Nelson's history of the war. Vol. XI., The struggle for the Dvina, and the great invasion of Serbia

66 HISTORY OF THE WAR.

not tarnish so noble a deed with facile praise. Her heroism had led captivity captive, and for her death was swallowed up in victory. She was not the ° least of the sisterhood of great-hearted women who have taught the bravest men a lesson in courage. M. Clemenceau spoke the tribute of the people of France. * The profound truth is that she honoured her country by dying for what is finest in the human soul—that grandeur of which all of us dream but only the rare elect have the chance of attaining. Since the day of Joan of Arc, to whose memory I know that our Allies will one day seek to erect a statue, England has owed us this return. She has nobly given it.”

Apart from vague popular uneasiness there was one specific criticism which had slowly been forming itself in the public mind. We lacked a consistent and fully thought-out strategic policy. We had made adventures without counting the cost. We had drifted into impossible situations, and had suffered Germany to dictate our line of conduct. The words which Demosthenes long ago addressed to his countrymen were singularly applicable at the moment to Britain. ‘In the business of war and its preparation all is confused, without method or programme. The time to act is lost in preliminaries ; the favourable occasions. do not wait on our slowness and our timidity. The forces that were judged sufficient reveal themselves insufficient on the day of crisis. . .. These are truths, unfortunately, and without doubt disagreeable to hear. If we were assured that in suppressing all the facts that displease us we should succeed in suppressing them