From the British front there has been little or no
news of Im- portance this week, though a note of preparation and suspense can be found sequestered between the lines of the despatches. It is not for us to pry into the intentions of the Commander-in-Chief or of the Imperial General Staff, but it would be absurd to pretend that we think that we have collected our vast numbers of men and of great guns and munitions in France merely for ornament. The actual day for using them may be distant or may be near, but whichever it is, it will come. When it does, we will only ask the British people not to look for scenic: triumphs or for any sensational victory. If they do, they may very likely be disappointed. What has to be considered in any military operation is not the local effect, but the results on the war as a whole. The essential quality of the German Army is that it is tough, and tough materials cannot be immediately splintered or pulverized by even the hardest hammer-blows. But for all that they can be destroyed.
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