to issue despairing appeals to his own troops. The Allies
were sometimes stated to have captured such and such a place "by the
use of masses of tanks," when, as a matter of fact, very few tanks had
been used. And this convenient excuse, as it appeared in the official
_communiques_, began soon to have some strange and disastrous results.
The German regimental officer began to think that as soon as tanks
appeared, it was _a sufficient reason for the loss of a position_. For
the German Army last year might be divided into three categories: "A
small number of stout-hearted men (chiefly machine-gunners), who could
be depended on to fight to the last; men who did not intend to fight,
and _did_ intend to put up their hands on the first occasion; and,
thirdly, the 'great middle class,' who were prepared to do their duty,
and had a sense of discipline, but who could not be classed as
heroes.... It was they who came to consider that when tanks arrived,
'there was nothing to be done.'"

Moreover, the failure of the German Higher Command to produce tanks
themselves to fight those of the Allies had a very serious effect, not
only on the faith of the troops in their generals, but also on the
_morale_ of the public at home. German war correspondents and members
of the Reichstag began to ask indignant questions, and the German War
Office hurriedly defended itself in the Reichstag. As late as October
23rd General Scheuch, the German War Minister, declared: "We have been
actively engaged for a long period in producing this weapon (which is
recognised as important) in adequate numbers." It seems to be true
that efforts were then being made, but not true that these efforts
were of long standing. "Altogether 'slowness' was the keynote
throughout of the German attitude towards the tank idea." He neither
appreciated their true use nor the best means of fighting them; and
even when we presented him with derelict tanks, as was soon the case
on the Ancre in 1916, he failed to diagnose the creature accurately.

"It is natural, I think," my correspondent continues, "that the
British should pride themselves on being the introducers and
leading exponents of this weapon. What the future will bring no
one knows; but if war is to persist, there can be no doubt that
mechanical means in general, and tanks in particular, must develop
more and more. If any civilised state is compelled to use force,
it will, if really civilised