CHAPTER XI

ENGLISH WAR FORCES

The Men at the Front--The Recruiting--English Losses--Horses and
Ships--War Supplies--Barring the Germans.


I really admire the English censorship and the manner in which it can
withhold information from the English people, and I see the usefulness
of much of the withholdings. You are some days in England before you
realize that there are now no weather reports--not even for Channel
crossings. Nobody really cared for them in London. Everybody there
knew what the weather was, and nobody could tell what it was to be. If
reports were printed, they would fool only the German Zeppelins; but
cable reports might be quite another thing. So you can't cable your
family: "Weather fine, come over."

Of course Germany should not be allowed to know the English forces,
their exact number and distribution. I was told over and over again in
good newspaper quarters in London that the English had only 100,000 men
at the front, and did not propose to have any more until Kitchener led
his army of a million men or more to the Continent next spring.

I, of course, said nothing, but I knew a great deal better, both from
War-Office sources and from contact with the English officers in France.

It would not be right, although information was not given me in
confidence, to attempt to name the exact number and position of troops
Kitchener had on the Continent toward the close of December. But I may