They looked upon the Irish question as being a certainty for civil war
in Britain, and one which would necessitate the employment of a large
proportion of our expeditionary force within our own islands.
They never foresaw that the Boer and Briton would be working amicably
in South Africa; they had supposed that the army of occupation there
could never be removed, and did not foresee that South Africa would
be sending a contingent against their South African colonies while the
regulars came to strengthen our army at home.
They imagined the Overseas Dominions were too weak in men and ships
and training to be of any use; and they never foresaw that the manhood
of Great Britain would come forward in vast numbers to take up arms
for which their national character has to a large extent given them
the necessary qualifications. All this might have been discovered
if the Germans had employed men of a higher education and social
position.
TACTICAL AGENTS.
In addition to finding out military details about a country, such as
its preparedness in men, supplies, efficiency, and so on, these agents
have to study the tactical features of hills and plains, roads and
railways, rivers and woods, and even the probable battlefields and
their artillery positions, and so on.
The Germans in the present war have been using the huge guns whose
shells, owing to their black, smoky explosions, have been nicknamed
"Black Marias" or "Jack Johnsons.
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