A W E E K LY REVIEW SUPPLEM ENT TO " THE GREAT WAR," PA R T 244.
Lord Cavan at Eton
General the Earl of Cavan recently paid a visit
to Eton, his old school, where he was accorded a
great reception and entertained to luncheon.
Lord Cavan, addressing the boys, remarked that
he had served in the war under three great Etonians
— Generals Plumer, Rawlinson, and Byng— and they
had taught him much. He, too, owed a great deal
to those sons of Eton, of imperishable memory, who
had loyally served him all through the war.
In 1882, he said, he went to the orderly-room to
offer himself as a candidate for what was then
known as the E.C.R.V. ; but a “ villain,” with a
black beard rejected him. He said, “ Five-three
and a b it! Come again next half! ” Happily,
during the holidays, he grew that “ bit,” and
then he was accepted, and in the course of
time he became corporal, then sergeant, and later
he reached the rank of tolour-sergeant. They would
see, therefore, that he began his career in the ranks
before becoming an officer in the 1st Grenadier
Regiment of Foot Guards.
Vimy Ridge for Canada
It is announced that the French Government
intends to present Vimy Ridge to Canada.
At the same time the Belgian Government has
intimated its desire of awarding Canada a grant
of land in the city of .Ypres for the purpose of
erecting a memorial museum and shrine for
Canadian pilgrims to the battlefields of the Ypres
salient.
Vimy Ridge was captured by the Canadians on
April 9th, l'J17, and for nearly two years Canadian
troops fought in the locality, which is 'thickly dotted
with Canadian graves.
A division of Third Fleet has been forjned at
Devonport from ships detached from the Grand
Fleet. It comprises the, battleships Collingwood,
Colossus, and London, the cruisers Apollo, Donegal,
Eclipse, Roxburgh, Active, Aurora, Bellona, Liver
pool, and Narcissus, with the 20 vessels of the
Fourth Destroyer Flotilla and 10 torpedo-boats.
Historic Cartoons of th e G reat W ar
W O M A N - P O W E R .
Ceres : “ Speed the plough 1 ”
Ploughm an s “ I don’ t know who you are, m a’am , but It’s no good speeding the
plough unless we can get the woman to do the harvesting.”
[Fifty thousand more women are wanted on the land to take the place of men called to the Colours if
the harvest is to be got in.]
(Reproduced from P u n c h ,” M ay 15th, 1918, by perm ission o f the Proprietors.)
WHY THE KAISER FLED
Hindenburg’s Story of the Fateful
November Days
The following statement recently issued in Berlin
by Field-Marshal von Hindenburg throws important
light on the events leading up to the Kaiser’s
flight:
“ Public opinion has been recently again dis
cussing the question why the Kaiser went to
Holland. To obviate erroneous judgments, I should
like to make the following brief observations. When
the Imperial Chancellor, Prince Max of Baden,
announced the Kaiser’s abdication, on November
9th, without the Kaiser’s previous declaration of
assent, the German Army was not beaten ; but its
strength had dwindled, and the enemy had fresh
masses in readiness for a new attack. The conclusion
of the armistice was directly impending.
“ At this moment of the highest military tension,
Revolution broke out in Germany, the insurgents
seized the Rhine bridges, important arsenals and
traffic centres in the rear of the Army, thereby
endangering the supply of ammunition and provi
sions', while the supplies in the hands of the troops
were only enough to last for a few days.
“ The troops on the lines of communication and
the reserves disbanded themselves, and unfavourable
reports arrived concerning the reliability of the
Field Army proper.
“ In view of this state of affairs, the peaceful
return home of the Kaiser was no longer to be
thought of, and could only have been enforced at
the head of loyal troops. In that case the complete
collapse of Germany was inevitable, and civil war
would have been added to the fighting with the
enemy without, who would doubtless have pressed
on with all his energy.
“ The Kaiser could, moreover, have betaken him
self to the fighting troops, in order to seek death
at their head in a last attack; but the armistice,
so keenly desired by the people, would thereby
have been postponed, and the lives of many soldiers
uselessly sacrificed.
“ Finally, the Kaiser might leave the country. He
chose this course in agreement with his advisers,
after an extremely severe mental struggle, and solely
in the hope that he could thereby best serve the
Fatherland, save Germany further losses, distress,
and misery, and restore her to peace and order. It
was not the Kaiser’s fault that he was of this
opinion.”
Ypres Salient Casualties
The total casualties suffered by the British,
Canadian, and Australian troops respectively in
the Ypres salient during the operations from
July 31st, 1917, and ending on November 18th,
1917, were :
* »
Officers.
Other
Ranks.
Regulars & Territorial Forces ,. 10,795 207,8:^8
Canadian Contingent 496 11,917
Australian Contingent. 1,289 26,502
These totals include all killed, wounded, and
missing (including prisoners), as well as deaths
from wounds and other causes.
Battle Deaths in the War
Battle deaths in tho war of nations, according
to figures compiled and announced by General
March, Chief of Staff of the United States Army,
totalled 7,354,000. These figures include only men
killed in battle or who died of wounds. Such losses
by nations are as follows :
Russia ........................................ 1,700,000
Germany .................................... 1,600,000
France ........................................ 1,305,000
Austria .................................... 800,000
Great Britain ............................. 70(5,000
Ita ly ............................................ 400,000
Turkey .................................. 250,000
Belgium ............. * .................... 102,000
Bulgaria .................................... 100,000
Rumania .................................... 100,000
Serbia and Montenegro .......... 100,000
United States ............................. 50,000