The Spectator at war: A treat from a German private

From The Spectator, 26 September 1914:

Excellent use is made of captured documents, and we are treated to excerpts from a letter by a German private which deals with the fighting capacity of the British soldier:— “With the English troops we have great difficulties. They have a queer way of causing losses to the enemy. They make good trenches, in which they wait patiently. They carefully measure the ranges for their rifle fire, and they then open a truly hellish fire on the unsuspecting cavalry. This was the reason that we had such heavy losses. . . . According to our officers, the English striking forces are exhausted. The English people never really wanted war.”

Here is a striking tribute to the good training of the British troops, taken from a letter written by a German major: ” The English are marvellously trained in making use of the ground. One never sees them, and one is constantly under fire.”