LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
GAINS AND LOSSES IN THE WAR.
[To THE EDITOR OP THE " SPECTATOR."] SIR,—The more I read the Parliamentary debates and correspondence in the London Press by residents in the Metropolis, the clearer it appears to me that London is entirely out of touch with the country, and the difference is very material. In the provinces amongst all classes, as well as in the provincial Press of all politics, there is a firm decision to support those in authority in the Government of the country, and to resent the meddlesome and unpatriotic attempts in Parliament and the yellow Press to criticize statesmen unfairly who are working at high pressure,
and who have their general confidence notwithstanding many mistakes. Where those in the provinces blame the Government is for keeping back information from the Press which is well known in London, espe- cially successes of the Allies and enemies' losses. And again, why are all the German lies and boastings allowed to go forth in the Press st home and abroad, whilst no sufficient account is given of the Allies' successes 7 Even when the possession of Belgium and Serbia and part of France and Poland is admitted, have the Allies nothing to set off on their side ? I think a skilled financier could even make out now a fairly creditable " credit and debit " account. Let us compare the credit of the Allies and that of the countries of Germany, Austria, Turkey, and Bulgaria. But our successes during the war are not small either in extent or the value of the conquered colonial possessions of Germany alone, without referring to the losses of Austria and Turkey in Galicia and Egypt and the advance of Russia in Asia towards Constantinople. It would be interesting to learn the real value of the African colonies taken from Germany during the war with their mines, railways, and telegraphs, and the amount of capital invested in them, especially by the German banks, and irretrievably lost in the various German colonies now in the possession of Great Britain, France, and our Australasian Dominions as well as of Japan. I cannot help thinking that if a proper statement were published by the authority of the Government it would not only have a most beneficial effect on the public mind of this country, but would very considerably affect neutral countries, and more especially the United States, in their own interests, and depreciate still more Germany's financial credit.
Although we must all deplore our losses, the results of the war should be, and it is our duty to those who have been sacrificed in the war to see that it is, of great benefit to the Old Country. Our Alliance with France, Russia, Italy, Portugal, and' Japan should be consolidated by commercial reciprocity in the future, and the time should be gone by, for ever when English tradesmen were satisfied to sell goods " made in Germany." And whilst the German programme of a road to the East yid Constantinople and Baghdad is a thing of the past, we should be able now to ensure the safety of the Suez Canal through a friendly and prosperous Egypt, entirely independent of Turkish influence or control: There may be still nimo sad losses and many sacrifices before us—no beast is more dangerous than one who is wounded—but Germany is practically defeated in all its aims and objects, and " the writing is on the wall "; and the longer the Kaiser continues the ruthless waste of life of his own people as well as of other nations, the more disastrous will be the result to himself and the greater the dis- credit of his failure to " Germanize " the world under the influence
of the "Evil One."—I am, Sir, &e., HENBAGE. Hainton Hall,
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