure on the war was probably 06 000.000 bv now. -It was certainly far more than that of any other nation. Germany's expenditure was nothing like it. "From what I have seen of modern warfare.'' he went on, •' and particularly of this war, 1 don t think it is possible to win decisive victories in the field."' From fifteen to twenty men were required in an attacking force to shift one man securely entrenched behind wire and fortifications. And the Germans must be admitted to be the great masters of war. The task of the Allies was far more serious now than in the early days when the Germans came on in huge numbers attacking. Now that the Germans had to bo attacked, the Allied losses must be relatively much greater than those of the enemy "But even if we fall to obtain this great, decisive victory, we must win from the economic pressure wo arc able to exert," he said- " But we want to bo prepared for a fight of indefinite length, and to rely upon our own well-known financial stamina, to see us through. This war is going to be won by the side which conserves its financial and economic strength sufficiently to recover quickest after the fighting stops. (Cheers.) Wo must beware of exhausting our resources beyond the point at which recuperation becomes impossible. I have a very groat admiration' for -the Australian soldier. But is he worth 6s per day relatively as against the English soldier's Is (id a day. and the other armies which get no pay at all? It adds enormously to your expenditure when you are obliged to pay your men such high rates."