Though the situation we have described must be regarded as
on the whole distinctly favourable, quick results must not be expected. It must be remembered that in military as in political affairs it is a comparatively easy task to prophesy, but in both cases the prophets are always apt to have much too ambitious a time-table. Events which are expected to happen in a few days or a week take a month or a couple of months to arrive. We expect movements to mature to-morrow which, in fact, are not carried out till the prophets have almost forgotten their predictions. A notable example occurred at the beginning of the present week. The optimists were all talking about envelopments, but these are still to seek, and in all probability will take a long time to enter the region of practical strategy. But though our progress may be very slow, it is sure. Time continues to be in our favour. The great, the real ground for satisfaction is that we have bad two months of war and the Germans are only where they are. Further, a month ago they were in a far more favourable position both in the western and eastern theatres of war than they are now. We
have not beaten them, but they have not beaten us. What they are now trying to do is to prevent themselves being invaded rather than to invade.
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