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greatest zeal and determination in reorganising and restoring to its proper strength Russia's military power, both on land and sea. We must not expect any improvement calculated to effect an immediate change; but we do confidently look forward to the New Russia in due course being able as we believe she is eager to play her part in the formidable tasks which still confront the Allies.

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AND INDEMNITIES.'

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We have quoted in the preceding note the Russian Government's declaration against 'annexations" and "indemnities." The question came up for discussion in the House of Commons on May 16th, when (on the third reading of the Consolidated Fund Bill) Mr. Snowden (Lab) invited the British Government to issue on behalf of the British democracy a declaration similar to that issued by the Russian Government and to "join with the Allies in restating the Allied terms in conformity with the Russian declaration."

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There was no division on Mr. Snowden's motion, but in the course of the discussion Lord Robert Cecil made an interesting and important speech, in which he carefully discussed the interpretation of the words "annexation" and indemnity." Would Armenia be "annexed if never restored to the hideous Turkish tyranny from which it has been rescued by the Russian Army? Would it be "annexation" to restore Alsace-Lorraine to France, or Italia Irredenta to Italy? Did even Mr. Snowden say there should be no indemnity for Belgium? "No," said Mr. Snowden; "we have always demanded, as the essential part of any settlement, the restoration of Belgium-not only the restoration of its independence, but the restoration of all the damage that has been done.' This is sufficient to show how much may turn upon the due interpretation of terms.

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Mr. Asquith also discussed the various uses to which the word annexation" might be put. One possible interpretation is conquest for the sake of expansion of territory and of political and economic aggrandisement. With regard to annexation in that sense," he added, "I believe there is no man in this House or in this country, and I am certain there is no Power among the Allies, who is prepared either to practise it or to justify it."

THE UNITED STATES's
WAR PROGRAMME.

The Government of the United States has not been slow to make a first subscription of men and money and materiel to the cause of "the partnership of democratic nations." President Wilson warned Congress in April that entrance into the war would involve the utmost practicable co-operation with the Governments already at war (see MAGAZINE for May, at page 181),

and the contribution of the United States during the month of May has been an earnest that the President's words are to be translated into action with promptitude and whole-hearted determination.

The United States Navy began its co-operation with the Navies of the Allies with the swift silence which is characteristic of the work of our own Navy. A flotilla of United States destroyers crossed the Atlantic, and on May 20th the British Admiralty announced not only its safe arrival, but the fact that the services these United States vessels were already rendering to the Allied cause were of the greatest value. Rear-Admiral Sims is in general command of the United States naval forces in European waters.

An Expeditionary Force for land fighting is under orders to proceed to France at the earliest possible date. It will consist of a division of regular troops, under the command of General John T. Pershing. One division will not, of course, make an immediate difference to the balance of fighting forces over the Western Front, but this is only the beginning of the United States's effort in men. Nine regiments of Engineers are also under orders for France. Congress has passed legislation for increasing the Army to two millions forthwith. Half-a-million will be called up in the coming autumn, and another half-million as soon afterwards as the equipment, the supply of officers, and other factors make it advisable. A Conscription Bill will provide for the calling up of men between twenty-one and thirty, and of these it is estimated that 10,000,000 will be available. The first unit of the American Army Medical Corps, consisting of between 200 and 300 men and women-doctors, orderlies, and nurses-is already in England. Ten thousand doctors and nurses are under orders for England and France. 3,500 aeroplanes are to be built, and 5,000 aviators trained in the course of the next year.

President Wilson's Proclamation ordering all males between the ages of twenty-one and thirty to register, is a notable addition to the documentary history of the war. In it he said::

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'All men must pursue one purpose. The nation needs all men, and the whole nation must be a team in which each man shall play the part for which he is best fitted. The significance of the selective draft cannot be overstated. It is a new thing in American history and a landmark of progress. It is a new manner of accepting and vitalising our duty to give ourselves with thoughtful devotion to the common purpose of us all. It is in no sense a conscription of the unwilling. It is rather a selection from the nation which has volunteered in mass. It is no more a choosing of those who shall march with the colours than a selection of those who shall serve an equally necessary and devoted purpose in industries that lie behind the battle line."

The Army Bill approved by the members of a Conference between the Senate and the House of Representatives contained a provision authorising President Wilson to raise a Volunteer Division for service in Europe-a division which Mr. Roosevelt had offered to lead. The Conference approved this provision, but President Wilson

In this

will not avail himself of it at the present stage of the war. decision he is "acting upon expert advice on both sides of the water." President Wilson explains his reasons for deciding against the raising of Volunteer divisions. To raise such divisions, he says, "would most seriously interfere with the prompt creation and early use of an effective Army, and would contribute practically nothing to the effective strength of the Armies now engaged against Germany.'

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In three other ways the United States have taken action which will closely affect the fortunes of the Allies in the further prosecution of the war. Financial arrangements are being made for very substantial loans to the Allied countries; a sum of £80,000,000 has been made immediately available for the acquisition or building of a fleet of merchant vessels to assist in the defeat of the submarine menace; and Mr. Hoover is to be appointed Food Administrator. His duties in that office will consist in regulating food supplies in the United States so as to avoid waste, and in organising increased exports of essential commodities to the Allies in Europe.

ADMIRALTY
RE-ORGANISATION.

Sir Edward Carson announced in the House of Commons on May 14th a number of important changes at the Admiralty. Admiral Sir John Jellicoe, First Sea Lord, takes the additional title of Chief of the Naval Staff; Vice-Admiral Sir Henry F. Oliver, Chief of the Staff, becomes an additional member of the Board of Admiralty, with the title of Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff; Rear-Admiral Alexander L. Duff, formerly in charge of the anti-Submarine Division of the War Staff, becomes an additional member of the Board of Admiralty, with the title of Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff; Rear-Admiral Lionel Halsey, Fourth Sea Lord, becomes Third Sea Lord, in succession to RearAdmiral Frederick Tudor, the new Commander-in-Chief at the China Station; Sir Eric Geddes (formerly Inspector-General of Transportation in all the theatres of war), becomes an additional member of the Board of Admiralty, with the title of Controller, and with the honorary and temporary rank of Vice-Admiral; and Rear-Admiral Tothill becomes Fourth Sea Lord, in succession to Rear-Admiral Halsey.

These changes have a twofold object. The intention is (1) to free the First Sea Lord and the heads of the Naval Staff from administrative work, and so enable them to concentrate on important issues relating to the naval conduct of the war; (2) to strengthen the shipbuilding and production departments of the Admiralty by providing an organisation comparable with the Ministry of Munitions. Sir Eric Geddes's special responsibility is the development and utilisation to the best advantage of the whole of the shipbuilding resources (including the production of armaments and munitions) of the country.

GALLIPOLI
DESPATCHES.

Despatches from Vice-Admiral de Robeck and Vice-Admiral Wemyss, describing the evacuation of the Gallipoli Peninsula in December and January, 1916, were published on April 11th, 1917. Vice-Admiral Wemyss's despatch, which is dated December 22nd, 1915, tells of the evacuation of the positions at Suvla and Anzac. This was carried out in three stages, and each step was carried through without the Turks discovering what was happening. In the intermediate stage, during the dark hours of the nights between December 10th and 17th, 44,000 personnel, nearly 200 guns, many wagons, and 3,000 animals, together with a large amount of stores and ammunition, were evacuated. The final stage was completed in two nights, and on each of these 10,000 personnel were evacuated without accident to ships or boats. The enemy," Vice-Admiral Wemyss says, writing of the morning when the heavy task had been successfully completed, seemed perfectly unaware of what had taken place." Admiral de Robeck's account of the evacuation of the Helles position shows that here again the Turks were cleverly hoodwinked, and as a happy result his artillery fire on the final night of the evacuation was negligible." Some smaller mishaps attended the final departure from Helles; but, these apart, the earlier operation was carried out with amazing success, thanks to plans cleverly devised and efficiently carried out and admirable co-operation between the sea and land forces.

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II. GERMAN SAVAGERY TO WAR PRISONERS. We have from time to time given examples of the peculiar forms of brutality-and inhumanity-which the Germans inflict on their prisoners of war in the internment camps. All these matters are being officially noted. Lord Newton told the House of Lords on May 22nd that there exists a well-organised body, whose special duty it is "to take note of all such occurrences so that when the right time arrives they may be used against the German Government."

Lord Newton was speaking about some of the latest forms of torture to which British prisoners of war had been subjected. He mentioned the use of police dogs in some of the German prison camps, a matter which is now fully set out in a White Paper (Cd. 8480).

From this White Paper we quote one especially abominable case of savagery. It occurred at Stendal, and the victim was Private R. Marsh, of the K. O. Royal Lanc. Regt. Marsh describes his experience thus:

The general treatment was very harsh, and as far as my experience goes, is growing worse. On December 26th, 1915, we had a very bad time of it. Three shots were fired as a signal for all the prisoners to get into their huts, but we had never been warned about it, and consequently did

not know what it meant. The sergeant-major came through the compound in which I was, and set the dogs which he had with him-big half-bred wolf-hounds on those who had not gone in. I had the misfortune to be bitten in five places, and finally the dog flew at my throat, and had it not been for a thick muffler I was wearing, I feel sure I should have been killed. As it was, I carried the dog some twenty yards holding on to my chest with his teeth. When I complained to the sergeant-major, he threatened me with his sword. As a result of the dog's attack, I was unable either to sit down or lie down properly for a couple of weeks." This sort of thing happened not only at Stendal, but at Halle, Hamelin, Münster, Sennelager, and Wittenberg (the place of the dreadful typhus torture-see MAGAZINE for May, 1916, at page 188), clear proof that the use of dogs in prison camps was not incidental, but systematic in the German plans. The White Paper contains the evidence of British soldiers of all ranks, and their independent testimony makes an irresistible weight of corroboration.

Upon the reports as to these practices made by British prisoners who had returned from various camps in Germany, Viscount Grey protested against the use of dogs as guards, and pointed out that police dogs were not used in English camps. The Germans defended the practice as a "military necessity," and not a breach of the "principles of humane and reasonable treatment of prisoners," and added that "having regard to the inferior number of prisoners in England no comparison can be drawn between conditions in the two countries."

Lord Newton laid before the House of Lords details of the abominable treatment of British prisoners employed practically in the fighting areas. Five hundred men were sent to the Eastern front, actually employed in the trenches, and "subjected to the deliberate ferocity which is the inevitable characteristic of the German on certain occasions." In January the German Government informed the British Government in a Note that no prisoners were employed near the German lines on the Western front. This was a deliberate lie, and Lord Newton was able to expose what he called "the duplicity and mendacity" of the German Government in regard to this matter.

In the beginning of April three British privates who had been captured escaped into the British lines, and stated that not only were several hundreds of British prisoners employed quite close to the German front-within four or five miles of the trenches-but they had been in that particular locality since November, 1916:

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'They were given barely sufficient food to keep body and soul together, although their German guards were well fed; they were not allowed to write home or to receive any letters or parcels of any kind, they were never given a change of clothing, their overcoats were taken from them, and they were ill-used in all other respects, and a good many of them had died."

It is a comparatively small detail, but one which helps to illuminate the utter disregard of the Germans for every humane consideration that they failed to report the existence of these men.

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