PANIC PATRIOTISM. • IISRAELI says somewhere in one of his
novels that 1 there- is no more unpleasant spectacle in the world than that of a Patrician in a panic. Worse than that,. however, is a Plutocrat in a panic. Worst of all is a halfpenny newspaper in a panic of patriotism, in which every consideration of prudence, common-sense, dignity, and national honour is rolled over and trodden into the mud-with a chorus of wails and screams mixed with. hysteri- cal vituperation. The Daily Mail has given us during the past week, and indeed ever since the raid in the Mitt: lands, some remarkable examples of such panic patriotism. That its intentions are. excellent, and that its siren- like hoots and shrieks and the talk to which it opens its pages about England lying `, huddled and impotent" are well meant, we do not doubt for a moment. But the panic, unfortunately, is quite as visible as the patriotism, and nothing useful was ever built on such a foundation. In the first place, all this scolding stuff which the Daily Mail either writes itself or allows .others to write produCes art impression which must have an effect the very reverse of that which is intended. Those responsible for the German policy, when they read it—and we knoW that they maintain a very close study of those portions of the English Press which appeal, or arc supposed toappeal, to_ great popular audiences—could not help coming to the conclusion that the raid had-been a great success because it had accomplished the object which they wished to achieve. Their desire is to intimidate England, and to. produce a feeling of panic and depression which will enibirrass the Government- -and deflect theiti from their true work, the work which the Germans fear—that of keeping a tight-grip-on Germany. We have-got our hands upon • the throat of -Germany, and are swaying .backwards and forwards in what for one or other of the oonibatants must prove a death-struggle. In order to try to make us relax our hold a little the Germans spit.in our faces. If we should- he so weak and so. incapable of maintaining the strain of war as to take one hand away to protect our :faces, we should do exactly- what the -Germans. want. ,Unconsciously, of course, that is precisely what the Daily tlfoil and.those who. follow its lead are asking us to"-do. When the Germans see this they will go on spitting in the hope 'that. at last we 'shall feel obliged' to use a protecting handkerchief.
- The Daily Mail and the " expert".correspondenta to whom. it opens its columns, like Mr. Pemberton-Billing and Mr. Grey, after a paean on the advantages of panic patriotism, join in a chorus of Government-baiting which atone must have a certain effect in distracting the minds of the Ministry, -and making them take their eyes off the essential objects of the war. But the advocates of .panic patriotism go further. They in effect say that, in order to prevent the increase of local dangers from air raids, we must sprinkle the Midlands with anti-aircraft guns, and keep back from the front and from use elsewhere fleets of aeroplanes. These apparently arc to roam about. the country by night in the hope of meeting and destroying the Zeppelins. That, of course, is the old fallacy, and nothing but the old fallacy, of local defence—the fallacy which makes one portion of the country think that it is getting less than its proper share of protection. It is the kind of fallacy which made people in the Napoleonic Wars -build Martello towers anywhere and. everywhere, caused the digging of the -Royal Military 'Canal • at Romney Marsh, and made Lord _St. 'Vincent launch his gibe about pacifying the old women of both sexes by defensive works. We are well aware that the Daily Mail calls in stentorian tones for a vigorous offensive, for attacking the Germans at home, and so forth. But when one comes to analyse the demands to which it gives special prominence, it will be found that the real demand is for devoting our energies to a defensive policy, and, what is worse, to a policy- of local defence--a policy as to the air equivalent in naval defence to that of keeping our ships strung out in a thin, weak line all along our coasts instead of concentrated in a smiting unit or e units. position caused by the failure of the Government /opus the Vplunteer reed with their raidi4 If they imp them up, they imagine movement. Rightly or avronglye-the hi-embers of 111'..V.V.C. havii that they will he able to break down our true system of t aerial-defence and that they will see- ur Government toned . is .imply allowed 4e -drop --and the Covcrument .ippAimt:y.havo:Mr : by -the panic party to dissipate our air, power ,by Bering it first in London and then in -the Midlan—ds an then no doubt, when the next raid ta.keslAtee,‘-in'L'anca- shire and the North. Instead of playing the :German . game by appeals which, though not perhaps 'framed -directly, on those lines, would, if 'they were acted upon, have the effect of committing us to a local defeneive,-: what tha Daily Mail should do is. clear. :White very properly urging the Government.to build more and 'better aeroplanes, it should insist upon our concentrating our energies upon attacking the Zeppelins in their home,- and never a-Hawing ourselves to be drawn away from that -purpose or to be " upset " by raids. At the same time, our Trees" should tell the Germans that they may ,make raids upon open' towns and open country as much -.as ever they ;like. Me are not going to waste our energy. in-the_chasing-of raiders:- We mean to destroy the raiders in- their 'own country, as the only -re-ally effective .way of preventing their :vagaries. All history shows us that -there -is one .plait,.-arid. only one plan, for preventing .sea-raiding-and invasion-.1)y- sea.. That. s either to destror-the enemy'a-fieet; or else to-- confinta it to its harbours, where it can-be of no use to 'the enemy.- To try to have a few ship's and a few-fortress guns Wherever' you expect the enemy, over Borne five - or .six' thistisand miles of coast-line, is a . capital error in strategy, - as the Romans found when they tried =toguard. .1_the -Baton shore, not by destroying -the fleets of -the seafarers, but by waiting for them -till they -landed. - Wellive got. to find out that in Attack, Attaek, and- again Attack lies our safety. Until we build up a stifficieritTittacking. force, and the right -kind of 'force; we 'have -to endure: 'with the best grace we can—i.e.; with a' calm _face and -no hysterics—the Zeppelin annoyance. :-We welt aware that -people who have been.worriedititaa'statenf • nervous emotionalism by the Daily- Mail- and 4he, papers. that follow -its 'lead will tell us that we are bitital and- callous and that -we cynically underestiniate -the 'effect of • German bombs.' -- They Will ask us whether we hav'e:no pity, for -ruined homes and mutilated 'and--torttirod':ivomen.■ and children. Of course we have every ..sympathy for • them ; but tears for such sorrows do not alter the fact: that from the -military point. of view the -_-grePpelM raids are perfectly worthless-, and: that even- if"-the -kitirrnans . the next raid have more luck thin theY taire thad on pre: . Timis occasions, this,. if we play our game ;proper*, will do nothing to help them to win-the war.: --The -only real damage • they can do us -is moral and intellectnal. datimge. Thee Material da,mage.wifincit count. • ' • - But .they -can only -do -us moral and intellectual damage' if we give way to panic patriotisM of the ltihd- preached; by the Daily Mail. - If we- keep a brm upper lip, and use our air energies for the offensive and not for-the -defensive, to fight with and not to squander up and do-wn the country,- we shall soon see the Germans tire of their very-expensive and very ineffective game. • . MeanWhile we cannot but protest against the ignoble clamour of those men .who usurp the fornis =without the substance of patriotism, who indulge the 'licence without the temper of public criticism.
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